Boudoir as Therapy

I'd run a successful wedding photography business for 4 years when I opened my boudoir studio. I remember calling my mom and telling her I was torn. I either wanted to go back to school and become a therapist, or I wanted to open a boudoir studio. My mom (understandably) responded, "Those are really two completely different career paths". At the time, I thoroughly agreed with her. But to be honest, they ended up being far more similar than I thought. 

Women are tied to how they feel. Meaning, if you're coming to the studio to strip down half-naked in front of me, often you're a lot more open about the details of your life. It would probably be weird to chat about the weather or the Braves. Instead, we end up discussing our lives--the good, the bad and the ugly, but always the honest. 

The beautiful embarkation toward marriage. The fear of commiting to one person. The pain of divorce. The joy of rediscovering yourself after divorce. The excitement of expecting a child. The confusion of parenthood eclipsing your identity. The trauma of abuse in any form. The power of taking your story back. The devastation of betrayal. The honor of having deep trust in yourself. The heartbreak of feeling like you don't know who you are or why you're here. The empowerment of dismissing what your existence means to others and celebrating who you choose to be.

And after a conversation between women--one that will ping-pong between soul matters, to tips shared about your most recent vacation, to where you got the cute dress you were wearing when you arrived--I lift the camera to capture little pieces of your soul. Beautiful. Unique. Honest. Brave. Alluring. Powerful. 

And then, I get to show you. Show you how far you've come. Remind you how strong you are. That you've weathered every single one of the days you thought you wouldn't survive. Introduce you to the gorgeous soul who has been forged through millions of moments. Impress you with the fact that that gorgeous soul will continue to evolve and grow for the entirety of your existence. 

My goal is to give you a tangible snapshot of your soul exactly where you are. A proverbial "you are here," to mark the place you paused on your journey to gaze inward. It takes bravery to want to look, to want to see. And I count it an honor to help craft the image that stands as a placeholder to reflect back on. You'll never be the exact same woman you are today. Today's events have taken their effect--be them boring, tragic or exhilarating. Your soul is being altered ever so slightly, hour by hour, day after day and year over year. No matter where you pause in your journey, the gift of seeing yourself so clearly will impact the "future you" for decades to come.