Boudoir & Body Positivity in Denver

Boudoir | Body Positivity |Boudoir Photography in Denver

I'll be honest.

I've sat down to write this post more than once, but every time, whatever I say ends up falling short.

It fails to convey how powerful boudoir can really be.

Sure, I can tell you that it's a ton of fun to get all dressed up,  get your hair and makeup done, and get the model treatment for the day.

...but honestly, that's only part of the story. 

Instead, I think it'd be much easier to tell you about boudoir by telling you a story about one of my past clients.

For privacy purposes, we'll call her Jill.

This is her story.

I'm going to tell you about a woman named Jill.

Jill came to me like most women.

Nervous, unsure of herself, and above all - struggling with her own self confidence. 

See, Jill was like a lot of us.

She's spent her entire life being force-fed conventional beauty standards, and like most women - Jill didn't fit them.

She's not a size two and she's not shaped like Marilyn Monroe.

She doesn't have legs for days, large breasts, or anything that the media tells us we need to be beautiful.

Actually, Jill is - I'd be willing to bet - a lot like you and me.

As a result, Jill struggles with seeing herself as beautiful. 

Jill had also recently gone through a rough patch in her life that had taken an even bigger toll on her self esteem, and left her feeling beat down.

This happens to all of us, and experiences like this can come in a lot of forms - health struggles, bad breakups, bad divorces, bouts of depression, you name it.

I've been there. You've been there. And so has Jill.

She came out of it feeling like she had lost her sense of self.

...But one thing Jill had going for her though, is that she's a fighter.

She wasn't going to let life take that from her.

So she started trying to figure out a way that she could regain her sense of self, empowerment, and confidence, and find a way to reconnect with her own body. 

During her search, she discovered something called Boudoir Photography. 

She saw pictures of women of all shapes, sizes, ages, and backgrounds, and that each and every single one was drop-dead gorgeous.

...but she also noticed that not all of these women met the conventional standard of beauty, and yet - they were all exceedingly beautiful just the way they were.

So she decided that maybe she would try it out.

Maybe she'd take an opportunity to see herself through someone else's eyes. 

Jill's Session

The day of her session, Jill was super nervous.

Which, I'll be honest - is how most women feel the day of their session.

She wasn't sure that her pictures would turn out well, how she'd be able to pose, or if she'd be pretty enough.

After getting hair and make-up done, Jill got in front of my camera and I started guiding her through the poses.

We laughed, we giggled, we had fun, and before you knew it, Jill was completely relaxed. She was a total natural!

Once I was done photographing, I sent her away for a quick lunch so I could go through the images and pick out the best to show her.

After about an hour or so she returned and we sat down to go through them. 

I could tell she was nervous. 

Her body was tense, and the ease that she was feeling during the session had been replaced with anxious energy.

It was the moment of truth.

As soon as I turned on the monitor and showed her the first image, she started crying.

"OH NO!" I thought to myself. What's wrong!? Does she not like it?

I paused a second and let her have a moment, and then I asked her.

"What's wrong? Is everything ok?"

She sniffled a little bit and said that she was shocked.

I hesitated, but I gave her space to go on.

When she continued she said that she was shocked....

....because she couldn't believe that that was actually her.

She couldn't believe how incredibly beautiful she looked. 

With each image that we looked through, she continued to be amazed with how much of a total bombshell she was.

Jill finally had a chance to see herself through someone else's eyes, and boy was she shocked with what she saw!

This is what boudoir is.

Jill's session had given her the opportunity to celebrate who she was, in her own body, just the way she was.

She didn't need to lose 20 pounds. Or get breast implants. Or botox. Or anything else that the media tells us we need to maintain some obnoxious patriarchal-driven beauty standards.

She was beautiful just the way that she was. 

This is why I do what I do. This is what boudoir is.

Boudoir is about empowerment. Boudoir is about body and self love. Boudoir is about shedding the ridiculous beauty standards rebelling against the status quo.

It's about standing up in the face of the media and saying 'No, I'm enough - just the way I am.'

It is unashamed, radical, and unapologetic self-love.

You are enough. Just the way you are. And it is my mission on this earth to help each and every woman see and feel this for themselves.

When Jill left my studio that day, she walked a little bit taller, smiled a little bit wider, and most importantly - loved herself a little bit more, and I am so here for it.

3 Reasons Every Woman Should Have A Boudoir Session

There are a lot of reasons women seek out the empowering experience that boudoir is.

Here are 3 big reasons why I think every woman should try it.

1. Confidence.

The confidence boost is one of the big reasons my clients come in for boudoir sessions.

To be able to see yourself through someone else's eyes is an invaluable experience.

During the entire session - from getting your hair and makeup done to being expertly posed to the image reveal - helps women feel good in their own skin.

The photos are there to act as a reminder of how truly beautiful and incredible you are.

2. Pampering.

Who doesn't want to be pampered and doted on for a few hours??

Your boudoir session is all about you - what you like, how you want to feel, and creating an experience that makes you feel cared for.

Take a break from taking care of everyone else in your life and let us take care of you.

Get your hair done, makeup done, and treated like a queen for the day!

3. Memories.

Everyone has good days and bad days, and on the bad days, it's nice to be able to think back to experiences you've had that made you feel good.

Boudoir not only provides you with the memory of your experience, but gives you the pictures as proof.

Looking through pictures of your most beautiful self will definitely give you a pick-me-up on some of your lowest days, and I'd be honored if I can help create that for you!

Talk to you soon, love!

XOXO,

Sondra Lee