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’s 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 my 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 comes in our door. I believed I could show any person see what I see through my camera. 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. I loved showing them the photos from their shoot 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 the lumps, bruises and imperfections. The one that shows you your sparkle.
The Transformation
The transformation that took place in our studio is the best part of the whole experience for us. when a women arrived in my studio, most of the time she’s nervous, sometimes even visibly nervous. Shaky hands and voices, sweaty hands and faces are things I see 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 shoot would start. The first series is to get you all warmed up. When I show the client the back of the camera after the first series, I usually hear “Oh MY GOD, that’s me? NO WAY that’s me!” As we go into the next series and then the next, the laughter and smiles start to come out. Then she starts to feel sexy and those sexy eyes come out. And you can tell that it’s starting to click with them.
By the time we finish the session and go into the reveal, we’re friends. We’ve just shared an experience that they will always remember. We’ve laughed and shared stories about our lived.
Once I show them their pictures, 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 spouse sees them and be their mirror. When they walk out that door, their smiling so big and they can’t wait to tell all their friends about what they just did.
A Little Piece of my Story
A friend came to me after a nasty break up wanting some sexy images to help her feel better. I had been photography family, friends and kids for years up until that point. I brought my friend to my studio and we had an absolute blast just playing with lingerie, poses and sets. It was after this that I truly fell in love with boudoir and wanted more of it. I worked with a friend who runs a business and we started putting on women’s empowerment days, where we worked with about 10 clients in a day for 15 minute photo sessions each. This really kick started my love in working with women and capturing their beauty. From that my business just kind of took off and I haven’t looked back.
Photo Credit: Denise Birdsong
Photo Credit: Portland Pin-Ups w/ Mike Long
Yup! That's me at my boudoir session!
My height, until recently, has always made me feel awkward and self conscious. But who would I have been without my height? It literally carried me through life and gave me experiences that I never would have had otherwise. With photographing boudoir I wanted to make sure I had experiences on both sides of the camera. Because of that, I have had a few boudoir sessions of my own where I really focused on feeling femininity and sexuality. I am proud of my body and all that is has done for me.
I started to think about the photos I was in, and how my daughter would be able to look back and remember me if I wasn’t around anymore. Would I want her to remember me being ashamed of my body and hiding from the camera? Nope. Would I want her to not have any photos of my at all? Absolutely not! Maybe one when she was older she’d even APPRECIATE the photos where I carried myself proudly.
For me, boudoir photography is a celebration of your body and who you truly are. 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 know you your sparkle. Let me help remind you how to love and be proud of yourself.