about
TIGZ RICE
MEET THE WOMAN
BEHIND THE CAMERA
as seen in / on
the woman
BEHIND THE CAMERA
I’m Tigz Rice, an empowerment photographer based in Hertfordshire UK. With an extensive background in burlesque and boudoir photography, I draw from my own lifetime of experience in defying beauty standards, along with more over 15 years of professional creative practise, to help incredible people like you reconnect with their bodies, take up more space, curate their legacies and feel empowered, confident & seen.
The experience is the most important part of the journey, with the photos being a lifelong reminder of the journey you’ve been on, the legacy you are building, and how you felt in that moment of choosing yourself. Coming from a background in the burlesque world (on which I published an award-winning book), I am known for my ability to direct and pose ALL bodies. You may recognise me from my viral Boudoir Posing Series, which went viral multiple times on both TikTok and Instagram, amassing a global following of 250k + followers. I am also an active voice in rejecting harmful beauty standards, delivering a TEDx Talk in 2025 on the subject, which you can watch here.
read my
ORIGIN STORY
As an elder millennial, I spent my formative years hyper-aware of how my body compared to others. 90s media glorified ‘heroin chic’ on the runway, glossy magazines highlighted “flaws” on female bodies in zoomed-in circles of shame, and Spice Girls were weighed on TV. Diet culture and body shaming were so prevalent that it seeped into schools, where I was bullied extensively for being ‘different’. The Pencil Test? Failed it. Thigh Gap Test? Failed that too. The first time I ever felt like my body was ever ‘in fashion’ was the Kim Kardashian era – which lasted a whole five minutes.
However, instead of trying to force my body to meet constantly evolving, often genetically unattainable body standards, I chose to rage quit on the concept completely and start documenting my own, beautifully unique body in the form of art. Through self-portraits, posing for other artists, and performing burlesque; rather than curating my legacy to only show the moments I felt my body would be deemed socially acceptable, I made a decision to be authentically seen. It’s not comfortable work, especially at times when my ever-evolving body has been it’s furthest from whatever the current ‘corps du jour’ is, but I believe in challenging any belief system that’s sole purpose is to make us feel inferior in our bodies.
It was 2009 when I realised my potential for helping others with their own empowerment journeys, finding myself entering the dazzling world of burlesque; a community where bodies of all shapes, sizes, genders and ethnicities are celebrated. As word of my ability to elevate other’s self-worth and confidence with my camera spread globally, I now find myself travelling the world with my signature style of empowering portrait photography; as well as leading conversations that champion female empowerment, diversity, equality and inclusion.
the reason
WHY I DO THIS
Because ALL bodies deserve to be represented.
And this is why I call myself an empowerment photographer rather than specifically a boudoir photographer. Because clothes on or off – for the world to see or for your eyes only – it is my privilege to help all of us feel empowered, confident and unapologetically present, documenting our body confidence journeys with my camera, and curating our legacies with beautiful visual stories that will last beyond our lifetimes.
I love nothing more than helping others step into their power, and I want you to experience that too, gorgeous.
You deserve to feel powerful. You deserve to be seen. The only validation you need to feel worthy of taking up space on this planet is your own.
YOU DESERVE TO EXIST IN PHOTOS
leading by example
YOUR BODY IS NOT A TREND
Want to feel comfortable and confident in your own body? Then my TEDx talk is for you. In it, I challenge society’s narrow and unattainable definitions of beauty and encourage us all to embrace our perfectly imperfect, authentic selves. To celebrate our perfectly imperfect selves, lean into body acceptance, challenge unrealistic beauty standards, and embrace the masterpiece we already are, showing that empowerment comes from valuing and loving your own body rather than seeking acceptance from external sources.
these are a few of
MY FAVOURITE THINGS
My two main passions in life (apart from hoping the universal cat distribution system picks me next) are collecting vintage cameras and travelling the world. In 2019 I fell in love with Japan and I’m currently planning my third trip. I also speak Japanese at an intermediate level and I’m always looking for people to practise with!
TRAVELLING THE WORLD
COLLECTING VINTAGE CAMERAS
PHOTOGRAPHING GEISHA
a few
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
2016: ‘The Most Diverse Lingerie Campaign In History”
2017: Burlesque Top 50 – Most Influential Female Burlesque Photographer
2020: Independent Publishing Awards: Bronze Medal
2021: Digital Women – Top 40 Digital Women To Watch
2021: Digital Women – Digital Woman Of The Year (finalist)
2022: Digital Women – Women’s Champion (finalist)
2022: Digital Women – Digital Creator of the Year (finalist)
2023: f:Entrepreneur – Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs
2024: Biz4Biz – SME Business Of The Year (finalist)
2025: Digital Women – Community Champion
2025: Digital Women – Digital Woman of the Year (finalist)
2026: The Big Issue – 100 Changemakers of 2026
ways you can
WORK WITH ME
EXPLORE MY SERVICES
sharing my
PROUDEST MOMENT
Did you know I published an award-winning coffee table book? Perfectly timed to coincide with my 10th business birthday, STRIP/TEASE showcases a decade of my work within the international burlesque scene. It also includes a wonderful foreword by none other than international burlesque sensation Dirty Martini