Deb’s Self-loving Boudoir Portraits Celebrating her Mastectomy Tattoos

I met Deb a couple of years ago at a mastectomy tattoo event that happens each October nationwide called P.ink, which stands for Personal Ink. Every year the organization pairs breast cancer survivors with tattoo artists who design custom mastectomy tattoos that the survivors receive the day of the event. The past several years I have volunteered to photograph P.ink as it unfolds throughout the day, and it has been a privilege to witness. It’s a powerful, transformative day in many ways - in the morning, the survivors arrive and are nervous; as the tattoos start, the survivors bond and support each other through the painful tattooing process; by the end of the day, everyone is walking around shirtless and proud of their beautiful tattoos, celebrating with each other. There’s an incredible community that forms through this special experience of survivors celebrating and reclaiming their bodies with beautiful, really unique pieces of art. 

Deb is a breast cancer survivor and received a mastectomy tattoo from P.ink a number of years ago. She was so moved by the experience that she decided to help coordinate Minnesota’s chapter, and I met her the first year I volunteered at the event.

When Deb first reached out about doing a boudoir session she was a little bit terrified. She shared that she doesn’t always love pictures of herself, but there was a part of her that thought it could be interesting and and an empowering experience. She opted for a mastectomy tattoo without reconstruction surgery and it has been the right choice for her, and she talked with me a lot about how her body is nontraditional. She expressed that it has been difficult to have a body that is different than what our society often defines a woman as. Deb’s history and experience with her body has been one of different feelings and stressors than most people, yet she has a deep appreciation for it and wanted pictures that would feel natural. We took her session day at a calm pace and focused on creating portraits that would feel really true to her. 

Deb brought along a lovely mix of wardrobe pieces, from an emerald beaded dress she wore to her daughter’s wedding to a cozy and comfy grey pajama set, and a few layers and romantic bras.

She is proud of her tattoo and loved the idea of having some pictures that would let it shine and provide the space for her to embrace and love on her body. Some of my favorite pictures from her session are the ones of her lying on the bed with her tattoo showing, where she is holding a collared shirt across her body. She looks so peaceful and proud in these pictures.

I also love this portrait of Deb in her lacy seafoam cardigan and black bra. She looks so relaxed - it is like she is just hanging out at home talking to someone, casually leaning over the couch. It is a moment of poise, beauty, and self-love.

Deb brought her daughter with her to her reveal, and it was incredibly powerful to see her and her daughter crying and hugging and laughing in those moments of seeing her pictures for the first time. At one point Deb’s daughter said, “This is how I see you all the time, mom.” There is so much power in seeing yourself and being surprised at how beautiful you can look or seeing a version of yourself that normally only other people may look at you and see. Deb’s pictures are so full of life, joy, calm, and maybe more than anything: appreciation for herself. 

Deb, I don’t have words to thank you enough for trusting me to do a boudoir session and for sharing your story with me. Thank you for being brave and vulnerable, for being an example of loving and celebrating your body after everything you’ve been through, and for all of your open conversations with me about your experience, your nontraditional body, and what your tattoo means to you. You are an amazing person in so many ways, inside and out.   It has been an honor to get to know you and your story.