Choose Yourself with Fashion-Forward Obsidian & Blush Fantasy Photographers

The fine art photography duo behind Obsidian & Blush is on a mission to show you what choosing yourself looks like- and three lucky giveaway winners are set to find out soon.

 

“The woman who walks in the studio is never the same woman that walks out.” -Obsidian & Blush mantra

Obsidian & Blush is where people who want to stand out turn for a milestone birthday, glowing maternity shoot, glam engagement alert or memorable professional avatar. You only have to check their Blog to be sold on the company’s “why”: uplifting, confidence-boosting and business-motivating posts accompany artistic portraits with explanations for why they work according to the client’s wishes. Altogether, they prove pictures don’t lie and are worth a thousand words when it comes to transforming your image and life.

You can enjoy current Obsidian & Bliss pricing by booking a Discovery Call to reserve your session by September 1. But don’t fret if you can’t fit in going glam by then or get to Austin, Texas, where most shoots take place. Your session can happen later- and where you choose.

Principles Michi Lafary and Nico Nordström honed their chops in old-fashioned editorial, fashion shoot and beauty brand work. You know, as the hidden geniuses who make average-looks celebrities look like… well, stars. No matter what they say, stars are not like us.

They get an entourage of picture pros, bevy of flattering lights, and closet full of haute couture at their disposals for whole days to get that one shot everybody talks about.

And now, we can all be like stars.

Obsidian & Blush is a photography business specializing in fashion editorial-style shoots for everyday people who want to invest in pictures of a lifetime. The experience includes wardrobe, styling and more pros with backgrounds in high art, show business and famous mediums.

“It’s a daylong process where clients have experts to style everything from their hair to makeup to wardrobe,” says Nico. “And lighting is our strength.”

Categories to choose from are: Maternity, Fashion Editorial, Boudoir, Family or Custom Portrait Sessions for business and other headshots. But the team is flexible to bring ideas to life. Brides have used them throughout the entire nuptials process from engagement, to showers, to wedding. Repeat customers have used them for Maternity to Family to intergenerational heirlooms to pass down.

I am waiting on the gallery exhibition of their work. Many big city portrait studios and photographers specialize in fantasy, boudoir or stylish model and actor headshots. I’ve seen none aim for fine art like Obsidian & Blush. They should become the go-to for artists including writers and bands, especially while in the best kept secret city for the arts: Austin, Texas.

As darkroom days veterans, Michi and Nico’s work hearkens back when fantasy and perfection took patience, skill and humans connecting- not AI. Part of what drives them is concern for how too many people, including impressionable young people, turn to AI or filters to create unrealistic and even unreal versions of themselves.

“The images we see of ourselves contribute to personal identity, memory, and self-concept over time.” -from the Obsidian & Blush blog

Michi and Nico shoot in their in-home studio in East Austin. They also travel and work anywhere in the world. Yep, y’all- as they say down South. If you like what you see here or on their website (you’ll need a morning in bed with coffee or lazy afternoon at work to truly immerse), they will fly out to you. You can also fly to them.

Soon, three lucky winners will do just that.

Celestial Bodies

Recently, their “Celestial Bodies” contest offered a chance to win a photography session with them. The grand prize $3000 shoot will pull out all the stops. The $1000 package can surely deliver an expert headshot that recruiters or scrollers stop for instead of race past.

Michi and Nico judged the winners based on the life story they told and the real story they wanted a high-art picture to tell. It was stiff competition for the star treatment, focused attention and finetuned final photographs.

Grand Prize winner Amber Lowsky said, “I am overjoyed to be your grand prize winner! Thank you so much Nico and Michi for taking the time to connect with the applicants for your generous giveaway. This is going to be an amazing experience and I am soaking up every moment of it.”

2nd Place winner Ashley Decker chimed in, “So incredibly thankful and excited for this experience with my besties and Michi & Nico!!!!”

This publication excitedly awaits a chance to share the final results, including behind-the-scenes and along-the-way shots.

I expected Obsidian & Blush’s services to be unaffordable. You’d have to browse their catalog online or on Instagram to understand why. The quality of the pictures and storytelling in each set or subject rival top magazines affording to stay in print.

I was amazed to hear this kind of service can start for less than several thousand dollars. Leave it to two women to offer their genius to make others look and feel like a million bucks. This benevolence characteristic to many true artists came forth in their idea for the Celestial Bodies Giveaway, which they plan to repeat. You definitely want to enter.

Soul-level shift portraits that transform

“Amazing things happen when you treat yourself like the royalty you are. It creates a shift in your life, maybe someone proposes, maybe you figure out your life’s purpose, or maybe your confidence increases enough to do and try new things.

We can’t predict the future, but we have seen our clients truly have amazing things happen after their Portrait Sessions.” -from the Obsidian & Blush philosophy

How many days of our lives can we walk into a room, meet artistic experts and have them wait on us to make us feel beautiful, tell our stories or capture our business brands?

Not many.

Given demand to model on the internet just to be a writer or plumber and everything in between, most portrait studios have become near to pop-up shops and drive throughs. It is a recent miracle to find trained artists who still believe in time to get to know a subject and harness a person’s spirit instead of just deliver boilerplate online content.

Their creative teams include makeup, hair and wardrobe artists. All surround the subject, give attention and ease their nerves. They keep the closet packed- with prestige gowns included if that’s a client’s jam. People can also wear their own clothes and lingerie or nothing at all.

Custom posing to highlight your favorite features

I’ve had photo shoots where I was stacked with others for group shots or sat down and expected to know how to move for solo portraits. Then I faced a pile of unusable proofs because I am not a model. Rather than make a happy choice, I just salvaged the session.

Michi and Nico aren’t placing people in that position, pun intended. They specialize in the art of the pose, learning a face and working with light to give back the best reflections.

“These are not just photo shoots,” they say. “They are returns.”

They are right. The essence of people can get buried by expectations in work, family and society. We lowkey hide.

Obsidian & Blush wants to give clients something to shock their grandchildren decades from now, make their partners fall in love all over again, convince their parents that they are really adults. And, very importantly, chisel a brand-personal or business-in these times that most working professionals can’t escape having to.

“When you are photographed through a lens of reverence, power, and beauty, it redefines your internal narrative — especially if you’ve spent years behind the scenes rather than in the spotlight.” -from the Obsidian & Blush blog

All Bodies Are Celestial at Obsidian & Blush

Men get in on the action all the time- and not just on the hands of their brides or wives. Just as more women are conscious that their image for business and work must communicate success and power, more men are following them to fantasy shoots for business and personal reasons.

A large client base are entrepreneurs and professionals. They seek to separate their talents from those who’d use AI-generated headshots apps as profile and web photos, to suggest mediocrity at work. Yet still, the better image gives them a leg-up to get work.

This is where Obsidian & Blush’s necessary as opposed to leisurely or luxury services arise. Their Brand Assessment Guide outlines a concept where building a community is better than “marketing” yourself, and that community will be drawn to your visuals first before what you say and offer.

“At its core, branding is what bridges the gap between your inner vision and your outer reality—transforming ideas into something tangible, visible, and real.” -Obsidian & Blush branding strategy

Many more clients are creative artists and personalities who must upgrade their images to compete. Or aspiring creatives and people tapping into new sides. Some people just want a glam photo shoot just because, as a bucket list opportunity we all deserve.

Obsidian & Blush’s lively Facebook Group is a treat. Join the chorus of people there coming out of their shells, praising each other and sharing awesome photo shoot results. You may also follow them on Instagram @obsidianandblush.