Why I shoot boudoir
I get asked often how I got into boudoir photography and it’s simple. I had a session with another talented boudoir photographer and fell in love. I fell in love with the art of boudoir but also, I fell in love with myself again. I saw those final images of myself and was shocked, in awe, and basically couldn’t believe that was me. It’s not that I looked so different, but I just looked amazing. I was sexy and I looked confident. After my session I just knew I had to start offering boudoir and give all my clients the same experience I had. I want every woman to see themselves as the gorgeous goddess they are.
I started boudoir because I see the beauty in everyone. I believe I can show everyone what I see through my camera. Women tell me time and time again that they can’t possibly look that amazing because they are too tall, too skinny, too big, or many of the other reasons they may come up with. I love showing them how beautiful they are when they see their final images from their shoot and showing them, they in fact are that beautiful. We all are. The reactions of my clients has changed me. I want to give that to everyone women who books with me.
It’s my job now to be the mirror my clients look into and see the beauty, not the imperfections. They don’t see the world that shames them but the world that encourages them to sparkle.
The Transformation
The transformation that takes place in my studio is really my favorite part of my boudoir photography job. I can’t even stand calling it my “job” because it’s so much more than that. It is my passion, my life.
To see a woman come in nervous and worried she won’t look beautiful enough. She may come in with a shaky hand and butterflies in her belly. Once she sits in my chair and gets her hair and makeup done, something changes within her. She starts to see it.
When our session starts, we pick out her favorite item to wear first. I always start with the favorite and the one she feels most confident in to break the ice. We will do some poses in which I direct every inch of her body, so she doesn’t have to worry about a thing. Then I show an image of her on the back on my camera and every single time she says, “OH MY GOD, THAT’S ME!?”. As we make our way into the next set of poses the laughter starts and she loosens up. The sexy eyes come out and you can tell she is having fun and feeling it.
By the time we finish the boudoir photography session, and she comes in for her reveal we’re old friends. We shared an experience that she’ll remember forever. We laughed together and told stories about our lives.
Once I start showing her the final images her jaw drops. She sees herself like never before. That’s the best thing about boudoir photography. I get the opportunity to show someone how incredibly gorgeous she is and how perfect she is just the way she is. When she leaves my studio, she’s smiling so big and gives me a big hug thanking me, telling me she can’t wait to tell all her friends.
A little piece of my story….
Growing up I was always uncomfortable in my skin. I saw a chubby girl with red hair. I was different but never understood how amazing it is to be different. I didn’t understand how incredible I was or how beautiful I was. As I grew into adulthood I still struggled with my weight but was able to be at a place that I was comfortable. Until I started having babies. They change your body in ways you never thought possible. Nothing is the same. After having my third daughter at 24 weeks and spending 5 months in the NICU with her, my weight was at the highest I had ever been. I decided to get myself healthy and started on a journey of self love and a mission to be at a healthy weight. I wanted to be healthy for my kids, but more than anything, love myself again. I lost 50lbs and felt amazing. It was great to feel so good and be confident in my skin. Then I found out I was pregnant again and was so scared to gain it all back. After having my son I was surprisingly confident in myself, mostly because I had found self love. I found that I was perfect the way I was no matter what size I was. I booked a boudoir session for myself to celebrate all my body has been through and what it has done for me. When looking at my final images I felt the way my clients feel. I saw how beautiful I was. I saw that I am special and I don’t need to fit the cookie cutter mold of the “perfect” woman that our media portrays. I am perfect just the way I am.
That is why I do boudoir photography. I want to give every woman that experience. I want to show them they are perfect too.
Yes, that’s me!
I book my own sessions and try to take self portraits of myself often to continue to celebrate the woman I am. I am beautiful, I am confident. I am me. No matter what size I am or the weight I am, I am able to see past that.
