Why I Shoot Boudoir Photography | Wild Roses Boudoir

Why Boudoir Photography?

Sometimes I find it hard to put into words why I shoot boudoir photography. To me, it is so much more than photos. It’s about self-acceptance, body positivity and art. It is about getting glammed up and laughing your butt off. It’s about the transformation that takes place between the time you walk in the studio and walk back out that door. It is about feeling beautiful, and that is something I believe every person deserves.

I started shooting boudoir photography because I saw the beauty in everyone that came in the door. I believed I could show any person what I see through my camera. Women tell me they feel they can’t look “that beautiful” because they feel too tall, weigh too much, or have too many stretch marks. I love showing them the photos from their shoot and showing that they CAN, in fact, feel beautiful. Seeing their reactions to their pictures changed me. From that moment on, I knew I had found my passion.

It was now my job to be a mirror for my clients. Not the mirror that the world shows you that shames you, but the one who sees past all of the lumps, bruises, and imperfections. The one that shows you your sparkle.

The Transformation

The transformation that took place in the studio is the best part of the whole experience for me. When a woman arrives in my studio, most of the time she’s nervous, sometimes even visibly nervous. Shaky hands and voices, sweaty hands and faces are things I see all the time. Once they sit in the chair to get their hair and makeup done, the transformation begins. The client slowly starts to shed those signs and feelings of nervousness and anxiousness.

Then the shoot would start. The first series is to get you al warmed up. When I show the client the back of the camera after the first series, I usually hear “OH MY GOD, that’s me? NO WAY that’s me!”. As we go into the next series and then the next, the laughter and smiles start to come out. Then she starts to feel sexy. The sexy eyes come out. And you can tell that it’s starting to click with them.

By the time we finish the session and go into the reveal, we’re friends. We’ve just shared an experience that they will always remember. We’ve laughed and shared stories about our lives.

Once I show them their pictures on the projector screen, their jaws drop. They see themselves like they never have before. This is one of the amazing things about boudoir photography. I get a chance to show them how I see them, how their partner sees them and be their mirror. When they walk out that door, they’re smiling so big and they can’t wait to tell all their friends about what they just did.

A little piece of my story

Sure, Boudoir Photography isn’t your typical career path, I didn’t grow up thinking I would become a self-employed artist, taking beautiful photos of women. Then again I didn’t allow myself to dream that much. I was career-driven, hardworking at my 9-5. Independent to a stubborn point though, I craved more out of life and was having a hard time fitting into what others wanted of me.

Travel became my escape. First on road trips with friends, and when that wasn’t enough to fill my soul with wonder and joy I headed out on my own. Driving days without a real direction, seeing where the road led me and who I would meet. I found a community of women on the road that I felt connected with, inspired by. I am inherently positive as a person, everyone I meet is an instant friend and I try my best to lift others up. This was more, I was with other women that I wanted to help, though I didn’t know how.

I’ve camped in the desert, climbed mountains, driven down roads with no names. Surrounded by other women who were also living life like the adventure it was. Beautiful, brave women. I wanted to always feel like that. Empowered. Sexy. Alive.

Playing it safe

So why didn’t I chase that dream of moving to the wilderness with my group of nomads ready for adventure? I told myself no. Stay at your career, stay safe.

No matter the choices we make in life, it all brings you to where you are now. I met my partner, we have a beautiful daughter, we go camping and adventure all the time still! And my goals in life shifted but one thing had changed; I had someone to prove myself to. How could I tell my daughter to go chase her dreams if I wasn’t chasing mine? I started thinking about what my passions in life were. Travel. Family. Adventure. Through all of my journeys I always had my ‘travel companion’ with me; My Camera. Photos of people, places, things, bugs, sunsets and sunrises.

The beginning of Inspiration: Why I Shoot Boudoir Photography

Motherhood Photography started as my niche, a nice way to say family photos but ones that Mama will love and appreciate. Images that draw out the emotion and joy that we need to see after a long day balancing life, work and family. Photos of Mom that don’t get taken often since we’re always the one behind the camera. The messages I received from these women who saw themselves as beautiful, as more than just a mother, they saw their own beauty; this is what drew me past family photos and into the world of Boudoir.

Because I was struggling with those feelings, too. Who am I after having a baby? Whose body is this? What is my purpose in life, where is the me time, am I still beautiful? The answer is yes, of course, but sometimes you have to be shown that to believe it.

Yup! That’s me at my outdoor boudoir shoot!

These scars keep me humble and let me connect to people on a whole different level. I am proud of my body and how strong it is. I started to think about the photos I was in, and how my daughter would be able to look back and remember me? Would I want her to remember me being ashamed of my body and hiding from the camera? Nope. Would I want her to not have any photos of me at all? Absolutely not! Maybe one day when she was older she’d even APPRECIATE the photos where I wear my imperfections proudly.

For me, boudoir photography  is a celebration of your body and who you truly are. I take pride in being able to show women how to celebrate their bodies, their battles and their victories they’ve been through. That is my goal. To show women of all colors, size and age that they are not their imperfections, they are gorgeous as a whole ass sexy female. We are warriors in life, we need to celebrate our bodies. Let me show you how bright you shine. Let me help remind you how to love and be proud of yourself. Live life wild – beautiful & brave.

xx Taylor

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