Why Boudoir Photography?
I get asked often: “Why do I shoot boudoir and how long have I been shooting it?”
So I figured I would write a little blog post answering just that! I love to write and have actually written an entire book on the self-love and confidence journey {which is why I say this will be a little write-up!}
To start, I have been shooting boudoir EXCLUSIVELY since 2015,
but I have been a professional photographer for much longer than that! I fell in love with shooting boudoir because of the experience I can provide my clients. It is SO MUCH MORE than just a photoshoot… It is truly a confidence boost, a way of seeing yourself in a different light, a way to find self-love, and a way to promote body positivity all the way around! My team and I have said for years we provide photo therapy if we could invent such a thing!
The very first boudoir session I shot started my love and passion for shooting it!
It wasn’t until AFTER the shoot, when my client viewed her images that I realized what boudoir truly was. She cried sitting next to me during her viewing. I was caught off guard and not sure if she didn’t like the photos or what. She laughed and said “I have NEVER once seen myself like this. I look in the mirror and see someone completely different.”
At this moment I knew the impact I could make.
I wholeheartedly believe that all bodies are beautiful. Self-love is a journey and you need to find ways to love yourself. Scars, stretch marks, extra or low body fat, curves {or not!}, all these things make you, you!
Boudoir is a way for me to express myself through my art while walking you through part of your journey. I want you to look in the mirror and say “I am beautiful!” not because I said so, but because you feel it!! You deserve to feel beautiful!
The Experience
The exclusive boudoir experience I have created in our studio is called The Bella Rosa Boudoir Experience!
You become an official Bella Rosa Beauty at the end! I would say 80% of our clients have nerves… Some take YEARS of being in our community before even reaching out because they for one reason or another don’t feel like they can do a boudoir session for themselves! Some of our clients are so nervous you can see them physically shaking, others you only know because they say.
Once they step into our studio, the experience really begins. Upon arrival our client would leave her stuff in our MASSIVE lingerie closet before getting into the hair and makeup chair. Usually during hair and makeup you can tell the nerves start to ease.
Once hair and makeup is complete, the boudoir shoot begins! A major part of the Bella Rosa Boudoir Experience is that we will pose you through the entire session. You do not need any prior modeling experience to look and feel like a model in our studio! I can honestly say within the first 3 poses most nerves are completely 100% gone!
There is a lot of laughter and smiles during the session.
Those end up being some of my favorite candid shots! We keep the mood happy with music playing and maybe even setting some poses inspired by the lyrics. After seeing a sneak peek or two, the confidence is usually just pouring out and the full experience can be soaked in and enjoyed!
By the end of the session we have all built a special little friendship because 1. We have seen you in your panties {or maybe even nude!} and 2. We just spent all that time together and you potentially felt the best you’ve ever felt during your session with us! We take the time to get to know you, and we can say that most of our clients actually do become our friends, outside of the studio even!
Some clients view their photos the same day and others come back within 2 weeks.
We play a slideshow of the edited photos on our 72 inch tv. This is when a whole new round of self-love begins. We get to show our clients what we see… The beauty in them. Them in the raw. I forgot to mention. When I said they get to view edited photos, that doesn’t mean we edited THEM. My studio does not alter or edit the photos to make our clients look like someone they are not. I know some people are looking for that, and that is NOT what we provide. I am firm on that.
Bruises, pimples, and things that are not part of you can and will absolutely be removed but I like to be open and honest that the Bella Rosa Boudoir Experience is supposed to be a huge part of your self-love and confidence journey and in doing that the editing is not part of it. We are professionals and can pose you to enhance your favorite features, body altering through editing will not be necessary!
By the end of the slideshow our clients are always smiling or crying {happy tears!} and frequently say they can’t believe that is them, or they FINALLY see what their significant other sees. It is so special to be part of this with them. After viewing the photos our clients get to touch and see all the luxury products we offer. There are so many ways to display or hide away your photos forever!
A Little Piece of My Story
This was supposed to be a short little blog write up, so I am going to lightly touch on just one part of my story. I have a long story, so it was hard for me to pick a starting point… Is there such a thing, I kept asking myself. When do you start having self-love {or maybe the opposite, self-hate?}. I tried to go back to the very beginning. I have a crazy memory {so I have hear`d!} and can remember things from like wayyy back!
Ok well a specific memory I have is of my Grammy.
I couldn’t have been older than 5. She had just gotten out of the shower and I remember her covering herself in a way like she was embarrassed of her body, not just for privacy. I was too young to understand why she didn’t like her body, but I just knew that was her feeling. I was so confused because she was so beautiful to me, in every way. Her curves were perfect… She played golf and tennis and really watched what she ate, she liked to stay in shape.
She was a Grammy with a dream body and I knew it so young, but she still was so not in love with her body. I knew at that age that women weren’t all comfortable with their bodies. I also grew up with a scale in my house and 5 sisters. I played sports including cheerleading.
These are just a few other little pieces that all contribute or play a part in my story. I wanted this blog to be a little intro into my world though, so I am going to save some of the other stuff like my infertility journey, my own journey to finding self-love and confidence after major weight gain, and learning how to accept autoimmune and other disorders for a later time! Do me a favor though… If you enjoyed this blog post, maybe share it??
Yes, that is me at my boudoir shoot!
I try to walk the walk and get updated photos of myself every so often… This could be a whole blog post in itself {honestly a book!} I have so many experiences and stories to share about self-love and confidence and the journey that it all entails. I am excited for my studio to be part of your journey!
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