Better than Boudoir: The Naked Truth about Beauty Photography

When it comes to intimate personal portraits, most women have either invested in or at least heard of boudoir photography.  But is there another portrait style to consider? 

What if I told you there was another way... a better way... to feel sexy, empowered, confident, cherished, and downright fabulous inside and out?

As a Beauty Portrait photographer (combining the best of boudoir, fashion, and contemporary glamour), I've seen the changes the Beauty Portrait experience can make in the self-esteem and self-discovery of women of all ages, all shapes, and all sizes.  I'm excited to expose the naked truth of what this incredible genre has to offer.

Ready to discover a whole new way of appreciating, celebrating, and sharing the real you?  Read on.

Ten Reasons why Beauty Photography is the Perfect Portrait Style For You

Reason 1 of 10 

Beauty is about Connection.

When you want to connect with someone, are you most likely to...

a) flash them your winning smile?

b) flash them your amazing cleavage?

c) flash them your fabulous derriere?

I'm betting most women aim to present their winning smile to the world as a means of connecting.

Boudoir photography can be a beautiful celebration of what makes women's bodies special, but Beauty photography is a celebration of what makes WOMEN special-- our ability to express and connect.  When I see a winning smile like Cori's (below), I feel immediately drawn in.  Her light and spirit are on display here and that makes her stunning.

Reason 2 of 10

Beauty portraits are perfect for women of all shapes and sizes.

Ever notice that boudoir portfolios typically showcase tight abs, toned calves, firm breasts and booty, all slinkily draped with pearls and lace?  That's hot, right?  But it's not every woman's reality.  I don't know about you, but as for me, without my Spanx, my abs are hopeless.  And firm breasts?  HA!  Not after nursing two kids!  Toned calves?  Not at the moment.  Despite the fact that my kids lovingly refer to my abs as "mommy's bowl full of jelly," I know I'm beautiful and I have the pictures to prove it.

You don't have to be a fitness model or a size 2 to appreciate how gorgeous you are.

My friend Britt (below) is a mom to 3 amazing kids under 5.  When we shot her session, she knew she wanted to look and feel beautiful right now.  Not 10 pounds from now.  Not two jean sizes down from now.  When I see her portrait, I see a fearless, fabulous woman with smouldering, sexy eyes.  The lace and pearls are just accents to her personal beauty.

Reason 3 of 10

Beauty portraits fit your life stage-- from senior high school girls to fabulous fifties and beyond.

I've seen some wonderful boudoir images of 20-somethings (bridal boudoir, anyone?) and quite a few of women I might guess are in their 30's or 40's.  But it's not every day you see a great boudoir image of a woman in her 50's, 60's, 70's and beyond.  And let's not even consider boudoir for teens.

Beauty Photography is great for every age.  And the looks can be personalized just for you.

Take Kelly.  Kelly is a rockstar!  She has a ton of confidence and will boldly try racy looks.  Kelly proves that you can look sultry at any age.

And then there's Ann.  Ann is thoughtful, soft-spoken, and the picture of elegance.  Her shoot took a very different look from Kelly's but is equally fabulous and perfectly her!

Reason 4 of 10

Beauty Photography will make you feel like you belong on a magazine cover.

A great boudoir image might look fabulous on Playboy, but a great Beauty image would be right at home on Glamour, Vanity Fair, or Vogue.  Growing up, I plastered my walls with fashion images.  These days, I spare the drywall and plaster my Pinterest boards instead.

Doesn't every woman dream of looking like a cover model for the day?

And if you had to pick a cover, wouldn't you rather write home about your shoot with Vanity Fair (vs. your Playboy centerfold?)

Jaime wanted to celebrate her pregnancy with a truly special maternity shoot.  What I love about Jaime is her girl-next-door charm.  I mean, truly, how sweet is her smile?  Little did Jaime know that with the help of our creative crew we were going to make her covergirl fabulous!

Reason 5 of 10

Boudoir shoot with your mom?  Awkward.  Beauty shoot with your mom?  Awesome!

Feeling beautiful is such an incredible experience to share.  If the idea of showing off a thong and push-up bra with your mom around makes you uncomfortable, you're not alone.  Rest assured that Beauty portraits are family fun.

Bring along your mom, sister, cousin, best friend, or daughter and enjoy a bonding experience like no other.

Christin surprised her visiting cousin Colleen with a day at our studio.  Separated by miles as the grownups they are today, but connected by tons of stories of their childhood shenanigans, these two had a blast together.  The studio was filled with laughter and we got amazing individual and together shots of the girls.

Reason 6 of 10

Beauty portraits are shareable.

You might be hard pressed to find an image from a Boudoir shoot that would be appropriate for your LinkedIn account or your Facebook profile pic, but you'll be proud to show off the images from your Beauty shoot.  I make it a point to photograph one or more amazing headshots with each client.

The look I go for is approachable, confident, friendly.

Beautiful Christina shows off those traits perfectly in her glamorous professional headshot.  We got plenty of fashion-forward looks and mother-daughter shots too during her family Beauty session.

Reason 7 of 10

Beauty portraits are a gift for YOU.

Often women turn to Boudoir as a gift for their husbands or partners.  What better way to show someone you love them than by revealing how desirable, sexy, and confident you can be?  Well, I'll take it one step further and say, why can't you have all those things JUST FOR YOU?

If you really need an excuse, how 'bout one of these...?

the "I'm turning 39 (again)" gift

the "I just got a promotion" gift

the "My kids are all finally in school" gift

the "I'm ready to retire" gift

the "I really need a break from diapers, highchairs, babywearing and strollers" gift

Caring for yourself and your spirit are gifts that you'll get from a Beauty Portrait shoot.  Confidence looks sexy on you and that's something men AND women can appreciate.

Robin took a break from her four kids and busy role as mom to spend the morning shooting fabulous Beauty portraits like these with her best girlfriend.

Reason 8 of 10

Wear as much or as little clothing as you like.

A trademark of boudoir images is a lack of clothes.  But is that look for you?

Not gonna lie, I agree that confident women can look positively alluring when they're in various states of undress.  The nice part about working with a girl-power team (me plus my hair and makeup artist Brittany) is that women feel right at ease with us.  We know how to root women on when they need a gentle push. ("Oh, go on, girl!  Try on that lingerie!") But we also know how to support women when they feel more confident fully dressed.

From gowns to designer jeans to comfortable cotton to lace bustiers and anything in between, you choose what's beautiful and special to you.

Ashley and her fiance Jerred rocked a couples boudoir look AND a casual Gap fashion model look all in the space of the same Beauty session.  How's that for an adventure!

Reason 9 of 10 

You can showcase Beautiful You however you wish.

I'm all for daily reminders of how beautiful you are.  When my husband insisted we hang boudoir portraits of me in our master bedroom, I resisted.  Hardcore.  But then when I realized that he truly LOVES these images and more importantly, truly believes that I am every bit as gorgeous as that boudoir experience proved, I was swayed to see things his way.

When I wake up and look at me as art, I see myself in this gorgeous light.

I turned my boudoir images into wall art and so can you.  It bums me out to hear from women and photogs alike that the images from boudoir sessions are often too intimate for display.  Here's where Beauty portraits really shine.  Because each session features fully dressed images, you'll be assured there's something tasteful and still totally fabulous that's safe for all eyes.

Celebrate your beauty, your radiance, and your sexiness with sophisticated wall art.

Here's a wall art creation I suggested to Regina following her amazing shoot.  Isn't she just incredible?

Of course, we offer discreet print storage with our gorgeous handcrafted portfolio box too.

Reason 10 of 10

Your Beauty images might make you cry... in a good way!

At the heart of it all, you are beautiful-- inside and out.  If you're pretty sure that's true, well then, rock on!  Let's celebrate and make some portrait magic!  If you're not sure that's true, then I'd love if you would give me the opportunity to let the images speak for themselves.

Often women will sit at their Image Premiere and tear up or just drop their jaws and say "Wow!  I never knew I looked like that."

All genres of photography, at their best, offer the chance to reflect back light and love.  I know that there is light and love inside every woman and it is my great honor to bring Beauty Photography to Southwest Florida to show women something new and amazing about themselves.

This is You, Discovered.

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