Sometimes I find it hard to put into words why I shoot boudoir photography. To me, it’s about so much more than the photos. It’s about self-acceptance, self-love, body positivity, confidence, and art. It’s about feeling beautiful, and that is something I believe every person deserves.
Women tell me they feel they can’t look “that beautiful” because they feel too tall, weigh too much, or have too many stretch marks. So when the moment comes that I get to shower them with photos from their shoot, showing that they ARE, in fact, so beautiful, seeing their reactions to their pictures gives me a sense of purpose. It truly is my passion to help women recognize their beauty.
It’s my job to be a mirror for my clients. Not the mirror that the world shows you that shames you, but the one who sees past all of the lumps and imperfections. The one that shows you your sparkle.
The Transformation
The transformation that takes place is the best part of the whole experience for me. When a woman arrives in my studio, most of the time she’s pretty nervous. Sometimes even visibly so. Shaky voice and hands, etc. It reminds me of my first boudoir shoot on the other side of the camera! But once she sits in the chair to get her hair and makeup done, the transformation begins! She slowly starts to feel more relaxed while we chat and she enjoys a little rosé.
When the shoot starts, the first few shots are just to get the jitters out. I like to really guide my clients every step of the way. And when I show her the back of the camera after the first series, I usually get an “OH MY GOD, that’s me? NO WAY that’s me!” Then as we keep shooting, the laughter and smiles start to come out, and she starts having fun with it. Then she starts to feel sexy. The sexy eyes come out, and you can tell that it’s really starting to click for her.
By the time we finish the session, we’re friends. We’ve just shared an experience that she’ll always remember. We’ve shared some laughs and stories and had a great time.
Once I show them their photos on the screen, their jaws drop. They see themselves like they never have before. This is one of the amazing things about boudoir photography. I get a chance to show them how I see them and how their loved one sees them. When they walk out that door, they are smiling so big and they can’t wait to tell all their friends about what they just did.
A Little Piece of My Story
When I was little, I didn’t get many opportunities to explore different hobbies and naturally gravitate toward a passion. So after I graduated college, I still had no idea what I wanted to do! All I knew is that I wanted to do something to help women feel beautiful. So I thought about cosmetology, but it didn’t feel quite right.
In October of 2018 my now husband asked me which hobby/skill I wish I had, and I told him that I like to take pictures, so he got me a camera as an early Christmas present and signed me up in a monthly program to learn more about photography.
I explored different types of photography, but it wasn’t until I had my own boudoir session that it clicked! I had discovered how to make women feel beautiful and combine it with my passion for photography. So I learned as much as I could from my favorite boudoir photography mentors, and here I am doing what I love 🙂
Photo credit – Charity Rebekah
Yep! That's me at my first boudoir shoot!
For me, boudoir photography is a celebration of your body. I take pride in helping show women how beautiful they are. And I hope you’ll let me help remind you how to love and be proud of yourself for who you are right now.