Mrs. J’s Boudoir Experience

Are you curious about what a boudoir photoshoot is actually like? Mrs. J was kind enough to share, firsthand, about her boudoir experience.

I will tell you that J and I go wayyyy back to when I was first starting my career and she was working for a friend of mine. I later photographed her wedding and a few family photos along the way. She’s now a mom of FIVE (and here I am barely holding it together with just two kids) and was ready to remember who she is outside of the daily grind of life. She shared her words on social media and has been kind enough to let me share them with you. Here is what she said about her photoshoot.

“So, I did a thing. I did a thing so far outside my comfort zone that I almost cancelled before I got there. I did a Boudoir Photoshoot. My hesitation wasn’t with the photographer. It wasn’t even about my weight, because I’ve been proactive about that battle for years and self love and acceptance have come a long way. But my body sits different. It just does after growing and birthing five babies. Comparison is the thief of joy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t fall prey to it. Women in particular are bombarded with messaging about our worth, our value, and how it’s tied to our bodies. I try to keep it real and raw, but there are parts you don’t see, parts that are easy to hide and keep hidden: stretch marks, loose skin, even loss of roundness and fullness that has been attributed to what it means to be feminine, beautiful. But Andrea stood firm and made me make the commitment and I’m forever grateful that she did.

I went in knowing the photoshoot itself would be a blast! I used to work for a photographer and even had the opportunity to work alongside Andrea a lifetime ago. I love being in front of a camera, a little slice of my days as a theatre kid. Andrea is a master of her craft, so I was never nervous about being half naked in front of her- plus she photographed my child’s birth… there ain’t no secrets between us. Andrea did not disappoint. It was one of the most enjoyable experiences! We laughed and danced and I was put so at ease. Not only that, she was the best hype woman and I felt like a freaking goddess and left with a pep in my step and so much dang confidence! I rode that high for a couple of days.

The day I went into preview my photos I was even more nervous than the day of the shoot. Could Andrea really create what I had built up in my mind? Again, she’s a master of her craft: lighting and posing… but at the end of the day, there wasn’t much for me to hide behind… the images were just going to be me: raw and real and well, exposed. I was speechless I tell you. I kept looking at the images and couldn’t even believe they were of me. I saw beauty in ways I didn’t know I had anymore. I saw confidence and strength and it was honest and all ME!

Sincerely do something like this for yourself! Hear me, it’s not even about the end product- though you better believe I have an album on the way! It’s about seeing yourself as a work of art and truly looking at the beauty within, because that is the part Andrea captures. Part of me had thought this piece of me was lost to becoming a Mom, lost from giving more energy into the parts of myself that needed to serve others. This experience is so much more than feeling beautiful and confident, it’s like it put a piece of pride, strength, self love back into my soul. I’ll forever look back on these photos and be reminded of how my life, my story- created this body, this body that has served me in countless ways and should be freaking celebrated for every curve, stretch mark, dimple, and wobbly bit because there is beauty in the imperfections and I’ve never felt so confident in my WHOLE self. ”

Y’all. I can’t read this without crying. Every time someone shares about their boudoir experience I’m reminded how much I love getting to be a boudoir photographer. Thank you, J.

If you want to have your own story like this just reach out with any questions! You can contact us here.

Lingerie from: Adore Me, Victoria’s Secret, and Calvin Klein