Taking a Look at Your Boudoir Fears | 5 Reasons you might hesitate to book and how I can help you feel more confident

I spend a lot of time talking to people about boudoir photography. I’m so passionate about giving people a space to embrace their body, empower their mind, and create art that I can’t help but rave about the experience to people.

But I’m also keenly aware that my comfort zone with boudoir might not come as easily to my clients, even if it’s an experience that they’re really interested in doing.

So today I want to talk about some of the most common fears I hear from people when they’re considering booking a session. I want to assure you that your feelings are real and valid, and hopefully give you some insight into how to turn those fears into a bold and empowered decision for you.

“Because I’m scared”

I hear many variations of this fear from folks. “I’m scared of being in front of a camera”, “I’m scared to feel vulnerable”, “I’m scared to do something for myself–everyone else comes first”.

When people tell me their fears, I listen. Then we talk about it. I hear them, I validate them. And then we think about how we can move forward within the context of what scares them.

Mostly I hope people realize that doing things that scare them can be a positive thing.

I believe it can be really important to do the brave things that scare you because they are the experiences in life that help you grow in healthy ways. Is doing a boudoir shoot a pivotal life moment? Maybe for some people. Maybe not. But embracing your fears, taking a little bit of a risk, and doing something you’re nervous about (in a safe and supported environment), can start the habit of stretching, reaching, and growing in other parts of your life.

“I don’t feel good about my body right now”

People often think that you need the perfect body to do boudoir. But I would argue that the point is to embrace the body you have at this moment in time. To honor where you are in your life, what you’ve been going through, and what you want to celebrate about yourself. You don’t have to think of yourself as “sexy”, but I’d like you to walk out of our session feeling seen for who you are and beautiful, just as you are. 

And if you get the photos back and think “wow, maybe i am kind of sexy”, all the better. 

But you don’t need to come into a session with an expectation about what your photos will look like. You just need to try to relax into the experience for what it is: a chance to celebrate who you are at this time in your life.

Also, I hope you can put a little trust in me and know that I’m going to use lighting, posing, and tips to help you feel as comfortable and confident during your session as possible.

“I’m worried about what to do with my body or face”

This is a real life concern, but one that I feel confident we can overcome during your session. I show a lot by example and I will coach you in what to do with every part of your body, from your toes to your eyes. You can take a look at my blog post on posing to help get you prepared for your session, but I will make sure you know exactly what to do in all scenarios.

“I can’t afford to do something luxury for myself”

I completely get it. Spending money on boudoir photography isn’t like buying groceries or school supplies. It’s an experience that falls more into the “treat” category of expenses. And that can be hard to justify to ourselves sometimes. 

I won’t tell you that you should absolutely spend the money on yourself, but I will encourage to you think about ways you could make it work if it felt important to you. Maybe you ask for your session as a gift from someone. Or maybe you and a  friend commit to both signing up to do a session instead of taking a trip you had in mind. I also have payment plans available that we can set up pre-session.

Schedule a time to chat and we can talk through your options.

“I don’t want my body on the internet”

In today’s world of instant internet access, AI, photoshop, and creepy crawlers on the internet, this is a legit concern for most people.

My number one priority is your comfort with the level of privacy and I can 100% assure you nothing will be shared online without your express permission.

Every client has the ability to sign a model release for no photos, some photos, or all photos and there is no pressure from me for you to self select into any particular category.

I deliver all chosen photos through an online professional gallery and back up your photos in 3 different places but if you are uncomfortable with your photos being stored on a cloud and/or hard drive, I can delete all photos once they are delivered to you. 

I also do all my session reveals in person and this is where you can choose your images, talk through privacy options and upgrade to an album if you choose. I design the albums myself and specifically work with an album production company where all of the albums are hand-made by women so you do not have to worry about your images being viewed by men.

More questions you want to talk through? 

I’m happy to jump on a call to answer anything else you like. Schedule your free consultation here!