First things first. If images of women in lingerie offend you….I hope you don’t watch T.V., or take pictures of yourself in a bathing suit or workout gear. This also may not be the post for you.
I photograph Boudoir. I am a devout Christian. And YES, I absolutely photograph Boudoir. Tastefully Seductive Boudoir. I capture wives, or engaged women for their Groom to Be’s Wedding gift, in lingerie.
“WHAT?”, “How can you do that?”, “That’s not something a Christian wife should be doing”, “That’s not something you should be photographing”, “That’s PORN!”. WRONG!
I hear this kind of tripe all.the.time. I let it roll off. These insecure, uneducated, women don’t know me. They don’t know my relationship with Christ. They definitely don’t know what true Boudoir is…mostly because it’s been warped and twisted over the years.
They don’t know how truly Christian the ART of Boudoir can be. What I’m going to share today is something I’ve never shared before. Something I wrestled with until recently. Until this voice whispered to me….”If you don’t show my daughters how beautiful they can be, how I created them, how their husband’s see them, and not the flawed version they envision, or force themselves to see in the mirror, who will?”
So, tonight there’s a new moon rising here on the BJP blog, and it’s an entire boudoir session. Yes you read that right! Not a mini inside a hotel or bed and breakfast, but a full session…an outdoor session on private, secluded property. Not a face cropped out, select few images, but a model, a real wife, who’s husband even agreed to have her be my model.
This is only one. There will be at least two more in 2015. Because understandably it takes a LOT of confidence to even let your cropped out head image be shown to the masses in a merketing board, it’s a whole other ballgame letting a whole session be seen, and my girls know that none of their images, cropped or not, will ever be seen unless they tell me to use them!
I’m sure I’m going to stir up the hen house….but before you criticize, or jump on the “Christian wife protecting her husband” band wagon, know this I’ve prayed over this, agonized over this, and “protecting” your husband’s mind/eyes isn’t my job…that’s an impossible task for anyone except Jesus…because he sees far worse than this every.single.day, numerous times of the day, and this isn’t for him. It’s for YOU. It’s for my sisters in Christ.
This post is for you, sitting there thinking of something to get your husband of 2, 10, 35 years for Valentine’s or his birthday, or your anniversary. Thinking of ways to “spice things up in the bedroom” as one of my clients (one of many preacher’s wives/clients mind you) put it. Thinking that child rearing has “ruined” your body, or there’s “no way” anyone could ever photograph you to where you think you’re truly beautiful. I’m talking to YOU!
It’s sad I have to defend something as beautiful as what I do, but unfortunately too many of my sisters have been shamed and disgraced into so much “modesty” and body shaming they feel even posing for a female photographer in LINGERIE for her HUSBAND is in some way “dirty” or “immodest”! That’s just incorrect information.
He’s YOUR HUSBAND. Once you put that wedding band on, your body became his, his became yours, and he’s definitely seen you wearing less than lingerie. So, no, there’s nothing “immodest” or “dirty” about it at all. It.is.BEAUTIFUL!
Here’s the deal. Boudoir isn’t about nudity. Nudity would in fact make it pornography. Boudoir is about capturing a woman in a beautiful, sexy, tasteful and seductive way, wearing lingerie, his sports jersey, his tie or dress shirt, his uniform, using props from his favorite hobby, donning your favorite heels, that nightie you haven’t worn since your honeymoon night, etc…
Boudoir is about being able to minister to her insecurities, to lift her spirits, pull that inner diva from within, pose, angle, and stretch her so that she FEELS exactly as her husband sees her…perfect. BEAUTIFUL. DESIREABLE, and did I say…PERFECT! When done professionally and right, there’s not even any nudity needed. 😉
God has truly given me a passion and heart for Boudoir Photography. “How do you know?” Honestly if it wasn’t for Him, being able to see His daughters as He sees them/us, I’d be SO EMBARRASED, and that awkardness and embarrasment would show to my clients…and in their final images.
These are initmate moments. And while no nudity shows in the images, there are definitely moments when photographing in lingerie that the “naughty bits” get seen. He gifted me with a personality to make anyone feel welcome, and a sense of humor that I can see through the lens puts even the most unconfident, skeptical, wifey at ease. Whether she’s a size 2 or a 22, every woman is beautiful, and they can be photographed as such…and gorgeously in lingerie! I’ve done it 😉
I’ve been photographed fully clothed, and I’ve been as uncomfortable and awkward feeling as you could possibly feel…boudoir is not the time or place for that. I want my lovelies to walk away from their images feeling empowered, radiant, beautiful, and yes…SEXY!
I won’t lie, I’ll take credit for a few “Boudoir Babies” over the years 😉 You know you hit a homerun when their husbands take the time to send you thank you texts or emails! HAHA!
So, for 2015 there will be more Bourdoir sessions. These are too near and dear to my heart to continually take a twice a year seat for just mini sessions. That being said…the 3rd Annual Valentine’s Day “Wifey’s Day Out” Boudoir Bash will commence Saturday January 10th. It’ll be the best one to date, that’s for sure! Engaged? Married? Then e-mail me here to get in on the party!
Professional Editing AND Retouching, Professional Prints or Leather Album, Bombshell Hair and Make-up, a GLAMourous Portrait in a stunning dress or top that you can use for your headshot/profile portrait, and whooooole mess of FUN. Bring a sister or a girlfriend for an extra kick of motivation, hey book a session back to back with her, and hit the town afterward feeling like a million bucks…fully clothed of course 😉
And now, as promised, the rest of my Boudoir Wifey Model’s Session! This.could.be.YOU!
See…no nudity involved!