What Is Boudoir and 3 Reasons Every Woman Needs A Session | Cleveland Boudoir Photography

I’ve been a boudoir photographer now for years. But one of the things I’ve found over the years is that many women outside of the photography industry don’t actually know what boudoir is. (gasp!)

In fact, they’ve never been exposed to it before or even heard of it. (double gasp!)

Naturally, because I think it’s an amazing gift that any woman can (and should) get for themselves, I decided that I needed to help women understand what an amazing experience it is.

So I sat down at my desk and I tried to start writing the perfect definition of what boudoir is. 

….but I’ll be honest - after sitting here for a few hours, any explanation I’ve come up with really falls short. 

So instead of trying to explain to you what the boudoir experience is, I’m going to tell you a story about one of my clients.

Her name is Amber.

You see, Amber came to me like a lot of women who come to me. 

A little unsure of themselves, anxious, nervous, struggling with their own confidence, and skeptical about whether or not she would even like how her photos turned out because she wasn’t very comfortable with her own body.

On top of all of this - Amber is also a breast cancer survivor. (And had also lost 50 pounds, you go girl!)

She brought all of these feelings and thoughts with her to the studio when she came in for her shoot. 

She was being completely and utterly vulnerable. 

Being an experienced boudoir photographer, I’m totally used to working with clients who are in this state of mind. It’s my job to help them relax, feel comfortable, be themselves, and really let out their sexy side!

So it was just a matter of time before she was relaxed, smiling, laughing, and really enjoying the experience (even though she was stripped down to her skivvies!).

Now, in the beginning of each of my photo shoots, I show my clients one of the first photos we take from their session. It’s completely unedited, untouched, and for many, it’s the first time they’ve seen themselves through someone else’s eyes.

When I showed Amber her back-of-camera images, she was completely and utterly blown away. She couldn’t believe that was her, and that she looked as amazing as she did. 

(There may have even been a few tears in there too, if we’re being honest. #NoShame)

She was so caught up in the self-criticism that so many women face on he daily (‘you’re too fat, too thin, too tall, too short, not shaped right, too many stretch marks,’ the list goes on, and on, and on…) that she had never taken an opportunity to see her own beauty through someone else’s eyes.

….or even that she could be beautiful. 

The ability to see herself from someone else’s perspective gave her something back that the years of constant self-criticism women go through had taken from her - Confidence.

When she left the studio that day, she smiled just a little wider, held her head a little bit higher, and most importantly, loved herself just a little bit more.

This is why I do what I do. This is what boudoir photography is. It gives women something back that years of self-doubt our society has told women they need to carry has stolen from them. 

It can be a truly life-changing experience.

And I couldn’t be happier to be part of it.

There’s lots of reasons to do a boudoir session, but here are 3 big reasons why.

1. To Celebrate You!!!

Maybe you’re like Amber, and you recently lost some weight. Or maybe you reached a certain fitness goal, or it’s your birthday, your anniversary, or your youngest kid finally graduated and moved out of the house (holla empty nesters!). 

Whatever reason you have to celebrate you, boudoir is an amazing way to do it. Let me help you celebrate the amazing, fierce, sexy creature you are!

2. To Improve Your Confidence.

I can’t stress this enough. You are your own biggest critic. And I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that many times, you’re probably a little too hard on yourself.

Take a moment to step back and look at yourself from someone else’s perspective. Realize that you are absolutely amazing, gorgeous, and beautiful just the way you are. 

With boudoir, you’ll be seeing yourself through my lens, not yours - and the results will be better than you could have ever imagined.

3. To Feel Like A Queen!

Sure, there are lots of reasons to have the boudoir experience - losing weight, beating cancer, getting a promotion, etc. 

….But what about just doing it because it’s nice to do something nice for yourself once in a while!? To me, that is reason enough!

You wear so many hats - mom, sister, wife, daughter, employee, caretaker, you name it - that sometimes you may lose yourself a little bit. 

Taking some time to do something just for you can help you really reclaim yourself and give yourself some well-deserved attention and pampering.

From getting your hair and make-up done to spending the whole day focusing on you and how amazing you are, boudoir is such a great way to press pause on the busy-ness of day to day life and take care of YOU!

I'll have Amber tell you more about her experience here:

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