WHY Boudoir Photography

Sometimes I find it hard to put into words why I shoot Boudoir. To me it's so much more than photos.. It's about self acceptance, body positivity, and art. It is about getting glammed up and feeling taken care of for once. It's about the transformation that takes place between the time you walk in my studio, and the time you walk back out that door. It is about really feeling beautiful and that is something I believe every person deserves.

I started shooting Boudoir because I saw the beauty in everyone that came in our door.. even when they didn’t see it themselves. I believed I could show any person what I see through my camera. Women tell me they feel like they can't look that beautiful because they feel too tall, weigh too much, or have too many stretch marks. But I saw it time and time again when showing clients their images, that they really CAN make them feel beautiful. Seeing clients reactions to their pictures and how it changed THEIR view of themselves, 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, bumps and imperfections. The one that shows you your sparkle.

THE TRANSFORMATION

The transformation that takes place in my studio is the best part of the whole experience for me. When a woman arrives to the studio, most of the time she's nervous.. even sometimes 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 make up done, we begin chit-chatting and getting to know her, the transformation begins. The client slowly starts to shed those signs of nervousness and anxiousness.

Then the shoot would start. The first set is to get clients all warmed up. When I show them the back of the camera after the first set, I usually hear “Oh my god that's me?! No way that's me!” As we get into the next set, and then the next, the laughter and smiles start to come out. Then they really start feelin’ themselves. The sexy eyes come out and you can tell it's starting to click within 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 lives.

Once I show them their pictures, their jaws drop- they see themselves like they never had before. This is the magic of Boudoir. I get a chance to show them how I see them, how their spouse sees them, and be that mirror. When they walk out the door, they're smiling so big that they can't wait to tell all their friends about what they just did.

A Little Piece of My Story

It wasn't until I had kids in my own, that I really truly appreciated the work that I do. Women are held to such a standard in today's society that says you need to “bounce right back” after babies, always look attractive and be put together. But that just isn't reality.

I found that on the days that I felt less than stellar about my appearance, or my body, I would take the time to do a little self-care routine and then do some self portraits. When I realized how much these photos helped my self-confidence, I knew that my job was incredibly important. After four babies, 60+ lbs up and down, a divorce and health issues, I still make it a point to do a self portrait session every now and then. And if a little old selfie sesh can help ME that much, it just solidifies how much the work I do helps others.