In a world that often imposes unrealistic standards of beauty and perfection upon us, it's easy to lose sight of our true selves. We find ourselves constantly striving to meet these external expectations, forgetting that the most important journey we can embark on is the one that leads us back to our own authentic essence. So, who do you want to be? It's a question worth exploring, and boudoir photography can be your powerful tool to unlock the answers, empowering you to embrace your unique beauty and strength.

I had always felt unseen and not special. I wanted to feel unique and beautiful. The day of my shoot, my husband was out of town. I went in excited and ready. The makeup artist was amazing. I gave her free rein to do me up as she saw me. I took a few selfies and sent them to my husband to which I received several wows and sexy and beautifuls. When it came time for my shoot, Shalista took me through each step, arch, smile, toe point, finger curl. It was wonderful. And when we were done. She asked if there was anything else and I asked for one more photo. Up to this point, I had hidden my scars, my mom stomach, my stretch marks. But my goal was to see me. So, I stripped down to all my glory, wearing nothing but my wedding ring and the first necklace my husband ever gave me and asked her to find a way to show me the real me. Today, I get to see my revel and I can’t wait to meet me again.

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When confidence becomes part of the conversation, I feel like we've reached a tipping point in how women are seeing themselves. To empower means to give strength or power; confidence is defined as belief in one's own powers or abilities.

It’s normal to be nervous when stepping out of your comfort zone, getting semi-undressed in front of a stranger, maybe not being totally comfortable with your body, posing, makeup, hair to name a few reasons… it can be overwhelming!

I have found that the first step to overcoming your fears is to do the very thing that scares you! Step outside of the box you created for yourself!

You might think that the women I photograph for boudoir sessions are more fashionistas than yoga pants lovers, but you’d be wrong. And not all of them come in clad in high-end lingerie! One of the most common objections to doing a boudoir session is, “I have no idea what I would wear.”