“Z’s” powerful, self-loving boudoir session
Hi, friends! Ready for a seriously cool, empowered, self-loving session? I can’t wait to introduce “Z” to you today.
Getting to know “Z”
“Z” and I got connected through a friend who did a boudoir session with me last year. When we first talked, “Z” said that instead of looking back and appreciating her body for how it looked in the past, she wanted to appreciate her body for how it looks in the present. She was totally ready to celebrate and embrace her body right here, right now!
In addition to being a totally awesome human, “Z” is also a mom, and she is so proud of having raised and protected her kiddo. She said that she’s noticed how few pictures she shows up in these days, which is something I hear all the time from parents (someone’s gotta be behind the camera!). One of the main reasons “Z” said that she wanted to do a boudoir session is because she realized that she wants to capture her own emotional growth and life in a visual form.
It was SO powerful to hear “Z” say this! Life changes in a lot of ways when a person becomes a parent, and hearing that “Z” is intentionally creating time and opportunities to honor herself as an individual feels really, really important and special.
I love this photo! The brick wall is such a fun texture here.
“Z’s” boudoir portrait inspiration
“Z” was doing this session completely for herself! She really wanted her boudoir portraits to capture her authentic self and the best parts of who she is right now.
There’s a sense of rawness and authenticity that “Z” wanted to bring into these photos, a sense of having total comfort with herself. She also wanted to share a sense of power and a sense of ownership and belonging to herself.
“Z’s” boudoir wardrobe
When considering what to wear for her boudoir session, “Z” was drawn to lots of black and dark-colored lingerie sets. She loved the idea of having something to contrast the dark colors in pictures, so she brought a couple light colors to balance it out, including a peach lingerie set.
“Z” wore a sheer lavender lace robe that felt romantic and special. “Z” accessorized a bodysuit with a high neckline with a belt and heels, which felt really cool! “Z” also created an implied topless look by layering an unbuttoned jean jacket over a high-waisted pair of underwear.
There was so much variety in “Z’s” wardrobe, and it made for some amazing portraits that complemented and contrasted with each other in a super cool way!
“Z” just casually dropping her jacket in these photos feels really powerful, but in a laid back way!
I love when clients bring in everyday pieces to wear in their boudoir portraits -- they can turn out feeling really candid and chill! This photo feels super grounded to me.
These portraits feel so poised and elegant! “Z’s” sheer lavender robe catches the light in such a beautiful way.
This implied nude of “Z” feels so simple, calm, and powerful. <3
There is a really special picture. “Z” brought along this vintage hairbrush that belonged to her mother, who has since passed away. The hairbrush is so beautiful, and it fits in really well with her boudoir session -- it feels really self-loving and reminds me of tending to yourself, and even if you don’t know the backstory, it still looks really lovely and special.
This might be my very favorite photo from “Z’s” session -- the leg detail is so epic! “Z” loves her legs and made wardrobe choices to highlight and visually elongate them. She loved the idea of having portraits that feel really dramatic and artsy -- the lines in this photo feel almost architectural and so, so strong!
“Z’s” words
"Hot damn. That's me, that's my bod. I've got generations of beautiful strong women behind me, sharing these genes that have given me these curves, this hair, and all the drama I feel when I see my face in these pictures. These portraits are family heirlooms. When my great-grandchildren ask their parents what I looked like, these are going to be the portraits my grandkids pull out.
“Since the shoot, I don't feel shy about my bod. I feel proud of my hips and thighs and back and arms and all my bits and pieces because wow, I bring the heat. I've got nothing to feel bad about in this body. I feel gorgeous." -”Z”
“Z,” you are such a thoughtful, creative, and incredibly strong person! It was so fun to create these portraits together and see your vision unfold. I also really love that you did this for yourself -- the way you took time to celebrate yourself is so inspiring! Thank you so, so much for trusting me with your boudoir portraits.