It’s my birthday week!!
I hated turning 40 last year. The number sounded scary and with a pandemic, I couldn’t even celebrate it the way I wanted to. But I’ve spent the past year remembering who I am, discovering new passions, learning to be brave & embrace fear, and investing in my health & spirit.
And you know what? I’m now loving my 40’s!!!
One thing I love to do for my birthday is to take out my own boudoir pictures from years past as a reminder of who I am, where I’ve been….and because they make me feel hot & beautiful…which everyone should feel on their birthday, right?!!
For years I never showed anyone but perhaps my husband and best friends these pictures. But I’m not as shy as I used to be and I don’t give a F&#% what other people think like I used to. It’s also different now because boudoir has become my passion, my life’s purpose. Read all about that realization and journey in my “Why Boudoir- Part 1” – blog post.
If my pictures inspire just one woman to look at themselves in a different light, or even better, to do a boudoir session, then I couldn’t be happier to share them! And because I believe that when I show up strong and empowered….after way too long of feeling the opposite… not only does it reconfirm who I want to be, but it gives other women the power and inspiration to show up too. Everyone deserves to believe in themselves, to love themselves, to be damn proud of who they are, how they look, and the life they live!
So for my 41st, I’m putting it all out there, I’m coming out as my true authentic self and following my dreams.
I still have a lot of work to do, honestly, the practice never ends, but what’s most important is that I’ve started and I’m not stopping.
It’s scary at times, I even questioned sharing this. But life is short and I truly hope someone will be inspired by this because can you imagine a world where we ALL followed our own passions and believed in ourselves? Where no one was afraid to be themselves? Where we all got to live the life of our dreams???
(not a boudoir picture, just me at 40 feeling free)
Now on to the stories behind my 3 boudoir sessions….
My 1st shoot was a few years after college. At the time my photographer friend brought up the idea of doing a boudoir shoot for each other. I didn’t even know what “boudoir” meant at that time. Are you not sure what boudoir is? Check out this blog post for a quick history & summary of boudoir photography.
At the time I was photographing lots of weddings and portraits, boudoir wasn’t on my radar at all. But I was 27, engaged, and up for trying something new & adventurous! These photos were taken by a professional photographer but neither of us had any experience with boudoir.
They turned out cute and fun and it was the first time I ever felt sexy in a photograph! Following this shoot, I changed the way I looked at myself. I never saw myself before this as “sexy” but I started to realize it was more than a look, it was a mindset. I immediately had an appreciation for boudoir and started experimenting a little more with clients & friends. Looking back on these first photos I’m so happy I have documentation of myself in this very natural free-spirited time in my life.
My 2nd boudoir shoot was for my 32nd birthday. My husband and I were almost ready to start having kids and I wanted to document myself and my body before this huge life change. This time I had my hair and makeup done professionally which helped me feel even more sexy & glamorous. I set up a photoshoot with an amazing local photographer, who also was a great friend of mine, and we actually took turns photographing each other, which was a blast!
We went to a funky music venue, 3 Kings Tavern, and photographed each other everywhere from the green room to the basement, to the top of the pool tables!
These are by far my favorite pictures of the 3 sessions! I love them so much I have a huge metal print of one of them hanging in my office.
My 3rd and the most recent shoot were in my late 30’s, about six months after having my 2nd baby. I was overwhelmed with motherhood and really in a funk with how I looked as I was struggling to accept my new post-partum body. I knew doing a boudoir session would help me feel good about myself. With the right photographer, it can truly be a therapeutic way to help build a healthier relationship with your body.
It wasn’t really planned out very well, I didn’t honestly have the time or energy to prepare for it. It was a quick session in my home with another photographer that wanted to practice her craft. I don’t have very many pictures from this session and there truly is a different mood and feel to these than the others. They are not my favorite pictures, but they do a great job documenting where I was at that time in my life. In retrospect, I wish I would have spent the time to pick out some new outfits and that I would have gotten my hair & makeup professionally done. But it was a quick last-minute session that at least gave me the opportunity to get dressed up and feel less like a mom and more like a woman.
I am planning on doing another boudoir session in the next year. I finally feel a lot more secure about my post-baby body and I’m ready to celebrate now being in my 40’s!!
I’m still not sure which photographer I want to go with but I’m going ALL OUT for my next one!
New outfits, professional hair & makeup, and the most amazing photographer I can find!
Why? Because life is short & I’m fucking worth it!
Are you ready to celebrate yourself with a boudoir photo experience?
Schedule a complimentary consultation to see what it’s all about! https://tinyurl.com/badassbabe
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