I have a confession that I feel compelled to share with my clients and followers. I have recently thought about no longer offering boudoir sessions as one of my services at the end of this year... To be completely honest, it's actually a thought that's crossed my mind several times. It hasn't caught on as quickly as I had hoped, and still a service I struggle in booking sessions for. I've continually told myself that maybe it's not a service that the Yakima Valley is quite ready for. I, by no means, am a pioneer for boudoir in Yakima. There's a couple photographers that offer these sessions, and one in particular, that specializes in glamour-type boudoir sessions. My idea of boudoir is a little different than what I've seen however, not better, just different...

Yesterday, I had a session with a gorgeous woman. This woman has actually been a client of mine for a couple years now. Not for boudoir, but I've shot her family pictures for that last couple years. She is one of those women that are naturally beautiful and have no idea how beautiful they are. There was a point during the session when she said 'I don't know how to be sexy.' I can not explain how wrong she was. Her photos are stunning! Not to mention, incredibly sexy.

As I was going through her photos, I could literally see the uncertainty slowly fade and her embracing herself. It's like that for every session I've shot. Every woman that walks in my studio has that same look of uncertainty, and she transforms into this confident woman by the end of the session. I will not take the credit for the entire transformation, but I hope that a small part of it was because I helped her get there.

I don't want people misinterpreting what it is that I'm saying. It's not about the physical appearance of these woman. Yes, I believe and hope they believe, they are beautiful, but it's beyond the physical representation of these women. I am, down to my soul, a girl power woman. I think that women are the most incredible creations. We are mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, teachers, counselors, nurses... We create and carry life, build companies, run households, and carry the entire weight of our world on our shoulders. Do not get me wrong, men have an important role in this world. Strong women need a strong man to stand by them. My husband is my biggest advocate and cheerleader for all that I am and do, and the person I lean on for support. Lord knows he puts up with such a strong-willed and stubborn woman. But I also couldn't get by without the strong support of the amazing women that I know.

I know some truly amazing women. Women that have gone through the loss of their spouse, loss of their children, pushed through years of school while working full-time and raising kids, built successful companies on their own, built up other woman for no other motive than to build them up, women that pray for everyone in their life besides themselves... The list could go on with the many hats women wear and all the strengths women possess. Through all their accomplishments and perseverance, women still hold so much self doubt and lack of self confidence. This is why I will never want to give up on these sessions, there lies my mission statement.

Boudoir is so much more than the physical beauty of women, it's about the inner strengths and pure awesomeness that is woman. Sometimes I lose this idea of why I wanted to start shooting boudoir. I forget my own accomplishments and lose my perseverance. I forget that I have accomplished to make every woman that's been in front of my camera realize how incredible she is and how beautiful she always has been. I momentarily forget my confidence and perseverance to keep pushing. I know that it will get there eventually and that's it not about the money or how many sessions I book, but about how I make the women feel that leave my studio, with the confidence that they are incredible. This is my mission statement, this is why I will never quit.