Why boudoir photography?

Boudoir photography is more than just sexy images. It is about what is happening internally, the before and after, and the motivation that brought one to do the session. It is about the self-acceptance, getting out of your comfort zone and feeling comfortable in your own skin. The art of boudoir portraiture is also about the human form. Each of us has been uniquely created, and this is a way to celebrate our bodies and spirits. Most of us spend most of our time covering up and concealing our bodies, but boudoir photos allow us to be vulnerable in a safe environment. As a result, we get to see our bodies in a way that we have never experienced before, a chance to know how our partners, spouses, and loved ones view them.

In my opinion, I believe that I can show any women who come before me their beauty. It is a challenge, not because I do not believe it, but because so many of us have deep-rooted beliefs about what is wrong with our bodies. I believe that every woman deserves to be seen. There are beliefs in our heads that we are either too tall, too short, too skinny, too heavy, too many curves, not enough curves... we don't seem to be satisfied with our bodies as they are today. I feel that it is my mission to change that. To every woman who comes before me, I want to empower them to see themselves in a light they haven't seen before. Increasingly I do believe women are beginning to invest in themselves, and the tide is turning.

There is something transformative about the boudoir experience. It is not only the physical transformation that occurs when you get your makeup and hair done but also the mental transformation. Every woman walks away from a boudoir experience changed. Your transformation may differ, but after an experience with Viva, you are changed forever. My clients report feeling a new level of confidence after the session that they didn't feel before they entered my studio. It was amazing to see them step out of their comfort zone and do something they never thought they'd do, but they did it and it was amazing. The essence of boudoir photography goes far beyond dressing up in lingerie for a photo shoot.I believe that it is about allowing yourself the space to be vulnerable, to see yourself from a new perspective, and to ignite an internal flame within you.

Throughout our lives, we experience events, moments, people, places, and things that have shaped us. The work I do is incredibly personal both for me and for my clients, so I often think about my "why." The reasons I do this work are always evolving, but this is a small snippet of my current loudest reason “why.”

For most of my life I would say I struggled with confidence. I never felt pretty enough, felt like I was too curvy, too fat and I didn't feel comfortable in my body for a long time. It wasn't until 2017 when I did my first boudoir shoot where I finally seen myself in a light that I want to shine upon others. I believe every woman deserves to be seen. I have lived in a place I didn't feel seen. I know when I started my photography journey that I was meant to change the tide, spread the message that every woman deserves to be seen, and give women the opportunity to know that they are beautiful, worthy, empowered, and seen.