Sunday, November 20, 2016

In just one minute, everything can change...



In just one minute, everything can change. That minute for me was the day I felt the lump in my breast. From that moment forward it was sonograms, mammograms, biopsies, and then the call from my Doctor. "I'm so sorry to tell you this, but you do have cancer." I've fought some battles in my life and I've always been a scrapper, but this was one fight I wasn't sure I could not battle.  I was so tired every day and I could only sit and watch my family making plans, organizing dinners, lunches and standard household chores.  As they planned shifts of who would stay with me as I was recovering I couldn't help to think, "what will happen to them?"

During the next four months of healing I thought that something good had to come out of this situation. My wardrobe was ridiculous which was a routine of bathrobe, pajamas and sweatshirts. I remember looking at myself in the mirror and thinking how terrible I looked. 

After a few months of rest I felt better physically, but the scars where still there reminding me of what I went through. I began to feel very depressed, as there would be no way of forgetting this. Then one day I decided I didn't want to forget. I'd come too far to stop fighting now. I began viewing my scars as reminders of the internal strength which I never knew existed.

I wanted a reminder that I could be beautiful again, my scars make me beautiful and I wanted to document this battle.

I've heard of Capitol Bombshell though a friend and after looking at his work on the website, I decided that he would be the person that would be able to capture the images that would mean so much to me.

I'll admit that I was nervous when I walked through the door, but as soon as I did I was immediately at ease. The environment was so warm and Luigi and his team made me feel confident, like I could do this. He was extremely patient, professional, and fun to work with. I felt beautiful and strong.

As I looked through my album, I started to choke up. Luigi was able to capture my battle and my win so beautifully. I am so grateful to Luigi for hearing what I wanted and making it happen. 


Susan
Maryland 

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Miss Delaware goes to Washington (well, Frederick, MD) and lands a magazine cover!

Miss Delaware goes to Washington (well, Frederick, MD) and lands a magazine cover!






Interview Q&A by Perfectly Pinup Magazine (July 20016 Issue):

Hair/Make-up: Lynne Evans of The Startlet Parlour

HELLO! NICE TO MEET YOU. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?
 Hi there- It is a pleasure to meet ALL of you. My name is Katy Wohlman.






WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I am originally from Huntington Beach, Ca. But I live in Washington, D.C. Been living here for 3 years now. 


HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO FIRST START MODELING? 
My mom decided for me actually. She started me pretty young,(10 years old) modeling for a popular brand of young girl's clothing.  I really started to enjoy modeling when I was younger. So I continued well into my twenties, doing various types of commercial modeling and Beauty Pageants. 


WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE STYLE OF MODELING? PINUP? VINTAGE? SWIMWEAR? FASHION? 
That is difficult to answer. Because, each style brings a specific element to the table, more so for me when I am modeling. You get in the zone, with your outfit, your photographer, the set you're on, the makeup and hair you're rockin' and you just give off this way cool vibe to each style, bringing out a "character" you want not only the photographer to pick up on, but those who are going to be viewing your work!   



WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOBBY? 
I have so many.  Currently I am Miss. Delaware International 2016. I will be competing in the Miss. International Beauty Pageant in Jacksonville, Florida in July. So I have been extensively preparing for that. And let me tell you, it is A TON of work. Pause on the eye roll, it really is! Granted throwing on a bikini doesn't solve world peace, we know that,  but we work super hard for our titles! 

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Yes, how much space do you have for your readers. Kidding. One that won't make my mother cringe with embarrassment would be, Polynesian Dancing. I used to compete in PD  for 8 years. I know- A blonde competing against Pacific Islanders, kinda funny right?



WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHERS? 
Hands down, Luigi Crespo for Pinup. He took a chance and put the confidence in me to get back into the modeling industry and really embrace the beauty behind not only his work but the era of Pinup and Vintage photography. Granted there are many talented photographers-but he keeps it classy. 

WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? 
My grandmother, Jean Ritchie! She is an immigrant from England. To hear the stories of her life including her survival in WWII would make your jaw drop. Many of my exotic features come from her, and she taught me how to be classy and sexy with a lil to the imagination. She is also hilariously witty! 


TELL US SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU.
I'm a whiz with random, but useful facts. I'm a huge history buff and I nerd out pretty hard with American History. 

DO YOU HAVE A WEBSITE? FACEBOOK? INSTAGRAM? 
Yes I do.  
Instagram: @Miss.Delaware.International 
  and         @katywohlman
Facebook. www.facebook.com/katy.wohlman 

I was born and raised in Southern California to a very competitive family of 4 brothers and 1 sister. I come from a line of professional athletes, so I guess my love of competing started fairly early. I have always had a healthy appetite when it comes to competition. I was fortunate enough to win numerous local pageants and later competed internationally in Russia, and won the title of  Miss Tourism of the Globe. I then took a hiatus to finish college and graduated Cum Laude from Concordia University. Shortly thereafter, I became a flight attendant for American Airlines. I decided to hang up my wings, change careers and get back to competing and modeling professionally.  I was fortunate to be awarded Miss Delaware in January 2016, which is an absolute honor. I will be competing in the Miss International Pageant in July 2016, in Jacksonville, Florida. During my reign as Miss Delaware, I will be volunteering with an absolutely incredible organization called the Suiting Warriors Foundation. I hope with the help of my title and diligent work, I can bring awareness to this great charity.

Love to you ALL***
XO Katy Wohlman 









Thursday, July 21, 2016

Both a Woman, and a Mother

"I am learning to navigate life with this new body. I am learning it’s ok to be a mom and a woman at the same time. When I hear my husband say how good I look it’s hard to imagine he’s right. He thought I looked good before, how can he think I still look good with this new, permanently changed body? But you know what? He’s right. My body is amazing! For all of its efforts it should be celebrated.  

Within my body I grew a tiny human and using my body I feed him.  I have new curves and have lost others. But I am still sensual and physical and beautiful. I embrace my womanhood and my motherhood because I am both a woman and a mother. I am alive and overflowing with raw, real beauty. I can see it in my son’s eyes. I can see it in my husband’s eyes. Finally, I can see it in myself.

Being photographed by Capitol Bombshell before Zeke was fun and just for me, and of course, a few were for my husband. I liked the way I looked and I really liked the way I felt when I shared the pictures. 

When I was photographed pregnant I was in total awe that my body was growing a human. It was inspiring to know that I was holding a whole new life. I had reservations after the birth and I really didn't want to get in any pictures. I was worried because my body didn't look the same and I would never look as good as I did before. Turns out I was wrong. There is something so special about a mom and her new mom body. I feel like I'm glowing in these most recent photographs by Luigi Crespo of Capitol Bombshell and LuigiCrespoPhotography

Watching Zeke light up when we interact makes me light up too. It's like a perpetual circle of smiles and it's the greatest gift. And, guess what? I love sharing these pictures too." -Liesel




Thursday, June 9, 2016

F*** your beauty standards, I am beautiful and I know it!






I spent many years hating my body and wishing I looked like someone else. Growing up, the images I saw of what's "sexy" were tall, thin women with long hair. Mostly white women, at that time, but there was an emergence of more diverse races being featured in advertising and articles, such as People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive and Most Beautiful Woman. It's only been in the last ten years or so that we've seen a push for featuring a variety of body types. Dove stands out to me as one of the first companies to use varying heights, body types, and races in one advertisement - and actually show the bodies of women who typically were not seen as fitting society's definitely of sexy. It was encouraging to see, and I'm happy that more companies and retailers have followed suit. 

Because of mainstream media becoming more inclusive, advocacy for body positivity and resources for self-acceptance have blossomed, some seemingly overnight. It's a beautiful thing to see so many people standing together and encouraging one another to embrace who they are and love their bodies unconditionally. So often, it seems, we are able to love others and see beauty in them that we aren't able to see in ourselves. People may say, "I wish you could see what I see" as a way of encouraging us to see how beautiful we truly are. All too often, we are our own worst critics.

Three years ago, I would never have been comfortable shooting boudoir. I would have loved the idea of it, but would likely have said something like, "after I lost more weight" or "maybe in a couple of years" and I would never have done it. I certainly wouldn't have entertained the idea of modeling for a boudoir shoot for my images to be used for marketing. It's amazing how confidence and belief in oneself - and an amazing support system - can truly change your perception. 

I started modeling for fun in college, stopped for a few years, then picked it back up in the last year when I was living on the west coast. I don't do it for income, I work a full-time job like most late 20-somethings. Part of my work is with women who have experienced significant abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, financial...any and all types) and struggle to rebuild after such traumas. It's work that I'm passionate about because I spent 4 years in an abusive relationship and can empathize with how much trauma can impact your life. It's taken me time to see myself as beautiful and not hear his words in my head, criticizing constantly. The body positivity movement on Instagram sparked something in me. When I looked in the mirror, I would see every flaw or perceived imperfection. But online, I saw women boldly daring the world to dispute their beauty, proudly standing up and saying "F*** your beauty standards, I am beautiful and I know it!" Tess Holliday made covers of magazines as Milk's (modeling agency) first signed plus-size model. Her brand uses the hashtag #effyourbeautystandards and spurned even more discussion and promotion of body positivity. 


I began posting my "outfit of the day" on Instagram and using hashtags I'd seen on other plus-size fashion bloggers' and models' pages. Even on days where I didn't feel 100% about my look, I would post. I made my own rule, two pictures only and I could pick the best of the two and that was it. I could filter for lighting but not to fix imperfections. I wanted to be authentic and show that I could embrace myself without enhancing or altering the image - or taking 100 pictures to get the perfect one. From this, I received requests to work (for free) with a couple of local photographers who were wanting to build their portfolios. My first boudoir shoot, I was extremely nervous. I bought new lingerie and wasn't sure how it or I would photograph. The end result was disappointing - my nerves were evident, my face wasn't relaxed, I didn't look comfortable. And I hadn't been. That's the difference when working with a photographer who is professional and can create an environment that is fun and allows you to relax. 

From my first exchange with Luigi I was not
only comfortable, but his talent for photography and his enthusiasm for his work made me excited to shoot with him. I looked through his pictures on Facebook, Instagram, and his website. Everything I saw, I loved. His clients rave about him - and now I do too! I picked out some new lingerie before my shoot, including a black two piece set that I loved but wasn't sure I could pull off. It ended up being one of my favorite looks and one of the pictures that received the most feedback and encouraging responses. It is one of the most empowering images I've ever seen of myself. Luigi is amazingly talented; his attention to detail, lighting, positioning, everything he does is to showcase you. I could not have asked for a better experience than the one I had with Capitol Bombshell and Luigi Crespo Photography. Not to mention, huge kudos to JKW Beauty for ultra glam hair and makeup!






My point is this: don't wait for the "right" time, right now is the right time. You are unique and beautiful in this moment. Embrace your individuality, give yourself the same grace that you give others - more even. Beauty is not one style or body or height or weight or race; beauty is what we choose it to be. You are beautiful because you are you - truly one of a kind. Book your very own sexy session now!

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Whitney Byrd,
Bombshell