TRUTH BE TOLD, I WAS IN A BAD PLACE WHEN I SCHEDULED THAT SHOOT. FOR MANY REASONS, LIFE HAD ME DOWN AND I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO SELF LOVE. EVEN THOUGH MY BODY WASN’T SOMETHING I FELT COMFORTABLE IN, I STILL WANTED TO DO SOMETHING NICE FOR MY HUSBAND. I WASN’T DOING IT FOR ME AT ALL, BUT I’M SO GLAD THAT I DID DO IT, BECAUSE IT ENDED UP CHANGING MY WHOLE LIFE.
I WAS SO INSPIRED BY MY EXPERIENCE WITH BOUDOIR. NOT ONLY WAS I UNEXPECTEDLY PROUD OF MY IMAGES, BUT MY LIFE-LONG PASSION FOR ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY WERE REIGNITED IN A RAGING FIRE. I HAD SET ASIDE THESE CREATIVE OUTLETS LONG AGO TO PUT A CAREER AND FAMILY AND BASICALLY EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE FRONT BURNER. BUT IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO MOVE MY OWN NEEDS FORWARD IN MY PRIORITIES. I FELT SPECIAL AND ALIVE AND WORTHY AND POWERFUL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A VERY LONG TIME.
AND I DESPERATELY WANTED ALL THE WOMEN I KNEW TO FEEL EXACTLY WHAT I WAS FEELING.
I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM THAT.
THEN, IN PERFECT TIMING, THE PANDEMIC HIT.
THE SHUT-DOWNS PROVIDED A SECLUSION AND FOCUS THAT WAS NECESSARY FOR ME TO FOSTER THAT SEED THAT HAD BEEN PLANTED. I PURCHASED MYSELF NEW GEAR, I DOVE BACK IN TO MASTERING MY EDITING SKILLS, AND I STARTED LEARNING AND PRACTICING CINEMATIC LIGHTING TECHNIQUES. EVENTUALLY, I WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE SUBJECTS TO GET IN FRONT OF MY CAMERA AND TAKE A CHANCE ON ME, MUCH LIKE I HAD TAKEN A CHANCE JUST MONTHS PRIOR. THEIR DISBELIEF IN THEIR RESULTS AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT BURST IN SELF-ESTEEM FUELED MY FIRE LIKE HIGH-OCTANE GASOLINE. I HAVEN’T STOPPED PUTTING MY HEART AND SOUL INTO ACHIEVING THOSE RESULTS FOR COUNTLESS WOMEN FOR A SINGLE DAY SINCE.
OF ALL THE TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPHY THAT EXIST, I MUST SAY BOUDOIR IS MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE. MY HEART GUSHES FOR FINE ART PORTRAITURE, OF WHICH BOUDOIR IS SIMPLY A SUB-CATEGORY. FOR ME, IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT THE BEAUTY IN THE ART, IN THE WOMAN, IN THE PHOTO… BUT IT’S ABOUT HELPING THOSE WOMEN SEE THEIR OWN BEAUTY AND FINDING SELF-LOVE.
WHAT BOUDOIR DID FOR ME,
I STRIVE TO DO FOR ALL OTHER WOMEN.
