If you’re like most of my boudoir clients, this is the first time you’ve been professionally photographed and you probably aren’t used to seeing such a large amount of photos of yourself all at once. It can be jarring! And for even the most confident person, negative thoughts around body image can arise, which is why I’ve partnered with Washington DC body image expert Allison Tepper of Tepper Nutrition to share some tips with us for viewing your boudoir photos!

Talk to yourself like you would a friend

If you are noticing any critical thoughts come up, think about how you might talk to a friend or loved one (or even a child.) Can you be gentle with yourself? Can you point out a thing or two you like about the photo? If that feels hard, simply name what you see: this is my hair, these are my tattoos etc

You are the Sunset

A photograph is just a second in time. It doesn’t capture your entire being. Your friends, family – those who love you – don’t love you because of how you look, they love the depths of you; your personality, how you make them feel, the good you do in the world. Think about when you take a picture of a sunset – you can never quite capture just how beautiful it really is in person. You are the sunset.

You are Uniquely You

Try and appreciate the uniqueness of you and your body. No two bodies are the same.

Remember how you felt

Maybe you felt empowered, confident or joyful. Boudoir isn’t just about the end result, it’s about the process and the experience. It’s not just to preserve how you look, but to celebrate and honor yourself, too. The act of boudoir is disrupting and reshaping what we’ve been told about beauty standards, self care and sexuality.

Comparison is the Thief of Joy

Try not to compare yourself to others, especially those you see on the internet or in magazines, like celebrities. They have imperfections just like you. And they have access to high end, expensive products, self-care and stylists, most of which regular folks don’t have the time or money for.

Take a Break

It’s totally normal to not love how you look in every single photo. Take a break and come back to them if you need to.

Oftentimes, womxn feel as though they need a different body or a partner to give them permission to experience a boudoir photoshoot.

I hear things like “when I lose the baby weight” or “once I’m engaged” all of the time but a boudoir session should be about honoring who you are, wherever you’re at in this stage of life. Your body is good today, it was good yesterday and will be good tomorrow. Boudoir is not only empowering but it’s disrupting and reshaping what we’ve been told to think about beauty, sexuality and self-care for most of our lives.

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The DC Boudoir Photographer is a local Washington DC Photographer who specializes in boudoir photography for womxn. We welcome all adult ages, abilities and bodies. We reject racism, xenophobia, transphobia, homophobia and ableism.