I immediately became connected and excited about Anna’s personal vision for her boudoir session when we first spoke over the phone. As a photography lover herself, she mentioned how much she loved film, particularly black and white film, and how she’d enjoy pictures with movement and grain. It’s the best feeling as an artist when you know that your client not only appreciates your body of work, but that you are free to create. There’s a beautiful flow that happens between a photographer and their subject when that initial trust is established.
On a Friday morning in Tel Aviv, during our annual Valentine’s Day Mini-Sessions, I began photographing this breathtaking woman. I could just feel the depth of her story coming through my lens. With her quiet, yet graceful demeanor, I didn’t know much about Anna yet, but I knew she was special…
“I came to Israel from Latvia at age 18. Until then, I was actually a very self-confident and strong person, I knew I was a good looking girl, and it came with benefits. It was never a bad or a scary thing, but suddenly it all changed.
Coming to Israel, a country today I love with all of my heart, made me to go through a "coming of age". Only years later I've realized that putting on more than 10 kilograms of weight and changing my dressing style completely was my way to deal with this new self of a silent (no Hebrew, I was only trying to communicate in English) and a little bit scared young woman. Men were reaching to me, often flirting aggressively, and making me very uncomfortable. It took me years to get back to my voice, my confident self, and to decide, that no one shall make me uncomfortable because of my looks or for any other reason.
This boudoir session was a symbolic closure for me. I'm not afraid to celebrate my womanhood, sensuality or my looks anymore. I have grown into being proud of myself, to defend myself and love myself completely. My loving partner and father of my son also played a significant part in my becoming the woman I am today…
For me, going through this boudoir experience is also the way to get a piece of Art , by the Great Artist, that celebrates Me. One can call it a pure Narcissism, and I’m OK with it. A Narcissist. A Feminist. An Art Lover. I don't owe anyone the definition of Myself.
It's between Me and Myself.”
“What surprised me most about my boudoir session was that I was able to let my control freak go, and I still enjoyed myself. I’m not perfect, I’m me. I believe that that whole experience made me a bit more loving and self-accepting.”
“I would recommend this experience to every friend of mine and to any woman in general. Rebecca takes your self-love and brings it to the next level. She knows how to put a light on all of our best angles. She knows how to make you comfortable. Even her voice and her speech manner help you to believe that you're doing great and the results will surprise you, even if you are someone who already learned to love yourself. And if you haven't, Rebecca has even more to offer you. Rebecca brings a loving eye. That's the main thing that matters, not even her great technical skills and not her experience manage this act of love, but her eyes that see the best in you. I'm looking forward to a full boudoir session with her soon.”
Makeup by Makeup by Shosh