Busting excuses: Why you deserve a Boudoir Experience

When we get nervous, we make excuses. We make excuses not to love ourselves or take care of ourselves. Sometimes life is just busy, we are too crazy at work, or always have to drive someone SOMEWHERE. Sometimes it is more important to spend time with our spouse. We are also use to excuses like “I wanna lose 15 lbs first!” or “I just don’t have the money right now!” I wanted to write this to show you all that no matter the excuse, you CAN do it! Let me show you that no matter the excuse, you are worthy of self love!

“I don’t have enough time for myself”

It is also important to remember that if you aren’t taking care of yourself mentally, you are not going to be able to handle taking care of everyone else, which makes sense but is actually much harder said than done! Sometimes I am the WORST at making sure I am giving myself mental health breaks and that’s why I think it’s so important to share this with you all. I make the same excuses as above and sometimes I need someone to look me in the face and say, “SLOW DOWN, give yourself a break, breathe for a minute!” At a boudoir shoot you are able to breathe, and love yourself for a few hours. Think of all the energy you’ll save on a daily basis if you stop comparing yourself to others, or stop worrying about what other people will think of how you look. You get to see where your beauty really comes from and this lifts such a huge mental weight.

You need to take this time for yourself, why not spend it having an amazing time and getting glammed up for once?!

“I’m not where I want to be weight wise/I don’t fit the media’s idea of a good enough size”

Did you know that the body type portrayed in advertising as the ideal is possessed naturally by only 5% of American females? ONLY FIVE PERCENT.

I will say this is over and over again (and sorry, not sorry if you’ve heard me say it before) , but WHY do you have to be a certain size to LOVE yourself? WHY do you have to fit a strangers messed up idea of a perfect body to LOVE you own body? WHY are you comparing your size to everyone else, when no 2 women are the same?!

I think it’s amazing to have goals and want to get healthy, but does that mean you have to hate your body to do those things? Absolutely NOT! You should love yourself every step of the way. Be proud of where you are so that you can be proud of where you’re going. Have a boudoir shoot to celebrate where you are NOW, and then one when you lose that 15 lbs to celebrate how far you’ve come!

“I never feel sexy or sensual anymore so a boudoir shoot must not be for me.”

WRONG.

This excuse is actually the EXACT reason you SHOULD do a boudoir shoot.

Often times we lose touch with our femininity or sexuality when life gets crazy because of health/kids/work. It happens a lot and it is absolutely normal and okay! A great way to find this side of ourselves again is to have a boudoir shoot done to out that spark back in us. I can show you that you have that inside you somewhere, and it might even ignite a spark between you and your spouse as well!

Another thing to remember is that you don’t HAVE to wear super set clothing/lingerie. If you feel like this doesn’t show your personality, then there are so many other outfit ideas. I will gladly talk to you about them or you can check out our blog on finding outfits here!

“A boudoir shoot is an investment and I don’t have all the money right now.”

YES, a boudoir shoot is an investment. It is also an investment in yourself. You are investing in your well-being and confidence as well! We do offer payment plans! In order to book your shoot, there is a retainer, and after that we can set up your payment plan for the remaining balance so that it might be easier to book a shoot! If you have questions about our payment plans, shoot us an email!

Why I shoot Boudoir Photography!

Sometimes I find It hard to put into words why I shoot boudoir photography. To me, it is so much more than photos. It is about self-acceptance, body positivity, and art. It is about getting glammed up and laughing your butt off. It is about the transformation that takes place between the time you walk in my studio and walk back out that door way more confident. It is about feeling beautiful, and that is something I believe every person deserves.

I started shooting boudoir photography because I saw the level of confidence women gained when doing a boudoir session. I believe I could show any person what I see through my camera. Women tell me they feel they can’t look “that beautiful” because they feel too tall, weight too much, or have too many stretch marks. I loved showing them the photos during their shoot and showing that they CAN, in fact, feel and look beautiful. Seeing their reactions to their images changed me. From that moment on, I knew I had found my passion.

It was now my job to be a mirror for my clients. Not the mirror that the world shows you that shames you, but Theon who sees past all the lumps, bruises, and imperfections. The one that shows you your sparkle.

The Transformation

The transformation that takes place in our studio is the best part of the whole experience. When a woman arrives in my studio, most of the time she is nervous and it can be visible. Shaky hands and voices, sweaty palms and feet are things I see all the time. Once they sit in the chair to get their hair and makeup done, the transformation begins. The client slowly starts to shed those signs and feelings of nervousness and anxiousness.

Then the shoot starts. The first series is to get you all warmed up. When I show the client the back of the camera, I usually hear “OH MY GOD, that’s me? NO WAY that’s me!”. As we go into the next series and then the next, the laughter and smiles start to come out. The she starts to feel sexy and the sexy eyes come out. That’s when you can tell that it is starting to click with them.

By the time we finish the session and go into the reveal, we are best friends. We’ve just shared an experience that they will always remember. We have laughed and shared stories about our lives and experiences.

Once I show them their pictures on the TV screen, their jaws drop. They see themselves like they never have before. This is one of the amazing things about boudoir photography. I get a chance to show them how I see them. how their spouse sees them and I get to be their mirror. When they walk out that door, they're smiling so big and they can’t wait to tell all their friend about their experience.

A little bit of my story!

I have always struggled with self image and body positivity. This is another reason I was so drawn to boudoir photography. When I was growing up, I was never the skinny kid or popular kid. I felt like I was always competing with people around me until I got older and realized that their opinions should NOT define me.

Fast forward, I joined the military and got into the best shape of my life. I was the “ideal” body weight and shape. I found the love of my life and we had a beautiful baby girl. I definitely gained weight and went through a depression stage again. This is where I stopped loving my body and all the stretch marks. Not realizing that I should be loving this body and how strong I was through my own transformation into motherhood.

Still to this day I struggle to lose weight but I am forever loving myself and where I am currently.

Krysti’s Boudoir Experience

In April of 2021 I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. I had my first surgery in June 2021 but unfortunately it didn't get all the cancer so I went in for a full hysterectomy in October 2021. During that surgery there was a tragic complication that tore my bladder open and severed my ureters. I was in the hospital for 4 weeks and had stents implanted to help heal my ureters and a catheter for over two months. Needless to say I wasn't feeling all that sexy or beautiful for a long time. Also, I gained unexpected weight during this time and acquired a lot of scarring which left me feeling down about my appearance and slowly put me into a depressive state. I have an amazing husband and daughter who stood by my side throughout my whole medical journey and although my husband assured me that I still looked great I just couldn't see it. I didn't feel like myself and didn't want to be intimate because of my insecurities.

After my full recovery, I racked my brain trying to figure out something that could bring back some of my confidence and build up my self esteem but I was coming up with all losses. Finally I saw Tiffany's facebook page through a mutual friend and decided that a boudoir session might just be the thing to help build me back up. I needed to do something for myself that would make me say "Yea there's the Krysti that I've missed so much" and also "HAHA cancer you suck". I wanted to feel indestructible after I had kicked cancer's butt.  After reaching out to Tiffany and discussing all the options, I scheduled my session for a few days before my 35th Birthday. Leading up to that day I'm not going to lie I almost canceled and chickened out. I was so nervous and kept thinking that I would look terrible, so I did a lot of negative self-talk... SMDH but as the day got closer I just reminded myself that I needed to do this to move forward. 

The day of my session I arrived shaking nervous but immediately Tiffany and team made me feel confident and comfortable. My makeup and hair was stunning and really looked like me when I get dressed up for a special occasion. The selection of outfits was amazing but I also brought some of my own outfits that made it more personal for my husband who would be the benefactor of my shoot. Once Tiffany found out that my Birthday was only a few days away, she ran to the store and bought me a bottle of champagne to drink and take some photos with. I was so nervous when she posed me for my first shot, then she came to show me the first picture in my head I was preparing myself to hate the sight of myself and that I would probably need to leave but instead I started to cry (which wasn't the best considering my beautiful makeup LOL). I cried because I felt like all of my struggles in the last year were finally over, I felt empowered and realized that the confident Krysti I always had been was still inside of me... She just needed to be woken up! Throughout the shoot I gained more confidence and started to really open up and have fun with it no longer awkward or shy. 

Tiffany knew that I was self conscious about my stomach so she helped to avoid close shots or shots that would show my scarring and stomach which was extremely important to me. She asked about what body parts I wanted to accentuate and she really highlighted them in all of my photos. I had a plan to only buy 10 photos but after reviewing with Tiffany while I drank some of my champagne I couldn't leave there without more. They were beautiful, elegant, seductive, and playful. I was beautiful and I truly felt that way for the first time in over a year. I left my session with such high dopamine and adrenaline that I could barely contain myself when my husband arrived home that evening. He had no idea that I had scheduled or done the shoot as I wanted to surprise him with them. Needless to say I have sent him a few over the last week and he is OBSESSED. Constantly asking me for another one but I am holding strong and giving him one every now and then just to remind him that he's still married to the spicy, sassy Krysti he always has been and who he fell in love with. Although I did these photos for myself I knew that it would definitely make my husband excited.   

I simply cannot say enough about Tiffany and the overall experience. For me it was life changing and truly eye opening. 10/10 recommend for any and everyone!

Sarah’s Boudoir Experience

Sarah has been in our studio for 3 different Boudoirs now. She has celebrated show much in her life and I cherish her so much as a client. Her very first session was absolutely beautiful and one of my very first boudoir sessions photographed in my old studio space. She was nervous and anxious, like most clients. Sarah was OBSESSED with her hair and makeup, which I KNOW helped her feel beautiful in front of the camera.  

The confidence in Sarah has changed and grown so much over the past 2 years of her being my client. Boudoir really does change lives of everyday women.

Top 12 Most Frequently Asked Questions about Boudoir Photography

1. Do you share my images?

Only if you are ok with us sharing your images. We respect your privacy and want to make sure you feel safe and comfortable. If you prefer to stay private, we have NO issues doing so.

2. Do you have to wear Lingerie?

We have a full client closet of dresses, robes, lingerie etc. You don’t specifically have to wear lingerie. We will talk about wardrobe at your consultation to see what your vision is.

3. Do you have payment plans?

YES! We have after-pay, affirm, PayPal credit and in house payment plan options. Just ask us!

4. Do you Photoshop my images?

YES! We skin smooth, remove cellulite (if requested), and slim bodies (if requested). We do not typically remove scars etc unless it is distracting. There is not much we can’t do in PS so if you have concerns, don’t worry! Just let us know and we will discuss our capabilities!

5. Do you include hair and makeup?

Yes! All of our sessions include professional hair and makeup!

6. Where should I buy lingerie?

We have a full client closet of dresses, robes, lingerie etc. You don’t specifically have to buy lingerie. We will talk about wardrobe at your consultation to see what your vision is.

7. What type of print products do you have?

We offer a variety of photo albums and wall art! We also have retro image reels and other products like folio boxes and matted images.

8. Do you offer digitals?

YES! We have a couple side items that are just digitals!

9. Is it normal to be super nervous?

Yes! Everyone who walks into our studio feels nervous and rightfully so! Trust us, we will make you feel right at home. By the time hair and makeup is done, you will be ready to snap into model mode and rock your session!

10. How many outfits do I get to wear?

Each session includes 4-5 outfits!

11. Should I arrive early to my session?

Arriving 10 minutes early is always good! If we aren’t ready for you, we will let you know.

12. Where is your studio located?

We are located in Dixon CA just 25 minutes from Sacramento and 15 minutes from Davis.