A Time Capsule of Grief, Beauty & Becoming | Boudoir on Film: Najma

When Najma and I first met on Zoom, I smiled. Sitting across from me was this sweet, genuine, effortlessly cool woman, and the second we started talking, it just flowed. It felt like an instant connection.

I usually try not to envision a shoot before someone officially books, but with Najma, I couldn’t help it. Her eyes, her presence, her awesome piercings and tattoos... I was already picturing the beautiful art we’d create together. And yes, we definitely delivered. As you read, don’t forget to scroll to the bottom. The last image is my absolute favorite. It says so much about her journey without needing any words.

And then, just a few minutes into the call, the conversation shifted. She brought up the war and said quietly, “I actually lost my partner a few weeks ago. He was serving in Gaza.”

I felt the tears come up right away. It caught me off guard and reminded me how real and layered these conversations can be.

I asked about him.

The way she lit up when she talked about him... even through the heartbreak, you could feel the light and joy. He was always doing something wild, making people laugh, helping others.

“He was just absolutely the most amazing person. And I know everyone says that, but he genuinely had the most amazing heart. Every day I find out more and more things he did before I even met him. Things he just did quietly, without ever mentioning, because it was so natural to him.”

As we kept talking, she shared that a boudoir session was something she had always wanted to do, but there was always a reason not to. Now, she felt called to do all of those things. To say yes to life. She told me she could hear his voice in the quiet moments, whispering to her, “Go for it.”

In those weeks after his death, Najma felt like she was in a daze. She had started her degree right before he died, and afterward, it felt like she was just supposed to just keep going. Most days, she was moving through the motions, on autopilot, disconnected from her body and her vitality.

Najma wanted a way back home to herself. What she didn’t know was that this would be the beginning of something even deeper…

Najma said, “When you started explaining your process, and I was like, oh G-d, wait. That’s actually what I wanted. I thought I just wanted the photos, and yeah, they’re going to be amazing, but there was so much more underneath. All these fears started coming up. Being seen, what I’d wear, how I’d feel. And in that conversation, I realized… oh. That’s what this is really about.”

It was really beautiful to witness Najma as she dove into the experience. Through the calls, the journaling, and the light framework I created to help women deepen their relationships with their bodies, something powerful opened up for her. It became a portal. Into not just loving her body, but feeling safe to exist in it, maybe even for the first time in her life.

She told me, “I’ve never in my life finished a journal, and I’m almost at the end of the first one.” It wasn’t just about the journaling itself. It was about taking the time to pause, to breathe, and to listen. She said, “Now I can take time to just sit and be without feeling guilty about it. Last week I took myself to Tel Aviv and sat on the beach for hours just watching the sunset. I don’t think I’ve ever known how to just exist before. Everything is always so fast paced. This gave me permission to slow down and actually feel it.”

What started as small rituals and practices slowly turned into something deeper. At first, she was checking things off a list, trying to do it all “right.” But then, she said, “After a week or two, I realized what I was actually feeling. It gave me the ability to practice something and then all of a sudden, I felt the feeling I had been looking for. I could just be.”

From there, she started carrying that energy into every other part of her life.

Leading up to the shoot, Najma shared how much of her daily life involved presenting herself a certain way. “The process was like taking off the mask,” she said. “I’m so used to curating how I look, my jewelry, my earrings, the way I dress. Especially in Israel, where looking more alternative gets you a lot of stares. Every time I leave the house, there’s this awareness of how I’m being seen. But with this, it wasn’t about being seen by others. It wasn’t about performing or presenting…

…this was for me. I didn’t need to put anything on or try to be anything else. I just wanted to see myself, really see myself, without all the extra layers. And that felt like radical self-acceptance.”

And it was amazing… every call with you, I gained more clarity about myself.”

Right before the session, there was a lot going on for Najma. Work, school, life. Grief showing up in unexpected moments. Things felt full and a little chaotic.

And honestly, that makes so much sense. I always tell my clients that there’s nothing you can do to mess this up. You don’t have to show up as your “best self” or have everything figured out. This isn’t about proving anything. It’s about being exactly where you are. It’s about making space for all the parts of you, even the ones that feel messy or not quite how you imagined.

There’s just so much power in letting go of the old stories about who we were “supposed” to be and stepping into who we really are. This boudoir experience is truly a reclaiming of self.

When reflecting back on those first moments, Najma said, “I got to the studio and everything was quiet and calm, and I was like, okay, I’m here. I made it. And everything’s fine.”

Najma told me the hair and makeup was a meaningful part of the process for her. It wasn’t something she had done since high school prom, which made it feel even more special. We had so much fun chatting, listening to music, laughing, and having beautiful, honest conversations as she got ready.

As I began photographing her, I felt that familiar pressure rise in my body. But then I remembered why Najma was here. Not to check something off a list. Not to perform. But to really be.

I block off plenty of time for my boudoir sessions so we never have to rush. So why was I rushing? I took a breath and reminded myself… I could slow down. I could just be there with her, exactly as we intended.

And once I let out that exhale, something shifted.

It felt like we entered another dimension. I got to witness this goddess, fully in her body, in her power. It was awe-inspiring…

When Najma saw her photos for the first time, she said it was just insane, “I remember sitting and looking, and I was like, oh my G-d, wait... this is me. That’s what I look like? That’s how people see me?”

She told me that for so long, especially through the disconnection from her body, she hadn’t had a clear image of herself. “In my head, I’m just this amorphous blob. I’m a consciousness in an existence.” Seeing herself in stillness, without movement, without distractions, felt completely different than looking in a mirror. “It was just such a pure way of being able to look at yourself.”

She described the black-and-white portraits, many of them nude, as raw and grounding. There was no styling to hide behind, no performance. Just her. Present. Real.

Even in choosing her final photos, Najma stayed connected to the intention. It wasn’t something to rush through or check off. “I had to remind myself, everything’s still going to be here. Nothing’s running away. Slow down, take a breath. That’s what this whole process taught me.”

She said that while the shoot was powerful, it wasn’t the final destination. “Somehow the photo shoot is what brought me here. But it wasn’t really about the photos. It was part of something bigger. A way to put everything we’d been talking about into practice and start finding my way back to myself.”

At the end of one of our final calls, I asked Najma where she feels she is now, after everything.

She took a breath and said, “Bittersweet. That’s the word that keeps coming up.”

She spoke about the strange duality she lives with now. The pain of losing her partner and the clarity it gave her. “In this really messed up way, losing him showed me who I am. What I actually want. What I really value. Not what I’m supposed to value, not what feels like a priority because of guilt or pressure, but what actually matters to me.”

She shared how she’s still struggles at times, but how she’s letting herself feel it all. Not pushing the grief away. Not pretending it’s fine. Just allowing it to exist. “I’m learning how to live again,” she said. “To hold both. The joy and the pain. The part of me that’s trying to move forward, and the part that still aches.”

Najma described the experience as a time capsule. A moment that holds the fullness of everything she was moving through. “It all feels tied together. The shoot, the grief, everything else that was going on. And I can look back and remember, yes, I held all of that. Together, all of the bad, all of the good, they can exist in the same space, and they can feed off of one another. I don’t need to fight it.”

It’s hard to put into words what it meant to walk beside her through this process. The way she carries it all with honesty and compassion. Not by pushing the grief away, but by allowing it to live alongside the beauty and her incredible journey of self-love.

This journey is one Najma has chosen to continue in my signature coaching program, The New Sexy Mastermind, and supporting her through this beautiful evolution is an honor.

The boudoir experience alone left a deep imprint on my heart… and I can only imagine the magic that’s still to come.

Hair and Makeup by Rhonda Lev

Kodak Film // Processed and Scanned by Panda Labs

10 Reasons Why It's Probably Not the Right Time To Do a Boudoir Session

1. You just started a new project, a new educational track, or perhaps, you got a new job. 

I feel ya. There are a lot of changes happening right now, and going outside of your comfort zone to do a boudoir session sounds scary AF. You might even feel like you don’t have the actual time to do this. Firstly, the journey you’re about to embark on through my boudoir experience can be integrated into your everyday life. The actual investment of time is relatively minimal. Plus, the fact that you don’t have much time for yourself right now is exactly why carving out time for yourself can elevate your quality of life and a deeper connection to your body. 

2. You are pregnant or just had a baby.

I’ve been through 3 seasons of this myself. One day you wake up and love your body and the miraculous things it has done, and another day you wake up and hardly recognize it. Or yourself. The beauty of the boudoir experience I offer is that it will help you re-establish that connection with yourself. Not in 1 or 3 or 5 years from now, but now. A meaningful relationship with your body is available to you at this very moment. How cool would it be to honor this chapter of your life as sacred and really f-ing beautiful? This time will pass much quicker than you think, and a documentation of pregnancy or postpartum stages will be something very special to look back on. 

3. You don’t feel good about your body right now, and you’re not really taking care of it.

I’ve been there, girl. What if you saw this boudoir experience as a tool to feel better in your body and inspiration to start to take care of yourself with love? Because that’s exactly what I help my clients do. Many of my clients tell me that as they prepare for their session, they already start to feel better about their bodies because they begin to tap into their innate worthiness and are being intentional about their self-care. The coaching call, which is included in every package, helps my clients gain clarity about where they currently are, and how they envision themselves as they cultivate more confidence and self-love. We then work together to create a practical plan on how to get where you want to be. 

4. You have fitness goals. 

Your body is worthy and beautiful right now. Just because you are working towards fitness goals, doesn’t mean that your body doesn’t deserve love in the process. Actually, studies have shown that self-love and compassion help you reach your goals. Shame is not an effective motivator. So let’s celebrate the journey. Because, truthfully, there is no final destination. 

5. You don’t really have a reason or a milestone to celebrate.

You do have a reason. You want to do this. It’s fun and luxurious. It’s meaningful and transformational. It can help you grow and connect with yourself on a deeper level. It will give you more confidence in your everyday life. What’s that I hear about needing to get married or have a baby before you do something for yourself? Sounds like societal BS to me. ;)  

6. You’re super focused on your career or growing your business.

One thing I’ve learned about building a successful business over the last 10 years is that there is nothing more important than truly taking care of yourself. Whether that means physically, emotionally, or spiritually. It could show up as making sure you’re getting enough sleep or drinking enough water daily. It could also show up as creating boundaries and protecting your energy. And many times it shows up as carving time out for yourself outside of work. So that you can show up fully at work and in every other area of your life. This boudoir experience allows you the opportunity to carve out that space and time, while working on yourself, for yourself and nobody else. Except, yeah, it does kind of help people around you when you are your best, authentic, and fulfilled self. 

7. You’re going through a hard time emotionally.

I’m always compassionate when I hear this, as everyone experiences that ebb and flow. And sometimes, there are circumstances that throw us totally for a loop. No matter what you are going through, you are worthy. You deserve to feel good in your body. Focusing on yourself, in this really special way, can help you connect with who you are and gain clarity about what you want to be doing next. The space I give women is a safe one where all feelings are welcome. 

8. You’re “too young” or “too old.”

No such thing. Next!

In all seriousness, I’ve photographed women in their early twenties to women in their 70’s. Sexuality and feeling good in our bodies is not something that should be reserved for a certain age group. Claim what you deserve, and don’t let societal messaging hold you back from connecting deeply with yourself. 

P.S. This is assuming you’re an actual adult. :) 

9. You have a lot of other things you want to invest in.

This one is up to you, babe. But if you’ve been thinking about this for months or years, and I know a lot of you have, it’s probably because it’s a little scary. And that’s ok, but just be aware it might be your brain playing tricks on you. You can always come up with a million things that are more “important” than boudoir, but do you really want to? It might just be time. 

 10. It’s just not in the budget right now. 

This is similar to #9. Boudoir is a luxury. A meaningful, deep, luxurious experience that I hope every single woman gets to experience one day. This is why I am super flexible and creative with payment plans. If this is something that you desire, we can make it happen for you.


If you’ve been thinking about boudoir and telling yourself it’s not the right time, consider this your sign. Our minds can always find reasons why not, but that thinking just holds us back from our personal growth.

I offer free 30-minute discovery calls for women who are ready to explore the possibility of boudoir. I absolutely love connecting and helping my clients realize what they truly want out of this experience. Click here to book a discovery call.

When Women Rise Together | Dressed by Danielle : Tel Aviv Boudoir

I first came across Danielle Williams, founder of Dressed by Danielle, while I was scrolling through Instagram one day. A woman, in Israel, running her own business, empowering women, and promoting body positivity?!

It gave me so much joy to see her posts about embracing her own body and how she was helping other women do the same through her gorgeous pre-loved clothing. I immediately reached out and made an appointment for my 10-year-old daughter and I to have a personal shopping session with her. Hitting her pre-teen years, my daughter has surpassed my own height and shoe size, and I wanted to give her an empowering experience where she could find clothing that she loved. The fact that Danielle offered a body-positive environment made all the difference, and over a year later, my daughter still talks about how incredible that day was.

As Danielle and I got chatting, we realized how aligned our values were. We realized that although I am a boudoir photographer and she is a personal stylist, what we do for women is actually very similar. We are both blessed to be able to witness women when they are their most vulnerable and authentic selves and help them actualize the power that is already inside of them. Her with clothing. Me with photography.

And part of that vulnerability is women coming face to face with their bodies exactly the way they are.

We spoke about how we are on our personal body love journeys alongside our clients and that our businesses really helped us grow into the women we are today. That our clients constantly inspire us, and that self-love is an ever-evolving journey. You don’t just wake up one day and love everything about yourself, it’s something that you have to compassionately work on.

And so the idea for a creative collaboration was born in hopes of creating another safe space for personal and collective healing.

Danielle posted after the session, “As we were shooting, I asked Rebecca to get some close-ups of my tummy rolls and stretch marks. If you had told 2020 Danielle that 2021 Danielle did such a thing, she would be shocked. I’ve spent many years of my life hating my body and even editing my photos to hide all the things I considered to be imperfections. But I’ve come to realize this year that you can’t hate yourself into a version of yourself that you love.

This image inspired us to collaborate further with artist and calligrapher, Malka Klein, who brought these words to life…

Danielle wrote this beautiful letter to her body to go along with the image above,

”Dear Body,

I love you. ⁣


I love your stretch marks because they remind me of the time when we shed a massive amount of physical and emotional weight. ⁣


I love your cellulite because it reminds me how voluptuous and sexy we are.


I love your hairy skin because it reminds me how we’ve begun to embrace all that we are, as we are.


I love your flabby stomach because it reminds me that someday we will literally create humans inside of us, and that’s freaking magical.


I love everything about you, because you are me. You are the one and only vessel through which I will get to exist and experience life, and for that, I will always be grateful to you.

I am sorry for all the negative things I have said about you.⁣

I love you. ⁣”

Being part of this collaboration and witnessing Danielle in her power, just like we do for our own clients, was an incredible honor.

Special thanks to Rhonda Lev for the beautiful hair and makeup, and my husband and business partner, Yehoshua, for making sure all the working parts of this project came together as they did.

In collaboration with Dressed by Danielle

Hair and Makeup by Beauty by Rhonda

Calligraphy by Malka Klein

Kodak Film // Processed and scanned by Panda Labs