If I'm Being Honest

If I'm being honest, boudoir photography scares the hell out of me. No really, it does. And it's not the equipment, the set-up, or any of that that gets me. It's the feeling I want to leave the woman with when we're done.

I'm a woman too, and I know first-hand how critical we can be of ourselves. I know exactly what it's like to have someone take a photo of you, only to tear yourself apart about. I know what it's like to look in the mirror and wish that you looked differently. And so what I'm nervous about is making sure that this beautiful lady in front of me sees herself the way I see her. The way her partner sees her. The way her family sees her. The way her friends see her.

I never want someone to walk out of a session and feel bad about themselves, even if I know they rocked it and the photos are amazing. Baring it all in a photography session is such a vulnerable experience. And I want to make sure that I always keep that in mind. Because even if the photos are amazing, if a woman doesn't walk out feeling on top of the world, then I didn't do my job.

These photos are what happens when you put the client experience first, over everything else. When you make sure that you do everything in your power to hype them up, and see themselves through your lens, you get the most beautiful version of that person, who has been there all along.

To me, boudoir photography is one of the biggest expressions of self-love that we have. It's about embracing every aspect of who we are, and not shying away from any part of ourselves.

In writing this, I want to challenge all of us to treat ourselves like we would our best friend. You would never tell her that she shouldn't wear that because of her body, that her hips are too big, or that her stomach isn't flat enough. We see beauty in those we love. Let's do that for ourselves too.

- Jenn