Boudoir Photoshoot with Catherine
Catherine is a physical trainer, and wanted to capture her body at its peak while also celebrating the end of a decade and the start of a new one, as she celebrates her 30th birthday.
She was looking for some images that were candid, natural and timeless – but definitely not cheesy! – so that’s what we set out to achieve, with help from the amazing hair and makeup artist Kate at Ruby Rouge Makeup.
With such a milestone birthday to mark, Catherine has doubled up on the celebrations, with a birthday do the weekend before the big day, and a quieter lunch out with friends and family on the day itself.
Catherine’s boudoir photoshoot with me fell in between these two events, and was a chance to treat herself to something a little different, while gifting her future self proof of how incredibly strong and toned she is.
However, after hearing of Catherine’s love of all things fitness, I think she’ll still be in the gym when she’s 90!
She’s just back from a trip to Poland, which included a 10k race, and is preparing for the World Hyrox Championships later this month.
This will test Catherine’s strength and endurance through functional fitness challenges including sandbag lunges and burpee broad jumps interspersed with 1km sprints.
Indeed, after our photoshoot Catherine headed straight home to spend the Easter holidays with family (via the local Nike sportswear store!) and planned to fit in a couple of runs while she’s there.
Home is North Devon, where Catherine spent most of her childhood.
She tells me that she was always a very determined and independent youngster, and that has been a characteristic which has served her well, in a life and career which has required lots of self-discipline.
So much so, that if a film was made about Catherine’s life, the casting director would have a very hard time finding anyone fit and strong enough to play the lead role!
Growing up, she always wanted to be a PE teacher (or a pop star!), and chose to study Physical Education for her degree course.
Afterwards, she worked for a couple of years in retail before a chance conversation with a friend led her to look at opportunities in exercise rehab.
This is the industry in which she now works, overseeing the physical recovery of over 50 patients at a time.
She loves meeting so many new people, and helping them on their journey back to full health.
And she’s the perfect advertisement for what she does, with an incredible physique that will mean she’s sure to achieve some new personal bests (and competition wins!) as she enters her fourth decade.
Happy Birthday, Catherine!
If you’re looking for a birthday or boudoir photoshoot in the Oxfordshire area, please get in contact.
Sarah Plater AMPA is an award-winning qualified, certified professional studio portrait photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire.
She is the Master Photographers Association Young Families Portrait Photographer of the Year 2022 and Newborn Photographer of the Year 2019 for the Central Region (covering Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire).
