I like to joke around with my clients when I’m shooting them that taking photos of boobs and butts isn’t something I ever thought I would do with my life, but I’m so happy that it is. I also didn’t expect boudoir photography to have such a positive impact on my daily life. Helping women find their self-love has made me so much happier, and I’m actually learning to love my body more because of it.
Sometimes I feel like I’m talking the talk but I’m not walking the walk. I preach body positivity and want all my clients to love their bodies. Then I look at myself in the mirror and see all the things I hate about myself. The more I shoot with women and talk to them about their bodies, the more I’m coming to terms with my own.
During one of my Bullied to Babe shoots, Alejandra noted that she used to hate her tummy and now she thinks it’s cute. It’s soft and a place where children can lay their heads. That really stuck with me. My belly is cute and soft and squishy. It’s the perfect pillow to snuggle up against. This doesn’t mean I love every part of my body every day. I still struggle with some things, and that’s ok. You don’t have to love your body all the time. I just want to be a little more in love with it every day, and photographing boudoir has done that for me.
I also believe that every person has a different set of skills, and we should use them to make the world a better place. I’m good at talking, taking pictures and being a funny (I think I’m good at being funny….). Boudoir is the perfect place to put my talents to work. I can help women feel gorgeous. Boudoir makes me feel like I have a purpose, and that’s to boost women’s confidence and give them a little “me time.”
I’m grateful this type of photography is making its way to Wisconsin, but there’s still a lot of stigma around it. People think it’s gross or inappropriate. I can assure you, it’s not. I really only see the good behind it. Boudoir gives women the chance to feel a certain way about their bodies, maybe a way they haven’t felt in a long time. Boudoir is about changing a woman’s self-perception. I know it’s been doing that for me, and I’m just behind the camera!