2022 was a year of growth and transformation personally & professionally. I did a lot of deep inner work exploring new parts of myself, discovering new passions, and healing from past pains and trauma. The famous saying "Art imitates life and life imitates art" certainly rang true for me this year. My life was changed by the art I created with my clients. And my life experiences transferred over to my photography. My personal healing work, along with the people I met along the way, inspired me to expand my clientele. And the new clients I worked with opened my mind and my life to new possibilities. Scroll down to read about those new additions and transitions of my life and my art.
Here are some of my favorite and best boudoir pictures from 2022. Since some of my clients prefer to keep their pictures private, these are only images of clients that gave me permission to share their images.
Headshots, Senior Pictures, & Other Portraits
While 90% of my work is boudoir I also photograph headshots, typically used for business profiles. Or sometimes clients want a more natural look to represent their work or their personal life, or to celebrate graduating high school or to use for dating profiles. I typically refer to those as lifestyle portraits. Here are some of my best headshot and lifestyle pictures from 2022.
What was new in 2022?
Shibari - Japanese Rope Bondage
In 2021 I had a couple of clients that were really into shibari and wanted me to photograph them tied up in different artistic rope patterns. I was so inspired by the beauty of this unique art form that I decided in 2022 to take classes so I could also learn how to tie. It has now become one of my favorite hobbies and has led to more shibari inspired photo shoots. While I'm still a beginner, I now know many of the basic knots and can tie chest harnesses, leg wraps, and a variety of other shibari patterns. For clients wanting a truly unique photo shoot experience I also have a couple of advanced shibari assistants that can do all sorts of ties and even suspensions.
Couples Boudoir
In 2022 I also began offering couples & male boudoir (also referred to as dudeoir). I have been working with couples for weddings and engagements for over a decade so it seemed natural to start working with couples in a more intimate setting too.
Male Lifestyle & Intimate Portraits
While I've been photographing lifestyle portraits and taking head shots of men since I started photography in 2004, I honestly never expected to want to do male boudoir sessions. To be honest, I had some mental blocks around working with men. As I'm sure most women can relate, I have some past sexual traumas that made me want to avoid working with men in an intimate setting. Also, as a female entrepreneur I encountered a lot of "mansplaining" and prejudice in the professional field that also influenced me to avoid working alongside men. However, as I began to heal myself and take on a new perspective with my relationships with men I began to not only notice a shift in my views towards the opposite sex, but I also began to attract men that were looking for a lot of the same things women have been seeking. Most men are raised to "be a man" - which really means hide your emotions, be tough, be strong, and never talk about your own insecurities. But the men I met with this year wanted more then anything to let go of that conditioning. Just like women they also desire to be heard, to love their bodies, feel good in their own skin, and to show off their true authentic selves without fear of shame or embarrassment. And some men simply just want to document their bodies at this time in their life with amazing pictures that make them feel good about themselves....all of which I am totally here for!!
Some men don't necessarily want pictures taken in a bedroom, which is the translation of "boudoir," so I prefer to call these lifestyle sessions, which refer to more natural candid pictures that capture someone's unique style, hobbies, and daily life. Or for the pictures more focused on the person, their personality, their body and soul, I use the term "intimate portraits."
Unfortunately, because of the prejudice against men and the ridicule that some fear of being found out for what they have done (a photo shoot- how horrific!), I have been requested to keep my client’s photos private. The ones below are of professional models. However, I do hope by continuing to do this work I can help relieve the stigma attached to men loving themselves through photography.
What’s to come in 2023?
I certainly plan continuing my focus on boudoir and intimate portraits, including increasing my work with men and couples. And as I write this I just arrived in Cancun, Mexico for a business retreat. I have a couple of photo shoots scheduled and will be figuring out my goals and game plan for 2023…while I lay on the beach with a margarita! Only time will tell how this next year of my life imitates art or how my art will imitate my life.
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