The Boudoir Experience

Earlier this year I wrote a blog post about my personal experience with boudoir photography. In October, I was blessed by an amazing bunch of ladies to experience boudoir photography from the other side of the lens.

When someone invites you so see a hidden side of themselves (and I'm not just talking about what's hidden beneath the clothes...ahem...) it is a real honor and a mark of trust. All of us have things we would deem physical imperfections, whether it is stretch marks or ears that stick out, and those things create insecurities. They become barriers that stop us from being comfortable in our own skin. Once those walls have been built, we become so used to them that we forget what was on the other side.

Boudoir photography is an amazing tool for breaking down those walls, exposing our insecurities, and letting us see that what we thought were imperfections were really just marks of individuality that add to our beauty. We get to see ourselves through someone else's eyes and we find out that those stretch marks we thought were as deep as the Grand Canyon and could be seen from outer space are, in actuality, hardly noticeable badges of honor. In short, we get to see that that we are lovely, sexy creatures in all our individual glory, without the walls of insecurity to hide behind.

I partnered up with super talented photographer Olga Tenyanin to put on Captivate; A Boudoir Photo Marathon, and now you get to see a bit behind the scenes...

The Hotel Murano is gorgeous. It's located in downtown Tacoma, and filled with some very cool glass work and other really unique art. You could visit just to see that. The rooms are gorgeous, and the service was top notch.
We arrived early, began our set up (which is easily the LEAST fun part of the experience) and prepped the room. The makeup artist and hair stylist began their set up and before you know it, we were ready for our first ladies!

Once we settled in and got shooting we had an absolute BLAST.
Mimosas, gourmet cupcakes from Puyallup bakery Wanna Cupcake?  (which were EXTRAORDINARILY yummy) and some sexy tunes from the ol' iPod set the scene and helped everybody relax.

I was amazed with these ladies. They relaxed, they smiled and laughed, they SMOULDERED! I'm surprised my camera didn't start smoking! We got everything from bombshell and vixen to sweet and sultry from these ladies and the images really do speak for themselves.

We even shot some smouldering couples photos with local models Ryan Hollingsworth and MaryAnn Jones. I don't mind saying these are super sexy and some of my FAVs!

And as much as I loved the experience itself, hanging out with all these great ladies (and gentlemen) my absolute most favorite part of the WHOLE thing is hearing the what the ladies have to say after they see their photos. Jamie, one of the ladies who participated, wrote me an amazing testimonial and gave me her permission to share it with all of you. 
I don't think there is any stronger recommendation to try boudoir photigraphy for yourself than hearing strait from the mouth of someone who had done it. Here's what she had to say:

“Thank you so much, Nicole, for everything! You made my first boudoir photo session an absolute delight! All my nervousness and inhibitions faded fast with your reassurance and guidance. The shoot was a blast!

As a stay at home mom of 4, to a Highschooler on one end and a preschooler on the other and two in between, I somehow lost myself in the midst of baseball practices , home-schooling, and just the normal everyday rhythms of life.

This experience has played a pivotal role in rediscovering who I am and discovering the true me is not a separate woman from bing a mom and a wife, but she’s still the one underneath the baseball hat and apron; I had just forgotten I was till there!

When I see my pictures, I view them in celebration of who I am as a woman 36 years of age, a wife of 14 years, and as a mom of 4. You captured me, Nicole, and I am so thankful for it.

The icing on the cake was my husbands reaction! The pictures literally brought tears to his eyes and he said he didn’t know how to express how beautiful and stunning he thought I was, even though I’ve always been those things to him, seeing it captured left him nearly speechless.

For him, seeing me smile and enjoying myself is part of what makes the pictures so beautiful to him, although I now get teased regularly about being a “Victoria’s Secret” model and his “ultimate pin-up girl.”

Thank you again, Nicole, for everything. Had Captivate not been reasonably priced and inclusive, I wouldn’t have been able to give this extraordinary gift to my husband or receive the gift of myself. You are amazing. “

Jamie 

This STILL makes me smile. It's exactly what I hope to accomplish with every boudoir session.

If you want to experience that feeling yourself, message me! I still have spaces open for the Enchant Boudoir session in January. Hey, it's just in time to surprise your love for Valentines day!