Why I shoot boudoir
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.
The Transformation
Seeing the transformation that unfolds with my clients throughout their session is something that I will always LOVE. Every client arrives feeling the nerves and wondering if they made the right choice by booking a session… but shortly after arriving they start to slowly let their guard down and open up to this life changing experience.
When a woman arrives in my studio, most of the time she’s nervous, sometimes even visibly nervous. Shakey 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 begins. The first few poses are super easy and instructional to get you warmed up and feeling comfortable in front of the camera. After I show a little sneak peek from the back of the camera I usually hear something along the lines of “OH MY GOD!” and “I can’t believe that’s me!”. Sometimes it’s even follows with some teary eyes as they start to see the beautiful woman everyone else sees.
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 of our lives.
Once I show them their pictures on the projector screen, 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, 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 began my boudoir photography journey in November 2018 after serving in the U.S. Army for almost 8 years. To be honest, being a boudoir photographer - or any kind of photographer - was never the plan. I have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and planned on serving in the military until I retired. But after serving in a difficult & toxic workplace, a draining divorce from my first husband while active duty, and surviving SA - I knew it was time to make a change and do something that lit my soul on fire. Something that I felt pure passion for and woke up excited about. I was sick of waking up feeling sick to my stomach waiting to see what the day had in store for me and feeling depressed day in and day out.
When I left the Army, I had no idea what I was going to do with my life and was feeling lost. I was working on getting my master’s degree but still just wasn’t in a happy place in my life and was feeling confused after leaving a life that was all I knew at the time. I felt like I no longer had a purpose in life and wasn’t doing anything to better the world or people. I can’t explain what came over me next but I woke up one morning and basically said f*ck it. I’m going to be a boudoir photographer and quit my master’s classes.
I always had a passion for photography but never pursued it. I knew a couple of things: I loved helping my girl friends feel beautiful and I loved photography. I had taken boudoir style photos of my best friends over the years for fun and we always had the best girls day ever when we did it. So that day I enrolled in my first educational course for boudoir photography and my passion for building women’s confidence has grown every year since! Little did I know at the time how big of a healing impact it would have on my life and countless women’s lives.
I have seen first hand how life changing this experience is for ALL women. I truly believe that boudoir is one of the most liberating and affirming experiences of a woman’s life.
photo credit - alyssa michelle
Yep - That’s me at my boudoir photoshoot!
Even though I’m a boudoir photographer… I have insecurities, body images issues and trauma that I am consistently working on just like everyone else. Most people assume I must be the most confident person because of what I do for a living but that’s just simply not the truth. I wish it was but I’m human and flawed and working on my shit right there beside my clients. And I think that’s what makes this all the more special. I’m walking the walk with each of my clients. We’re leaning into life and this self love journey together. I understand all the things you’re feeling and I’m doing everything in my power to make your experience a safe and confidence boosting one.
I was 12 weeks pregnant with twins at the photoshoot above and I was feeling super hesitant about doing the photoshoot because I was dealing with body images issues at the time and “wasn’t where I wanted to be for my photoshoot”. But after seeing my images I was completely in love and I still look back on them to this day with so much love for myself and appreciation for all that my body has done for me before that photoshoot and everything after.
My hope is that through your experience with me, you learn to love yourself piece by piece and reclaim a part of you that has been missing too <3
xoxo
Olivia
