Journal

If you have been browsing our site for a minute, you have already learned we promote body positivity and embracing your femininity around here. Yet as humans, we have a problem with shame. Somewhere through the ether, your insecurities can be broadcasted like a beacon in the dark. Hell, many people might even pinpoint what you really think about yourself.

Those inner voices might be telling you – “I’m too skinny to be sexy” or “I’m too curvy to have my body appreciated.” The truth is none of us look completely alike. Even identical twins still never look exactly alike. So, why do we shame ourselves so harshly?

Our insecurities tell us everything we feel like we should know about ourselves. However, those inner voices can do more harm than good to us. In over ten years of business, I can say with certainty that every single body I’ve photographed over the years has differed from one another.

I have had the privilege of photographing all sizes, shapes, ethnicities, scars, etc. You name it, I can tell you that every individual has something different and appealing. And as an artist, it’s one of the best parts of my job. So around here, we don’t shame others for expressing their feminine side and showcasing their bodies. I say, embrace what your momma gave ya!

Is there really a key to having the ideal body?

Many people believe there is some special key to the ideal body. If you don’t have what you want, then you can just pay for it with surgery. The problem is that it is still your body. There really is no special sauce or secret key to unlocking the ideal body. That’s because beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The real key to an ideal body is to feel good about the shell you animate in that it belongs to you. Genetics plays the biggest role in our appearance. We can eat the same diet as every other person in the world and still find ourselves shaped differently. One person may have more curves on their hips while another finds themselves envious of those curves. Another may be very thin, while someone else views that as the ideal body.

Sure, there are invasive ways to give ourselves the body we desire, but it’s expensive and can go wrong if in the wrong hands. At the end of the day, the key to an ideal body is learning to love the one that you’re given. Even the small things that create insecurities for you are desirable to others, so focus on embracing it more. 

Photography is a Likeness of You

We’ve all seen beautiful photographs of humans from around the world who do not fit what can be seen as normal beauty standards. These photographs have won awards and generated conversation about how unconventional they are, and how stunning they look. They’re not false depictions of the subject of the photograph. They’re real, beautiful human beings learning to view themselves through a different lens. 

I’m sure the subjects of those photographs did not set out to win awards. They were more concerned with feeding their children and all the other things that pull people away from self-care. There are several photos that come to mind off the top of my head from leading national magazines, and every time I think about insecurity and photography, they are the first pictures I remember. 

Models are changing too. We’re seeing more models with shapely bodies, scars, not-perfect teeth, without perfect skin. They’re paving the way for our children to see themselves in photographs and not feel the same insecurities we learned to feel. And though the pressure is still out there, the kids will be alright. 

Let Boudoir Help Reframe Your Mindset

We aren’t taught to love our bodies. We’re taught to pick them apart, to find the unconventional beauty and hate it because it doesn’t fit inside the beauty industry’s standards. Those standards are always changing, and fashion today is designed with more bodies in mind than it was even ten or twenty years ago. It’s time we come up to speed ourselves.

Yes, your body is different from anyone else I’ve photographed. The same can be said for every single individual. But your body is worth photographing because it’s worth it for you to see your beauty the same way every other person sees it. It isn’t about your sexuality or your shape or your insecurities here. It’s about learning to love yourself again.

We want to help you redefine the image you see when you hear your own name and embrace the beauty that is within you.