My Why

Sometimes I find it hard to put into words why I chose boudoir photography. To me, it is so much more than photos. It’s about self-acceptance, body positivity, and art. It is about getting glammed up and laughing your butt off. It’s about the transformation that takes place between the time you walk in my studio and walk back out that door. It is about feeling beautiful, and that is something I believe every person deserves.

Photos of me by my incredible mentor at kellimarieboudoir.com

I started shooting boudoir photography after I had a very negative boudoir experience, one that affected my self esteem, and that I still unfortunately carry with me to this day. I decided I wanted to be the antithesis of that experience in my own business.

Women often tell me they feel they can’t look “that beautiful” because they feel too tall, weigh too much, or have too many stretch marks, etc. I LOVE showing them the photos during the shoot and showing that they are IN FACT, beautiful, straight out of camera. Seeing their reactions to their pictures has changed me. This job has changed me, and I am so fulfilled being able to help women this way.
It’s my job to be a mirror for my clients. Not the mirror that the world shows you, that shames you, but the one who sees past all of the lumps, bruises, and imperfections. The one that shows you your sparkle.

The transformations that take place in our studio is the best part of the whole experience for us. When a woman arrives in my studio, most of the time she’s nervous, sometimes even visibly nervous. Shaky hands and voices, sweaty hands and faces are things I see all the time. Once they sit in the chair to get their hair and makeup done, the transformation begins. The client slowly starts to shed those signs and feelings of nervousness and anxiousness once they start talking to our amazing stylists and realizing they’re in a safe place.

Next, the shoot! The first set of images is to get the client all warmed up. When I show the client the back of the camera after the first couple images, I usually hear “OH MY GOD, that’s me? NO WAY that’s me!”

As we go into the next set and then the next, the laughter and smiles start to come out. Then she starts to feel sexy. The sexy eyes come out. And you can tell that it’s starting to click with them.
By the time we finish the session, we’re friends. We’ve just shared an experience that they will always remember. We’ve laughed and shared stories about our lives!

Once I show them their pictures at their virtual reveal, they see themselves like they never have before. This is one of the amazing thing about boudoir photography. I get a chance to show them how I see them, how their spouse sees them and be their mirror. When they walk out that door, they’re on cloud nine!

I didn’t quite grasp the gravity of what I was accomplishing for women until the past couple of years, raising two daughters. Hearing my six year old say to me “I don’t like my legs, they’re too squishy”, made my heart sink. I started to think about my own self talk, and all the negative things I say about myself, out loud around my children. It really made my re-evaluate my own self talk and self deprecation. It had to stop. I knew that I needed to book my own boudoir session to help myself overcome that negative self image.
I started to think about the photos I was in, and how my daughters would be able to look back and remember me if I wasn’t around anymore. Would I want her to remember me being ashamed of my body and hiding from the camera? Nope. Would I want her to not have any photos of me at all? Absolutely not! Maybe one day when she was older she’d even APPRECIATE the photos where I embraced my curves.

For me, boudoir photography is a celebration of your body and who you truly are. I take pride in being able to help show women how to celebrate their bodies, their battles and their victories they’ve been through. Let me show you your sparkle. Let me help remind you how to love and be proud yourself.