Journal

1. What was my motivation to seek out a boudoir shoot:

After some changes in my life, I felt that there was so much more to “me”. I wanted to feel like a woman, one who could be confident, show that she’s beautiful and sexy, while being over the age of 40. For me, getting lost in the day to day of activities of work, home , and taking care of my sons ( my youngest being 18), I feel I lost who I was as a woman. My hope was that a boudoir shoot would help me bring back the confident, sexy, empowered woman that I felt had been lost.

 

2. Why choose the GFE:

Choosing Steph was an automatic yes for me. I searched other photographers, looked at their work, and read the reviews. However, when I saw the GFE, the photos, and read the reviews about Steph I knew this was who I wanted to entrust with this new adventure I was going to pursue. Once Steph called me to answer my questions and we talked over what I wanted and had hoped to achieve by doing this, I knew her studio was the right fit for me. She made me feel comfortable when I asked questions, answered me honestly, and didn’t make me feel like I wasn’t “good enough”, “ too old”, or “just a mom” to do something like this.

 

3. The concerns I had leading up to the shoot:

I was concerned about how my body was going to look doing this. I have scars, stretch marks, and areas on my body that make me feel insecure. Did I choose the right outfits for the shoot? Will the items I chose to wear emphasize my “chubbiness” on the areas that I try to hide? I knew that I had started working on myself physically and diet wise, but I was not anywhere near where I had hoped to be yet. So, I had hoped that I made the right decision booking my shoot before I felt that I was “ perfect “ for something like this.

 

4.  My favorite part of my experience:

First, getting my hair and make up done by Dessa was amazing! I love to make myself up on my own, but I never could have achieved the results that Dessa got for me. The actual shoot was amazing. Steph made me feel free to express myself without inhibitions. After the first few minutes, I felt relaxed, followed her instructions, and let myself go. The feeling of empowerment and the use of my body language gave me confidence that I lost along the way. I am one hell of a woman and this experience brought all those feelings, emotions, and certainties back to me. I never thought I would be comfortable walking around the studio nude in front of another person, let alone being photographed nude, but I absolutely had no issue doing this. It was like it was an everyday occurrence. Photographing nude may not be for everyone, but those photos are some of my favorites. They were so tastefully done that it looks like art.

 

5. What would I change:

If I had to change something, it would be to not bring so many choices of lingerie. Too many options can get confusing. I went a little crazy buying everything I liked and ended up choosing most of the original pieces. So, don’t waste a lot of money buying everything you see. Choose a few pieces and just go with it. You will look amazing.

 

6. My experience was everything that I had hoped for.

I felt beautiful, sexy, and confident. This experience made me see myself in a different light. Usually, when you think of these kinds of sessions, you assume it’s for the younger ladies only. Once you hit a certain age you “can’t “ or “shouldn’t “ do it because your “ too old”, your body isn’t as perky or tight as it used to be. But, I’m over 40 and I think I rocked it out. So, to the ladies of all ages, sizes, and shapes, just do it! You won’t regret it.

 

7. Do I view myself differently:

Since my session, my perspective of myself has completely changed. I feel sexy more often and after seeing my photos they confirmed it for me. The following week after my shoot, I felt so empowered, confident, and sexy. Many people noticed something different about me. Perhaps it was the way I carried myself, entered a room, looked at the person I was speaking with straight in the eye, whatever they saw they noticed. What a truly powerful feeling that is. I’ve learned to see my body in a different light. If I have something about myself that I don’t like to see, I realize it’s me and it’s ok . I’m still working on myself both physically and emotionally but I’m doing that for me and no one else.

 

I truly feel as women, we lose parts of ourselves on this journey called life. We can forget who we are individually as a woman because of life changes. I love my 3 sons, wouldn’t change a thing about being their mom. However, for 24 years of raising them , I put myself on the back burner, molded myself to who I thought I should portray to the world, and stuffed the sensual woman side of me into a box and closed the lid. I believe that we need to remember that being a woman is powerful. That power was something we were born with and we need to keep it alive for ourselves. This experience opened the lid off of my box and let me start taking my power back as a woman. 

 

Thank you Steff for helping me bring back the woman who was hidden for a very long time.  Xxx