If you’re on the edge about booking a boudoir session for yourself, take the leap! I know a lot of us have doubts and questions about a boudoir experience, so read below to debunk boudoir stereotypes with me!
Boudoir is only for women
False, false, false! Though it may have traditionally been marketed for women, a boudoir experience is for every BODY; men, women, and everyone in between. It all depends on what you want to show in your images. Take away the terms conventional terms such as feminine and masculine for one second. What emotions do you want to evoke from your images when you look back on them? Vulnerability? Breathlessness? Serenity? Sensual? While we can choose to emphasize the masculine and feminine nature of ourselves, our bodies are just bodies and that’s beautiful in itself! Boudoir is an expression/art form, and I’m sure I speak for many boudoir photographers that it is our passion and honour to hold a safe space for you to be vulnerable with yourself!
Boudoir is just photos
Anyone who has experienced a professional boudoir session for themselves would say otherwise! At first pass, you see the tangible outcome of a boudoir session which of course are the images, albums, and prints. The intangible aspect of the experience through the images is the empowerment and ignition of confidence. 99% of my clients who come into the studio are often going through a life transition. Many are tired of viewing themselves in a negative light and want to change the narrative, others want to celebrate a milestone they’ve accomplished, and some just come to celebrate their bodies because they can! I can also guarantee that boudoir sessions initially booked as a gift for a partner end up being more for the clients themselves! Boudoir sparks the confidence you carry within, and that spreads to other aspects of your life which is pretty amazing if I do say so myself!
You need to lose weight to book a session
False! Boudoir is all about documenting your now. Ask yourself, “Why do I think my body is undeserving of being photographed?”. Is it because society and the patriarchy have moulded your mindset to devalue parts of your body just for existing? For many women, we have learned to base our value as a person, our potential as a partner, our identity on how we look, what size we are, and the texture of our skin. You do not need to lose those 5 or 10 pounds to book that shoot. Just leap and book it now! You are deserving of being photographed just as you are now, and to be seen as art. Boudoir photos evoke emotion and intimacy for us. It is a story for you to look back on, a physicalized stamp of you.
There is a Chinese proverb that says, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now”. I love that proverb so much that I’ve adapted it to my little tagline, “The best time to invest in yourself was yesterday, the second best time to invest in yourself is today.” This could not be more true.
Sexy lingerie\Nudes are a must
Hell no! I thrive on capturing boudoir photos with simple statement pieces. Although lingerie can be a favourite among my clients, a lot of people ask me if they can do a boudoir shoot with just a regular pair of black undies and a bra. To that, I always squeal yes! The outfits you (or we) choose for your session are there to aid in how you want to express yourself in the images.
You also do not have to pose nude for your session at all! To anyone who inquires about a session, I make it clear and emphasize that you do not need to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. It is not my goal to push you to wear or not wear any specific pieces of clothing, nor should any photographer do that with any type of client! Consent is key, consent is king.
I do everything within my power to ease you into posing and movement of your body through the session, but I never jump straight into the big stuff like nude portraits unless that is something we have already agreed upon and or planned for! A lot of my clients do find that towards the end of their session, they feel comfortable enough to explore some nude portraits which we can then explore. I often hear, “Wow, this is way easier than I expected and now I’m just like ‘Let’s do all the nudes! Hahaha”. In addition, clients who book a second or third session will often plan and get excited to do their nude portraits as they are more comfortable overall!
My goal and mission is to provide and guide you throughout the experience to create art that is authentically you. You deserve the best!
Boudoir photos only serve as a gift for a partner
This is also false! While it is a great reason to book a session, there are so many other reasons people have a boudoir session. The first (and one of my favourites) simply being that you are here and existing, therefore you deserve to be celebrated! Every day we change a little bit, and while it may not be noticeable in the span of a few days, the person you are in this moment is gone the next. And the statement that will stand the test of time is photos act as a pause button on life. They give a snapshot of you, and that is timeless. Clients have come in to celebrate a mental transition, such as the separation of a relationship, while others come in to start a journey of loving their bodies, and reworking their mindsets and perspective of body dysmorphia. There are so many reasons to book a session for yourself, just do it and take the leap!
With love,
Celine
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