Boudoir photos: You’ve seen them and you’ve heard about them, but perhaps you haven’t done much research on them. Maybe you’ve viewed them but thought to yourself you’d never get them done, at least not until you’ve lost those extra few pounds. Maybe you haven’t gotten them done out of fear. Not feeling perfect can be scary when it comes to taking off your clothes and posing in front of a camera. But having boudoir photos taken, as scary as it might seem, is empowering. I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about boudoir photos and why you need to take them for yourself as an act of self-love.

Define Boudoir Photos

As defined by Bride Box, a wedding album blog:

“Boudoir” is a French word meaning a lady’s private dressing room or bedroom. In photography, boudoir refers to a style in which women pose for photographs partially clothed or in lingerie. These photos are also used as a way to document how great you look and feel about yourself at this given time.

Don’t get confused, these are not pornographic pictures. These are well lit professional pictures showing as much or as little of your body as you wish.

Challenge Your Negative Story about Yourself

Every day when you look into the mirror, you might see things you wish you could change about yourself: your weight, your hairstyle, your wrinkles or cellulite. You may even go as far to avoid looking in mirrors all together. Taking boudoir photos makes you challenge what you see in the mirror because when you’re looking at your photos, all you’re going to see is the beauty that everyone else sees.

No More Comparisons

We’ve all done it more times than we’d like to admit: you’ve seen that person you used to know, scrolled through their social media and compared their body image to yours and wondered, “What do they think of me now that I’ve put on these few extra pounds?” We compare ourselves to others and immediately see everything negative about our bodies instead of seeing the beauty in them. Having boudoir photos taken will remind you that your body is beautiful too. You’ll remind yourself that we were all made differently because if we all looked the same, it really wouldn’t be much fun.

Empower Yourself

Having Boudoir Photos taken is Empowering. If you’re at a point in your life where you’re looking for that spark to remind you just how awesome you are, you’ll definitely find it by having boudoir photos taken. You’ll find new things to love about yourself and you’ll see what your family and friends see when they tell you you’re beautiful. In the photos, you’ll see how amazing your body truly is, and your inner light will shine through.

 Own Your Femininity

Society has tried to get everyone to have the same picture for what women should be and should look like. Screw society and own your unique femininity. Whatever that may be or look like, own it because it’s yours and yours alone. Boudoir photos allow you to take back your femininity and express yourself in a way you didn’t know was possible.

Reclaim Your Self Esteem

If you’ve had any life-altering events – had a baby, had surgery, were domestically violated, just got out of a long term relationship, or maybe even gained or lost weight – and feel a loss of self esteem as a result, then taking boudoir photos should be at the top of your to-do list. Any of these life-changing events can cause you to have little to no self esteem, and understandably so, but taking boudoir photos will help you reclaim your self esteem and realize that your battle scars, visible or unseen to the naked eye, are part of you and help tell your story.

Now that you’re excited to let your boudoir photos tell your story, to own your femininity, to reclaim your self esteem, and to simply love yourself, all that’s left to do is to find a photographer near you, set a date/time, and get to posing! Taking boudoir photos is an act of self-love because it shows you to appreciate your body. All of the imperfections you think you have are actually just your story and your story is beautiful. Enjoy your boudoir pictures for years to come and always remember to celebrate your brand of sexy!