Taylor, my hair and makeup artist, and I met when she volunteered to do hair and makeup for a senior model session I had put together back in 2017. She did just an amazing job, I started going to her and have collaborated with her ever since. It only made sense to ask her to be my very first boudoir model. Not only that, but we drove all the way to Denver, Colorado to do it! (Go big or go home!) ;)
It was so fun! With the help of one of my friends who lives out there, we were able to utilize a super cute AirBNB in the heart of Denver and had a blast. I asked Taylor to write a quick blurb about her experience as it was also her first time having boudoir photos taken, and this was what she had to say:
"EMPOWERING. Exactly how I describe my boudoir session with Nichole. Being a woman, the world puts so much pressure on us to be perfect. Standing half naked in front of a camera is a very terrifying thing to do. I started my session feeling very nervous and uncomfortable. Within 20 minutes of being in front of the camera, Nichole became my “hype woman”. I slowly started to relax and feel confident. By the end of my session, I was laughing, being my silly self, and forgot I was standing topless in front of a camera. Today, I feel so confident and love sharing about my session with Nichole. I truly believe every woman of every shape and size needs to experience how empowering you can feel in front of a camera."
For those that don't know Taylor personally, she is the epitome of a strong, beautiful and successful woman. She exudes a contagious glow of confidence and, while she likes to tell me all about her "old soul" tendencies, I always imagined her as "the life of the party". Ha! That being said, the other day, Taylor and I met for coffee and I asked her to elaborate a bit on what she had written because I wanted to know more. She always talks about how amazing the experience was for her / how she saw herself...and, I'll be honest, I wasn't sure how much I believed her. She was already confident, and how could she not know she was already a freaking bombshell??
What I learned is, just like me, she has insecurities. "I'm below average height and above average weight," she said. "Ten years ago, I was a 4 sport athlete - in the gym all the time." She talked about how she was never content with her build and any weight gained since graduation hasn't exactly helped those insecurities.
Prior to her boudoir session she said she had a significant amount of anxiety over those insecurities - wondering if a couple weeks at the gym or a spray tan would help her feel better about being half naked in front of a camera. Looking back, though, she says the reality is that there wasn't anything SHE could have DONE to make herself 'look better' -- she realizes that all of those insecurities are mental. She now believes the guidance is what made all the difference. When I would show her the photos on the back of my camera, and she saw a beautiful photograph of a beautiful woman, she said, "it completely changed how I saw myself."
"From that experience, it's not only changed me in my personal life and how I view myself - it also made me even more aware of the struggle we as women deal with without even necessarily being aware of it. It's added a deeper perspective for me in my line of work of building women up and making them feel amazing. I also believe that having had a boudoir experience, I can 110% relate to any woman who feels terrified to pull the trigger on booking a boudoir session for herself. At the same time, I'm even more convinced of the power it has and the necessity of booking one for yourself. It completely changes the way you see yourself for the better."
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