New York Boudoir Photographer Robin Roemer presents Le Cadeau by Robin

NEW SITE/BLOG

2009-07-26T22:34:00.000-07:00

Come follow me on RobinRoemer.com 2.0 website and blog!

A Lingerie Shower

2009-03-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago I threw a lingerie shower for my sister who will be getting married in May. Here are some shots of the room and the fun stuff she received. Great way to save money - balloons and carnations. Normally I hate carnations but I bought 3.5 dozen all white carnations and about 20 white balloons. I printed out images of her growing up in a nice sepia color.

Preparing for a party!

2009-03-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

I'm in the midst of preparing for a Lingerie Bridal Shower I'm throwing for my sister this Sunday! So excited! I have planned out the decor and food and games with the help of her other fabulous bridesmaids. There will be lots of white balloons, lots and lots of white carnations everywhere, and white giftbags complete with samples of Soak (wash for delicate fabrics), a gift certificate for personal shopping with Margaret and other fun girly things.

Inspiration for the shower!

Love the balloons - they were at my last wedding.

Another great idea for a shower is group boudoir!

Stay tuned for pics from the shower!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2009-02-14T08:46:00.000-08:00

Here is just a sampling from the closet of Margaret Shrum.

Margaret

2009-02-12T08:14:00.001-08:00

A Success!

2009-02-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all participants and guests of the past two Le Cadeau events! I had a wonderful time meeting you all! Here are just a few highlights!

Le Lingerie

2009-01-28T16:05:00.000-08:00

Right around Valentine's Day all of the magazines start featuring lingerie. Its funny that it seems to be something we don't think about until right before this one holiday. What about the other 364 days of the year? Do we only allow ourselves one day to project our sexiness through fashionable underthings?

While sitting bundled in our towels in the steam room with a good friend today at the gym, we realized something as we talked about how good it felt to work out after our couple of months winter hiatus. We realized we DO in fact care! Its not about shedding a certain number of pounds or spending lots of hard earned cash; its about personal care, treating your body with respect and love, and putting the effort in to dress with confidence.

Here is a spread with some great lingerie finds for people on a budget from the pages of my favorite shopping magazine, Lucky!

Le Envelope

2009-01-27T10:54:00.000-08:00

My new envelopes are in. These custom made leather envelopes fit 4x6 prints.

Christina Natale, Make-Up Artist

2009-01-21T08:01:00.001-08:00

I recently got to sit down with my very busy make-up artist, Christina Natale, and talk to her about her craft and what she loves about doing make-up. Christina does make-up for most of my Le Cadeau shoots and she's been working with me for several years on many different projects. She's also had her boudoir photographs taken by me and I wanted to get her take on doing make-up and the Le Cadeau experience.

Robin: Hiiii!

Christina: How are ya!? I actually just got a phone call, I'm really excited right now. I'm doing a video this week for Neako.

Robin: That's awesome! Great to hear you are busy as always. I wanted to ask you a few questions for my blog so I can introduce you to new clients and let them get to know you a little bit. Sound good?

Christina: I hope my answers are ok, I'm not very good at interviews. (laughs)

Robin: (laughs) I'm sure you'll do fine. This will be short and painless. Lets start with, when did you first become interested in make-up?

Christina: Honestly, since I was about 6 years old I have been in about every make-up bag you can ever imagine. Its sickening. It really is. I used to have my own fashion shows when I was little. Full face of make-up. Half dressed cause nothing fit me. And I'd put on fashion shows for my cousins. (laughs)

Robin: Awww, so you discovered early on what you wanted to do! That's cute.

Christina: I did. I did. Fashion and make-up I feel obviously go hand and hand with each other. So that was something that I was very very passionate about as well but I went to school for fashion for 3.5 years and I was starting to finish up my program and I was realizing - I hated this. I did not enjoy doing this. I wasn't as passionate about it. That's when I decided to focus on make-up.

Robin: A similar thing happened to me in school when I switched from film to photography. I really found my passion.

Christina: Yes. I realized make-up was my calling. It was my calling. And that I found I was naturally good at it.

Robin: What's been an interesting gig you've done?

Christina: I loved working on that Emmure video. You had different looks for everyone. It was a fun environment.

Robin: Do you find working with celebrities is harder than working with "regular" people?

Christina: You wanna know something, honestly, no. Believe it or not, sometimes they are a lot easier. I find. Do you find that?

Robin: Sometimes.

Christina: Sometimes yea, not all of them. (laughs) But for the most part they are both enjoyable. Regular people... (laughs) Celebrities and regular people. I never look at it that way. Regardless, you have to be in tune with what the person wants. Everyone wants just as much attention as a celebrity does and everyone deserves that attention.

Robin: Yup. I would agree with you 100%. I think anytime I've worked with a client, its been about making them feel comfortable and producing a great image. So what's been rewarding about doing make-up for boudoir shoots?

Christina: I love them. Its not something that is rushed. Its simplistic beauty is what it really is. Its about bringing out your pure, natural features. Thats really what it is. Being that I work with you and also did one, I see both sides of it.

Robin: What about your experience having your photograph taken?

Christina: Its comfortable. You really just get to be in your own skin, which is amazing. You don't feel like you have to pose a certain way, or look a certain way. Its you and the camera. I loved the whole experience. Its almost a time to free your mind. I was thinking a lot during that shoot.

Robin: Really?

Christina: Not whether the pictures were ok. I was just thinking, this is comfortable. It felt good.

Robin: Thanks so much for talking with me. Le Cadeau is a project I'm incredibly passionate about and I love having you be a part of that excitement and passion.

Christina's work can be found on the site
Below are some images of Christina at work, as well as a before and after. Contact Christina at xnatalex@yahoo.com

Le Cadeau Events!

2009-01-20T15:43:00.000-08:00

We're holding two Le Cadeau events in January and February, before the 2009 Valentine's Day holiday! The first will be held on January 31st and will give women a chance to "try on" our services. We're inviting you to put on your favorite lingerie and come get your photograph taken. On site will be Lingerie Shopping Guru Margaret Shrum and the talented Christina Natale, who did the make-up on my site! She's also been a client/model of mine!

If you'd like to sign up for a mini-shoot with us, contact me ASAP. First come, first serve and spots are filling up fast! This is to introduce you to our services and in no way is a replacement for an actual Le Cadeau session.

We will have a follow up party on February the 7th. I will keep you all posted with details on this very special event!

xoxo
Robin

Lingerie Shopping with Margaret Shrum

2009-01-11T16:14:00.000-08:00

Although I pride myself in not schelping around in white cotton Hanes, I've always considered lingerie as a luxury rather than both luxury and necessity. That is until Lingerie Goddess Margaret took me under her silk kimono clad wing. Margaret Shrum owns a company called The Lingerie Diet and helps women learn to own their beauty by owning a new confident attitude and brand new sexy couture lingerie. Margaret is a personal lingerie shopper, but she's more than that. She's not only an expert in the field, having worked for Barney's New York, La Perla and recently Journelle, but with her background in holistic health and experience teaching women of all ages and sizes to love themselves and their bodies, Margaret is the perfect fit for any woman looking to update her wardrobe or outlook on life. But, I knew all this when I met Margaret, what of the actual experience?

Margaret and I started at Journelle and made our way down to Soho last Friday to hang out, drink mimosas, and shop for lingerie. I must admit, although I've photographed it lots of times, I've never bought couture lingerie for myself. So with Margaret's reassurance, I embarked on my journey into designer underthings and found it both empowering and exciting. Happily, we found ourselves in the midst of sales everywhere we went. Margaret is such a calm presence, that you instantly feel comfortable around her. She helped me break out of my comfort zone, trying on everything from polka dots to bows, until I finally slinked into two pieces that made me feel, and dare I admit look, fabulous.

In this economy, we convince ourselves that we can't afford the luxuries. But in New York City, with sample sales and people like Margaret Shrum, any woman at any age and any weight and on any budget can gain a little sexy and a whole lot of strut in her step.

My new skivvies!

Thanks to Margaret for shopping with me! Visit The Lingerie Diet today!

What the Heck is Boudoir and Who Does it?

2008-12-31T06:59:00.000-08:00

Boudoir Photography is a type of portraiture that means lots of different things to lots of different people. For some it stirs up images of feather boas and leopard print backdrops and for others, they think of editorial spreads of celebrities in Maxim. For me, its a lot more simple than that. Le Cadeau images are taken using available light most of the time in order to capture a natural setting. We refrain from awkward posing and elaborate props. The images are about you.

Le Cadeau directly translates to "The Gift". The idea for the name came to me as I thought about the main purpose of a boudoir session. While many sessions serve as wedding or anniversary gifts to a lover or a spouse, some mark milestones in careers, a 40th birthday, or a bonding experience with a good friend. Its assumed that only one type of woman would be interested in these types of portraits. From my perspective and after being involved in these confidence-boosting and comfort-zone-breaking sessions, boudoir is for everyone.

bou·doir
Pronunciation: \ˈbü-ˌdwär, ˈbu̇-, ˌbü-ˈ, ˌbu̇-ˈ\
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from bouder to pout
Date: 1781
: a woman's dressing room, bedroom, or private sitting room

Although Boudoir literally means "bedroom", these sessions can be done anywhere. Most women feel most comfortable and natural in their home and yes, a bedroom is usually the most comfortable, cozy and intimate space.

lin·ge·rie
Pronunciation: \ˌlän-jə-ˈrā, ˌläⁿ-zhə-, -ˈrē; ˈlaⁿ-zhə-(ˌ)rē, ˈlän-jə-, ˈläⁿ-zhə-, -ˌrā\
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from Middle French, from linge linen, from Latin lineus made of linen — more at line
Date: 1835
1 archaic : linen articles or garments 2: women's intimate apparel

There is no dress code for Le Cadeau sessions. We just ask that you wear something that you feel comfortable in. If you can't get comfortable, there is help! Margaret Shrum of The Lingerie Diet is an expert lingerie personal shopper and has helped many women in the search for flattering and beautiful garments. Check out her link to the right!

Le Services

2008-12-28T15:00:00.001-08:00

an intimate portrait session with portrait and celebrity photographer Robin Roemer at private residence or other desired location

professional make-up artistry

online posting of your images, password protected for your privacy

50 professionally retouched full resolution image files

50 professional lab quality 4x6 prints

a discreet leather photo envelope in black or red (holds 25 prints)

additional services:

professional hair styling

personal lingerie shopping with Margaret Shrum, owner and creatrix of The Lingerie Diet, a Lingerie Personal Shopping Service in NYC

We travel!

Photography packages begin at 2700.00.

Le Experience

2008-12-28T14:33:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the new blog of Le Cadeau by Robin, the new boudoir.

Intimate portraits of women have been being created for ages, but more often than not, we've gotten it all wrong. These images are either over-sexualized, rigidly-posed, or as most of the boudoir out there today, just plain awkward and tacky. Le Cadeau takes boudoir photography to a refined new place, classic in style and modern in design.

Le Cadeau is a personalized service. Meaning that although as an artist I have lots of ideas for you, we design a session based around your needs and what kinds of images you'd like to come away with. It also means that although we expect you to break out of your comfort zone, sessions should be fun and tailored to each individuals comfort levels and ideas. Å session might include some simple portraits at home or can be an entire weekend experience, starting with day of personal lingerie shopping with expert Margaret Shrum and followed by a day at a spa, a session with make-up artist Christina Natale and a photoshoot with me at your private residence or an appropriate on-location setting.

In French, Le Cadeau means the gift. With years of experience, a team of expert stylists and connections with New York's best salons and personal shoppers, I believe that Le Cadeau is not only a perfect gift for someone special in your life, but more importantly, its an enriching investment in yourself.

Give me a call and lets chat!

xoxo
Robin