Boudoir Photography vs. Come As You Are Sessions
Come As You Are Sessions | Redefining Traditional “Boudoir” Sessions Into An Empowering Experience | Apollo Fields
“Come As You Are” vs. “Boudoir Sessions”
I’ve never felt right about calling my work “boudoir” but I have found myself using that term in the past because it is more relatable to people. So I dug deep to find out not only what “boudoir” is being defined as, but then redefining what it is that I actually offer.
A quick google search informed me that a boudoir session is “a photography session where you wear sexy outfits, lingerie, dresses, or even go scantily clad and get your photographs taken” (weddinglovely.com).
Nope, nope, just no. That is simply not what I do or what I offer.
Everything I was reading online encouraged clients to do boudoir sessions because they are “a great gift for your fiance” or because they are “the perfect excuse to go shopping for lingerie” or because “you can get your hair and makeup done”.
Again, that’s a big no for me.
I believe that these sessions should be for you, as a way to honor your whole being exactly as you are in that moment. No apologies, no excuses, no “I need to wait a few months to get in shape / lose the weight / get a summer tan / buy new clothes / whatever it is that is holding you back”.
These sessions are about figure and form.
They are about holding space for yourself.
They are a journey. They are powerful. They have the ability to be transformative and introspective and wild and expressive and beautiful and uncomfortable and awakening.
They are about you coming exactly as you are.
What is my role?
My role is to support you in that experience and capture your entire being in photographs. We’re going to heighten your awareness together, and then we are going to turn that into beautiful, epic, storytelling artwork.
You will learn something about yourself in both the session as well as the images.
For me personally, I am most inspired by individuals who come to me with an open mind and an open heart, who might be nervous for the session but instead of dulling those feelings with champagne and self deprecating jokes, are able to voice their emotions and begin the journey of trust in making these images all about you in the present moment.
I will ask you to set your intentions and do some breath work. We’re going to flow through your energy instead of freezing into awkward poses. It is here where the nerves begin to lift, and this is the experience you will remember when you revisit these images over the years.
If I’ve done my job correctly, these photographs will bring you back to the sensations you were feeling at that time in your life. Maybe you were feeling excited about your upcoming wedding-- I want you to really feel it. Maybe you were about to turn 40 and wanted to honor your body during that milestone. Maybe you had just given birth and you were finding your way home again in your body. Really feel it.
Just got a new tattoo? Recovering from surgery? Ran your first marathon? Lost a family member? Lost your job? Landed your dream job? Going through a divorce? Celebrating your marriage? Celebrating one year sober? Coming out as gay? Got your yoga teacher certification?
Whatever it is, it is reason enough for one of these sessions. In fact, just being alive right now is reason enough. There is some passion or struggle or fire or light in you that will make beautiful photos. We’ll find it together-- just come as you are.
XO,
Heather
“Do it! I did it as a gift for my husband, but what I got out of it was the best gift I could have given myself. Let yourself laugh at yourself when you remember how nervous you were, but then how great you felt after! Trust yourself, trust your body, trust Heather.”
FAQs:
What Should I Wear?
Whatever empowers you. Whatever makes you feel the most you. As much or as little as you want. Want to wear lingerie? Do it because you feel beautiful in it, not because society has told you that this makes you sexy. If you feel the most sexy in your power suit with your hair slicked back, do it. Wear a fucking snow suit for all I care, just do it with intention.
I spent years drawing, painting, and photographing nude models for fine art classes and this is one of the most comfortable places for me to work as an artist. I love nudity, but you don’t have to. For me, a naked body is sacred and beautiful, not inherently sexual. Whatever shape, size, color, wrinkle, stretch mark, hair, or feature you have, I’ve pretty much seen it all, and feel very at-ease around nakedness. Again, it’s all up to you.
What if these photos are a gift for my partner?
Great! I say heck yes to this, but they should be a gift for you first. I believe that your body belongs only to you, and whom you choose to share it with is sacred. These sessions are no different.
Do I need to get my hair and makeup done?
This is a very personal decision and I support both options. Some people feel very empowered by getting their hair and makeup done for photos. From a totally biased standpoint, I personally love when skin is done by a professional because they know how to really nail it for pictures, which makes a big difference even if you want a natural look. These sessions don’t automatically imply that you have to have big curls, fake lashes, and red lipstick. We’re going to leave society’s definition of attractive at the door because ain’t nobody got time for that. If you feel weird with your makeup done, then come barefaced. It’s ALL good.
How much retouching is done?
Good light goes A LONG way and trust me, I love the good light. This will do the majority of the heavy lifting in conjunction with the magic that I’m doing in the camera. My post-production work consists of fine tuning your images-- straightening, adjusting, color correcting, etc… I’m not a plastic surgeon though, and don’t ask me to “make you skinnier” in the pics. It ain’t happenin’, sister. This goes against all of the empowerment work we’re doing together in the session, and I also believe that it does a huge disservice to society to nip-and-tuck photos. And if nobody has told you this lately: YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. You are. No bullshit.
What about privacy of images?
You control it all. Want them all private? Cool, no problems. Love your pictures and want to share them with others? Great. Want to choose the specific images that you’re comfortable sharing? Also great. Changed your mind before / during / after the session? All good in the hood.
How do the photographs make you feel when you look at them now?
“They bring me back to that day!
I am able to breathe in the summer air, feel the wind blow my hair, hear Heather’s camera click but not hear it at all.
I feel proud of myself”.
Come As You Are Questionnaire:
Dance Photographers in NYC Photoshoot Ideas
Katy Copeland | Your Body Should Be Your Greatest Lover | Passion Projects | Portraits of Women | Dancers | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography | Long Island, NY
Guest blog by Katy Copeland
Photography by Apollo Fields
My body and I used to have a tumultuous relationship. I would judge her and put her down and bully her for not being “correct” and pump her with drugs and alcohol to numb the insecurities and pain. Dancers develop some pretty severe psychoses. You bend and twist and starve and gorge and try to fit molds that are impossible and distorted and therefore wind up living in constant battles of not feeling worthy. At least, this was my experience. My body and I went to war. I disrespected her, treated her like shit, beat her down and was completely shocked that she wasn’t responding with my backwards and materialistic idea of beauty.
I met Heather during this time. About 5 years ago at a very delicate time when I self-proclaimed myself a feminist and was still wildly threatened by strong, powerful women . Cool… Having recently shaved my head for a performance gig, small parts of me felt liberated, larger parts unsuccessfully were hiding an immense amount of fear and self loathing. I became jealous of her instantly. Heather is confident without boasting. She is beautiful with zero effort. She is smart but not a know-it-all. She exudes grace with no judgement and she is vulgar yet still tasteful. How is that possible? My inner dialogue: “Fuck. I hate her. I want to be her.” It was madening.
Never did I imagine she would lift me up in times I needed most. Very quickly Heather became my family, my kindred spirit, a precious gem who wiped my tears, held me when I started to crumble, and taught me the true meaning of female friendship. She profoundly changed the way I viewed other women, but more importantly how I viewed myself for the better. Secretly, for better or worse (mostly for worse) I would always compare us. “Us” being all women. Over time, I stopped competing and started cultivating true love with all the women I am lucky enough to know. Heather is a pioneer and champion in my story and I am forever grateful.
So when I read recently that Heather was suffering from an ectopic pregnancy with severe complications my heart shattered. My body ached for her. It was rare that I ever saw her in pain and I felt it in my bones. The female body is magical with incredible vulnerability. Therefore, when our bodies take on trauma we instantly become stronger and grow three sizes compassion, depth and complexity. Our bodies are smarter and more resilient than ever and I am just starting to figure that out.
We set a fresh pasta dinner date (for she is the queen of homemade pasta) after she was post-op and comfortably back home in Long Island. A few days before, we agreed to snap some body shots of me while I was in town. Heather asked for my vision and without hesitation I told her that I was craving photos that are raw, bare, stripped down, unabashed and unapologetic. Like most, admittedly or not, I am constantly struggling to find my authentic self. Battling my bullshit ego and trying to halt myself when I start catering to what others want to see versus what I want to be. After the experience she just had I knew if anyone could help me find authenticity and mind-body connection it would be her. We would find it in each other.
This galley is what we created. By no means am I healed, or rehabilitated. But I am growing. I am learning. I am connecting deeper every day. My body and I are beginning a new journey. And the little voices inside my head are slowly becoming less of a bully and much more of a best friend. When my inner saboteur starts poking or prodding, I kindly and respectfully ask her to shut the fuck up. I am judging less and loving more and I trust my body will always know what to do. I just have to listen.
“Your body should be your greatest lover
for she is all you have.
It wasn’t until I started loving her unconditionally
that she began to respond.” —I wrote that.
They are my favorite two sentences I have ever written. That is the idea I wanted to capture with these photos, and girl… Heather did it in spades.
