about mark

mark laurie

Mark offered the first nude & boudoir photography studio in Calgary and remains the best. His imaginative portraits expand beyond the typical “lingerie and satin sheets” boudoir. Mark’s creatively passionate presentation of women has earned him the honour of being the most awarded photographer in his niche in Canada. Possibly North America.

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What Will You Sell Your Day For? Or how my Boudoir Photography makes a difference

What Will You Sell Your Day For? Or how my Boudoir Photography makes a difference

What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.

What will you do today?

“If your life’s work can be accomplished in your lifetime, you’re not thinking big enough.”– Wes Jackson

This is from the Monday Morning Memo by Roy Williams. 

I believe this is a great way to be the opening thought of your day. After all, you will be selling your day for it. 

He ended it with a statement, “To protect and equip and encourage others is what each of us was born to do.”

Beyond Empowerment image, nude woman in lingerie arching on reflective plank by inner spirit photography

Shaylie Sim beyond empowerment photography session

Followed by these questions:

Who are you protecting? If you are not a protector, you need one. 

 What are you equipped to do? If you are not doing it, now would be a great time to start>

 Who do you encourage? Let that be the person who decides what to carve on your Tombstone. 

Roy always writes insightful bits that either move or remind me. 

I started Boudoir and Nude portraits for women 43 years ago. As a niche, a thing, even an option, it did not really exist. No books, no training. My studio was the first to offer this option for women exclusively; we did not offer other types of portraiture. 

My belief woman wanted and needed this was validated by their response. I followed all the requests to teach Boudoir Photography all over Canada and into the US, plus a few forays into Great Britain. 

Nude woman surrounded by butterflies
Shaylie Sim beyond empowerment photography session

A few years after I started teaching Boudoir Photography, an organizer shared her research. She had worked out that I had trained or spoken to over 90% of the professional photographers in Canada. 

The niche of Boudoir photography blew up over the last 43 years, mainly over the 18 or so when it really became mainstream. 

The foundation I shared with the CBC, The Sun, The Herald, and even on every episode of my own TV show was about empowerment. How transformative it was. Why it was and still is the best approaches to accomplish that.

They still resonate in nearly all the current Boudoir marketing. 

Now I am not just reminiscing or sitting on long dusty laurels. I still break ground with contest entries and unique product offerings.

All these years, I still am and know who I am protecting. 

Through my imagery and delivered experience, these women who I encourage will be the people deciding what is carved on my Tombstone. (which, I should add, is a long time from now)

Each day I trade in my life is to support them. To deliver empowerment and enrichment with fun.     

Please share; what did you trade your day for? 

PS: Today’s image is of Shaylie Sim, the first woman to experience our Beyond Empowerment Experience Sessions with psychologist Bonnie Sullivan. Shaylie shared how the experience had an immediate life-changing impact.    

nude pigtailed redhead with tattoos from beyond empowerment boudoir session
Just happy