I'm often asked why I chose boudoir photography as my niche. I fell in love with boudoir because it's so much more than photos. It's about self-love, acceptance, body positivity, and self-expression. Every woman deserves to have photos that make her feel beautiful.
I see the unique beauty in each person I work with and I'm able to bring that out in the art that I create. Women tell me they don't believe they can look "that beautiful" because they weigh too much, or have stretch marks, or don't like certain features. My favorite part of my job the photo reveal because it's at that moment where they realize that they ARE that beautiful. Seeing their reactions to their photos makes me realize that I have the best job in the world.
The Transformation
When women arrive to my studio, they're often nervous and don't know what to expect. Once they sit in the chair to get hair and make-up done, the transformation begins. We use this time to get to know each other better, and they slowly start to shed those signs of nervousness and anxiety.
After hair and makeup, we begin shooting with simple poses to get warmed up. When I show them the back of the camera, I usually hear "No Way, that's me?!" By the end of the session, they're totally relaxed and having a blast!
A little Piece of My Story
Self-love is something I've always struggled with. For ten years I had a severe eating disorder. I modeled off and on from my late teens into my thirties, but I never felt happy with myself, and I used modeling to justify my eating disorder. When I discovered boudoir photography in 2019, one of the things that I loved most about it, was that it was an opportunity for me to give all women beautiful images. All of the photographers that I had known and worked with photographed the same types of women, but I wanted to be different. I wanted to show the world that ALL women are beautiful and worthy of photos that make them look and feel like a model. I love photographing women of all ages and all body types. I've had several women tell me that they were turned away by photographers who don't photograph plus-sized women, and that breaks my heart. Boudoir is about embracing who you are, no matter if you're a size 0 or 5X. We are all different, but we are all uniquely beautiful.
photo by Aven Willow Portraits
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