Sometimes I find it hard to put into words why I do boudoir photography. To me, it is so much more than photos. It’s about self-acceptance, body positivity and art. It’s 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 of the door. It’s 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 through our door. I believed I could show any person what I see in 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 love showing them the photos from their session and showing that they CAN and they DO in fact, look beautiful. Seeing their reactions to their pictures changed me. From that moment on, I knew I had found my passion.
I LOVE 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 takes place in our studio is the best part of the whole experience for us. When a woman arrives in my studio, most of the time she’s nervous and 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 really 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. The sexy eyes come out and you can tell it’s all starting to click with them!
By the time we finish the session 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 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 partner sees them and be their mirror. When they walk out that door they’re smiling so big and they can’t wait to tell all of their friends about what they just did!
A LITTLE PIECE OF MY STORY
I was an awkward child, overweight and had horrible acne since I was 10 and have been mercilessly bullied throughout my entire teenage years. A HATED how I looked, I believed that I was ugly and I never wanted to be in pictures. I don’t have any pictures of me form the age of 10-11 till 17.
Fast forward to now, I wish I weighed that much again, when I thought I was so fat! I wasn’t fat at all, but the era and European standards made me think I was. Now, at the age of almost 44 (yikes!lol), at my heaviest and on the brink of my divorce, I spent almost 3 years working on myself, teaching myself to love and accept myself, reprogramming my brain to finally understand that I AM ENOUGH AND LOVEABLE just the way I am, no matter what, just because I exist.
It’s been a rocky road, I’m not gonna lie. There were hard days and tears and setbacks. One of the biggest milestones was my very own glam photoshoot experience. I also promised myself a boudoir session to celebrate when my divorce is final-stay tuned for that!
YUP! THAT’S ME AT MY PHOTOSHOOT!
I started to think about the photos I was in and how my kids would be able to look back and remember me if I wasn’t around anymore. Would I want them to remember me being ashamed of my body and hiding from the camera? Nope. Would I want them to not have any photos of me at all? Absolutely not! Maybe one day when they are older they will even appreciate these photos of me.
For me, boudoir photography is a celebration of your body and who you truly are. I take pride in being able to show women how to celebrate their bodies, their battles and their victories.
I am definitely a very lucky girl, and I am so grateful for every single one of you.
Let me help remind you of how to love and be proud of yourself!
You can read more about our sessions here
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