My Why - Why Boudoir Photography?
Sometimes I find it hard to put into words why I shoot boudoir photography. To me, it is so much more than photos. It is about self-acceptance, body positivity, and art. It is about getting glammed up and laughing your butt off. It’s about the transformation that takes place between the time you walk in the studio and walk back out that door. It is about feeling beautiful, and that is something I believe every person deserves.
I started shooting boudoir photography because I saw the beauty in everyone that came in my door. I believed I could show any person to see what I see through my camera. Women tell me all the time that they feel they can’t look “that beautiful” because they feel too tall, weigh too much or too little, or have too many stretch marks. I loved showing them the photos from their session and showing that they CAN, in fact, feel beautiful. Seeing their reactions to their pictures changed me. From that moment on, I knew I had found my passion.
It was now 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, bruises, and imperfections. The one that shows you your sparkle.
The Transformation
The transformation that takes place in the studio is the best part of the of the whole experience for me. When a woman arrives in the studio, most of the time she is nervous, sometimes even visibly nervous. Shaky hands and voice, sweaty hands and face - I see it all the time. Once they sit in the chair to get their hair and makeup done, the transformation begins. The client slowly starts to shed those signs and feelings of nervousness and anxiousness.
Then, the session begins. the first series of photos get you all warmed up and prepared for the rest of the session! When I show my clients the back of the camera after the first few photos, I usually hear “OH WOW, that’s me? No way!” As we go into the next series of poses and the next, the laughter and smiles start to come out. My clients start to feel sexy. I can tell because then we break out the sexy eyes, or the “smeyes” as Tyra Banks would say on ANTM :D I can tell that it is starting to click with them.
By the time we finish the session and go into lunch and the reveal, we’ve just shared an experience that they will always remember. We’ve laughed and shared stories about our lives. We feel like friends.
Once I show the their images on the computer, 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, how their significant other sees them and be their mirror. When they walk out the door, they’re smiling so big and they can’t wait to tell all their friends about what they just did.
A Little Piece of My Story
I didn’t quite grasp the gravity of what I was accomplishing for women until 2019. I had been photographing weddings, seniors, families, etc. up until then, not quite finding the passion I was hoping to find when I first set out with my photography business. I finally booked my first ever boudoir session that year, and honestly, it was the best thing I ever did for myself and my business.
The reaction I received from the first session was incredible. She told me that this session helped her see herself in a totally different light and she was so thankful to me for doing this for her. It made me think about how I could help other women feel this way, too. It made me think about what my purpose was, and what I was really trying to achieve with this business, and I just knew, this was it for me.
I started to think about the photos I was in, and how I would want to look back and remember myself now in the future. We are constantly pressured in today’s society to live up to this impossible standard of beauty. Don’t eat that, its bad for you. You’re too skinny. You’re too fat. You’re too muscular for a woman. You’re too XYZ… I started to think, when I am older, is this how I want to remember myself? All the times I held myself back because of how I felt about my body? And I thought about how SO MANY OTHER WOMEN probably feel this exact same way about themselves…. and that led me to my why. Boudoir can help change all of that.
I was meant to empower and inspire women (I am a Leo, so apparently a natural born leader, or something? :D). I really wanted to help other women feel the way that first client felt. It was in that moment I decided to specialize in boudoir ONLY and started my educational journey in the boudoir photography world.
For me, boudoir photography is a celebration of your body and who you truly are. Its a stripped down version of you that even you, yourself, can’t see on a daily basis. It’s what people who love you see from the outside looking in. I take pride in being able to help show women how to celebrate their bodies, their battles and their victories they’ve been through. Let me show you how to reclaim your power and light that fire. Let me help remind you how to love and be proud of yourself.
You can read more about me and my story on my main page under the About Me section!