Looking back on the best boudoir memories of 2017, I can't believe that there were so many incredible moments packed into just one year. Then, when I think about when I first started my boudoir photography business 4 1/2 years ago, the memories only multiply, and I'm left feeling nothing but grateful.
Boudoir has been a journey of self-discovery. It's been a rollercoaster ride from desperation and tears to moments of sheer joy and revelation.
I remember when I first started, without a car, carrying my photography equipment across the country on public transportation. My dear friend and makeup artist, Cassy Avraham, and I would travel hours on Egged buses for just one boudoir client. In hindsight, it did give us time to think and breathe, to dream and plan together.
I would never have thought that only a short time later, I'd live in a beautiful home that I would be able to transform into a boudoir studio. I would have never thought that I'd facilitate a Facebook group and community of over 3,600 women or be flown to Europe to speak about self-love. I would have never thought I'd be written about in The Guardian or BBC News or what a controversy it would cause, even among some famous public figures.
The most transformative moments were the quieter ones. They happened in the bedrooms of my clients, in my boudoir studio, in randomly beautiful outdoor spaces. It is a real gift to be able to see so many women connect to their bodies, rekindle their sexuality and take enormous steps towards loving and accepting who they are.
"Watch carefully what happens when you give someone just enough comfort to be themselves."
-Atticus
While the majority of my boudoir clients choose to keep their sessions private, here are some of my favorites from the images I was allowed to share...
After a recent boudoir session, my client wrote this gorgeous poem that resonated with me.
"My body is a temple.
It is my home.
My body bore children and endured loss...
My body has been loved and touched, cuddled, and embraced.
I depend on my body to create and to explore this world, I nurture and invest in my body, because I want to live my life strong happy and healthy for as long as God allows me to...
I love my body because it is me! And I love me.
Love yourself. Love others. And be loved."
I'm so grateful to my clients who have bared their bellies and their souls. Who have gone on this journey of self-discovery with me. While it's endlessly therapeautic, I think we had A LOT of fun in the process.
Thank you to my team; the makeup artists, hair stylists, film labs, florists, designers and printing houses who have all been tremendous contributors and partners in creating beautiful art with me. To have professionals that I love working with and whom I can trust is priceless.
"Photography makes one conscious of beauty everywhere, even in the simplest things, even in what is often considered commonplace. Yet nothing is really 'ordinary,' for every fragment of the world is crowned with wonder and mystery, and a great and surprising beauty." -Alvin Langdon Coburn
This self-portrait is everything...
Last summer, I traveled to New York City just for my boudoir clients, and it was absolutely amazing. It's a city that made me feel alive in a different kind of way...
I don't often photograph couples, but when I do, you know that they are special...
Something I love about boudoir is that it can translate to all stages in our life and celebrates our femininity not only through our bodies, but through the stories that we carry with us.
What's my favorite photograph? Maybe the one I'll take tomorrow.
For now, I'll be cherishing the experiences and photographs that came from 2017.
Lastly, but certainly not least, thank you to my biggest fan, my greatest support, and love of my life. Yehoshua, I could not have accomplished what I have so far without your unconditional love and encouragement. You are not only an inspiration to me as a person, but as a photographer and artist as well. To be able to share a passion for photography with you is one of the sweetest blessings.
Hello, 2018. Let's rock and roll.
Shoutout to all of you who have made this year possible!
Film Lab - Panda Labs
Makeup and Hair Stylists
Designers & Florists
Sara Winter - Florist
Haim Shushan - Graphic Design & Branding
Marina Valery - Wedding Gown & Lingerie Designer
Petit Pois - Lingerie
Lifestyle Influencers
Yael Kimmelman - Life by B