As a boudoir photographer, I get one comment more often than the rest, and that is: "oh, I don't have anyone to give the pictures to, so why would I do a shoot?" When I hear that, I say, let me just stop you right there. The first thought obviously when talking about boudoir photography is the outcome, the photos. But so often does the journey become overlooked. To us at Soul Shine Boudoir, Boudoir is much more than just a photo shoot. Boudoir is a mind, body, and soul experience. Don't get me wrong, the pictures are an added bonus for you to dote over, but the journey to get those photos shouldn't be overlooked or underestimated.
To give you some insight into what I have noticed from photographing over 250 boudoir shoots, most ladies have the same thoughts even around the exact times during the journey. It is crazy how so many ladies feel alone when feeling worried or scared about doing a boudoir session when it is something nearly everyone experiences!
From the very beginning of the boudoir process, we are here to be your guide. I pride myself immensely on getting to know my clients on a personal level; this is why you see the $100 off of the session fee just for a phone call. I want to be able to get to know you personally, talk about any hesitations you have, anything holding you back, and help you overcome those. Once you book, you receive a guide explaining what to expect, how to prep weeks before, the day before; literally everything is in there. You have access to blogs on outfit ideas, more tips, and tricks. We are here for any questions you may have to make you just a little less nervous walking into the studio.
In this stage, you are already on the journey; and you don't even realize it yet. That first step of booking and confronting any insecurities you may have is something significant that should not be downplayed or underestimated. You took a step to do something for YOU.
You are stating that investment in yourself, and it only continues when you begin to buy the lingerie, bras, panties, etc., for the shoot. You have started to climb the hill.
The hardest of that journey is the drive to the studio. 99.9 percent of our ladies say this is when insecurities start really nagging their thoughts. They think; what am I doing; I should cancel; I can't believe I am doing this. But not a single one of them EVER turned back.
Once you get to the studio and jump into hair and makeup, I promise the nerves will subside. My makeup artist is great at distracting you with funny stories and, of course, offering a mimosa (or 3).
But once hair and makeup are done, and it is time for the session, the nerves might return; but I can promise you, the world will not end! It may feel like it while you are standing there in lingerie, but after that first click, you can look around, take a deep breath, and be reassured; that it was not as bad as you thought it would be. I honestly hear ladies all the time say leading up to the session they wish they were less nervous so they would have enjoyed the process more; because after that first click of the camera, they learned that all those insecure thoughts were just holding them back.
Now I know what you are thinking; this all seems more manageable than it sounds. We all have insecurities or things we wish we could change about ourselves, which may be one of the leading contenders holding you back from doing a boudoir shoot. But I say, use those insecurities to launch you into the journey. Take those insecurities and own them, do not let them own you and dictate what you do with your life.
At Soul Shine Boudoir, our mission is for women to walk out of the studio viewing themselves in a new light, through a new lens. Our purpose is to aid women in feeling empowered by owning and expressing their feminine and sexy side. Too long has society shamed women. We are shamed for being sexy or scandalous. We are shamed for having "imperfections." For too long has society set unrealistic expectations dictating how our bodies "should" and "shouldn't" look. Too long have magazines and social media dictated what we view as beautiful and sexy. Through boudoir, my goal is to eradicate the standards that society has placed on us. My mission is to change the narrative and show women that it is okay to be sexy and have "imperfections." No one deserves to live a life where they miss out on opportunities because society told them that they shouldn't look a certain way. I believe that every woman deserves to feel seen. Every woman deserves to feel sexy and beautiful regardless of a number on a scale, irrespective of extra skin, wrinkles, and everything else society has programmed us to be ashamed of. It is time for us to own our bodies. Our bodies do so much for us; they are our homes. It is time for us to love our bodies for all they do for us.
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