I say it often: at Kara Marie Boudoir studio, it's about more than sexy pictures.
The photos are most definitely a perk. But, you see, it's about how the photos, the whole experience, makes you FEEL.
When you FEEL sexy...damn. There's just no feeling like the confidence boost you get when you know you look damn good. And for many of us, that feeling doesn't present itself very often. Certainly not as often as it used to.
There's often confusion about the purpose of boudoir photography. I think that's because there are so many different interpretations of it. Some boudoir photographers present their work to the public as the ultimate gift for your spouse. Some boudoir photographers present their work to the public as "naughty photos".
Boudoir photography is something very different for me and for my clients. It's not about doing something "naughty" and it's usually not about doing something for anyone else. It's about getting that feeling back. It's about FEELING SEXY AND STRONG. It's about knowing that she's still "in there somewhere". It's about confidence. And it's about loving yourself...or at least learning to.
Can you do all that with your clothes on? Yes. Obviously you can. So why strip down?
Let me ask you...isn't that when you feel the most vulnerable? Isn't that when you feel the most uncertain of yourself? For most women, it is. I know that feeling of "OH GOD. OH MY GOD. WHAT is THAT!?" as I spot a new bulge or dimple on my naked body in the mirror. I know how devastating it is to see that photo that someone tagged you in on Facebook...the one you didn't even realize they were taking and you look like........ ***UN-TAG! UN-TAG!!! RED ALERT!***
It's a lot harder for us to love our stripped-down selves. But I know that if I can show you how incredible you are, how beautiful you are, how SEXY you are, WITHOUT your clothes...that you can rock some new found self-esteem whether you're wearing anything or not.
SEXY is not something that you should only feel for your partner. SEXY is something you should feel for yourself. It's infinitely powerful. There's no telling what you can do with that kind of confidence on your side.
Please read on for words from Kendall on her third (or fourth?!) boudoir experience with me.
"I can't even begin to explain how I feel when I leave a shoot with Kara...Every time I see my images, it brings tears to my eyes. I can't believe it's me."
“ I’ve never felt sexier. I never felt more womanly. ”
"I am harder on myself than anyone else. It's hard to see yourself through someone else's eyes. Seeing myself through Kara's lens has helped me to be a little less hard on myself. Allow myself more time to enjoy life...and not obsess about the small things. "
"Kara you are truly so talented and you give a gift to women that truly has no price tag. I can't ever thank you enough for sharing that with me!"
I get the emails every.single.day. Emails from women who have been following along for years, wishing they could be like the women that I post on my blog/website/social media. The assure me that they are nowhere near as sexy or confident or photogenic as my usual clients. I assure them, without even seeing them, that they are.
These aren't models. They are women just like you. They've got crazy lives and children and baggage and emotions and insecurities.
They don't come in to me and throw their clothes off and say "OK! I'm ready to be naked! I know I'm hot, so let's DO THIS!!!". They come in nervous and sweating through their makeup application. They come in with outfits they "can't believe" they're going to wear in daylight. They come in doubting their beauty. They come in thinking that they are going to be the first woman I'm not able to get a single good photo of.
I prove them wrong. Every time.
Let me show you.