Vancouver Boudoir Photography Better Than I Expected!

Ms. K describes herself as: deep, open-hearted, flexible, sensitive and stubborn. Initially, she was hesitant to do a boudoir session as her worry was that she’d be the one person to have bad photos! Hardly! Her pictures are amazing as you can see here, and she had a great time too.

One the best things about being a Vancouver Boudoir Photographer is the chance to connect with women in my community and hear their stories. This special lady has been a dear friend of mine for a long time, and photographing her in this way on her birthday was such a special experience not only for her but for me as well. I have photographed her three times before, but always with her family, and while they are also amazing, it was nice to spend the time with her, for her.We did a post session interview with Ms. K and this is what she shared.

“It was better than I expected. I was nervous about it but Michele made it relaxing and fun. Getting makeup and hair done was a great way to get started and to feel totally ready for the shoot. I was worried that I wouldn’t know what to do but Michele prompted me the whole time…’smell freshly baked cookies’ lol.”

If food was a love language that would be one of mine, which is why I guess I kept mentioning fresh baked cookies! As a boudoir photographer I aim to make sure each session is a fun and empowering experience, cause I know intimately that this self love stuff is hard! Ms K spoke about this and I love what she wrote:

“The shoot itself was really fun. It took a while to get into it but once I did, it suddenly was over. I felt empowered, beautiful and energetic after I left.”

“Seeing the finished photos was incredible. I couldn’t believe the beauty and personality that Michele was able to capture in each shot. She had vision the whole time in what she was creating all the while making it feel just like hanging out and having a good time.”

We always ask women what they would say to their younger selves once they have seen their final photos and this is the advice Ms. K would offer herself:

“Trust yourself more, what you feel and know is important.”

Women are so hard on ourselves as we age, it’s one of those social double standards that makes me crazy! When we asked Ms. K about aging and what gets better with age, her thoughts are:

“Everything! Letting go. Looking within for affirmation instead of outside yourself.

Her best tip for feeling amazing in her body:

“Besides boudoir sessions with Michele, dancing. Lots of dancing that has no performance aspect just enjoying how your body wants to move and feel the music.”

At Mateus Studios we see Boudoir Photography as going being beyond the shoot day, beyond ‘pretty pictures’. When we asked Ms. K what this session meant for her and what the impact it had on her was this is what she shared, grab a tissue as it made us smile and tear up too!

“The lasting impact (from this session) will be having these photos to look at whenever I need a reminder of who I am, how confident I have the right to be, and how I determine my own beauty and body love.”

And those words right there my friends is the power of having a boudoir session and why I love doing this work. It’s when women share their experiences that make me feel deep in my heart that choosing to be a boudoir photographer is exactly where I want to be, spending time with and hearing stories from amazing women like Ms. K.

Thank you Ms. K for boldly embracing YOU in my studio and sharing your thoughts about it with us to share with others. And now after taking the leap, what does Ms. K suggest for anyone still on the fence?

“You won’t regret it!” ~Ms. K

Shared with permission.

Michele Mateus is a Vancouver Boudoir & Portrait Photographer located in Coquitlam, BC. Hair & Makeup By Jenny Valla.