This interview has got to be one of my favorites to date because of how well it describes the mission of OWN: to be your OWN beautiful. She lets us all in to some of the mental changes that can be an effect of your boudoir session. Of course... there are some *ahem* other benefits that she hints at, but you'll have to read ahead for those. :)
1) How old are you... or if you prefer, who were you listening to at age 14 :)?
I am 26 years old & proud of it!
2) What do you do for a living?
I am a teacher. Yep - teachers can look and feel sexy too.
3) What/who made you decide to book a boudoir session?
I've always loved boudoir photographs. I think that the women in the pictures always look naturally beautiful and confident. With that being said, I have known for years that whenever I got engaged/married, I would give my man photographs of myself as a gift to him, so I gave the photographs to my fiance as his pre-wedding gift. And let me tell you - he LOVES the pictures.
4) Did you have any obstacles or fears about boudoir?
Of course! I was worried about my "bad sides" and how they would look in the photographs. However, these worries faded away quickly after the shoot began. It was such a great experience.
5) Why did you choose OWN?
I chose OWN because Sarah's online portfolio is amazing! The pictures she takes (and her subjects) are beyond beautiful and she perfectly captures the beauty of womanhood in many different ways.
6) How was the actual session different from what you expected (if at all)?
The session was super laid back and less intense than I thought it would be. Sarah gives great directions and made sure I was having fun by serving champagne and playing great music. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.
7) What was your favorite part of the entire experience? (priming, the shoot, seeing images, giving the images..etc)
My favorite part of the experience was seeing the images and giving the images to my fiance. Sarah showed me one of the first images she took at the beginning of the session and I was blown away at how awesome I looked. It was such a great confidence boost! And of course, seeing my fiance blush and 'ooh' and 'ahh' over the pictures was fun too.
8) How has the response been to your images?
Instead of explaining, I'll provide you with a few comments that people have made when they see my pictures.
My mother: "These are the most beautiful pictures I've ever seen. Everyone but your father needs to see these."
My sister: "My gay best friend says they are amazing. So you KNOW they are amazing."
My other sister: "You look like a legit Victoria's Secret model."
9) What is your advice for women interested in such a session?
DO IT. Seriously, don't walk - run and book your session. It is so great for body confidence. I cannot speak highly enough of this process, Sarah as a photographer and human being in general, or the quality of the pictures. You will certainly not regret this. I wish I could do it all over again - that's how amazing it was!
10) Did anything change about the way you see your own beauty as a result of this session?
Absolutely. Before the session, I wouldn't say that I had any serious body image issues or anything like that - just the usual insecurities and grievances with my thighs and whatnot. I will say however that I never saw myself as the 'sexy girl' or anything like that. Not to say that I didn't enjoy being sexy and looking good, but it just wasn't part of my identity. I've always been the smart, cute, funny girl, which is fine, BUT... After the session, I felt SO good about myself.
My fiance said something that really resonated with me regarding how I never really feel sexy. He said, referring to the pictures, "This is what I see when I look at you and I'm so happy that you are finally able see yourself in that way too."
He also said "If I ever hear you complain about 'being ugly' when you're getting ready again, I'm making you sit down and look at your photo album."
So, in conclusion, I walk with my head a little higher, and I feel much more confident in bed as a result of these photos (this could be TMI, but is that even possible with Sarah/this type of photography?).
