Boudoir Photography Santa Barbara | Ruthie

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“The thought of a photo of me, let alone a Boudoir Shoot was the furthest thing from my mind. That is exactly why I felt I needed to do it.”

So often  people tell me as soon as they lose weight/get rid of their acne/get that six pack, etc., they will be ready to take boudoir photos. But boudoir photos are about so much more than idealizing and creating an illusion of a perfect body (and let´s be honest, it is an illusion. No one has a perfect body. No one.). It´s about appreciating the body we have, with all its´strength and weaknesses, and yes, even flaws. It´s about letting go of the control we feel the need to have, and allowing ourselves to see us the way other people see us–without the self-doubt. Without the incessant criticism. With love. With compassion.

Here is a little something Ruthie shared with me and gave me permission to share with yáll….”Over a year ago I found out that I had PCOS, a condition where my hormones and body just didn’t seem to want to work with me. Some of the side effects included weight gain (especially in the worst places), acne and hair loss. Needless to say, I was not feeling so great about myself. I have been killing myself trying to take control of it, which only helped a bit but I definitely did not feel like myself.  The thought of a photo of me, let alone a Boudoir Shoot was the furthest thing from my mind. That is exactly why I felt I needed to do it. When you feel at your worse, why not have a professional help you find your beauty? At first I was super nervous, I kept feeling like I needed to be a model and I am the absolute worst at knowing my body. I can’t tell you how many times in the beginning I apologized to Karen about how bad I was at posing. Regardless of how I felt inside, Karen always assured me that I was doing great. She kept me comfortable the entire time and even though we just met, I felt completely like myself around her. Karen did a great job directing me and she knew which parts of my body I was uncomfortable with, so she made sure to not focus on those areas. Towards the end of the shoot I was walking around completely naked! I felt empowered and for once good about myself. I absolutely enjoyed the shoot and highly recommend that if you are not feeling your best to take a chance and give it a shot. Thank you Karen for an amazing shoot! So professional, yet so personable.”

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I think it’s safe to say that more often than not, we are our worst critic. When Ruthie came in to my studio, all I saw was a playful, fun and sexy woman. When I look at the photographs of her that’s what I see. While I posed Ruthie in certain ways to bring out her VaVaVoom even more, it’s all there–I didn’t create it, I just brought it to light.

I hope Ruthie’s words and experience encourages all women feeling self-doubt to take a leap of faith and take a new look at themselves, through a different set of eyes and photographs.

I am my worst critic, and sometimes I need others to remind me of what I cannot see.

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