A boudoir session is for every woman - and it really amazes me the diversity I see in my clients in their ages, shapes, sizes, personalities, careers, values, etc. - there is no "mold" or "typical" woman who books a session. That's what I love, it's about the feminine spirit. And the feminine spirit isn't something you can trivialize through definition - it's poetic, it's a story - and it can't be reduced to categories.
 

While not a boudoir session, this beautiful woman messaged me because she wanted to commemorate a milestone birthday, her 30th, with some amazing portraits of herself. She had quite a few ideas which we talked about via email and over the phone, established a creative direction, nailed down a date and went on a mini adventure!

Before you can effectively tell a story through images, you have to understand the story a little bit. This is why I love getting to know my clients, because it helps me to know what mood and vibe they want to create in their photos.

Something  a bit different, I've been wanting to share this boudoir session for a while but haven't gotten around to it. As you know, boudoir photos is an incredibly personal thing, and not every client allows me to share their boudoir photoshoot online. This is something so intimate, and I always respect a client's wish for privacy...

I've been meaning to blog this mini-session, which I did a while ago and have been sitting on the photos from, but have been too busy to post about. I love the cinematic (surprise, surprise!) look of this session and the dramatic light. I also love its moodiness and sensuality...

You know what? Boudoir sessions are a bit uncomfortable. 

Let me explain - are they empowering? Yes! Do you walk away feeling like, "WOW!" about yourself? Sure do!

But when you show up, you may have a moment where you're nervous, a bit worried, perhaps doubting yourself, etc.

This gorgeous creature came for a boudoir photoshoot, last-minute, on a whim! She was nervous, as most people are when they come for some sexy intimate boudoir portraits: Like, oh hey! Get half-naked in front of me!

This gorgeous, Vancouver-born-and-raised woman said to me, "I'll only be 25 once!" when I asked why she wanted to do a boudoir photoshoot. I love the idea that other women see the value in documenting themselves and their bodies at different times in their lives.

It's a strange thing, blogging intimate portrait sessions. I want to show the work (with my clients' permission of course!) but I also am just generally careful about it (for good reason). And yet, I don't want to be cheesy and and call people "Miss D" and the like. I aim to tell a bit about their stories while keeping things generally anonymous and private, though I know anyone who gives me permission to share (and thank you for that!) is okay with it. Why it shouldn't even need to be a secret is a conversation for another day, but anyway.

...aka boudoir. Definitely NSFW.

I had the total pleasure of photographing this unreal woman, and I'm so totally obsessed with her through-and-through femininity. It was the first thing I noticed about her - she is unapologetically feminine. And I love those who are totally unapologetic about who they are.