I'm a boudoir photographer and owner of the Bedhead Boudoir Studio, but believe it or not, I had never done my OWN boudoir shoot.  I've been shooting clients for 5 years and never took the time to do a session for myself!  It's like that old phrase - the plumber's house always has leaky faucets (or however that goes!).  Here I am working full-time to provide beautiful, empowering, confidence-building images to my clients, but I had never taken the time to give myself that same gift. 

A few weeks ago, I decided that it was time to treat myself and finally get my own boudoir session done!

I set a day aside at the studio for my shoot and planned everything with my assistant.  I did everything that I suggest our clients to do: I bought some brand-new lingerie, I got a fresh manicure and pedicure and I started drinking lots of water.  I already owned a pair of sexy high-heeled shoes, so I didn't buy those new.

When the day of my shoot came, I thought that I would be calm and collected because I have been doing boudoir full-time for 5 years, but no!  I was a ball of nerves!  I have been working with my assistant for almost a year, but I still felt vulnerable posing in front of her.  I had a lot of thoughts running through my head; "Will my images look good?  Does my face look weird? What do I do with my hands?  What does she think about me??"    Fortunately I already knew the answers to my questions.  My assistant and I have perfected our process to making every woman look and feel fantastic for their boudoir shoot, so I knew I was in good hands.  But I have to say, this experience definintely made me understand how all of my clients feel when they come to the studio.  I can understand why they are nervous!

I chose three outfits for my shoot.  The first two were bodysuits: a black lace bodysuit with a black bra under (for a little additional lift) and a pink deep plunge bodysuit.  The third outfit was a simple black bra and panty set with a sheer shirt over that I wore unbuttoned and off-the-shoulder.  I wanted to keep things simple and elegant.  I wore my favorite pair of sky-high back heels with all three outfits.

We started in the hair & make-up suite with Paula.  She's been doing hair and make-up professionally for 8+ years and did an amazing job transforming me from my regular day face to sexy glam!  For my eyes, I chose a subtle smokey eye with a dark liner and long eyelashes.  For lips, I chose nude with shiny gloss.  For hair, Paula gave me sexy beachy waves with straight ends - I didn't want my hair to look too curly.  In the end, I loved my final look! 

Next we went upstairs to the studio to shoot.  From the minute the shoot started, my assistant was by my side: posing me, telling me what to do with my face and helping me know what would look best for my body type.  Within a few minutes, all of my nerves and fears melted away and I felt totally comfortable!  Instead of feeling nervous, I started having fun!  I felt like a supermodel posing in front of the camera.  I loved feeling the fan in my hair and knowing that the images we were creating were going to be amazing!

When I saw my images a few days later, I was THRILLED with how they turned out.  I kept saying to myself, "Dang girl, you look AMAZING!"  That feeling of self-confidence has stuck with me in the following weeks.  It was just the boost that I needed! 

I printed my images in a 10x10 leather heirloom album and I love it!  I chose a few images to create centerfolds.  I also picked one page for a photo cover.  I am so happy with the final result!  It makes such a difference to have the tangible album in my hands rather than just digital files sitting on a hard drive somewhere.

I am so glad that I finally took the chance to give myself the same amazing experience that I've been providing to my clients for years.  My boudoir shoot was a bit nerve-wracking for sure, but also tons of fun!

Some of my images are a bit too revealing for me to share online, but I'll share one of my favorites below.  I will treasure these photos forever!

xoxo Angela