Finding your "why"

Recently, a client of mine said something I hadn’t expected. She said, “I chatted with several [boudoir photographers], and you’re the only one who was interested in my ‘why’!”

I was actually a little surprised—and this is to take nothing away from other photographers—that no one had talked to her about why she wanted to do a boudoir shoot in the first place. After all, for a lot of women, this is something that takes a fair bit of courage. Women have been bombarded for decades with “ideal” body types, often with unrealistic figures being portrayed as aspirational. All it really does is make everyday women feel insecure about their bodies as they constantly compare themselves to

Take something as simple as breast size. I know many stunning women who have small breasts, and some of them have told me that they’ve contemplated implants. Now, if a woman chooses to have implants, it’s her body and her choice—one that can be made for a wide variety of reasons—so what I’m about to say shouldn’t be misconstrued as a slight against women who make that choice. But I cringe at the pressure women face to have larger breasts simply because it’s been promoted in the media as a feminine ideal. Women are constantly told their proportions are too much this or not enough that, and it’s not hard to see why years of such bombardment from television shows, movies, magazines, and advertisements could cause women to start internalizing those ideals and feel bad about themselves for being unable to attain them despite all the diets, exercise, and even plastic surgery.

To me, boudoir isn’t about aspirational body types. That’s why I use only minimal retouching to adjust exposure, color grade the images, and remove minor blemishes. I absolutely never use Photoshop to alter the proportions of my clients, or even to make their skin look unnaturally smooth. Boudoir is empowering because it invites you not just to accept yourself as you are, but to celebrate yourself.

The client I mentioned earlier said that she’s “on the heavier side, but learning to love my body.” I love that. Your body is your own. It’s never going to look like this person or that person’s because… well, because they’re not you. By all means, take care of yourself—eat healthily, exercise regularly, get your sleep, schedule time to relax, etc. etc. But don’t do it with the thought that you’ll attain someone else’s body. Celebrate yours.

Ready to book your shoot? Contact me, and let’s chat!