Shameless Photography Made Me Feel Like A Pin-Up Goddess

Back when it was still supposed to be as chilly as it has been these last few days, this reporter took a trip to the studios of Shameless Photography, where owner – and we think part time magician – Sophie Spinelle gave me a full makeover for a photo session as my usually-hidden alter ego: the pin up girl.

Now, I say this completely tongue in cheek, because I've never had an alter ego – until that moment at least.  It was Ms. Spinelle who was able to coax it out of me, and she's been making a living doing just that for the ladies of Brooklyn. 

"My goal is to help people feel totally comfortable and be able to explore and be playful and really have an experience that they enjoy and is nourishing in some way," she told me.

Ms. Spinelle's studio is on Classon Avenue in Prospect Heights – now an epicenter of our borough's creative landscape – and is outfitted with an array of vintage gowns, jewelry and furniture all working in tandem to bring the fantasy of glamour to our neck of the woods.  When I arrived, pale and soaked from a snowy day, she welcomed me in, sat me down and immediately read me inside and out. 

I was ready for a racy spread, but wanted to keep the actual skin-revealing to a minimum. First we sat down in front of her iMac, perusing various images as she gauged my comfort level.  Once she had noted my likes and dislikes, we strolled over to the clothing rack, where a variety of vintage dresses hung for my perusal.  I opted for a blue sequined number with spaghetti straps, a black flapper frock, and a green crepe strapless gown. 

The make-up process was a bit daunting for a gal who pretty much sticks to foundation and mascara, but the fog of fake eyelashes paired with the height of some stiletos was a match made in glamour heaven.

"My favorite part is after the makeover people look in the mirror and say 'Ah! Oh my god that's me!'" said Ms. Spinelle.  "Yeah that's me too, I'm totally me in my jeans without any make up and I'm me looking all glamorous too."  

And of course, I did that. Being my first modeling experience – after a lifetime of reading (and mostly hating) magazines geared towards fashion and beauty – it was nice to explore the side of me that, until then, I had only participated in vicariously through glossy pages.  Something about the camera snapping your every move elicited a strong feeling of confidence, a brand of which is hard to come by in front of the bathroom mirror. The jeans and t-shirt side of me was temporarily drown out by an overwhelming feeling of desirability.

"The moment I first accepted money for a photo shoot, I became part of the beauty industry," Ms. Spinelle emailed later. "Home to makeup and skincare companies that produce ads designed to make us feel ugly and inadequate – unless we use their products. I want to defy that cycle, provide an antidote to it, without rejecting the idea of beauty itself."

Now, it is true that most of Ms. Spinelle's customers are hiring her service for their own personal pleasure, using the photos for themselves or a significant other, so they might have been more daring than this reporter, who wanted to share this experience here with you, the reader. But should you venture into the studios of Shameless Photography for whatever reason, I'm guessing from my experience that Ms. Spinelle won't judge. 

"I really think making people feel good about their bodies and the way that they look is absolutely central to what I'm doing," she said.

Watch the makeover and photo shoot in the video above to see the final images and find out more about Ms. Spinelle's passion for this particular genre of photography. All packages include full vintage makeovers, including makeup, hairstyling and full wardrobe.  The classic package is a full-day shoot, which results in over 100 proofs and ten final images.  Friends can also schedule sessions as a group for either the Prospect Heights or East Village studio.