In a world that unfairly dictates beauty standards for women, I’m never surprised to see hesitation on the faces of women I approach for a boudoir session. “Have you ever considered boudoir?” The first thing I notice is a spark of energy and excitement on their face, which is often quickly replaced by a somber resignation that disqualifies them from the experience.
It saddens me how many women can’t even consider the idea of boudoir photos due to the limiting beliefs that are holding them back from this powerful experience.
My personal take is that women in our culture have been raised with the idea that our bodies are shameful and need to be concealed. I am so glad to see how society is slowly evolving in this area and it’s one of the driving factors for the kind of work I do… empowering and liberating women.
When I’m engaging with women about the idea of boudoir, these are the most common hesitations I hear.
I will when I lose weight
Last weekend at the Women’s Expo in Colorado Springs I chatted with several ladies who expressed a desire to book a boudoir session but wanted to “feel better about their body first.” This is so backward! My sessions aren’t contingent on your weight or dress size… they are designed to increase your confidence and perception of body image NOW. I don’t want you to wait until you’ve lost 15 lbs. Our session will make you feel better about your body before you’ve even shed a single pound.
It’s 2023. Women aren’t required to starve themselves or live at the gym to be considered sexy and beautiful anymore. Embrace the change! You are attractive and sensual RIGHT NOW and you deserve to be captured as your authentic self. I will help you see this.
That ship has sailed/I’m too old
I never want to get to an age where my time for enjoying my body and flaunting its beauty is behind me. I won’t accept that. I often tell women, “You’ll never be younger than you are right now.” Yes, we are aging. So what? I photograph women in their 20s and women in their 50s and they are all vibrant and stunning.
Beauty is not subject to age. Age brings confidence and wisdom. I am about to be 58 years old and, yes, my body is quite different than it was 30 years ago. It was tighter, slimmer and looked more youthful at 28, but it didn’t have all the wisdom, experience and confidence that I have now. My photographs of 50+ women are remarkable. They have a certain grace and tenacity that I can’t conjure from my younger clients.
The term “old” is changing and I’m thrilled about it. The Golden Girls, who were perceived as downright geriatric, were 55-60 years old. Do you know who is that age right now? Jennifer Aniston, Queen Latifah, Salma Hayek and Lucy Liu to name a few. We aren’t rolling over in our graves as soon as we breach that 40-year-old milestone anymore. Our lives are still vibrant and we deserve to be here, to be seen and to make a statement about the bodies that hold us.
My challenge to you is this: no more hesitations, no more waiting. You are worth it NOW.
Let’s do this.