Why Boudoir?  You deserve to be beautiful. Eternally.

We chose to celebrate the human body in it’s most beautiful form, it’s natural form. Many women have issues feeling beautiful . . . and this isn’t an issue many women have after babies or as they get older. This is an issue that we have noticed in young women as well . . . even in some of our brides! How is this we ask? How is it that we don’t feel comfortable and beautiful in our own skin? I mean, let’s face it . . . no one is perfect. No one has that body that has been airbrushed on the front of magazines . . . and those that do . . . God has blessed you. But that doesn’t mean we all are not beautiful and that we all can’t feel as beautiful as the lady on the magazine. We should all feel beautiful in our own skins . . . and know that how we were made, is beautiful.

I get such a ‘high’ photographing Boudoirs by the reaction I get from my clients. Hearing the, ‘Oooh, Tomme.’ and the, ‘I can’t believe you made me look so pretty.’ and the, ‘I can’t wait to show these off, I look so good!’ — these make me smile soooo big! Knowing I showed a woman how beautiful she REALLY is. I helped her. I helped her in a way that she will never forget. In a way that will make her smile more . . . OR not be scared to wear the bikini on the beach . . . OR show off her shoulders at 50 . . . OR not be scared to ‘drop the towel when he’s looking’.

And to those of you who think Boudoir is similar to ‘soft porn’ . . . think again. I have many clients who don’t get naked for me. Wearing a cute nighty and some heels is enough to make a woman feel like she is the hottest thing that crossed his mind! There are MANY ways to photograph Boudoirs without getting naked! If you need help brainstorming ideas for your session, let us know! We will be happy to help give suggestions that will suit you!

Also, Boudoir photography is not just for the upcoming bride or the perfect anniversary present or for the long lasting married couples . . . Boudoir Photography is for Y O U.  You chose who you want the session to be for! Sometimes, it’s best to do a session just for Y O U.

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Thank you for reading and understanding our our vision of Boudoir Photography . . . Now, we want you to do the same for us! However, yours doesn’t need to be so l-o-n-g . . . just a lil’ blurb on why YOU want a Boudoir Session.

Submit a photo of YOU and a blurb on ‘Why you chose Boudoir Photography’ to our email.  We love to understand why YOU chose to do Boudoir Photography. We will post your lil’ blurb to our Blog and Facebook along with your image and then YOU VOTE! Most votes will win a
FREE flirt Album (a $250 value)  with purchase of promotional session!
Our normal Sessions run about $500. We are giving this lucky winner the chance to have her Boudoir Session for a slight discount. Our Promotional Session values at $400. The Session includes a two hour boudoir session + two outfit changes.

Please enter and get the word out about Loft Noire! Remember, the Contest ends January 31, 2012 at midnight!!

Don’t forget to email you image and blurb to us at –  gallery . tomme hilton @ gmail . com — don’t forget the . between gallery and tomme!

gallery.tommehilton@gmail.com

We are aware of our price point. We are aware of our quality of work. We are aware of those other photographers out there in our line of business. We are aware of the competition. We know that not everyone can afford us. However, we also know that there are a number of people out there who just don’t know how to think about the ‘importantance’ of things.

We recently were sent a blog post by email this week . . . that discusses a woman who booked a $500 session with a photographer. She at the last minute cancelled because she knew she couldn’t ‘afford’ the session at the time. — I’m not going to explain the entire post because we want you to read it first hand — But, after a few life altering things happen to her and her family, she calculated $200+ of non-necessity items that she could have ‘lived without’ and put towards a session all within a matter of two weeks (correct me if I’m wrong on some calculations).

Please go and read this post. It just amazes me how things can change. And how often we don’t think about how to ‘preserve’ the time we have with our loved ones.

Today, we announced the winner to our Creative Wrapping Contest! Shannon Hughes is our special bride who wins an awesome wedding package for her 2012 wedding! We are excited to work with her and her groom!! More details about their wedding and their prize to come!

The Holiday Season is quick to come and go . . . But we want to remind you all to be safe in your travels and stay warm!

Erica’s family seems to be the subject a lot! j. But, amongst our brainstorming, we thought it would be neat to have a ‘Twin’ Photo session. And with that idea, came her and her sister, Jessica. Now, you might have heard us talking a lot about Jessica in our blog / facebook page / etc. . .  because she has been the ‘subject’ more than once as well! Her recent ones from the summer of 2011 were our fun Fashion Photo session and then the most recent, Halloween’s ‘Come Play with us’ Session. Weren’t those fun! Sigh. I wish we had more people to do sessions like these!

Photo Sessions don’t have to be just for couples / weddings / maternity / babies / families — they can be for so much more than that! And in our CELEBRATE Series, we hope you see that Photo Sessions can be for Anything! So far, our two CELEBRATE Series have been on Friendship + Sisterhood. We have a new session CELEBRATE Series coming up . . . stay tuned!  Because there is so much to CELEBREAT in life. Smile.

Tomme Hilton Gallery introduces the Billingsley Family to our Gallery.  Meet Erica’s husband, Matt, and her kiddo, Houston.

Erica and I always brainstorm ideas . . . about what to do on our next shoot. OR something new to add to our ‘props’. OR how to ‘spice’ up a session . . . etc. This time, we decided to use one of our ideas on HER and her family  — the TENT.  One Saturday morning a couple weeks ago, I got up early and spent SIX — yes, 6 — Hours building this tent. And afterwards, I must say . . . it was AWESOME! Did you see the pictures? Tell me it wasn’t a pretty darn good tent! I would like one of those made out of ‘sticks’ and stuff . . . so, if you know anyone who makes them / sells them cheap / would donate one, Please let me know! I am always wanting to find new things and explore ideas!

Enough on my props . . . because, afterall . . . the props weren’t the only ‘cool’ thing about this photo session. It was the subjects. The Billingsley’s. Erica is, of course, not only my assistant, but my first ‘complete’ family to my / our Gallery. I am sure you have followed ‘her’ life and watched her family grow . . . but for those of you who haven’t . . . let me recap. I have photographed Erica and Matt for their Engagement, her Bridals, their Wedding day, their Maternity, their first child, her Boudoirs, her ENTIRE family and now . . . her immediate Family:  The Billingsley’s.

Tell me that isn’t awesome? To see a couple like that grow? And build? And develop into a family of their own? WOW. It excites me when I have brides who let us capture their lives each step of the way.  I have a couple more brides who aren’t too far behind Erica . . . and I can’t wait to keep capturing their lives as well!

*If you would like to join our Gallery ‘family’, contact us at gallery.tommehilton@gmail.com

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In the mean time, Tomme Hilton Gallery would like you to become a fan of our Gallery on Facebook.

If you have a Facebook account and are a FAN of Tomme Hilton Gallery, would you so kindly share our Gallery on your profile page? To share, like the link on the left hand side of the page at the bottom. If you are not a FAN, please become one by clicking ‘LIKE’ at the top of our page.

Facebook and our blog, are the easiest ways to show our followers and reads what we are up too in our Gallery.

. . . baby Moore Bump Chronicles.

blanket_nm brick_nm bump2 clemson_nm nm_blanket nm_bump oldblue sexymama stool trucklight_bump trucklights trucklights2 trucklights3

Or for some, useful … depends on what you do in your spare minutes.

I found this website that has COLORED tape. GAH!!

Little known secret – I have a fetish for stationery and all the accessories that accompany. Hence my watermark, thank you Erica!

Perhaps it stemmed from when my husband and I were in love, waiting desperately at the mailbox for his letters each day after school. He had gone into the Marines when I was still in high school-regular ole snail mail  was our only way to communicate. Can anyone fathom that today when email and text messaging is abundantly our mode of communicating?

He would tell me stories of having mail passed out in their barracks,  the letters that stood out the most ended up getting the most cat calls. It seemed to be a welcome break from the seriousness of the drill instructors ,  making sure all your corners in your bed were tucked in and exhaustion and loneliness they all encountered. While boot camp for them was a time of camaraderie, breaking them down to build them back, that one mail moment by themselves were what kept them going, kept them motivated and let them know that love was just another letter away.

Here are some of my favorite things:

Folders

Stantionery

Craft paper

Desktop Backgrounds

Coffee Mugs

Stamps

Sketch pads

Old windows

Charcoal drawings

Random… I know. But why not be random?

I want to try to provide my readers / blog viewers of my randomness more often. So, this is my ‘resolution’ — too late? — nah — my ‘resolution’ to blog more and let you into my inner self… inner random self.

x.o. ladies and gents. till next random blog.

What is a mini session you ask? Mini sessions are a great way to get a few professional snap shots of something you love. This is a great opportunity to photograph your pet / child(ren) / family / senior / elder / christmas card / etc. You may use this session for anything you would like to capture on camera.

$125 Mini Sessions (45 minutes + 1 8×10 print + 1 FREE image for Facebook / Blog)

There will be two locations:  Charleston + Columbia

We will upload your entire session to an online gallery for your viewing. We offer several A La Carte items for purchase. Items include:  additional digital images / DVD / prints / canvas / albums / flat cards / Christmas Cards / etc.

Please email us at gallery.tommehilton@gmail.com for more details and to secure an appointment time.

*The Locations are to be determined /  Main Photographer Tomme Hilton will be in Charleston / Assistant Photographer will be in Columbia*

*The Session is good for up to 5 people / There will be an additional fee for extra people*