reviews.

My husband and I were newlyweds of seven months, and I had been away from home for three due to work. Add to that the fact that I was in my second trimester with our first child, and I was feeling a sad that he was not there to see me and the baby grow. I found Katie and fired off an email saying I wanted photos during my pregnancy, mainly for my husband but also to celebrate our upcoming bundle of joy. The result was breathtaking! I was very comfortable in front of her despite never having met her before and being totally nude. I had never felt as lovely as I did during my pregnancy, and Katie’s talent captured this perfectly. Her portraits made this stage of our lives more memorable than it already was. Thanks Katie!”

Too much fun! Seriously, THE best time we’ve had in a long while! You’re great, Katie! The finished photographs are brilliant!! Thanks for your hard work!

I was very nervous driving to my photo shoot with Katie, but my fears were instantly gone when I walked in Katie’s studio and had a a quick chat with her. Her energy took away all of my anxiety and I continued to feel more and more at ease during the shoot. By the end of our session, I was walking around in my lingerie like nobody’s business and I felt so sexy! Katie, I want to thank you so much for this amazing experience; I will look back on these gorgeous photos with such great memories for years to come.

Ok Katie...I just walked away from our photo shoot and I feel like a superstar! Never thought having a boudoir shoot would be so fun, relaxing and most of all empowering! I know you will make me look great in the photos...if they are even 10% as good as the photos on your website I will be so happy.

YOU. ARE. UNBELIEVABLE! I just received my photographs and I’m jumping for joy as we speak. Jumping...me...right now!! Thank you Katie!

Katie, you are magical. Thank you so much for this experience and stunning photography.

As a plus size woman, I thought looking beautiful and sexy in photos was impossible, but you have opened my eyes and shown me that I am beautiful. I really feel like a big part of me has changed for the best since our photo shoot. I’m so grateful that I had the guts to do this and that you made me feel so comfortable.

The time I spent at your studio was the most fun I’ve had in months! Your make-up artist made me look like a million bucks and your photos put the icing on the cake! For someone about to turn 50, all I can say is – I’VE NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD! You are an extremely gifted woman with a beautiful soul.

Hi Katie, hope all is well. Just wanted to once again thank you for the wonderful pictures. We had the surprise party last night for my husband and he was totally surprised, no clue of what was coming his way. We had a small gathering of friends and family and he got awesome gifts, flying lessons, eco tour, formula driving, but the best was the gift he got at the end which was the album. You’d think after all the other gifts, this one would not take his breath away, well let me tell you he was totally speechless, the expression was beyond words, he couldn’t believe how I did it and how beautiful they were. Two minutes after he began to look at the album, my brother in law was sitting beside him and got to see the first few pictures and his eyes just popped out, he’s a man of both few words and facial expressions; this just began a chain reaction, one friend took the album from my husband and all the women gathered around to look at them and their reactions caused a frenzy and the men then had to see it. My husband was so speechless and so proud of the pictures that he had absolutely no problem with them being shared with everyone. He praised your workmanship and couldn’t beleive how sensual and natural they were. We got home and he couldn’t put the album down. I think it might sit on our coffee table for awhile. Take care and thank you again for a great experience.

Ok Katie, you were right! 10 minutes in and I was totally relaxed. Thank you so much for you for being easy going...it was such a ball to work with you. You’re a true artist and I have nothing but positives to say. Thank you and keep doing what you’re doing – all women need this pronto!

Thank you for the major self-confidence and self-acceptance boost. I feel beatiful and somehow feel I found the me I lost?! I don’t know how else to say it. Thank you so very much.

You know what Katie? I wish I had done this every year for the past 5 years! It is the best gift I have ever given myself and no longer will I put something off out of fear again. Book me in one year from today! ;)

Working with Katie was an absolute pleasure! I love my new photos, and she made the whole process seamless. I am so glad I picked Katie for my first professional photo shoot, because I feel like I got photos that really represent me. From the studio to the processing, everything was warm and welcoming, and the results speak for themselves!

I think having a photo shoot with Katie should be mandatory for every woman. I wanted to give my husband some sexy pics of me for his birthday present. He loved them, and even more importantly, I loved them. The photos which were initially meant as a gift for him, secretly became a gift to myself. Katie made me feel so comfortable, I wasn’t self- conscious at all. The results are amazing. Katie is the ultimate professional. I can’t stop looking at my pictures! Do something special for yourself, it’s so much fun and very empowering.”

Right from seeing the web site I could tell that Katie had just the flexible approach I was looking for for boudoir photos for an anniversary present, and the results didn’t disappoint! Katie put me right at ease from the first visit to her studio to scope out the scene of my future disrobing. She helped me decide on garments to wear, listened to what I was looking for and helped craft a flexible package and experience, and gave me the direction I needed to get beautiful shots. This was a baring-it-all adventure, although you would never have known it from my lack of nervousness, and before I knew it I was naked in Katie’s studio and admiring the setting. My husband was thrilled with the present – this one will be hard to top – and we were both so pleased with the photos it made me want to go back for more. Thanks Katie!

I wanted to give my boyfriend sexy pictures of me for our anniversary. I was terrified of the whole process until I found your website and decided I would be comfortable enough with you to overcome the fear of standing in front of the camera in my lingerie. I am so glad I went through with it because the whole experiece was fantastic. Not only did I do something I never thought I could, the photos turned out beautiful and my boyfriend was thrilled with the gift. Thank you for talking me through the shoot and taking amazing shots!

I feel like everyone should do this! Katie has a great welcoming personality and provides lots of direction for those people who (like me) have never done anything like this before. She was extremely professional throughout and the shoot itself was exceptionally fun. There wasn’t a moment were I didn’t feel relaxed and comfortable. I really enjoyed my shoot with Katie and I’m so happy with the results! So glad I chose to do this...can’t wait to plan another! <3

I had some photos taken by Katie that both myself and especially my boyfriend loved. Yes the photos were “in the buff, skibbies, au natural, nude”, or however you would like to call it, and very out of character for myself. I am in my mid-forties and in pretty decent shape so I really wanted to capture what I am sure will be a distant memory of myself in the not so far off future. The only problem was that I had no idea of where to begin to look for a reputable Photographer that would take tasteful photographs, while at the same time making me feel comfortable enough to pose for such. I happened to be watching a rerun of the show “How to Look Good Naked Canada” one evening and there was Katie. A female Photographer whose expertise was being supported and used by a show on television. I looked Katie up on the internet and viewed some of her work posted their and decided to contact her. After sending me some package pricing that appeared very reasonable, I decided to take the plunge and set an appointment. I had no intention of posing fully nude as I felt that I was only worthy of carefully draped sheeting and hand placement. Katie made me feel very comfortable with her as well as with my body that in fact I not only ordered my more modest poses, but also some of the fully “exposed” (so to speak) ones as well. I was very impressed with Katie’s professionalism and the quality of her work and would recommend anyone considering a photo shoot to review her work and just go for it. You will not be disappointed.

I’ve always been self-conscious about my body and suffered from low self-esteem. This photo shoot was an amazing experience because it taught me to really like myself just the way I am. It was liberating and empowering. After seeing my photos, I was absolutely thrilled that Katie was able to capture my “true beauty”. I know it sounds corny but it’s true and I guess that’s why I chose Katie in the first place. Her pictures stood out from the other photographers because they were about the women and not just about their bodies. I would definitely work with Katie again because I’m now one of her biggest fans. She has a remarkable eye and an obvious talent. I think so highly of Katie that I’ve been singing her praises since my photo shoot. I’ve been encouraging my female friends that doing a photo shoot like this is something that every woman should do at least once in their lifetime. Women should not be embarrassed or ashamed of their bodies but rather she should celebrate it.

Time stops for no one. But I wanted to capture a moment in time, the time just before entering the next stage of the rest of my life. During the photo shoot, I more or less did my own thing, but not exactly. It’s just that I didn’t feel inhibited, at all. Everything felt perfectly natural. Katie was prepared to direct me, had I just given her the signal. But I felt unfettered. A freeing and renewing and restorative experience.

The hair stylist/makeup artist set the stage by putting me fully at ease as she transformed the external me. For an hour before the shoot I was thoroughly pampered. The inner me was set free. Katie, I must tell you how wonderful I felt during the shoot!!! Yes, it all felt so perfectly natural. No, it was perfectly natural. And I feel as if released from a cocoon. Truly, I feel reborn. How strange is that!? I have felt completely renewed and re-energized and so much more positive about myself and my world in general, since doing the photo shoot! A transformative experience, without a doubt. I think that the photos reflect precisely how I felt. Very much at ease and deliciously free. You have done a lovely job, Katie. I felt beautiful during the shoot.

Thank you, Elizabeth Green at sixty-four and a half

Thank you so much! I’m really happy I did this – it was a great experience and really pushed me out of my comfort zone. Now, if I’m nervous or unsure about something, I think of this. If I can do that, I can do anything!

Have been trying to think of how to convey what this means to me. I am probably over- thinking. So, I will just type. I wanted pictures that looked like how I feel on the inside. Not for anyone or anything, for myself. Pictures that did not make me think that my body was only a collection of things to be fixed. After the shoot, I realized that I had hardly spent anytime “sucking it in” or worrying about anything. When I looked at the proofs, I felt amazing and sexy and strong. And so happy. Like someone opened up my soul. To be seen as beautiful as I am, straight, no chaser. This was the best thing that I have done for myself in years. I kept opening the photos over and over again and actually wanted to show people! Laughed, giggled, smiled and finally cried good tears.

While dealing with the shocking diagnosis of breast cancer, my cousin suggested I see Katie to have my portraits taken. To be honest, I didn’t give it a thought...It was the least of my worries given the circumstances. My cousin contacted Katie and she agreed to have the pre-mastectomy portraits taken. I finally made my way to the Katie’s studio, she was amazing. It is a moment I will never forget – Katie was sensitive to my needs, and she made me feel very comfortable. The shoot barely took 30mins. She gave me the option to view or not view the pictures afterwards. When I finally got the final shots, I was pleased I went in. There is something really personal about the final shots. Having the pictures of the “pre-mastectomy me” was comforting...I hold the pictures very dear to me. I would have regretted not taking the pictures now that I have them. Thank you Katie!

Katie, I have finally been able to put words to this experience. Everything has changed in my life now. Everything. I am inspired and alive again and this is causing so many amazing things to unfold in my life (and those around me)! I am a true believer in the domino effect, or pay it forward, whatever you want to call it, and I wanted you to know you’ve touched my life and changed my views and as I move forward I’m energized to do the same for others. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your special gift with the world and I wish you the most success; I know you will go far.

I left my shoot feeling so confident and sexy and it never dissapeared! It’s been weeks now and I still feel amazing...like I can do anything! I feel so privileged to have had this amazing experience that has changed my life so much. And the hubbie is thankful too – he nearly dropped dead when I gave him the photo book and also when he walked into the bedroom and saw our new art! Thank you Katie! I’m coming back for sure!

Thanks so much for printing the photos and the amazing photography. To say my husband loved them is an understatement. He raced home from dinner to see the other pictures and wrote down all the ones he wants to order. He also made me promise I will do another photoshoot for him again in the future. It was the best gift I’ve given him in ten and a half years.

Hi Katie. You made me feel so comfortable! I have to admit I was very nervous, but as soon as I met you, I felt at ease. It was a treat sitting in the makeup chair and getting beautified by Amanda, and then stepping infront of the camera made me feel so glamourous and special. The photos are striking (that’s really me!!), thank you for sharing your talent, your lovely studio space, and your warm personality.”

Katie, two words for you...”HOLY SHIT!” That is all! :D

A boudoir shoot had been on my bucket list for 4 years – check! From your very first email, you made me feel so confident and comfortable to move forward and book my shoot. I came to the shoot with a suitcase full of things not knowing what to wear and you helped me Wgure it out and helped my clip up and pinch in and all of that crazy lingerie stuff! I said at the beginning of the shoot that I didn’t want nudes. Ha, by the end I was walking around nude in the studio without a care in the world, and the artistic nude photographs we took are some of my favourites. My advice to anyone reading this – LIVE A LITTLE!!!! You won’t ever regret it! :)

I am deeply grateful for the experience of expression in doing a photo shoot with you. It was very empowering and important to realize the beauty within me in whatever body shape we are living in at the moment. It was also really a fun afternoon playing. The work you do has deeper meaning than you realize as women honour themselves. Blessings.

I was photographed by Katie in 2011, 2012 and 2016. I posted head shots on social media and online dating sites. This sounds incredible, but my life did a 180 as a result. Katie’s photos really boosted my confidence. I lost a lot of weight, started dating, and fell in love. Who knew? I would recommend her magic to anyone....and I mean anyone. Did I mention that I am over 60?

I just wanted to let you know that the pictures were absolutely amazing!! My husband liked them, but more importantly, I liked them. I know that they’re only pictures. But this whole experience was more than just ‘getting pictures taken’. I admit, I was a nervous wreck. But after I felt so confident. And after seeing the pictures, I felt even more confident. I’ve been so negative about my body image after having kids, but you know what? I’m pretty content with myself now. Last year, I started a few steps in improving my health, confidence by joining yoga, getting a wardrobe stylist to get me out of the rut of wearing jogging pants. I’m not trying to tell you my whole life story. But this experience was in some regard the ‘last step’ in getting confident, and getting out there in the workforce, being more happy, etc. I felt awkward, embarrassed, and weird in getting pictures done thinking what the hell am I doing? But you made it a comfortable and an easy going environment.

In seeing my pictures, it makes me feel that I can do anything, and not be hesitant or nervous. The pictures are beautiful. The whole experience is priceless! Thanks again. I would recommend getting pictures done to every woman that I know. It just does so much for your self confidence. And after seeing the pictures, like I said I felt confident. But now I’m confident in other areas in my life too.”

I would highly recommend Katie Refling Photography. I chose to have a photo shoot with Katie after seeing her portfolio. I appreciated that there were women of all shapes and sizes, and every one of them looked beautiful. Katie has the ability to bring out beauty in her subjects in a very tasteful manner.

I decided to do a set of photos because I wanted an objective view of myself after having lost a lot of weight. I also wanted a record of what I looked like at 55, so that I would be able to see that middle age was not so bad.

The photo shoot itself was a great experience. Katie helped me pick out some outfits from the many that I brought with me. My hair and make up were done by a very patient professional, who left before any pictures were taken. I was a bit nervous, but that was quickly relieved by Katie’s professional approach. She directed me through every shot, and it felt like the most natural thing to be doing. I have always thought that I was not “photogenic,” but I have changed that opinion now that I have seen the pictures. Once the session was done, I was sent proofs of many shots that Katie took. There were so many great shots, it was fun, but a challenge to narrow down my choices for. Katie then adjusted the photos for shadows and colour depth and removed some of the little flaws in my skin. I appreciated that Katie left my wrinkles in! After all, at 55, you’d expect to see wrinkles! I am very happy with the results! I think this experience was good for my self confidence and self image, and I intend to do this again when I am 60! Thanks Katie!