I just got off of a phone call with a fellow boudoir photographer who was inquiring about my one-on-one mentoring sessions. We talked for over an hour about why we do this, why it’s SO incredibly important for women to experience these sessions, and why we do in-person sales (as opposed to just throwing the digital files at our clients and making them figure it out). No matter what is said or learned, it always comes down to the fact that we do this for HER; the client. I won’t lie and tell you this job is easy, it’s not. We spend about 10% of our time actually photographing and the other is spent on our business. We market, network, budget, figure out the best products for our clients, order samples, continue our education, do consultations, do ordering sessions, drive hours to our clients locations, etc. We lose sleep, wondering how to continue to provide a one-of-a-kind luxury service that will set us apart from other photographers. It’s a constant rollercoaster of having incredible highs and really low lows. So why? Why am I still doing this, after 10 years in business and 20 years of photographing?
I do it because of the stories I hear. I do it because I know what it feels like to feel invisible and I know what it feels like to be so incredibly empowered. I do it because our stories, while different, are still the same. I do it because I know I can provide an experience unlike anything she’s ever known.
This session will always be one of my favorites. It was just featured on Bajan Wed and that inspired me to share it again.
When women contact me about the possibility of a boudoir session, I want to get to the “why”. Why now? Why have you come to this decision? Why is this important to you?
If she is doing it strictly for someone else then I tell her that we aren’t going to be a good fit. The way that I photograph, the way that I approach every session, is for her. I don’t care what her partner thinks is sexy. I don’t care what magazines have told her for her entire life. This is not for anyone but her.
She is the reason I do this.
Boudoir, to me, is not about posing to look “sexy”. The women that stand in front of my camera don’t need me to contrive their bodies or make them something that they aren’t. Most of them just want to be seen. I photograph single women, married women, women with kids, women in their 20s and women in their 50s. I’ve photographed women about to get married and ones going through a divorce. There is a reason that women get to the point of contacting me and it’s my obligation and privilege to discover the “why”.
I’ve had some people that don’t understand why women do boudoir sessions. Most of these people think that this means these women just want naked photos of themselves and it’s a superficial and vain thing to do. The truth is, it’s the complete opposite. Step in front of my camera and I will show you how this will be the most vulnerable and raw thing you ever do. It will strip you of things you thought you knew about yourself and pave a new way for positive thoughts and healing.
I’m passionate about what I do because there was a long time that I didn’t feel seen. I felt invisible and unwanted. I was scarred. It took me a long time to realize that I wasn’t broken, I just needed to find a way to put the pieces back together. This is what I want to give to every woman who is searching for her “why”.
It is my responsibility, commitment, and honor to make sure that every woman feels seen so that she can see herself.
