Take back your power...
Well, let me just start by telling you that YOU are beautiful! Women are often the most critical of themselves than any other gender. Why? I believe from a young age we are bombarded by images of petite princesses, dolls, Hollywood movies, and targeted ads on television. We second guess ourselves. Are we pretty enough, thin enough, do we have enough curves? Are my boobs too big or little? Is my nose cute? The questions we ask ourselves are endless! Why do we do this to ourselves and what can we do to take back our power and stop these thoughts?
So many questions & so little time to cover all of these questions. Appreciating yourself in all your glory is a process where you work towards undoing all of the years of bullshit that has been fed to you by society. It takes time to stop comparing yourself to actresses, models, & other women in general and start appreciating who you are and what makes you unique. For a moment, imagine a world where everyone looked the same. It would be pretty bland and tasteless and we would be unable to appreciate our own or anyone else's individuality.
Boudoir is empowering because it allows women to recognize their true beauty and the power they hold. It unleashes a sense of confidence, body positivity, and self-worth that has always been there but has been buried beneath the layers of societal sludge. Women who take back their bodies from the scrutiny of society allows them to see themselves as worthy and beautiful, sometimes for the first time in their lives.
Tummy Troubles...
If I had a dollar for every client who stated "I'm so self conscious about my stomach" I would be a millionaire by now! No matter your pant size, nearly every woman I have worked with writes this down as one of their main concerns. The stomach area is the most requested area for minimizing during empowerment sessions. I can absolutely minimize this area through posing, lighting, and angles, so no worries if this is also a concern of yours. And no one is judging you if you are not happy with your tummy area. Just remember the flat tummy and little waistline is yet another bullshit lie sold to women. Also keep in mind that models are Photoshoped to shape thier bellies, thighs, arms, and chins in order to fit into societal standards. Most of the finished images are not true to the models actual physique. Believe it or not, it is actually the clients who have the smallest waistline who are the most concerned with their tummy area. Most all women feel the same way about their tummy so don't feel horrible if you feel the same.
"Oh. My. Gosh! This is working!"
I have had the honor and privilege to work with some amazing women. They come to me very self-conscious and worried about how they will perform and look. Many have lost their individuality due to past trauma, having children, leaving an abusive relationship, or scars from surgery. They come to see me because they are ready to dive into something different and take their power back. Some women have a session because they want a beautiful gift to their significant other, some because they realize their worth and want to do it for themselves, and some desire to celebrate and document this time in their lives. All very valid and great reasons! They recognize they are more than their day-to-day and are ready to unleash their inner vixen. (insert random "rarrrr" here.) During a session I show the client the back of my camera so they can see how amazing they look. Words of shock are usually uttered in those moments as they see their first images, unedited. "Is THAT really meeeeee?" "Oh my gosh! Look at THAT beautiful babe!," "I can't believe how amazing I look!" & "Oh my gosh, this is working...it's really working!"
These celebratory moments don't just empower the client, they empower me as well. It is exhilarating to be a vessel in which women can see themselves in a positive light, sometimes for the first time in their lives. I take holding my clients self-esteem in my hands very seriously so I want to ensure they have the most amazing and positive experience during their empowerment session. One of my favorite times during the session process is meeting the client for their image reveal and ordering appointment. Yes, they saw themselves on the back of the camera during their session but I don't show them EVERY photo and honestly, the back of the camera is small they can't see all the little details as easily. So, as we sit down to view the images from their session I make sure I watch the clients face and body language. So many sit up taller, lean forward, smile, clap, and drop their jaws at how absolutely amazing they look. I feel it is just as magical for me as it is for them.
So, what makes a boudoir session so empowering? In short, the boudoir experience clears a safe space for you to take back control of your self-perceptions, insecurities, hang-ups, ideals, and individualism. Changing your thoughts can be challenging and difficult. No one ever said change is easy and empowerment sessions are not the quick "cure-all" to change your personal negative perceptions about yourself. However, experiencing an empowerment session for yourself opens the floodgates of confidence and propels you to a new level of self-awareness, self-love, and patience for yourself as you work through loving every inch of yourself.