As a boudoir photographer, I’ve had to unlearn many things I’d been taught and shown around body image and our relationship to our bodies, and how that affects the way we move through life. From the toxic beauty industry, to society’s expectations around how our bodies are “supposed” to look, the way the media teaches us that we have to look a certain way to be desirable, the way some groups teach that bodies (especially women’s bodies and queer bodies) are inherently sinful and worthy of shame. There is SO much there to unpack…
I want your photos to represent you, as the work of art that you are. And in that sense, we are co-creators. Unless I’m shooting myself, or still life, I can’t create this art without you. YOU are the essential component . You are vital. You are worthy of being seen. You are worthy of seeing yourself in all of your artful splendor. No matter where you are in your relationship to yourself and your body, know that you are worthy of love and admiration exactly where you are in the present.
Each and every one of the incredible humans I’ve had the chance to meet and work with this year has taught me something. Each time someone trusts me to capture special moments for them, to be there during vulnerable experiences, to see them in their truth, and to celebrate themselves exactly where they are – is such a powerful gift.
The main body image hang-ups that I've encountered with folks, and with myself, are so often around bellies. We hold so much power and strength in this area, yet we relentlessly tell it it's not "good" because it doesn't look a certain way. But here's a reminder : bellies aren't good or bad...they are simply bellies. Your belly doesn't hold moral worth, the way it looks doesn't make you a good or bad person, it doesn't make you more or less capable of experiencing desire or pleasure simply because of how it looks, and it definitely is not worthy of the shame that we so often carry around it.
Take a moment and think about what you've been taught to feel about your body. If uplifting and empowering messaging doesn't immediately come to mind- know that you are not alone. We are taught, from so many sources, the opposite messaging. That our bodies are shameful and in need of constant "fixing," that they aren't worthy of love and desire if they don't fit society's ideal beauty mold. When was the last time you gave yourself the opportunity to just be where you are? To not try and fix what society tells you are flaws, and instead see yourself and your body for the magically unique being that you are? Right here. Right now. How would that feel?
The inspiration for this creative session was simply all things yellow! Once we landed on yellow as a theme, we went on a hunt for all things yellow, brought them all up to a rooftop, played with the wind and golden sunshine, and had so much fun! Even though we are going into darker winter months, this shoot brought back all the fun and warmth of summer!
When Stephanie reached out to me about photographing her surprise proposal to her girlfriend Miranda, I was so down! And then she said she was planning to do it with a flash mob - ummmm…..YES. I was so excited and couldn’t wait to play secret agent with her! We set it up to where Miranda thought we were simply doing a couples session while they were visiting Nashville, but it ended up being so much more than that!
This group empowerment shoot was all about unleashing your wild nature, and it was so magical to see that happen with these beautiful humans! Everyone had so much fun experimenting with fun looks, spending time with each other, and celebrating our wildness! I’m so so thankful to have the opportunity to bring folks together in this way, and to see them fall a little more in love with themselves, and step into their power, throughout the experience.
We are all multifaceted creatures, and I believe each aspect of ourselves deserves to be celebrated! And the cool thing is - even when those parts of ourselves are seemingly at odds with each other, there is unique power within each of them! That’s something I absolutely love being able photograph and witness. I never want to put your into a “one size fits all” box - your session is about YOU. Want some neon lights and edgy vibes? Let’s do it. Wanna rock a jacket instead of only lingerie? Hell yes! Want to embrace your softness and feminine energy as well? Let’s make that happen too! Don’t be afraid to embrace your unique magic!
This proposal session was so fun and romantic! Ben and Amarilys were such a joyful couple to work with. We wandered around downtown Nashville to some of my favorite photography spots, and then made our way to the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge, where Ben proposed to Amarilys with the skyline behind them. It was such a beautiful moment to witness, and I’m just so happy I got to capture it!
I’ve been dreaming about bringing folks together in person like this for a while now - to create a space and opportunity for people to shed any feelings of shame or judgement, to feel empowered, joyous and powerful in their own body, and to grow in connection with themselves and each other. Seeing that happen with these amazing humans was so inspiring and beautiful to see! Our theme around this session was connection - represented by one long piece of fabric physically connecting each of them. But that isn’t the connection I ended up seeing in these photos. It was the instant support and friendship I witnessed happening. The trust. The shared stories. The empowerment. The shared laughs and tears. The joy of simply being in their bodies without judgement. That is the connection I witnessed.
This Anonymous Stories series I've been working on as a personal project has been so incredibly inspiring to me. The stories folks share with me are full of so much bravery and strength and personal truths. When shooting this series, after a story is shared with me, I ask my subject to share what area of their body their story most resonates in, which I then focus on capturing photographically. Our brains aren't the only part of us that hold our stories. The connection we share through our stories and the human experience of living in our bodies can be so cathartic and inspiring - whether you know the person or not.
One of the things I get the most questions about, and that I think folks get stuck in their heads around, is what to wear to their boudoir session. When it comes down to it my answer is - whatever the hell you want! Whatever you put on (or take off) that makes you feel like the most empowered version of yourself is what you are looking for! That being said, I know it can be helpful to have a little guidance and inspiration, and I’m here for you on that! I’ve rounded up some of my favorite images that show off outfits ranging from bodysuits, two piece sets, robes, shirts, sheets, and birthday suits! I’ve also got some more helpful info below, along with a chance to save some money on some new lingerie at one of my favorite local boutiques!
This post is for my fellow ADHD folks! If you have ADHD you are probably familiar with the notion and experience of object permanence. Object permanence, put simply, is the ability to understand that an object continues to exist, even though it can no longer be seen, heard or touched. This is something that most ADHD folks experience issues with regularly! This is something that most ADHD folks experience issues with regularly! You know the phrase “out of sight, out of mind?” That’s literally what we deal with on a regular basis. If we don’t see it, especially regularly, then it really is easy to forget it exists.
We all have so many stories within us that want so badly to be told. But sometimes, for whatever reason, it doesn’t feel safe to speak them. What feelings and experiences are you holding within you that need to be heard? That need to be witnessed? Or maybe you know they would bring some joy or laughter to others? Shared stories bring connection, even when we don’t know the person telling it. They can help us feel seen, understood, and not alone. A good funny story can bring a smile to someone’s face at just the right time they are desperately needing it. Hearing someone share an experience they may be struggling with too can give them hope that they can make it through too.
I decided to team up with Willow and my fav makeup and hair artist Katie-Laine Thornton to create some fun, experimental, maybe a touch weird, and vibrant images with some disco inspiration. Sometimes, as an artist, we get caught up in routines with our shooting, and ya gotta just shake things up! We all went into this simply to have fun and create art, and I’m just so happy with how these came out!
I decided to go back to Amy this year for a boudoir shoot on my second anniversary of starting HRT and I had no idea how emotional the delivery of these images would be. When I saw the first photograph my heart soared! I was looking at me... For one of the first times in my life I saw ME. That "famous actress" I always dreamed of being. I was in tears! Thank you Amy for not just capturing the essence of me. Thank you for seeing me and understanding me. Thank you for caring about your clients and the strides you take to make these experiences the special soul-treats that they are.” -Kara
I just adored working with Amber at her boudoir session! Her joyful nature was so wonderful to be around, and her attention and gentleness with herself was so wonderful to witness. I love the breadth and variety of energies she brought to her session! I also really like the combination of softness and empowerment that go hand in hand in her images. It’s a great reminder that softness and kindness are incredible strengths that truly do lead to empowerment!
This babe has supported me and my business since day one. She has been down for so many crazy concepts and shoots over the years I can’t even count. She is one of my favorite people to photograph (and one of my top favorite people in the world just generally) and it felt so good to create with her again!
