I had a bunch of photo inspiration laid out one day that featured boudoir photography. I was trying to soak in the beauty and analyze the technique. My boyfriend commented on which one he liked: the raciest of all 20 or so photos. I didn’t need to wonder why he chose that one.

It did make me wonder who exactly boudoir photography is for. For the woman? For the partner? I think it is a wonderful gift to give to your husband/boyfriend/significant other but I think there’s something else there too. Something more inward-focused.

I think that a main motivator behind boudoir photoraphy is the woman’s desire to feel beautiful for a day and then to be able to remember that day forever, regardless of who else sees the pictures. So SHE can remember how stunning she looked at that age, whatever that age was. Boudoir photography is a way to convince ourselves that, YES! I am smokin’ hot! even if that thought never crosses our minds otherwise.

It’s empowering to be able to get over the fact that you’re letting someone take pictures of you while you’re in lingerie (And sexy shoes. Never forget the shoes.) You did it! You had that camera pointed at you and you felt…nervous. But you got over that. You felt sexy. You felt beautiful. You felt like a freakin’ Victoria’s Secret model, if only for a day.

And now some dessert for the eyes a la Jen. You’d never guess how nervous this girl was before her shoot. Gor-jus! So even if you know you’ll be nervous, just remember that it is my job to make you look and feel anything but.