Advice from my personal boudoir experience 

As photographers we often fear being on the other side of the camera. We are so used to directing people and confidently pressing the trigger to capture others. When the roles are reversed we feel vulnerable. 

The day of my boudoir shoot I was nervous and apprehensive.  I never before had my make-up professionally done, not even on my wedding day. I was worried about looking like a mask and plain right silly for the whole shoot, so was happy to sip on the mimosa to calm my nerves! 

During the first hour of the shoot I felt self-conscious about my posing, my body and my outfits. With time I felt more at ease and the results showed this.  I must really thank La Marie for my amazing photoshoot that really helped me, in the course of this year, to feel better and more confident in my own skin. 

Being photographed was an important process for me, in order to better serve my clients and here is what I learned: 

- Preparation is the biggest part of the shoot. Giving myself time to prepare my body and my wardrobe was a treat to myself, a relaxing time and a luxury that I rarely give myself (for example, as a climber I never have long painted nails, so that extra vanity made me feel already more feminine). 

- It is normal to feel worried before the shoot, so, if you can, try to see the whole experience as an adventure - something that forces you, both physically and mentally, outside your comfort zone. Doing something of which you are unsure is, in the end, more rewarding. 

-The next day you may be sore ! I thought, maybe a little presumptuously, that I was a fit and athletic person, but the poses required for boudoir are often corkscrew shaped, very uncomfortable - but great in photos! 

- Take your time. I did not want to rush through the shoot because, as I experienced, the first few shots were not the best. With a bit of time, mimosa and getting used to being photographed, the expressions, the poses and hence the shots got better and better. 

- Get the album. It is sad to leave amazing photos sitting in a hard drive. The photos deserve to be printed and to take on a physical shape that you and your loved one can see, feel and touch. 

 Experiencing the shoot first hand was important because I can now empathise with my clients and guide them step by step through the poses and the rest of the shoot. The photos did not provide me with an immediate change, but rather started a process of acknowledgment that a more mature body with, perhaps, a few more curves than I had in my twenties, is no less beautiful. 

It was a real privilege to have been photographed by La Marie, and I look forward to capturing more images of you lovely ladies – having experienced both sides of the camera myself!