Why I Became A Boudoir Photographer.
When I started on this journey to boudoir photography I really didn’t know what I was doing. Now you might be asking yourself how did I figure it out? Well it took a lot of practice and with that practice came my passion that is today. I love being able to make women feel confident and to love the skin they are in, that is the message that I try to convey to every client or person that asks me about boudoir and I think through my work and in talking to me whether over the phone or in person that message shines through. I’m a plus size woman in a world filled with so much criticism for how the female body should look and I don’t agree with those standards I think you should be proud of who you are inside and out and no matter what your shape or size is.
I remember the first time I ever did a boudoir session. I rented out a studio in downtown St. Paul at this beautiful studio that is in the photo at the top of this page. My friends knew I was dabbling in photography and that I was trying to find my groove and what really spoke to me, I didn’t really like working with kids (no offense to the families I have worked with but screaming kids is not my thing) and weddings were just too much work in my opinion for a one woman team like myself. They suggested I try boudoir and I was so shy about the idea, I thought of it as this sexualized industry and that just wasn’t for me, or so I thought. So I rented out the studio and asked one of my friends to model for me, she happily agreed and we did the session. Was it a hot mess? Yep. Were my images amazing? No, but it was the fact that when I tried it I had so much fun and I couldn’t wait to do it again. From there I knew boudoir was for me, the posing and the femininity of the session was something I loved so much and the way it made my friends feel made me work even harder to improve my work and my message.
This life we have is short and while we are here we should embrace the skin we are in. As long as you are happy with who you are and what you represent then the rest doesn’t matter and when you walk through my studio doors I want you to feel like you are going to walk out of there being the damn goddess that you are. Are you going to be nervous coming into this experience? Yep. Am I going to walk you through the entire process and make sure that you are looking your very best? Absolutely!
When I think about how far I have come in this journey and how many amazing women that I have worked with, I can’t believe how truly blessed I am to call this my job every single day. There is nothing that is more rewarding then working with beautiful women who are coming to me to allow me to show them how truly beautiful they are. I never knew this is where my journey was going to take me and I’m so beyond grateful for my friends who pushed me to come out of my comfort zone and try something new because if I hadn’t I wouldn’t be living a life I could have only imagined and that is women feeling like they are a million dollars and appreciating me and my work. The fact that anyone loves even one of my images I create fills my cup more than anyone can imagine, it is truly so incredible and I just want to say if you have worked with me… I love you and thank you for trusting me through this experience. I wouldn’t be here without all of you amazing ladies.
xoxo,
Steph
