Gorgeous Mom of Three

I had the pleasure of photographing this beautiful woman back in January for a Valentine’s Day gift for her hubby. One of the impressions I had of her after our session was that this woman knows herself.  She is very confident in herself and her life choices. She is very devoted to her husband and her three little ones.  I think her self assurance gives her an aura of inner peace.  I know that sounds a little new-age, but it is the impression that I got.  This client has her own blog that she writes and after our session and receiving her gorgeous album, she wrote a blog post to talk about her experience and her motivation for scheduling a boudoir experience. I am including some of her own words with her amazing images…

The reason that I was drawn to boudoir photography was primarily to bless my husband with sexy images that are perfectly fine for him to lust over and enjoy time and time again. I wanted to look tantalizing, but not sleazy.  I searched the web for a boudoir photographer in Raleigh who took tasteful photos while making her clients look like centerfolds.  I found one named Cari who had beautiful shots on her website and described herself as a “minivan mom of three children, and happily married for 25 years” with a ladies-only operation, who photographs women of all ages, shapes, sizes and walks of life.  (Her website showcased boudoir photography of women aged 20-60!)  She was precisely what I was looking for.

 

 

The day of the shoot I took my oldest child to school and then dropped my younger two off at one of those FANTASTIC drop-in childcare places, because my kids don’t go to preschool and are always with me, and mama wanted two hours to be a supermodel!  The studio space that Cari has is an old house in the center of downtown Durham, NC. Save for a couple of tufted couches and beds with pin-tucked duvet covers, the rooms are sparsely furnished but have windows on all sides to allow plenty of natural light.  Cari double-checked the lingerie that I brought and confirmed whether she thought it would photograph well and then she handed me a glass of champagne, and I sat down in front of a brightly lit mirror where a professional make-up artist spent an hour on my hair and make-up, transforming me from mom to vixen.

 

 

The only other time in my life that I’ve put as much focus on hair, make-up and time in front of a camera was for my wedding.  But another reason I chose to do this now is because: a) I am finally finished having babies and my body is back to a size and shape that I like, and I want Bryan and myself to remember it this way, and b) in the last year I feel like my hormones have finally recovered from having children to the point that I feel sexy again…so I was in the right frame of mind to do this.

 

 

Cari and my make-up artist Joanne were fantastic–we listened to Bruno Mars on Pandora and just chatted while Joanne did her magic, so by the time Cari pulled out her camera I felt like I was amongst girlfriends.  We shot all over the house and Cari coached me on poses, facial expressions, what to do with my hair–she made me feel very comfortable and we laughed throughout the next hour.  The following week I returned to see the 94 shots she had to show me, and to decide how many to purchase for the album.  Watching the slide show she prepared was very powerful–I couldn’t believe that some of the photos were actually photos of me!  Like most women, I work with what God has given me, and most of the time I’m pretty happy with my appearance.  But, every once in a while I don’t feel so pretty, and I wonder if Bryan still likes the way that I look.  He gets frustrated sometimes when he has to regularly assure me that he is still attracted to me and yes, of course, still thinks I’m beautiful.  But, again like many women, I don’t always believe him, and I’m overly critical of myself.

 

 

But what this boudoir experience really did for me was show me the way that Bryan already sees me, and it gave me more confidence and boldness in sharing myself with him, even if my body does look different after 10 years of marriage and three children.  It was not inexpensive, but it was an investment in my marriage and self-confidence that I think was worth every penny, and one that both Bryan and I will enjoy for the rest of our lives.

 

 

I am so grateful to my clients who allow me to showcase their images and tell their stories about what a boudoir session meant to them.  Thank you so very much for letting me share!