Revenge Boudoir? Sounds terrible, right? But read on …
Here it is the middle of June and we’re right in the middle of wedding season, but come sit here by Mama and let her tell you a story …
A couple of years ago I had a young lady come in (not the chickie in the photo, for complete transparency) to have bridal boudoirs taken. She’d brought her gown, her tiara, and the beautiful lingerie she was saving for her wedding night.
We had a blast shooting, cuz that’s how we roll at JLReis Boudoir/Glamour and she fell in love with her photos. She chose a Little Black Book as a wedding day gift then came back a week later and ordered a wallet accordion book for her man.
Right before her goodies were to be delivered, she contacted me in hysterics. She found out something awful about the groom-to-be and called off the wedding. She wanted to cancel delivery of her photos as well.
I went to my photography peers because I was nearly hysterical – the photos were due to be delivered and because the B2B hadn’t signed a model release (as is EVERYONE’S choice) I couldn’t use them for ANYTHING!
Here’s what I tell clients NOW about why their session with me is more important to THEM than it is for the person they intend to gift the photos to:
In the past five years I’ve had women come to me for boudoir photos for so many reasons. It started as bridal boudoir, but at some point I started realizing what these photos were doing for my clients. I’ve shot photos of women who’ve just turned fifty, I’ve had clients who are newly divorced and need a boost, I’ve shot women who’ve lost weight after having a baby and are in love with their new bodies, I’ve taken photos of women who were eight and half months pregnant and loved THAT body …
Just lately I’ve been taking photos of women who did it the firs time for their love, but have come back the second time (one has been to see me THREE times) for themselves.
Women deal with so many stressful things in their lives; their jobs, their marriages, the joy and craziness of being a parent. My brother called me this morning and said he felt like the world was out to get him and I laughed. Not at what he saw as his bad luck, but at his belief that he’s the only one that this happens to. Every one of us go through challenges on a daily basis, from fixing the baby’s booboo to losing a parent to sever health issues.
Women just can’t allow themselves to appreciate and reward themselves for challenges they deal with. Having intimate photos taken, dressed or NOT, helps you to see and love yourself. Every time a client tells me she takes her photos out and looks at them more than her lover does, I laugh with joy.
So what happened to that first bride I had? She actually kept the photos. The last I talked to her, she was seeing someone new and terribly happy. Did she get revenge on that sorry groom? I don’t know, but I like to hope she accidentally showed him those photos, lol.
THAT is what boudoir photography is about to me.
