1. Have you thought, “I’m too overweight for a boudoir session.”

2. Have you thought, “I just need to lose a few kilos first.”

3. Have you thought, “I’m too old for boudoir.”

4. Have you thought, “I’m not photogenic.”

5. Have you thought, “I‘m not a model.”

Your funnel of negative thoughts may have deeper effect on your happiness than you realise. Please stop thinking these unhealthy thoughts. There are no rules. Whether you choose to have a boudoir session with me, or another seasoned boudoir pro, boudoir photography can be one of the things that can SET YOU FREE from a negative mindset. You live your life every single day in that body, it’s time to connect (or reconnect) with it and give yourself some grace. Everyone deserves to feel beautiful, desired and sexy and it’s good for you on so many levels.

“Too overweight” is not a good excuse, there I said it, and I’ll say it again, its been on repeat since I started shooting boudoir in 2011. There’s a fan-fucking-tastic, body-positive movement happening right now and I can’t get enough of it. Seriously, I could cry knowing that this much needed movement is gaining some serious traction in our society finally. I’ll try to not fly off the rails here, but the things in our environment and within our society, mainly consumer-driven bullshit standards, that cause humans to love themselves less or not enjoy this beautiful life we are so lucky to live has to got to stop. Life is simply too short to be sad or ashamed for being a human!

“I need to lose weight first”…see above and those extra kilos makes no difference. When you have this thought, or worse say it out loud, you are only telling yourself that you are not good enough for something. Well, you are wrong. You are good enough, you can have and do anything you want. I’m not blowing smoke, I truly believe this, you are the only one keeping yourself from something you declare to be “not good enough” for. Yes, this relates to more than a boudoir session, this applies to your entire life. Love, money, dreams, aspirations, your children, your relationships, your future…these are all determined by your train of thought. Change your thoughts, change your life. YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH FOR ANYTHING YOU WANT, YOU JUST HAVE TO BELIEVE IT!!!

“I’m too old for boudoir”. There are some things we get “too old” to do, like shots of tequila and dancing until 3am! But being “too old” to enjoy anything that can make you feel good is just not true. We will never be too old for self-discovery in any year of our lives. We are never too old for a self-love reminder or even the first steps of a self-love journey, there is no cut-off age. We are worthy forever.

“I’m not photogenic”. Here’s all I will say about this. You haven’t had the right photographer to prove you wrong. Selfies are hard and most non-photographers (and some “photographers”) don’t understand light. Finding a good photographer is all you need to prove that thought wrong. Moving on…

“I’m not a model”. Good, I’d rather you not be as I don’t work with models. Where’s the fun in photographing someone who knows what it feels like to have their picture taken all the time? I love posing and coaching you, and seeing your reaction when you see a sneak peak on the back of the camera! I will show you that any woman can look fantastic with the right photographer, light, and hair and makeup.

“She’s a balance of strength and femininity.  She’s a blend of silly and serious.  She’s a dreamer with her feet still on the ground.  The kind of person that can find the suns rays in a rainstorm.  She is a once in a lifetime woman.” ~ j. iron word

In the words of this gorgeous woman… “Steph is awesome! From the get-go I felt totally cared for and supported for my first boudoir shoot. Steph was so encouraging, enthusiastic and welcomed any ideas with positivity. Her professionalism, vibe and client recommendations really say it all!”

“A big thank you to Stephanie for capturing truly amazing photos. A true professional from first point of contact to the very end product. Stephanie has made me see that I am beautiful and I can not thank her enough x”

Loving yourself is way easier said than done. But if you want to find happiness and peace in your life, you need to love the lady staring back at you in the mirror.

Once you know what triggers your low self-esteem, you can work on combating it. Stop letting others tell you who you are or who you should be. Stop negative self talk and push shame out of the picture. Be grateful for what you have, and for the fact that you’re alive. Surround yourself with good people who have your best intentions in mind. Do something kind for someone who is worse off than you are. Dare yourself to do something scary. Think about the last time you felt true happiness, and ask yourself what you need to do to feel that way again. Then go do it. 

And if you really want a self esteem boost to kick off a new season and a new you… well, click here. Let’s show the world who you really are: An incredibly amazing woman!