I walked into my first boudoir session, not sure what to expect. In front of me was a beautiful woman in her thirties. With multiple children, and having given birth just a couple years before, she wasn't run down, jaded or distracted. She was determined and kind. Strong and maybe a little apprehensive. Days spent being a cook, therapist, taxi cab driver, cleaner, teacher, personal assistant, accountant and all those jobs that intertwine into being a mother does not always allow time for us to stop, breathe and love ourselves. As she sat down in her living room for hair and makeup, I saw a woman transformed before me. It wasn't just a change in her outer appearance that struck me, but she had an inner glow and confidence that truly radiated from within. It was amazing. My hands shook a bit as I placed my lens on my camera, and together, we created magic.
This was the first of many women I would meet and photograph. No one's story was exactly the same. I learned about their passions, their insecurities, their childhoods, their relationships, what makes them happy, what doesn't. I saw the power of femininity, of being in touch with our inner and outer selves.
I cried the first time a client said to me, "Is that me? I'm really that beautiful? Did you photo shop everything?"
I said, "Yes, that's you."
and she said, "Today I'm going to stop hating myself."
The media tells us that to be pretty, we have to look a certain way. That our bodies are not perfect, feminine and gorgeous the way they are. We need Botox, liposuction, face lifts, boob jobs, and if all else fails, then we do.
It's just not true. I believe, because I have seen, that every woman is beautiful. It's really incredible to be able to give women, in any stage of their life, the space to feel like a queen. I feel fortunate to have started this part of my journey now. I know that there is so much more to learn, create and give. The following are some my favorite images, that I'm allowed to share, of 2013...
