When I think about my first boudoir shoot, I vividly remember wanting to throw up the morning of. That sounds so sexy right?
When I first decided to book my boudoir photoshoot, I had asked my girlfriend Robbie to pull some outfit ideas for the boudoir photographer I was meeting. We worked together at Drai’s Nightclub, and she was the manager of the gogo dancers. Shout out to her, she is a huge reason I am here today. She was meeting me the day of my shoot, and I texted her saying I didn’t think I could do it. Robbie called me and told me it was going to be fine…that she had looked at the photographer’s work and it was really good. She was also going to bring a small flask to help calm my nerves. I don’t even know why that was calming to me. I hate Silver. But Rob saved that day and gave me enough courage to get in my car and go. Thank you babe!
I started the morning with my friends and hair & makeup dream team, Rachelle and Robyn. These women are professionals and so good at what they do. They knew exactly how to set the mood and get me ready to shoot as soon as I arrived on location. When she gave me the mirror, I was like Whhhaattt… I looked good, like WOW. It was a lot of makeup, but she assured me that it was going to photograph perfectly and she was right! My photographer even commented on how flawless it looked. Thank you Rachelle! This day was so memorable for me and it changed my life.
After I left the salon, I drove to the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas where I met Joeli and Kara from Kara Marie Studios for my first boudoir photography experience. She is currently based in Italy, living her dream, and I owe her probably everything for being so cool and chic and inspiring me to start living mine. Kara is an all black and white artist, but as soon as I met her, you could tell she was also a warm and kind woman. It was easy to get comfortable with her because she instantly made me feel like I was her girlfriend and we were just going to have a fun time together. This was so much more than just a sexy photo shoot. It set the standard for what I would expect for my clients every time too.
I was worried that because I looked more like a pencil and straight up and down that it wouldn’t look like the curvy boudoir photos I had seen from other women. But Robbie assured me if it felt awkward, it looked great, and Kara would attest to that when she showed me the back of her camera after we would shoot a set. One of the best feelings is to see your photographer taking a picture of you and getting excited about it!
This boudoir photo shoot was just the beginning, and when I got my pictures back, I had no idea how much they would mean to me and how they would change the way I saw myself. I’m still in awe of the experience. DId I think I would only love a handful? Yes. Was my mind blown by how much I could love myself? Sure was. It has also helped shape who I am today, and that is me as your boudoir photographer telling you that it’s your turn for your first time to finally love the woman in the pictures looking back at you. Stop waiting for the right moment, and realize the moment is right here.