You might have heard me say this before, but a boudoir session for yourself is a way forward toward self acceptance. I know you might be planning this as a gift to someone else knowing this is really a gift for yourself. Even though this wasn’t a gift for anyone but herself, S, celebrated herself the best way she saw she could. Which was with a boudoir session after seeing someone in a video who has the same medical condition as her. You can check out the original video that inspired her HERE

To be apart of S’s journey toward self acceptance and love is an absolute honor and and I’m so grateful that she chose and trusted me to show her sensual side which will serve as a reminder for years to come when she flips through her album of images at how strong, beautiful and bad ass she is!

How would you rate your boudoir experience on a scale of 1-10?: 10

How has your boudoir experience affected you or changed you?: I struggle with a long term medical condition that has some unfortunate aesthetic/physical side effects and it’s been a struggle to view my body in a positive manner, especially as I’m in and out of doctors appointments every week. I had started to feel like a science experiment instead of a human. I was only seeing myself as a medical condition, but this experience has made me grateful for the things my body still does for me.

What advice would you give someone who was nervous about or hesitant to book their own boudoir experience with me? : I wouldn’t be hesitant at all - it’s a once in a lifetime (or more) opportunity and something really unique. There’s no reason NOT to give it a try and Julie coaches you every step of the way. In terms of advice - I made myself a little crazy preparing for the photoshoot, I was distracted in my personal life because I was focusing on workouts, eating clean, buying outfits, designing my hair nails and makeup ideas... I accidentally shut the garage door on my car as I was still backing out, oops. Although I’m proud of the preparation I put into it, I wished I had paced myself a little more somehow. I’m naturally an intense person and put 100% effort into everything, but I could have paced better!

To learn more about your own session, send me a note!

Something I love about boudoir photography, is a lot of the women I meet do a boudoir session for many different reasons. And I can totally relate to C for her reason. Boudoir is used to celebrate new milestones, new relationships, and new chapters in life. So as C is entering her new chapter, what better way to mark this time with an empowering boudoir session in the Washington DC studio!

I went through a really rough marriage and separation. My self esteem was down in the dumps. I had heard women talk about this being an empowering experience and wanted to try it for myself. The moment I saw Julie’s images on her website, I loved the dark, moody style and knew that was exactly the manner I wanted to be captured.

I’m naturally very self conscious and was certain I would feel awkward and embarassed being practically naked in front of someone I had met for 20 minutes once in my life. 

This absolutely did not happen! Julie and her beautiful, sunny smile greeted me at the entrance to her gorgeous studio. Kristen was there and between the two of them I felt welcome and began to ease up. A glass of bubbly helped me along, and after being pampered in hair and makeup, the session began. 

At that point I worries about not knowing what to do. But Julie jumped right in from the beginning and explained the terms she would be using and showed me exactly how to pose. It felt like the most natural experience ever, and the last thing I was was self conscious! I couldn’t believe that I didn’t think twice about walking out of the dressing area in nothing but fishnets without second guessing myself for one second. 

Julie is warm and sweet and one of those people you feel you’ve known forever within moments. She’s chatty and funny and makes the entire experience just wonderful!!

When I got up the next morning and went to work feeling like my back was a little straighter and I was walking. Little taller next to the self-confidence Julie and her camera somehow bestowed upon me!

Every woman should give herself the gift of a boudoir session with Julie. I looked at several options but judging from the results of my photos, there is no question Julie was done the best possible option! You will feel confident and beautiful and on top of the world!

Let’s chat!

I get asked a lot, “Why boudoir? Why would women want to do something like this?”

And I don’t have a “cut to the chase” short answer for that, only because Boudoir photography is so much more than beautiful portraits.  I sometimes say the photographs are actually the souvenir of your experience. An AMAZING souvenir, I must add.

I can’t say enough the importance of self-acceptance.  This doesn’t mean you have to be complacent of who you are and how you view yourself.  That’s an easy way out, sure.  But there’s always room for improvement whether it’s mentally, emotionally or physically, BUT you MUST love yourself along the way.

Changing yourself physically whether through a rigorous workout out routine and diet or going under the knife, none of that will matter until you change how you talk to yourself, treat yourself and view yourself. And being someone whose done all the diets and the workouts and I’ve realized that for myself, the reason they don’t stick is because I haven’t trained my mind to love and accept myself.  And that’s what the last 3 years have looked like for me.

I wrote a post about self-love last year after I went on a trip to Mexico with some friends and how that trip really helped me work through some self-negativity.  I actually wore shorts and shirts without sleeves – something I’ve NEVER done! And something else that stuck out in my mind was this instance I walked with my friend to a little shop at the pool with no cover up coming straight from the pool. I remember standing in that shop with just my bathing suit and feeling so exposed and embarrassed of my gigantic thighs, but there were other people walking freely in their bikinis with bodies like mine. I wasn’t judging them, I was actually in awe of them because of how confident they seemed and I wanted to be that too.

It’s been 3 years of baby steps to changing my perspective. By all means I am still a work in progress, but instead of bashing myself for taking this long,  I have to celebrate the milestones along the way. It’s the journey not the destination, right?

2 years ago, after some self-discoveries and realizations, I celebrated myself with my own boudoir session, big thighs and all, and I never felt so powerful.

All that to say, boudoir is a celebration of YOU, no matter where you are in your life. Women do this to change their negative self-perceptions and to learn to love themselves unconditionally. And to see themselves in way that others see them.  Plus who doesn’t want to get glammed out and where lingerie (or nothing) and feel beautiful?

The first photo on the right page is the photo sneak peek from my photographer and right away, I started bashing and loathing my thighs. But after looking at this photo more and more, I couldn’t help but see a confident, powerful and sexy woman in that photograph and because of boudoir photography, I was able to see that… FINALLY!

I'm so glad I did this boudoir shoot for myself because not only am I look back and remind myself of what I babe I am, but it also highlights a special time in my life and I'll always remember that time with this session. Thank you to my friend and awesome Atlanta boudoir photographer, Sarah of Own Boudoir. 

Talk to me, boo!