Empowering Photography

I hope I will never forget the moment I realized what our photography business mission statement needed to be centered around.  Michael and I had started Body Beautiful Boudoir as a photography studio focused around, well, empowering photography for women.  But my business mentors and fellow photographers insisted I need to have an “ideal client”  as well as a mission statement.  At that time, in 2016, I thought my ideal client was a woman over the age of 21.  Easy enough!
Then while driving one night – I think it was raining, Michael and I were talking about our personal relationship journeys, what worked with our previous marriages, what didn’t work, and what we learned.  As I was summarizing my struggles in my marriage, I realized there was a repeating theme.  I did not feel like I was good enough – at anything – in my ex-husband’s eyes.  I wasn’t fit enough, I wasn’t a good enough mother, employee, or housekeeper, and certainly not a good enough wife or lover.  I felt like a failure on the inside even though what other people saw of me on the outside was totally different.  
  
I am enough
You are enough
It was THAT moment – when I realized that I felt, deep inside, that I was not enough and I had been told over and over for years that this was true. It was then that I knew what our mission statement would be.  To show as many women as possible that “SHE IS ENOUGH!”, exactly as she is right now, without needing to lose weight, work harder, be a better mother / lover / wife / employee.  She is perfectly beautiful as she is even while she is on a journey to becoming the very best version of herself.
That is when the Body Beautiful Boudoir Motto came to be :  I AM ENOUGH! and our Body Beautiful Boudoir Empowerment Photo Session was created.  

Now you know why we are committed to empowering photography for women, and the “I AM ENOUGH!” mantra. Also why I am  so passionate about helping my clients see their own beauty during an empowering photo session.  Since it is often the first time I am meeting a client, we spend some time preparing for this momentous day.  Between the empowerment questionnaire that you complete and our time on the phone discussing your personal journey and what you hope to experience with us, we will be exchanging emails, texts and Facebook messages about the “vibe” of your session.  It is important to me that you are as comfortable as possible before you arrive at the studio and have some sense of who WE are, since I will be asking you to be vulnerable in front of my camera.

 
 
While you aren’t REQUIRED to have professional hair styling and makeup application for your photo session (this is part of our process), I highly recommend that you do.  It gives you additional time to focus on this day, focus on yourself and be even more confident that you look your best.  The stylists are very good at accommodating your specific requests (if you have them) or providing guidance as to the best colors to wear on your eyes and lips.  
Feeling as beautiful as possible, you will arrive at the studio, nervous, no doubt, as I will be as well.  All I ask from here on out is that you trust us, be open to the experience, and let us do the work of showing you your unique beauty through the perspective of my lens.  
You WILL have fun.  You WILL feel beautiful.  You WILL stand a bit taller, be a smidge lighter in your step and smile just a tad more as you leave your empowerment photo session knowing that YOU ARE ENOUGH! exactly as you are.  
And yes, you will want to do it again!