Nuovo Photography Review: My Semi-Nude Photoshoot

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My visit to the Taboo Sex Show in Toronto last fall was brief, yet fruitful. I learned how to have safe sex on magic mushrooms, saw a talking sex doll, and won a $750 gift card for a semi-nude photoshoot at Nuovo Photography Toronto.

For a while, I’d thought of doing a boudoir or semi-nude photoshoot as a way to celebrate myself. By my watch, these kinds of photo packages have become trendier, especially since terms like “body-positive” and “self-care” have entered our cultural lexicon.

But after looking up prices for a professional semi-nude photoshoot near me, I was turned off. I didn’t feel I could justify spending $1,300 or more and taking the three-hour roundtrip to Toronto. No doubt, the photography, lighting, and makeup would be better than anything I could do. But I could also buy a new iPhone to take nudes of myself with that kind of money.

So when I walked up to the Nuovo Photography booth that day, I knew lady luck was on my side. I did, in fact, win the largest gift certificate on the prize wheel after a lovely young Francophone woman asked me to give it a spin. She seemed more surprised than I was when I won.

In this Nuovo Photography review, I’ll share what it was like to be a customer as well as my less glamorous experience interacting with the company as a working journalist.

Spin the wheel

At the sex show, I decided to pay a $50 deposit to get the Nuovo Photography Toronto booking process started.

The gamble of taking my clothes off and paying a stranger to take intimate photos of me seemed lessened by the $750 discount. When I told my father afterward, he asked if it was a scam.

A few days later, I received a text from a friendly sales representative asking to set up a call. Once we arranged a convenient time, the sales rep explained the process to me, including some rules.

The gift certificate covered one free photo and the sitting fee. Prices online show the sitting fee is now $500 and a single digital image is $150. But when bought in bundles, the price of digital photos drops.

Like my dad, apparently, many people are concerned their company is a scam, said the sales rep laughing. She assured me everyone at the Nuovo Photography Toronto loft would be a woman, from the makeup artist and hairstylist to the photographer and photo editors. The company also deletes the photos after giving them to customers.

Over the phone, I could pay another $50 to reserve hair and makeup session before the photoshoot, which I did. While earlier options were available, I ended up booking a visit 3.5 weeks later that better suited my schedule.

As for rules, I was not allowed to bring any guests and asked to show up on time.

As the date drew closer, I received a reminder text about my photoshoot for 5 pm. The sales rep also asked whether I had any questions.

I confirmed I could still make it, but then double-checked on whether I needed to be there for the 3:30 pm hair and makeup booking. Yup!

On the day of, I also received a reminder about showing up for my hair and makeup at 3:30 pm, along with a weather warning and message to plan ahead in order to show up on time. I appreciated these friendly reminders and how the whole booking process unfolded in a way that didn’t make me feel put on the spot.

At the Nuovo Photography Toronto loft

I left early for Toronto photoshoot that day, knowing all too well the notorious stop-and-go traffic on the QEW highway. Fortunately, I wasn’t delayed by any accidents or bad weather conditions after all.

When I arrived in Toronto, I found paid underground parking about a 10-minute walk to the Nuovo Photography Toronto loft. This itself was an accomplishment for me.

Over the past few years, I’ve overcome some health challenges that zapped my energy and left me feeling decidedly unsexy. Walking ten minutes somewhere would have been physically out of the question a year earlier. Doing a semi-nude photoshoot after walking ten minutes and driving for 1.5 hours would have been an impossible feat at the time.

Since it was chilly that late November day and I had a couple of hours to spare, I took refuge in a Starbucks.

I was still about 45 minutes early when I arrived at the Nuovo Photography Toronto location. So I sat in the entry stairwell for some time before buzzing the loft to let me in. In terms of accessibility, both the building entrance and the loft itself had stairs. There were also no apparent wheelchair access ramps or automatic-door buttons.

Related Read: Celebrate Your Body

Makeup and hair

Upon entering the main floor of the three-storey loft, I was offered a variety of drinks, including wine, but opted for water. Early as I was, I arrived before the hair and makeup artist.

While inside I learned that both the women who came in before and after me said they’d also won gift certificates at the Toronto sex show. The energy there was of excitement, beauty, and possibility.

When the stylist showed up, on time, she got started on waving my hair and applying my makeup, including false eyelashes. She complimented my skin and American Eagle sweater, and told me up to 20 women a day were in the Toronto location.

Respectfully, I felt like a vampire harlot in this makeup. My sister fawned over a text image I sent saying how professional it looked. When I visited my mother after the shoot, she didn’t recognize me at first.

While the lighting isn’t great in the selfie, the dramatic makeup looked superb, especially in the high-contrast lighting in the photoshoot room.

The Nuovo Photography Toronto photoshoot

The photoshoot itself happened in a curtained-off room also on the main floor of the Nuovo Photography loft. I wouldn’t need to climb any stairs again until it was time to choose my photos.

The photographer ran me through a sequence of artistic poses throughout a darkly lit room, she also gave me the option of doing a topless photo. In actuality, I was nude for the photoshoot, but at times was draped in a red sheet.

The experience was similar to a Western-themed “tourist trap” photoshoot I’d done with a past boyfriend. It felt like a well-oiled machine run by a professional photographer who directed me into the right positions and poses.

It was my first time, but it certainly wasn’t hers. I didn’t worry since I felt like she took control to make sure I looked good.

Doing this I thought to myself, “You’ve come a long way, baby.”

Like I said earlier, I wanted to do this semi-nude photoshoot as a way to celebrate myself, I’ve been patient and worked hard to get my body into a state of physical health and strength. For me, posing for the photos, and the physical journey of getting to the shoot were milestones.

After the shoot, I picked out 7 photos from the dozens taken, which included the “free” one I’d won with the gift certificate. In total, I paid $875.75% (HST included) for the hair and makeup application, the photoshoot, and the photos.

The photos arrived in my inbox a couple of days later via a digital link.

The other side of glam

Clearly, it’s taken me a while to finally publish my Nuovo Photography review.

I’m already a slow writer. For me, it also feels a lot harder to write a review about a semi-nude photoshoot. It’s personal and not my usual sort of writing subject.

Back in May, I was just about ready to hit publish when a PR representative for Nuovo Photography reached out to me by email.

Was I interested in interviewing Nuovo Photography CEO Catherine Theoret? Of course, I was! I couldn’t help but think about the great timing, and let them know I was in the middle of writing a Nuovo Photography review of my experience at the Toronto location.

The PR rep replied giving me some interview times to pick from, and soon confirmed a time with me. I followed up asking for contact details for the call, but when the confirmed call date came around, I was left hanging in the lurch. The radio silence to my follow-ups led me to send the questions I’d had for the Nuovo Photography CEO by email.

Later that day, I received a curt apology email from the PR rep without an explanation. She said she would send me more interview times to choose from soon.

Now nobody likes being stood up, and I value my precious time, so I declined this opportunity. The exchange reminded me of how people treated me when I was an unpaid news intern.

It was a humbling and free reminder of my insignificance on a planet of 8 billion people, inside an expanding universe nearly 14 billion years old.

On the other hand, the Nuovo Photography shoot made me feel great about myself on so many levels. All the women working there were kind and encouraging, making people feel relaxed and good about themselves. I felt like I had the face of Helen of Troy; my beauty could start a war and launch 1,000 ships. My body reflected the grace and strength of Diana Prince, the Amazon princess from the island of Themyscira.

In the end, I paid a lot to have a self-confidence boost and several beautifully composed and artistic photos that I will look at infrequently in the future.

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You can read on for the Q&A answers from the President of Nuovo Photography, Catherine Theoret from May 2023.

Q&A with the President of Nuovo Photography

JO: Why and when did you start Nuovo Photography?

CT: “We started Nuovo in 2017 with one of the most renowned photographers in Canada, Guy Raymond. We began with our Toronto studio and then opened another location the following year and have gone from there. Our mission is to offer lifelong reminders of how beautiful people truly are based on our belief that everyone deserves to feel confident in their own skin.”

JO: I can’t find any mention of the terms “boudoir photography” or “erotic photography” on your website or in your marketing materials. How do you describe your photoshoots and can you explain the reasoning behind your choice of language

CT: “The photography we do is to give empowerment and confidence in an artistic and luxurious setting. We are not aiming to achieve a sexy penthouse look. The images we take are not to objectify the individual but instead allow them reclaim their confidence and power. The difference between erotic photography and our style is that we do semi-nude artistic photography; we highlight the silhouette and play with light and shadow. Boudoir photography is not timeless—lingerie and jewelry will go out of fashion, but the minimalism of your body covered with a touch of color will offer a lifelong reminder of your experience. We describe ourselves as a timeless product—elegant and abstract.”

JO: What Nuovo Photography locations are there and what are their backdrop (black/white) and textile color options? I visited the Toronto location, for instance, and was offered a black background with a red sheet. Some of your portfolio photos feature a white background and different colors of covering sheets.

CT: “From newest to oldest – we have studios in Dallas, Miami, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. We provide high-key and low-key stylistic options (the white and black “backdrops” you referred to). Our high-key studios illuminate and bring a touch of dream. While our low-key studios embrace contrast and drama. We began with one option, and all of our new studios feature both. We are in the process of transitioning each Nuovo studio to feature high and low-key with more options to come. As you experienced, the low-key studio presents a bold red satin color, while the high-key studio features color options.”

JO: On average, how many people visit each of your locations per day?

CT: “On average, we host around 8-10 guests per day in each of our studio locations.”

JO: What is the most popular photoshoot package you offer?

CT: “Our most popular photoshoot package begins with a complimentary phone consultation to introduce you to Nuovo. Once you arrive, you are greeted with hospitality and in-studio pampering which includes makeup and hair services by our professional makeup artists.

“Following the photoshoot, the most popular selection is our luxurious handmade albums. We have leather-bound options to create a durable and unique piece to add to your home. They add a lovely accent to your side table and make for a lifetime reminder of your transformative experience. They give you a unique and tasteful 360-degree celebration of your body.”

JO: What can you tell me about the age and gender demographics of singles and couples who book photo shoots with your company?

CT: “One of our core values as a company is inclusivity. We photograph all genders! If you are old enough to participate, we welcome you to join us for a beautiful photoshoot experience. Our demographic consists of couples and men, but predominantly women who are gifting themselves with this empowering experience.”

JO: I was told your company has a male investor or owner, but other than all the day-to-day tasks involved with the photo shoots, photography, and editing is handled by women. Can you tell me more about the gender makeup of people on the Nuovo Photography team?

CT: “One of our founders, who has a strong background in accounting and IT, is male. The other founder is female and has a greater influence on the creative and studio side of the photoshoot. Our in-studio staff is entirely female, and over 90% of our 100+ employees are female.”