Tacoma Boudoir // An Unforgettable Experience

I love creating beautiful photographs. I love sitting down with a fresh image and perfecting the little details. I really, really love the creative side of my job. But you know what I love even more? Delivering an unforgettable experience.

Not every photographer in the world will agree with me on this, but I firmly believe that great portrait photography is about 25% technicalities and 75% personality. Personality encompasses a lot of things: The style of the image, the style of the client, and the relationship between the photographer and client, to name a few.

This is especially important in boudoir photography. The idea of a boudoir session can be pretty uncomfortable, even to the most confident woman. Being in front of a camera with little clothing on is a very intimate and vulnerable experience. You can’t do that with just anyone. You really need to have a good relationship with your photographer and be comfortable with her as a person before you can have a truly successful boudoir session.

I always try to build a relationship with my client long before the session takes place. I want my clients to know who I am and know if I’m a good fit for them before they commit to a session with me. I try to make sure all of the important questions are asked before the session is scheduled. Sure, the photography questions are important—what type of photography are you looking for? Why do you want to do this session now? What do you want to do with your portraits?

But other questions are important, too. What makes you feel sexy? What does your opinion of yourself look like? What about your style, your interests? Knowing these things will help me make your session 10000% more comfortable than if I only asked what you want.

One thing that I think is so important in boudoir, and especially in a marathon-style boudoir setting, is pampering! Showing each client that I truly care about her comfort and want her to have fun is so vital to every boudoir session. Beyond that, I love letting my clients know how much I appreciate their business and, especially with boudoir, their trust in my work to create the art they want. I always want to go above and beyond and create an experience that far exceeds the value of a portrait session!

So, what can my boudoir marathon clients expect on January 24th? Well, I don’t want to give away ALL of my surprises, but here’s a little sneak peek!

I can't wait to show you all my passion for the boudoir experience! See you on the 24th!

Yours,
Emily

Savannah Family Photographer // The S Family

This is a family dear to my heart. If you've been following my blog or my work, you know that Briana and I were each other's photographers throughout our pregnancies with our baby girls, who were born just a few weeks apart. We did each other's gender reveal and maternity sessions, cheered each other on through our first year of motherhood, and then took each other's family portraits around our girls' first birthdays.

Briana's style tends to be pretty laid back, but still carefully put together. Her family session was similar to her maternity photos in style--a country chic theme. As a fellow portrait photographer, she understands the importance of details, which makes working with her family so enjoyable!

Little miss Emma was just coming up on her first steps. It was so much fun watching and documenting her practice with mom and dad!

Get It, Girls!

Since announcing my boudoir model call, and especially since announcing my open boudoir marathon yesterday, there’s one thing I’ve been hearing a lot of: “If only I looked more _______.” Toned. Skinny. Like I did before I had kids. Like a Kardashian. Like I did when I was 22.

Girls. Listen to me. I know the word "model" can be intimidating, but I can promise you this right now--I do not want a room full of Kardashian lookalikes on the 24th. I love me some daytime drama, but that's not what I'm looking for. Yes, this is a "modeling" marathon. No, that does not mean I want fashion models! I want real women in front of my camera. And I promise that I will make you look as good as you feel on January 24th (which, by the way, will be damn good).

I’ve always loved fashion and beauty magazines as much as the next girly girl (which I’m somehow not… seriously, ask Megan Bourque if I was wearing makeup at our boudoir marathon planning meeting…), but they leave a bad taste in my mouth, too. I know my way around Photoshop better than I know my way around my own house, and that’s putting it mildly. So, can I spot a liquified waistline or a slightly-perkier-than-humanly-possible booty? As my grandma would say, you betcha.

I’m sure some of you have seen the videos and the incredible before-and-after Photoshop gifs floating around the internet. At least weekly, I see someone pin or link an article about the excessive use of Photoshop and how it's ruining our self esteem. So, if we're all aware of this, why are we still beating ourselves up?

Ladies, please hear me out: You do not have to be sculpted to be beautiful. At least, not to the people who matter. I know we hear this all the time, but honestly, it's time for a reality check.

Do yourself a favor: ask whoever's opinion you value the most (hopefully yourself, but you could also ask your husband, your boyfriend, your best friend, etc.) what they love about you. This has nothing to do with sexuality; it's about true beauty and self-worth. I can promise you that the first thing that comes to mind will not be "that booty" (though it may be on the list). I know what my favorite thing about myself is: my drive. I love that I work hard and that I've finally learned to stop worrying about failure. So, if I were to have my portraits done right now, that's what I'd want them to capture. A strong, driven woman. Not a nice set of tatas (although, not gonna lie, bonus points if the girls happen to be on the perky side that day).

I think there's a lot of misconception about boudoir photography. Many women think that boudoir is simply a celebration of the body--particularly, the ideal body. Let's take a step back. The very definition of boudoir is "a woman's bedroom or private sitting room," or "room where a lady may retire to be alone," from the French word boudoir. To me, boudoir photography should be an intimate portrait of a woman's best features. Often, those features are her confidence, passion, ambition, strength, or grace. That is what boudoir photography should portray. And when it's done right, no matter what a woman's body type is or how much clothing she is or isn't wearing, she. Looks. Sexy.

My point is, your task as a boudoir "model" is not to look like you belong on the cover of Maxim. Hell, you don't even have to wear lingerie! All I need you to do is come in knowing what makes you the woman you are. If you have a clear idea of who you want to be on film, we can make a beautiful, compelling portrait. And really, that's what great boudoir is all about.

Own it, ladies!

Yours,
Emily

PS - Here is the original image from the ad above. We're all guilty of faking it sometimes.