The parallels between yoga and boudoir | Naked Yoga | Austin Boudoir Studio

Finding the right words for this post was far more challenging than most others. But I think I have a point to make, and I'll do my best getting there....so forgive the ramblings that are about to happen along the way. Hey, my blog, my rules ;) 

I find a lot of similarities between yoga and boudoir.  Though I don't regularly practice yoga any longer, I used to be die hard. During that time of daily yoga, I was so at peace with myself, mentally and physically. I was so aware of how I was feeling emotionally, and so aware of every part of my body. IN TUNE, I suppose is the best way to describe it. I felt like I had superpowers because I was SO in tune with myself, and so in tune with everyone that I held near and dear. 

Although I practiced at least 5x/week, I learned something new about myself every time I set foot on my mat. I learned to accept where I was in my practice and not necessarily aim for perfection.  We all know that "comparison is the thief of joy"...but I really UNDERSTOOD that through my daily yoga practice. It wasn't about how I always seemed to be lightyears behind "front-row Caitlin" in my abilities, it was about how much "back-row Kara" had improved from the day before. I learned to love myself. I never did learn to do crow pose, but I learned to be ok with that. 

As I've fine-tuned my boudoir technique and client coaching over the years, I've drawn so much from my yoga practice. From coaching breathing, relaxation, and body awareness, to self acceptance and not comparing yourself to "front-row Caitlin", there are just so many parallels. 

A proper boudoir experience isn't about what my other clients are doing, what they're wearing, or what they look like. A proper boudoir experience is about YOU. Not you after you lose 20 lbs, but you RIGHT NOW. It's about loving yourself as you are today. It's about recognizing how far you've come in your life journey, and giving yourself a big, loving, bear hug. It's about being able to look back on that moment in time for the rest of your life and reminding yourself how amazing you are.

For all of these reasons, I've been visualizing a nude yoga photo shoot for years.  The female form is just so stunning...there's no arguing that.  It just LOOKS like art. It IS art. Add in some absolutely breathtaking yoga poses, and you've got a seriously awe-inspiring set of photos. 

A client of mine happens to be one of Austin's finest yoga instructors and when I bounced this idea off of her and told her that I was basically going to be zero help in the pose direction (polar opposite of my regular boudoir sessions where I direct every inch of the body), she was so enthusiastic and receptive to the idea and began planning the poses. 

The session was genuinely a breeze for me, though obviously, she had her work cut out for her. I can't take much credit for this one. Compared to the constant direction on posing and body movement that I give in my boudoir sessions, I felt very insignificant in this collaboration. But, alas, the finished product turned out so much better than I had imagined, largely due to Miss R's badassness and trust. 

So this is my weekly rambling blog reminder to you to love yourself, appreciate yourself, respect yourself...I'm talking to myself, too. 

Love and peace. 

Straight out of a magazine: Miss W | Austin Boudoir Studio

If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen little peeks of this blonde bombshell and her killer boudoir shoot. She showed up with her friend, a bottle of champagne, and a kick ass attitude, and left with a really incredible set of images just for her own damn self. 

Miss W Said:

"It feels damn good to do something for yourself! I turned 31 on Monday and thought 'Hey, you are't getting any younger!' Every day I thank my lucky starts for all the greatness I have in my life.  I loved how comfortable and beautiful everyone made me feel throughout the whole process!"

“ If you’re a girl out there contemplating a boudoir shoot....DOOOO IT!!! Kara is AMAZING!”

— Miss W

"I love not only feeling sexy and confident but also LOOKING fuckin sexy!"

When she first contacted me about a photo shoot, her email signature was followed by a quote. If you know me or follow me at all, you know that I'm a quote girl. SO...I knew we were a match made in boudoir photographer/client heaven before I even met her. It said:

“I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.”

— E.B. White

Hellllooooo, RED! Amiright!? Yasss. 

This set. This set with the classy red lingerie, chanel pearls, red bottoms, and fur coat just SCREAMED magazine ad to me! Miss W seriously rocked it! I'm thrilled with our finished product. 

Hell yes to rocking a boudoir shoot. Hell yes to doing so for YOU. Hell YESSSS to feeling even better about yourself after you're done. I love these kinds of stories. 

Thank you Miss W for your badassness ;)

Makeup credit: Kendall of Mayhem Beauty

WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU DID SOMETHING TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL LIKE A GODDESS? LET'S CHAT, DAHHLING!

Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me...? | Austin Boudoir Studio

I am certainly not known to be the smoothest talker. I'm much better at premeditating my dialogue or otherwise inserting my foot-in-mouth when put on the spot to come up with something to say. It's really quite unfortunate because generally I do have the very best of intentions....but sometimes the dumbest thing imaginable comes out of my mouth...

...like when I'm trying to maintain a professional but comfortable client/photographer relationship during a shoot, and I ask my client to get into a pose, and I immediately say "Is it getting HOT in here!? Or is it just me!?". And I swear.to.God.I.meant.the.temperature.  But, coming from a photographer who is photographing a woman scantily clad, you could see why that may seem a bit creepy. Ok...maybe more than a bit. 

Luckily, my clients are awesome. When I say something that stupid, I make fun of myself incessantly and hope for at least a genuine laughing shot. 

I think that happened at least twice during my shoot with this client. Her images make me happy. Check them out!

"This was one of the best experiences I've ever had! Kara was such an amazing, bubbly, and badass photographer! She made me feel so beautiful in my own skin. Also, her makeup and hair artist was INCREDIBLE!"

"I never felt an ounce of body shaming or negativity. I loved that she would just talk and we had causal convos the entire shoot! She made me laugh a bunch and the images she captured were AMAZING! I would recommend her to anyone that was looking at doing a boudoir shoot!"

“I feel so strong, beautiful, and comfortable in my skin. It really brought my confidence up overall.”

Thank you to Miss "M" for bringing her A++++ game to her boudoir session. And to my makeup artist, Kendall of Mayhem Beauty for doing yet another stand-up job. 

IF YOU'VE BEEN TOYING AROUND WITH THE IDEA OF HAVING A BOUDOIR EXPERIENCE, LET'S CHAT MORE! 

Motherhood hasn't stripped you of your womanhood | Austin Boudoir Studio

When you have a baby, you pretty much want to wear the largest poncho that Costco has to offer and a bag over your head. Learning to love yourself after you've birthed a human is no easy feat.  Some of us hold on to 40lbs for what seems like a lifetime. Some of us bounce right back and have to deal with all the other moms hating us even though we still have mom insecurities, too.  Some of us develop crazy hormonal mental problems and can't see anything but our flaws.

The miracle happens when you have see yourself looking incredible for the first time after having a baby. You NEED to know that you've still got it....and that motherhood hasn't stripped you of your womanhood.

Because it hasn't. 

You're still a woman. You're still gorgeous...sexy even. 

Miss "M" here had a shoot and got to experience this first hand. Yes, she's a slim girl...but that certainly doesn't mean that she doesn't have any "mombod" insecurities. All women have them...no matter their shape or size. 

She rocked the hell out of her photo shoot and got to see that, damnit, she still had it!

"I did this shoot as a present for my soon to be hubby to give to him moments before the wedding! It's taking all the power inside of me not to tell him!!

“I LOVE the pictures so much and am so happy I did this for him and for myself”

"After having my son, I never thought I'd say 'DAMMMNNN I look GOOD!'. It definitely took the stress away from wedding planning and had some much-needed fun."

So. I repeat. Motherhood does NOT strip you of your womanhood. You are woman, hear you roar and stuff. ;) 

WANT TO EMBRACE YOUR WOMANHOOD? LET'S CHAT!

Come just as you are. Now. Right now. | Austin Boudoir Studio

I woke up this morning to a cool breeze and fall temperatures. The air smelled like FALL for the first time this year in Austin. So I was inspired to post this fall-feeling boudoir shoot.

“Life is short. From here to that old car that you know so well there is a stretch of twenty, twenty-five paces. It is a very short walk. Make those twenty-five steps. Now. Right now. Come just as you are. And we shall live happily ever after. ”

— ~Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita

There are so many things in this life that we put off until the "perfect" time.  We wait to get married until we're "financially stable". We wait to have kids until we're done traveling. We wait to do a boudoir shoot until we've lost 10 pounds. 

The sad truth is, our idea of "perfect timing" is skewed tremendously. Because...the perfect time to do something you're passionate about is now. Right now. 

I look back at the list of things that I've been meaning to do...and it's a crazy long list. And those things on the list?  There's absolutely no reason why I couldn't have accomplished them already. 

That quote from Lolita really resonated with me, and I assume it will resonate with most of you. It did with Miss "E" here, whose favorite book is Lolita...and she happened to bring a copy to her boudoir shoot. She is a published journalist, blogger, and a writing magician. It was so awesome incorporating her love of books into this shoot a little bit. 

Miss "E" said...

"Despite being extremely camera-shy, my photo shoot ended up more like a spa treatment. Kara and her team are so down-to-earth and hospitable, and they made it felt like that whole hour was all about me and me only.

When I saw the results at my photo reveal, I teared up looking at the woman in the photos; after all the adversity I have been through in my 20's, I assumed that woman was dead. "

“The experience resurrected that woman. Or perhaps brought her back to the surface.”

— Miss E

So this is me encouraging you to come as you are. Do it now. Right now. Book your shoot, schedule that vacation, learn to salsa dance, jump out of that plane (but with a parachute, please!), and do whatever you can to make the absolute most of your life RIGHT.NOW.

Thank you, Miss "E" for sharing your incredible images and experience with us!

IF A BOUDOIR EXPERIENCE IS ONE OF THE THINGS ON YOUR "SOMEDAY" LIST, LET'S CHAT. RIGHT NOW, DAHHLING!

The Fiercest of Fierce | Austin Boudoir Studio

More often than not, I feel as though the women who walk through the doors of my studio are my client soulmates. They "get" the purpose of this boudoir shoot. They GET why I do this, and they want to be a part of it.  This woman fit that description. She wanted to feel empowered, she needed to add a kick-ass chapter to her life. She wanted to be fierce and amazing. 

As she sat in the makeup chair and requested super heavy rockstar eye makeup while I worked through her statement lingerie, I was LOVING that she had a strong vision of what she wanted to see herself as. It was obvious to me that she was envisioning wall art that would remind her of how amazing she was, envisioning a coffee table book to show off to everyone who set foot in her house, a set of images that would say "Hey everyone! Come and see how good I look!" *Anchorman Reference*

Mission freaking accomplished.

“Thank you Kara for such an amazing, empowering, kick ass experience! You did exactly what I was hoping for. Feeling empowered as a woman is sometimes difficult in this non-stop world. You helped bring back the strong, sexy, empowered woman that I had somehow, sort of, forgotten was there.

We all have a fire inside us. Sometimes life can suppress the flames and it seems like it has gone out. But NOOOO, as long as there is breath in us it is there. Sometimes the fire just needs a little stoking. So thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! You rock!”

— MISS B

*Commence slow clap*

I am so proud of Miss B for bringing her A game (and those AMAZING outfits! HELLLLOOOO!) and trusting me to create some badassness for her. I have no doubt she will look back on these images any time she needs her fire "rekindled" and for the rest of her life! 

Giving insecurities the finger | Austin Boudoir Photographer

I preach a LOT about self-esteem and self-love. I KNOW EXACTLY what it feels like to be a woman who has insecurities about their body/face/life choices/education/social class/what I ate for lunch. It is so easy for us to look at other women and see their perfect figure, gorgeous hair, perky boobs, etc and compliment them (even wish, with every ounce of our souls, that we had that too!). But we have a really difficult time paying ourselves the same compliments.  I spend my life making sure that women see all the amazing things about themselves, yet I have the hardest time doing the same for myself. This is especially difficult when, as women, we put down other women FOR their insecurities.  

Being a 120 pound, relatively fit woman myself (who hasn't worn a 2 piece swimsuit, like, EVER), I know in advance that I'm really not "allowed" to verbalize my tummy insecurities, because to other women, I'm "crazy" for feeling that way because I'm so "tiny". 

Women of all shapes and all sizes have their insecurities. It is so important for us, as women, to be understanding of other women's insecurities and not write them off as crazy just because you don't see it. Instead, let's lift each other up and spend so much time complimenting each other, that we elevate the mentality of ALL women to the point where their insecurities fade away. After all, how many times have you complained about your body only for your friends to tell you that YOU'RE crazy?! Stop competing. Start encouraging. 

I got off on a little tangent here, but it's because Miss "T"  did an absolutely eloquent job at pointing out that insecurities do not discriminate. Read on. 

“Shy. Insecure with my body. Modest. Anxious. Professional. Mother.

My story is not unlike the story I’ve heard repeatedly by my female clients. Women in general have a difficult time with their bodies, no matter what shape it is. It is a struggle that does not discriminate. Women of all ages deal day to day with the feeling of inadequacy.

I have struggled my entire life with body image issues. I am extremely shy about my body. In fact, there have been only a few years of my life where I can remember having the courage to wear a bathing suit in front of other people…and I was still utterly uncomfortable. It is lonely, constant, painful, and internal. When I’ve ever voiced my fears and discomfort I’ve only been met with the response of “you’re crazy”. ”

— Miss "T"

“Each day of my life I coach and encourage women to believe in themselves, be healthy, and accept and embrace who they are physically. I truly believe and preach that all women’s bodies are beautiful. So why do I not believe this about myself? Why is each day a fight with myself in the mirror…a fight to feel beautiful?

Kara had been encouraging me to do a shoot for years. My anxiety always held me back. I’ve always felt confident in her abilities as a photographer (she has been shooting my family for years). I now know that Kara is much more than that. Kara’s gift is the gift to show a woman her beauty from the eyes of another. Where my eyes see only flaws and imperfection, Kara’s lens reveals reality…a reality I had never seen before.”

“My shoot was incredible! As nervous as I was leading up to the day (including my 15 minutes in the parking lot telling myself I could do it), all anxiety melted away the minute I saw Kara’s smiling face. I’ve never felt more comfortable with my body. I didn’t once worry about how I looked. I trusted her. I left feeling invigorated!

The moment my images were revealed I was awestruck. I couldn’t believe it! The images were stunning…as was the subject…ME?

A feeling of pride has replaced the pain.

Beautiful. Confident. Sexy. Empowered. Proud. Woman.”

— Miss "T"

THAT is what it is about. 

Do I see Miss T's flaws? No. No I don't. I see an absolutely STUNNING, intelligent, talented, hardworking, birth-giving, perfectly curvaceous, KNOCK-OUT.  Do I think she's CRAZY for having insecurities?! Absolutely not. I get it. 

The number one first comment I get from my clients when they start viewing their images is... "IS THAT REALLY ME!?!". The number two and three comments are always expletives. In a good way. 

There's something about seeing yourself in amazing boudoir photos that really puts into perspective what you *ACTUALLY* look like to others. You're seeing yourself in a completely different way, and it's such a breath of fresh air compared to the nit-picking we generally do to ourselves when looking in a mirror. WHICH is why I get my boudoir photos done so frequently. ;) 

THANK you, Miss "T" for your utterly inspiring words and for pointing out the obvious that isn't always so obvious to us "crazy" ladies. OH, and whatever your butt workout is....I need that in my life, like yesterday. ;)

GIVE YOUR INSECURITIES THE FINGER! LET'S SHOOT! START THE CONVERSATION BELOW...

Well-behaved women | Austin Boudoir Studio

"Well-behaved women seldom make history." -Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Stand up, speak out, fight for everything you believe is right. Make your stance known. Do not let any man OR woman tell you what you should or should not be doing. You do you. Make mistakes and learn from them. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about them. Be compassionate and love with all of your might.

I'm coming out swinging today.

Moody Muse | Austin Boudoir Photographer

This shoot holds a special place in my heart and I'm really excited to finally share it with you! 

Miss A, here is a photographer who lives across the country and she flew in to Austin for a little weekend away with her hubs, and to have her own boudoir experience with me!  She said she liked dark and moody, which was PERFECT because it just so happened to be a gloomy day in Austin (totally rare!).

We channelled that energy into our shoot and had a fabulous time. 

I know that when people come to a boudoir blog, their inclination is to scroll past all the text to get to the pictures. I'm a visual person, I get it.  BUT, each woman's story is SO important. The WHY is SO important. You need to know that these aren't just "I woke up like this" women who have nothing better to do than to look pretty and do photo shoots. These are women who bust their asses at life. They have their own insecurities just like you. They wear many hats and don't take enough time for themselves. 

So please take a moment to read Miss A's powerful words!!

"Buxom Shanghai.
That's my color.

I learned this incredibly helpful tidbit as I sat perched atop a barstool at Kara's photography studio in Austin, Texas just five minutes before baring it all for my very own boudoir photo shoot.

I needed Kara's eyes. I have incredibly jacked up self image and can be so very hard on myself. I don't practice what I preach to my own photography clients nearly enough. Don't be like me. It's silly.

Kara's make up artist, Kendall, had no hesitations while doing my make up and I had already vowed to trust her and Kara completely. So when she chose Buxom Shanghai for my lips... She knew what she was doing.

For Kara, she uses her passion for portraits, her strong intuition and completely on point male-like perspective to allow women to shine like the crazy diamonds they are."

"It might seem like playing dress up. It might look completely vain.
But these women make space for change and growth and acceptance. And it's downright kickass.

People like us might seem out of touch. Like we don't have real jobs because what we do is so incredibly fun. But make no mistake- the purpose is important, the work can be tedious and the results are undeniable. Passionate people always find a way to inspire others. It's why we exist.

For me, doing a boudoir session is a simple visual reminder to put down the self-doubt and stop playing small. The world doesn't benefit from my petty insecurities.

So, for those dreaming of a boudoir photoshoot ... Put down the boxing gloves and quit beating yourself up about the 10 lbs or the stretch marks or the "but I'm not....." fill in the blanks.

Ask yourself this - what's the worst thing that can happen? And what is the best? If a boost of lasting confidence sounds good to you - then book it right now.

Do not get me wrong - my husband is head over heels for these images; he adores them and me and that's wonderful. But as my Kara's blog headline says - "It's not about seducing men - it's about embracing womanhood" and that, my sisters is something worth celebrating."

THANK YOU, Miss A for trusting me with your boudoir experience, for allowing me to share your photos, and more importantly, for allowing me to share your words. 

If you're ready to celebrate yourself, let's chat, darling! 

Sexy at any size | Austin Beauty Photographer

I initially "met" Mandy on Instagram. Her selfies actually blew me out of the water. Her features are absolutely incredible and I knew that I had to get my lens on her sooner rather than later. Her complexion is absolutely stunning, her eyes are mesmerizing, her EYEBROWS leave me oozing with jealousy (seriously--they're perfection!), her hair is always fun and funky, her style makes me want to be her friend, her tattoos are SO fun and colorful, and her curves are rockin'! Flash forward about 2 1/2 years.....through her Instagram feed, I found out that she was working very hard to lose 100 pounds and her efforts were proving to be really successful. Her drive, positivity, and results were such an inspiration to me. So I did something I NEVER do (like....never ever.): I told her WHEN she hit her goal to get in touch with me and I would treat her to a celebratory beauty shoot. She was SO excited about this, and I was even more so!  ALAS- we finally had out celebratory beauty shoot. And.DAMN. It was awesome!  SEEEE?: 

Here is what this beauty had to say:

“There is no wrong way to be a woman. Regardless of your size, you are allowed to feel sexy!”

— Mandy

"These are words that after struggling with my appearance for years, have helped me accept my curves and more importantly, love them. To me, true beauty is confidence and we all should feel nothing less than that about ourselves. Body positivity is essential to me and I dream to be a role model for all woman. Love yourselves, ladies. You are all goddesses!"

"I want to thank the lovely Kara Trombetta for the opportunity to work with her. It was an amazing experience and I enjoyed every minute. I appreciate the comfort and confidence I was able to hold with her. Kara's direction was fantastic and she is an amazingly talented photographer!"

SO, yeah--she's pretty much awesome, eh??! Love her AND these photos we created together! It was a pleasure documenting such an important time for Mandy--in all her curvy sexy gorgeousness!

Are you ready to celebrate YOUR sexy!? Let's chat, dahhling!