Why I Shoot Boudoir
Dear Reader:
This is me. Was I scared? Hell, ya!! Did I like putting this photo out there? Not really. But what I did like was what I saw. I was looking at a mature woman who has been through a lot and I saw someone who was strong, compassionate and a bit sassy. I saw someone who pushed through her blocks, one at a time, to get to see what others saw in me.
I didn’t realize how empowering a shoot like this could be until I did it myself, albeit with a little direction from my husband, Michael. I learned to like myself and to accept all my flaws and to acknowledge all the good in me. I found my balance. I found my passion. I found my power.
Don’t listen to the inner critic. You know what I am talking about. Ignore it and take a chance. You will be so glad you did. Much love, Linda
Why do I shoot boudoir and why is it my favorite genre?
Before I answer that question, let me give you a little background about me: I’ve been a professional photographer for nearly 30 years and started out like most photographers start out — photographing my children, and then my neighbor’s children which ultimately led me to family and wedding photography. I never set out to be a boudoir photographer as it was a genre I wasn’t totally comfortable with due to personal blocks.
I never felt good enough. I never felt pretty enough. I never felt popular enough. The list goes on and on but most of all, I never felt worthy enough. It was the messages I received all my life and somewhere deep inside of me, I believed it with all my heart. So, how could I even think if photographing a genre that would show women how beautiful they are if I, myself, never felt it? I think that is when I realized I had to shift my thinking and work through my own blocks.
In 2001, I was dealing with a life crisis that brought me to my knees. My marriage fell apart and life as I knew it was forever lost (or so I thought). It was through a photography conference during this time that I searched deep within myself to figure out how I could rise above this self-loathing and be the person I was meant to be. During the course of the conference, our keynote speaker introduced us to Marianne Williamson’s powerful poem, “Our Deepest Fear”. Here is an excerpt:
“Who am I not to let my light shine. Actually, who are you not to be.” “As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give people permission to do the same.”
Her words and message were life changing for me. Letting my own light shine was a difficult journey but one I was open to exploring. It was through that journey that I grew as a person and allowed myself to explore the possibility of empowering women through photography. To show her through my lens her uniqueness, her specialness, her beauty (not only physical but internal as well). And as I did this, something awakened deep within me.
I then realized what I wanted most in life had just happened. I let my own light shine and by doing so, I gave permission to others to do the same. I watched the magic happen. To see my client transform right before my eyes was pure magic. To see her look at the back of the camera and say, “Is that me? Is that REALLY me?” with wide-eyed wonder was pure magic. She gave permission to see herself without judgment and in turn she fell in love with herself all over again and greeted the world with love of self, confidence and a renewed sense of energy. It is a gift she takes with her every day of her life.
Check out Sophia’s story here and how a glamour and boudoir session changed the way she saw herself.
A boudoir shoot is a life-changing event. It will alter the way you see yourself. I know. I’ve done it and it was here that I realized I finally came to a place of self love and forgave the child within me and by doing so I felt free to live my life the way God intended me too.
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