What I Want Women To Feel At Their Boudoir Image Reveal
by Nashville Boudoir Photographer Caley Newberry
As boudoir photography has grown in popularity over the past several years, I’ve seen so many ads and posts from photographers who do boudoir sessions pushing women to do it for a confidence boost. To feel sexy. For so many surface level, bland reasons that honestly can just promote the stigma of beauty importance that I try to avoid.
I do see a world where a boudoir photo shoot is a confidence boost, no doubt. And I want that for every woman who walks into my studio. But, to borrow from the analogies section of the ACT, a boudoir session would be to a confidence boost what a manicure is to self care. Some alone time to be pampered is great for every busy human, but that time doesn’t address the core of our needs for connection, healing, and peace.
When you come back to my studio for your ordering appointment, usually about two weeks after your boudoir session, we talk about what you want to feel when you see your images. Some want to feel that their body “isn’t so bad”, some want to see a version of themselves that they don’t see when they look in the mirror. Some are on a healing journey from an abusive relationship or a religious upbringing that told them their body was detrimental to a man’s faith and want to accept that they are beautiful and their sexuality is theirs. (You’d be shocked at how many come in for that last reason.)
These image reveals aren’t about me, so I don’t tell you what I want you to feel then, but I think it’s important to know if you’re going to do a boudoir photo shoot with me.
I want you to feel…
enough.
Yes, I use Photoshop on your photos. I spend hours editing each session. We remove bruises and pimples and generally smooth skin. We practice detailed posing and flattering light to reduce the appearance of cellulite and best flatter your figure. If your bra is digging into your back making a little “pudge”, we’ll even it out.
But this isn’t about Photoshopping us until we’re “perfect” and unrecognizable. I want you to see how incredible you are without body morphing. I do that with careful and experienced posing, yes, but I don’t make an unrealistic version of you.
I want you to see yourself and know it’s exactly who are you. The woman in that photo, in front of a window with her great hair and her booty popped — that’s you. Not a version of you that’s been liquified so much that you’re unrecognizable. But really, actually you. I want this to be a training exercise to see the things you love in yourself before you see the things you hate.
When you see the woman in your photos, I want you to see that and love her. Maybe she has more of a tummy than she did 10 years ago, and maybe her chest isn’t as perky as it was when she was in college. I want you to love the story that took her from smooth-skinned teenager to who she is today. To see how far she’s come. To appreciate the story her wrinkles and age spots tell rather than hide them behind unrealistic filters.
To know that she is worthy, she is enough, she is kind and thoughtful and caring, and seeing all those things, to know she is beautiful, but that her beauty doesn’t define her.