Why boudoir photography?
There are other genres, kids, weddings, seniors, newborns, pets, food, and many other genres of photography that you can do, so why did I choose to be particularly a boudoir photographer?
How it started for me
As soon as I started taking photos, boudoir photography quickly became a strong interest of mine. While I was attending university and exploring the world of art, I landed an apprenticeship at Playboy with Arny Freytag, the Playboy senior chief photographer. Arny had photographed Playboy’s centerfolds and editorials for about 40 years. When he asked me to join him in Studio West in LA to be his assistant, I was equally excited and terrified. I was a college kid with limited world experience. I had a year left to graduate with a B.F.A. in Photography, and I knew I wanted to photograph people. I had a passion for the Hollywood style of photography. I was fascinated by the 30s–50s era. The finesse, extravagant, and flamboyant feel of the photographs were enchanting to me. It is iconic and timeless. I wanted that glamour and elegance for the people I photographed.
My love for Hollywood portraits is what drove me to start taking pinup and Hollywood-style photographs, which in turn landed me that gig at Playboy and the beauty and editorial photos I learnt how to create turned into a timeless boudoir photography experience for me and my clients.
The Transformation
If you have children, you have most likely prioritized them since the day they were born. Being a busy mom might cause you to lose your individuality and, as a result, your confidence.
Even if you don’t have children, you can lose confidence. Women are expected to do everything. Work full-time, keep a pristine house, exercise, and participate in community activities. The expectations placed on childless adults are high, and not having children doesn’t guarantee a lot of free time.
Why is improving one’s body image and self-esteem so important? For starters, when you’re confident, you’re less likely to second-guess yourself, more likely to take risks, and more willing to pursue your true desires (Orth, & Robins, 2014; Pyszczynski, et al., 2004).
Ways boudoir sessions can help you embrace your body image and boost your self-esteem.
- You will perceive yourself in an entirely different way
A day spent being pampered and showing off your best sides is more than just a fun way to spend the day; it has the potential to entirely transform your self-image and show you in a different light.
Through my lens, you will see how stunning you are, regardless of your insecurities or perceived flaws. I always try to capture images of what my clients like about themselves, but I also try to capture images of what they’re insecure about.
Out there, I can hear a collective gasp. Why would I do this? You may wonder. Because imagine how liberating it would be to see a dimple on your thigh or stretch marks on your tummy and love that photo of yourself.
We all have insecurities, but if you take a moment to acknowledge your own beauty and the strength of your body, you might start to appreciate yourself a little more.
Plus, you’ll have those stunning images to look back on when you’re not feeling your best to remind you of how beautiful and badass you truly are.
- You will feel a sense of accomplishment.
Ladies, it’s not about the male gaze.
I picture the women in front of my lens from a woman’s perspective. It doesn’t have to be sexual in any way. Alternatively, if it is sexual for you, it’s because you enjoy expressing your sexuality. And that’s cool.
Owning your femininity is a powerful thing in terms of body image and self-esteem. It’s modern, and — let’s face it — it’s entertaining.
- You get the chance to relax and have a good time
When was the last time you did anything completely for your own pleasure? Have you ever spent an afternoon alone, had a glass of wine, looked in the mirror, and appreciated your beauty? And you didn’t have to rush to school pickup, a zoom meeting, or worry about completing your never-ending to-do list.
Of course, a boudoir shoot won’t resolve all of your issues with body image and self-esteem. Only a great deal of personal work and therapy does. But I can say that showing a little bit of love and admiration for yourself is one of the best ways to generate the self-assurance you need to make today better than yesterday. So I’ll keep preaching, “Do it and do it for YOU!”
My Personal Experience
To fully understand how much my boudoir experiences meant to me, I believe you should first learn a little bit about me. I don’t hold anything back, for better or worse.
I’m just going to say it as it is: I’ve had low self-esteem most of my life. I earned it through decades of unconscious self-injury and years of surviving while unaware. After I worked on healing myself, I started to feel more at ease in my own body and decided to have my boudoir session done.
After all, I was creating magnificent images for my clients, and I was immensely touched by how it transformed them. Boudoir photography is such an intimate experience, and it touches the client and the photographer equally. I detected their fear, I noticed their confidence, I witnessed their evolution during the photo shoot, and that moment when they “got it” and genuinely started to own their femininity.
Every once in a while, I hear back from a client. They call or email to share how they feel about their photoshoots and their album or folio box. My clients have shared so much with me; we’ve cried together on my couch and on the phone. I’m touched by their vulnerability and the metamorphosis they experienced before, during, and after their boudoir photoshoot.
