11 Jan Boudoir Photography; Get Your Sexy On
With Cupid season right around the corner, I thought we would spice up our lifestyle section for the next few weeks! So let’s talk about a subject that has many people weak in the knees or blushed in the cheeks; boudoir photography!
Boudoir photography has been around for decades. It first began back in the 1920s, in a decade where being naked in photographs was considered illegal! Later it transitioned more into pin-up photography, and finally in the ’70s advanced to being looked upon as art. Today, boudoir is becoming much more accepted and loved amongst many. In a world where the majority of us are posting/ liking and commenting on pictures on social media all day long, we are seeing many women posing in the buff. No matter how accepted it seems, however, It has always carried a “naughty” connotation and always will. It is empowering, it is sensual and seductive (not to mention the perfect, outside the box, valentines gift for your significant other!).
I have done a few boudoir shoots in the last couple of years and I must say, before doing one…I wasn’t sure how I felt about posing in lingerie for the camera. I questioned, “Is this really something a mom should be doing?” or “Should this only be something for my man to see?” But after some thought and consideration after reading through reviews of what women had said about their experiences, I thought “Why not? You only live once…”
I am so glad I made that decision. I shot with an outstanding photographer, Zara Ashby owner of Zara Ashby Photography and Intimates by Zara, who made me feel incredibly comfortable, beautiful and elegant. It was nothing that I had expected and everything that I didn’t know I needed. I left the shoot that day feeling empowered, not ashamed like I had previously envisioned myself leaving a shoot of that nature. Also, Zara went on to become a good friend of mine and I have shot with her multiple times since. It was a very womanly experience, very therapeutic in a sense.
Most recently I had the opportunity to partner with the outstanding Tony Rocco of Tony Rocco and Tony Clapp Photography and RAW Photography Studio as well as my boyfriend and videographer Thomas Bailey on a boudoir videography/ photography project. To say it was phenomenal would be an understatement. I’m sure you might be thinking…a nude photo shoot with two men was comfortable?!?! YES. And, it wasn’t because one of them was my boyfriend. This shoot touched something in my soul. There wasn’t a single moment where I felt weird, actually, I felt incredible the entire shoot! It helped me get my sexy back. It made me feel like me again. His HMU professional Tori captured my personality so well in the look she did and I felt so beautiful. Tony’s guidance, posing, and technique captured me in ways I didn’t even know I could look.
After a really tough 2018 battling hypothyroid issues, horrible cystic acne, water and weight retention, and chronic fatigue, I had felt like I had lost a part of me. For most of the year, I wore my hair in a tight bun on top of my head. I didn’t wear makeup trying to heal my skin. I was sitting 10-15 lbs higher than usual and despite any attempts at super regulated diet, exercise and water intake, it wouldn’t budge. I hated the way I looked and felt and didn’t have the energy to really do much about it. I put on a happy face, tried to keep my energy high with caffeine and did the best I could. That isn’t the life I wanted to live. So I finally did something about it.
Doing a boudoir shoot can be such a great way to feel empowered again, get your sexy back and maybe share that with your significant other. I know that it made me feel sexy to hear and see my boyfriends reaction to the outcome of these shoots. From every woman I have spoken with about their experiences, it’s an all-around win. Pick a great photographer and a few images you love. Make sure they are reputable and you love their style.