I love my clients, all of them! But I especially love the opportunity to photograph these extraordinary women when I get to do it more than once. Amelia is a force of nature, an abundance of joy and a playful spirit embodied! For her 22nd birthday she wanted to do a celebration of herself, and embrace herself in this moment, by doing a Boudoir Photoshoot with me that’s all about her.

I have had the great pleasure of photographing Amelia numerous times, and it’s always inspiring and full of laughter! I love to create ahead of time, but I also love to play in the moment on-set. Amelia had just had someone all but ruin her hair by over-processing it, and she ended up having to cut most of it off. As a woman, and someone who has had someone maliciously cut my hair, I know the pain and hurt that can leave you with. Our hair has such an emotional connection to how we feel about ourselves and our worth, that losing part or all of it, if not by choice, can feel devastating, just ask any cancer warrior or someone living with alopecia. Amelia sent me a short (and hilarious) video of herself rocking her newly blonde short do, and I saw that ever present sparkle in her eye, and I immediately knew we were going to elevate her shine by photographing her a la Marilyn Monroe, an icon of glamour who inspires many of my ideas. I wanted to show her that she can be uber confident and beautiful in this moment, and give her a reason to fall in love with her current circumstance. Yes, I know that hair grows out, and for every person who has ever said that to someone devastated by a circumstance that leaves them in need of their hair growing out, please stop saying it, it’s not helpful. It diminishes the feeling that someone has in that moment, and the emotional pain of looking in the mirror and not recognizing certain qualities about yourself that still exist, even if all or part of your hair no longer does. One of the best parts of my job is knowing that what I say and do is an integral part of how the woman I am photographing receives herself, and ultimately can impact how she feels about herself, and I want every Boudoir client of mine to feel 100% beautiful and empowered. My mission was clear, so my assistant, Patrick Osborne, and I created one particular set to do just that.

We envisioned a white bed sheets Boudoir set, reminiscent of one of Marilyn Monroe’s best known photoshoots. We wanted there to be an ethereal, playful, and unreasonably glamorous vibe for our client. I wanted to make her have so much fun that we couldn’t help but capture candid moments of joy, quiet, sensuality, and complete fun, which is exactly what we got!

Two of my favorite moments were back to back shots which I always capture, but other clients don’t often see, I call it: “Look Like This, Feel Like This”. These are the best shots in every Boudoir session that I do. I will help guide my client’s body language and facial expressions into a sultry pose/look-and it’s an epic shot, and then because we never take ourselves too seriously on set, we all bust out laughing-and I get that uninhibited laughter shot, the one that truly captures the experience my client’s are having. They go from feeling & looking stunningly seductive one moment, to total laughter and joy in two clicks of my camera, less than a second. It’s pure magic to be a part of and to be able to show my clients.

When we had stopped pouring the Champagne and giggling, we wrapped up with warm birthday wishes, and my client feeling elevated. She practically floated out of the studio and took her confidence and gorgeous hair and makeup on the town. Did I mention that Amelia is one of my fiercely talented Hair & Make Up artists? She’s amazing!

I wish I had recorded the moment I was showing her all of her images when she came back, because I felt like we were 13; we were “OOOHHHHing” and “AAAHHHHing” throughout all of them, she was shouting, giggling, and crying, because you simply can’t see yourself the way I see you through my lens, and not fall in love with yourself just a little bit more.

If you’re ready to fall in love with yourself, celebrate yourself, and have an unbelievably fun time while we create gorgeous Boudoir images, don’t let insecurities get in the way. Let me show you how I see you. Come have your own “Look Like This, Feel Like This” moment!

XOXO

KAYA