Why I do Boudoir Photography | LE Boudoir | Loveland, Colorado Boudoir Photographer

I figured it's a pretty good idea to kick off my blog with a little story time around how I came to call myself a boudoir photographer. So grab something warm to drink, cuddle up in a blanket, and listen up. (Or skip all that and just read on a bit - whatevs :)

So I am Larissa, of Larissa Elizabeth Photography. This business has been up and running officially since 2014 but it was a hobby for a couple of years prior to that. Over the past decade or so, I have photographed a lot of different things but I quickly latched on to high school seniors. (I know that is very much NOT boudoir- but hang in there with me.)

For me, seniors were sooooo fun! I began to develop a pretty amazing system for helping high school students feel seen and heard and comfortable being themselves in front of the camera. The dozens of seniors that I photograph each year were a way for me to pour out my creativity but they also poured into me a purpose. I saw them blossom right in front of my camera and seeing that pep in their step as they left their session was fulfilling and life giving and just a lot of fun!

I can recall a handful of different senior sessions where the mom was their holding all the extra stuff for her kid and she made a comment about wishing she could do a fun, confidence boosting session for herself. That she could do the hair and makeup and wear clothes that make her feel pretty and then just have a ball creating images that she loves. After this happened a couple of times, I began to pay a little more attention to things around me. Simultaneously, I began to follow some educators in the boudoir world and just explore what it was all about. Before too long, it clicked that this boudoir photography thing might be something I wanted to be a part of.

I quickly realized that I had assumed boudoir was something it't not. I didn't realize the deep impact that it can have on women and that it's so much more than a glamour shot or surface level images. I thought it was sexy pics that a lady might take for her spouse and while it certainly can be that, I have found it to be a very multifaceted experience. And as I dove deeper, I realized that my skills and personalty, the process and connection I develop with my seniors and their families, and a lot of what I have poured my heart and soul into was very much aligned to what I might be able to build with a boudoir brand. It felt like I was on to something so life-giving here!

I did a lot of research and soul searching and through the process, I knew that not all boudoir photographers are created equal. Not all sessions are the same. Each woman is an authentic individual and that having a strong connection to anyone I photograph is essential to me. I knew that being my authentic self and sharing those parts of me that no one else has is my secret sauce for both me but especially for the women who put their trust in me to create these intimate images.

So as this adventure has unfolded, I have continued to develop my understanding of the power of boudoir. I have seen it over and over again with my ladies that have trusted me to create in my studio. I have watched them come in shy, nervous, with butterflies in their stomach and doubt in their eyes transform right in front of me as we get them into their first look, turn up the volume on the music, and jump into some poses to start. These lovely, brave ladies put their confidence in me and I was able to return it through some authentic hype and "yassss, girl!"s. They might have come in a little shaky but you better believe that I saw that little hair flip and confident smile, that pep in their step as the left the studio.

Because that right there, is the powerful impact that boudoir can have. I believe that every woman deserves the chance to take a moment out of their busy schedules to just be and breathe and be reminded that they are fierce and beautiful and ENOUGH. And I believe that if we as women are able to love our selves better, we love others in our life better too. We don't have to live up to someone else's beauty standards or measure ourselves with their twisted measuring devices. We can decide our own worth, our own value, and define our own brand of beautiful.

Damn, maybe go back and read that again because that is good. That is my true, authentic feelings right there. And what I have loved about my photography journey so far is that it has brought me so much joy and I have felt like I have gotten to share that joy with others. There have been curves in this journey and places where I had to pick a direction to turn and I am guessing more of that pivoting and choose-your-own-adventure challenge will come my way but I am so dang thankful for those who have come along side me to create and those that will jump in with me here in the near future.

I would LOVE to have you in my studio and get to experience what I am talking about first hand. You can click here to set up a time to chat with me on the phone or you can fill out the contact form down below and I will send you some information.

And lastly, while you are hear, click the button below to check out my Experience page and read up on this incredible experience I have crafted just for YOU, babe! Talk to you soon!

Click to learn more about the LE Boudoir Experience

-Larissa