Why Women Book Boudoir Photoshoots for Themselves
When people think about boudoir photography, they often assume the photographs are being created as a gift for a spouse or partner. And while that is one reason women book boudoir sessions, after more than 15 years of photographing women, I've found that many women ultimately choose the experience for themselves.
Sometimes there's a milestone behind it—a birthday, wedding, anniversary or new chapter in life. Other times, there isn't a special occasion at all. They simply reach a point where they want to do something for themselves and create photographs that celebrate who they are right now.
You Don't Need a Special Occasion
We're often good at finding reasons to celebrate other people while putting ourselves somewhere near the bottom of the list. Between careers, families, relationships and everyday responsibilities, years can pass without having photographs of ourselves that aren't a quick phone picture or a family photo where we're focused on everyone else.
A boudoir photoshoot doesn't need to commemorate anything. You don't need a birthday coming up, and the photographs don't have to be a gift for someone else. Wanting beautiful photographs of yourself is reason enough.
Celebrating a Milestone or a New Chapter
Of course, sometimes there is a reason.
I've photographed women celebrating birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and other meaningful moments in their lives. A boudoir session can be a way of marking one of those occasions with something more personal than a traditional portrait.
But milestones aren't always events on a calendar. Sometimes they're quieter and much more personal—a change in life, a new beginning or simply reaching a point where you realize you'd like to document this version of yourself before another few years go by.
Seeing Yourself Outside of Everyday Life
Most women don't regularly get the opportunity to see themselves the way they might in a professionally created portrait.
In everyday life, you're probably not standing in beautiful light with someone paying attention to your best angles and capturing expressions that disappear in a fraction of a second. You're seeing yourself while getting ready in the morning, catching your reflection as you walk past a mirror or appearing in whatever family photograph someone remembered to take.
Being professionally photographed gives you the chance to step outside of that everyday view of yourself.
Sometimes one of the most meaningful parts of the experience is simply seeing the finished photographs and realizing that the woman in them is still completely you.
You Don't Have to Wait Until You Change Something About Yourself
It's easy to put photographs off.
Maybe you'll do it after you lose a few pounds. Maybe when you feel more confident. Maybe after life settles down. Maybe next year.
The problem is that there can always be another reason to wait.
You don't have to become a different version of yourself before you're worthy of being photographed. The photographs can celebrate the person you are today—not the person you think you need to become first.
Your Photographs Become More Valuable With Time
One of the things I think we sometimes underestimate is how differently we'll look at photographs of ourselves years from now.
The little things we might criticize about ourselves today often aren't the things we'll notice later. Instead, we'll see what we looked like at 35, 42, 50 or 60. We'll remember that stage of our lives, what was happening around us and who we were at the time.
That's one reason I believe photographs aren't only about how you feel when they're taken. They become a record of a version of yourself that won't exist forever.
Boudoir Doesn't Have an Age Limit
There is also no age when you're suddenly too old to have beautiful photographs of yourself.
In fact, getting older can be one of the best reasons to stop waiting.
Women in their 40s, 50s and beyond sometimes tell themselves that something like boudoir is meant for younger women. It isn't. Beauty changes as we get older, but that doesn't make it less worthy of being photographed.
If that idea resonates with you, my 40 Over 40 Photography Experience was created specifically to celebrate women in their 40s, 50s and beyond.
The Photographs Can Be for Someone Else—and Still Be for You
Bridal and anniversary boudoir sessions are popular for a reason. Creating an album or collection of photographs for someone you love can make an incredibly personal gift.
But something interesting often happens along the way: even when a woman originally books her session as a gift for someone else, the experience and photographs become meaningful to her too.
The recipient may be part of the reason you booked the session, but you're still the person in the photographs. They're part of your story too.
If you're planning a wedding, you can learn more about bridal boudoir photography and creating a personal wedding gift.
Sometimes “I Want To” Is Enough
You don't have to justify wanting photographs of yourself.
You don't need to wait for a milestone, reach a certain age, change your body or have someone to give the photographs to. Sometimes the reason really can be as simple as wanting to experience something different and having beautiful portraits of yourself when it's over.
After photographing women for more than 15 years, that's something I wish more women gave themselves permission to do.
If you've been thinking about it, you can explore my Tacoma boudoir photography experience to see the styles I photograph and learn more about booking a session at Bella Chic Photography in Puyallup.