Why do women do a Boudoir Shoot?

This is the most common question I get asked by people I talk to when talking to people outside of the studio. So for that reason, it will be our maiden blog post.

Let me give you a pretty typical example. I was at my dentist's surgery recently ( stay with me; I am going somewhere with this midday dental thriller ), and we chatted while waiting for the novocaine to kick in. He asked me how the studio was going, about our boudoir photography, and why women do it. He said words to the effect..."I guess there is a lot of narcissism involved" . This is a common misconception and could not be further from the truth.

On the flipside, I read a lot of things online, like; it is empowering, feeling confident in your own skin, feeling like a badass etc. Now, this is absolutely true, but in my opinion, these things happen as a result of doing a boudoir photo shoot and not the reason that women deep down decide to do it in the first place.

My experience of having talked to and photographed a million women (maybe a slight exaggeration) is that when you boil it down, they want to look good and feel confident and sexy. That's pretty much it.

I hear you say, OK, I understand, but why do they need to do that when I tell my partner or friend they look fantastic. I still don't get it.

Well, let me tell you what our clients tell us. Here are a few examples:

Since becoming a mum, they think they have lost some of their spark with the inevitable changes that being a mum brings. Or they tell us that they woke up one day and were surprised and slightly appalled to find that they have turned 30, 40 or 50 and want to capture how great they look now because they wished they had done a photoshoot 10 years ago.

Or more severe reasons, such as being in a DV or toxic relationship where their ex constantly put them down or debilitating personal issues such as body dysmorphia syndrome.

The list goes on, but you get the gist of it.

Self-esteem for many people is such a fragile thing. We all need to feel good about ourselves, but often the hardest person to do that is the person looking in the mirror. We are our own worst critics.

When women have a boudoir photography experience, they see themselves as you and everyone else see them rather than the unflattering perspective of a mirror with awful overhead lighting or a selfie from a phone. When women are photographed by someone skilled in flattering the female form with lighting and posing, it becomes a very powerful and empowering experience. It is enormously illuminating and, in many instances, genuinely life-changing ( I am not exaggerating with that last bit).

Feeling good about yourself, confident and empowered is the best thing anyone can do for themselves.

That's why women want to have a boudoir photography experience.