I took a mini break from blogging but I AM BACK and I have some exciting news!
The opportunity presented itself for me to take part in a boudoir shoot. To be perfectly honest, at first I was a little hesitant because I am not as confident as I may come off… shocking, I know. Boudoir is something that has always both fascinated and terrified me. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing images from a boudoir photoshoot – who doesn’t? But the idea of being that exposed was so daunting especially for someone who struggles tremendously with their body for both visual and functional reasons.
As many of you know, I struggle from a chronic illness, which is why I started this blog in the first place. At times, more often than not, this illness makes me feel less of a woman. I mean, if every part that made you a woman was, pardon my language, complete shit, you would probably feel the same. For those of you who may not know, I have endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, pelvic floor dysfunction, and vulvodynia… so yes, I AM IN PAIN ALL OF THE TIME and my lady parts do not work the way that they should.
I can confidently say that doing this shoot was one of the greatest things that I have ever done. I have this newfound confidence that I have never felt before and I am starting to love by body despite all of its flaws.
I am writing this post to share my experience and to give you reasons for booking your shoot!
4 Reasons Why You should Book A Boudoir Photoshoot for Yourself
You Learn to Embrace Yourself
As women, we often have this image in our heads of what we would like to look like, and we feel the urge to “perfect” ourselves until we reach that goal. But our bodies tell a story of who we are. The stretch marks and loose skin on your belly. The laugh lines and color of your hair. Freckles, moles, weight, scars, tan lines, all of it makes up part of your story. Embrace that!
A picture is worth a thousand words and photography is a form of storytelling. It is your photographer’s job to make you comfortable and authentically capture you in a way that helps to tell your story. Hannah was incredible at this. She called me several of weeks prior to my shoot date to go over the reasoning why I was doing this shoot and what theme I was ultimately going for. I had a story I wanted to tell, and while that remains confidential, let me tell you, she did a wonderful job at helping me tell it. Throughout the shoot, she watched for facial cues and body language to gauge my comfort level and to keep the environment laid back and stress free. She also continuously tossed me words of encouragement and was constantly fixing my hair to make it look both natural and sexy. She’ll put you in poses that feel questionable but these awkward poses come out INCREDIBLE! And while you are feeling awkward, Hannah is behind the camera telling you how stunning you look… well in my case, how much of a “bombshell” I am. She is quite literally the greatest hype woman you will come across!
Tell your story! Don’t wait until you lose those last few pounds. Don’t let “being too old” stop you from living out a dream. Don’t be afraid to embrace those scars and stretch marks because they are most definitely beautiful. And definitely, don’t wait until you have someone to do it for. Do it for you! I did. And I am so happy that I did. You are enough, always, and you deserve this.
A Rebellious Act Of Self-Care
Women are beautiful, but we often don’t let ourselves feel that way. We deprive ourselves of self-care and self-love daily at an attempt to meet impossible standards. We put our families and careers before our own needs because we are nurturing creatures, but we need to remember to nurture ourselves as well.
My boudoir photoshoot felt like a mini spa day. I was pampered with hair, makeup, and good conversation. I had the pleasure of chatting with two incredibly talented and inspiring women, and I got to play dress up and lounge around in a gorgeous studio where the focus was on me and how I felt. I spent more than half of the say in the studio, which still surprises me because the day FLEW by. And lastly, for someone who is always in pain, I was asymptomatic the entire time I was in that studio which still amazes me.
When I got home, it was like a reset button had been pushed in my brain. I felt light and energized and felt happy. There was something in me that changed during my session with Hannah. I felt confident in my own skin and, I can’t believe I am saying this, I felt freaking sexy – stretch marks, scars, and all.
So I urge you, rebel against your everyday routine. Make time for you and the things that will make you feel good. Don’t feel guilty about scheduling a boudoir shoot for yourself. When you take care of you, mind, body, and soul, the people in your life benefit as well.
You Deserve That Feeling Of Pure Confidence
When I first walked up to the location where my photos were being taken I was so nervous. My stomach was in a knot, my heart was beating rapidly, and my hands were shaking. Doing a boudoir shoot was something that I really wanted to do, but it was also completely out of my comfort zone. Like WAY out of my comfort zone.
After I walked in, I was greeted by Hannah, the photographer, and Jo, the woman who did my hair and makeup. We talked and I drank vodka as she did my hair and makeup, and as we chatted, I could feel my nerves begin to melt away. Yes, partially from the vodka setting in, but also because of how nice and comforting those two ladies were.
I had this slight awkward feeling when the session began but after the first few awkward shots that feeling goes away and you begin to feel empowered. It’s as if your body is going, “yes, you’re doing it! Keep going!” I felt like I could conquer anything that came way and you deserve to feel that way too!
It’s An Experience
I am a firm believer in living your life to the fullest. If you find yourself envious of another person’s life, take a step back and figure out what it is, precisely, that you are envious of. If you find yourself obsessing over HGTV, then design your dream home. If you have a Pinterest board filled with travel destinations, go to those places! And if you find yourself admiring women in boudoir photos, book the shoot! I repeat, BOOK THE SHOOT!
Your life is made up of the experiences you have. Don’t sit around waiting for life to happen to you. Make it happen. We all have excuses or “reasons” why we don’t follow through with our dreams, hell, I make excuses for myself daily, but those excuses aren’t going to matter when you look back on your life in the future. Don’t let “I wish I could” turn into “I wish I had.”
Seriously, do it!
When asked who I was doing this shoot for, my answer was “me.” Sure, it’s a fun gift, but do it for yourself first. Do it because you deserve all the love and empowerment that comes with it and do it as a reminder that you are strong, marvelous, and sexy.
Hannah did a fantastic job of making me feel comfortable and making the experience fun. She is the most kind-hearted, funny, and professional photographers that you can find. I can’t say enough good things about this wonderful lady. I left the shoot feeling beautiful, confident, and accomplished. Something that was so scary to me ended up being relaxing and inspiring, and I can’t wait to do another shoot in the near future.
