I am Woman.

Sometimes when I say I shoot boudoir, I feel that I get an eyebrow raise, a curious "Huh?" or even a slight blink of disapproval. Mainly, this comes from confusion. Quite honestly, most people don't even know what that word means.

What I should say is that I am privileged to capture the beauty of woman.

I always think back to ancient art, when women were sculpted, voluptuous, revered. Beauty was in the woman who lived a hearty life, who had curves, relished love and knew the power she held. Old world art screams "I am woman!"

It's an especially curious thing that God created beauty. What a loving God, to indulge us in this fancy...quite simply, beauty is not essential. It's not a necessity. It is not air for our lungs, or food for our bellies. Beauty is a luxury. So is color. We could have easily seen the entire world in black and white. Yet God went further. How amazing that He did not desire a mundane life for us, and instead created music, color, beauty, attraction, emotion...Yes, the bads of this world are so very, very bad. But the goods...they are so very, very good.

This is what I think of when I shoot boudoir.

These past few months, I've had several opportunities to celebrate the beauty of woman. Here are just a few of my favorites. Well, let's be honest. I have TONS more, but as you know, I respect the privacy and utter delicacy of this subject matter, and as such, share with the greatest of respect and protection for those who trust me with such important work. So, for what you're seeing...know there was so, so much more.

I posted this on my Facebook page the other day:

There are times when I am editing a boudoir session and I am so taken aback by the beauty of my client, that I think "She will never wake up again and think she's anything less than magnificent." Every woman should be able to feel that way. Every day.

This is my mission.