boudoir by susan explains: WHY do a boudoir shoot?
Research On Boudoir
I did some research last week and was surprised to learn that a top question about boudoir photography can be summed up in one word: WHY?
Why do women do boudoir photo shoots?
Wow.
I figured, given the rise in popularity of boudoir over the past 15 years, the word would have gotten out and that most people would understand why women, and let’s not forget their partners, would seek boudoir photography as an outlet for self-expression.
My Interviews
Back in 2015 I invited 39 clients to fill out a somewhat long questionnaire. I was in the process of writing my book Body & Soul and my goal was to gather at least 15 stories in my clients’ own words. I never imagined I’d receive all 39 back and so I made space in the book to incorporate them all.
Why? Because each one shone a beautiful light on a compelling reason why a woman would want to experience a boudoir shoot.
Notice my choice of words: experience.
The Boudoir Shoot Experience
Just as therapists can serve as mirrors—reflecting how our minds and thought processes work, a skilled boudoir photographer can create images that reflect back for the client the characteristics, qualities, and energy she wishes to see in herself. The boudoir photo shoot then becomes a powerful form of validation. But there are a few requirements:
mission: the photographer must be more interested in understanding and tailoring the shoot in order to communicate the client’s personality/style/identity than he/she is in articulating their own personal aesthetic
ability: the photographer must have a powerful and diverse toolset: using lighting, posing, and styling that flatters the client, and reflects exactly the vibe the client was hoping to see
personality: a boudoir photographer must have the type of personality that instantly sets women at ease so that they settle into their true personality and come across as their selves
The Benefits of Boudoir
So with that information as a backdrop, let’s now answer the question: why do women pursue boudoir photography?
Assuming the above conditions have been met, and that there is good rapport between the boudoir photographer and the client, women have consistently (in my 15 years) reported the following results from their photo shoot experience, and the resulting images:
increased confidence and self-esteem
greater self-awareness
growth in self-worth
resolution of body image challenges
shift towards more positive inner self-talk
reconnection to self
greater self-love
healing from body trauma (e.g. cancer, severe scarring from surgeries, near death experiences, and other illnesses)
healing the mind-body disconnect (e.g. clients who have experienced rapid physical changes such as weight loss from bariatric surgery)
appreciation of their physical characteristics
satisfaction from overcoming a personal challenge
renewed or improved intimacy with their partners
The Truth About Boudoir
Here’s the truth about boudoir photography: it is seldom a vanity pursuit. Quite the opposite, once prompted most women will reveal a far deeper reason for WHY they will choose to pursue the often life-changing, transformative experience that is boudoir. Nothing brings me more joy than to share happy tears with clients who are able to, at last, release inner struggles, rewrite debilitating inner talk, and calm deeply held fears. As far as I see it…
Transformation is ultimately what I deliver;
Boudoir photography is only a vehicle.
