Ok, first... to clear it all up:
bou·doir
noun
\ˈbü-ˌdwär, ˈbu̇-, ˌbü-ˈ, ˌbu̇-ˈ\
Definition of BOUDOIR
: a woman's dressing room, bedroom, or private sitting room
So, some people (like Rihanna in her new song) say Bu-dwa... this is if you're french. I minored in French at UCLA, and I still say it Bu-dwar (when speaking English)... rhymes with afar.
So, yes, a woman's dressing room. A lot can happen there. Basically, private moments in under clothes... I don't feel women have these "dressing rooms" today, which is why I like a bit of a vintage appeal in my boudoir shots.
The idea was first put in my head when a few of my earlier brides asked if I took these kinds of photos. They were looking for a unique gift to give their husbands-to-be. After looking some of the images on blogs or other photographer's websites, I saw certain styles that didn't really appeal to me. I found a few from
Elizabeth Messina, and some famous french postards that really embodied what I would like to shoot. The were photos that seemed... intimate. They were photos that captured a moment that not many people were privy to.
The more I looked into it and after a few test sessions, I realize, my main goal in shooting Boudoir Photography would be to celebrate women. It would be to capture a woman looking beautiful and sexy without even trying.
What's written on my info sheet:
"My aim is to make every woman feel beautiful. Wom-
en don’t need to try to be sexy. I believe subtlety is
sexiest."
"We hold a lot of power as women, and my goal is to
reveal it, one shot at a time."
At first, some reactions from clients were that they loved the idea, but they wanted to wait until the baby weight came off, or until they shed some pounds for the wedding-- or until they were tanner, etc, etc. And these comments made me think of the photographs that were taken of myself when I was 23. As an actress and constantly feeling pressure to look a certain way, I thought I looked horrible in these photos... and looking at those same photos now, I looked fantastic! I WISH I still looked like that. What could I have possibly thinking?? Well, ladies, we're all going to age... and WISH we looked exactly the way we do right at this very moment. I was chatting about this dilemma with one of my closest friends, Lauren, who came up with the tagline:
"Because you'll never look better than you do RIGHT NOW."
Loved it.
The sessions tend to be pretty fun... my main goal is to make women feel relaxed so they can be themselves and be confident.
I think women are powerful when are together. And there a certain level of comfortability between women that a man will never understand-- which, while it sounds like it could be akward, boudoir parties are actually really fun... We talk together, we go to the bathroom together, why not take boudoir photos too? But modest women, don't worry-- even in a boudoir party, we can always keep your session private.
Whether these shots are for your partner or yourself, boudoir photography is a great way to celebrate you.
If you'd like more information on the packages or the way sessions work, please email me. And thanks
Daily Candy for the feature today!
