People often imagine that a woman books a boudoir shoot to please someone else: a sexy gift, a surprise for her partner. In my studio, the reality is almost always different.
“I thought I was doing it for him”
I remember a client who contacted me to give her photos to her husband for his birthday. A lovely gift. But during the session, something changed. She started smiling differently. She looked at herself in the mirror with a spark in her eyes, as if she were rediscovering herself.
At the end, she told me: “I thought I was doing it for him. But if I’m honest, I did it for me first. I haven’t felt this beautiful in years.” (translated from French)
Most of the women I photograph do it for themselves. Not to prove anything to anyone else.
Finding yourself again
Sometimes the reason runs deeper. One client told me during her makeup that she had just left a toxic relationship. For years she had been told she wasn’t beautiful enough. For her, this session was a way to find herself again.
We took our time and started with simple poses. When she saw her photos on the large screen, she stayed silent for a long moment. Then she whispered: “I don’t recognize myself. I didn’t think I could ever be beautiful.” (translated from French)
“I’m waiting for the right moment”
Another thing I hear a lot: “I’ll do a session when I’ve lost a few kilos”, or “when I feel more confident”.
We often confuse being ready with no longer being afraid. But the fear doesn’t leave before the session. It leaves during it. The first minutes there is some hesitation. Then the body relaxes, the gaze changes, and at some point she recognizes herself.
The reasons I hear most often
- A moment for yourself. After years of taking care of others, a day that is entirely yours.
- Marking a milestone. A big birthday, a wedding, a new chapter after a separation.
- Seeing your body differently. After a pregnancy, with curves, scars or stretch marks you have hidden for a long time.
- Finally seeing yourself as beautiful. For real, not just hearing it.
- A gift. For your partner, for Valentine’s Day, a wedding anniversary or just before saying yes. And often, along the way, that gift becomes a gift to yourself first.
And if I do it for someone else anyway?
That’s perfectly fine too. The photos are yours first. If they make someone else happy as well, all the better. Your album stays yours, and nobody sees your photos without your written consent. You choose what may be shared, anonymously or not, or nothing at all.
Frequently asked questions
At any age, as long as you are an adult. So far, my clients have been between 23 and 64.
No. Most of my clients do their session for themselves.
Sessions start at €499, hair and makeup included. That is the starting point, not the total: your photographs are chosen separately, as an album or a collection, and that is where most of the investment lies. I walk you through every option during our first call.
In my studio in Waterloo, near Brussels, about 30 minutes from Brussels Airport, by appointment only. The whole session can take place in English.
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If you feel it’s time to do it for yourself, tell me about your project.