Classic Black + White Boudoir | Austin Boudoir Studio

It’s no secret that BLACK + WHITE is my baby. Processing boudoir images in black and white makes my heart sing and feels like the way it’s meant to be. Doesn’t it?

Miss M, here, was such a lovely client to work with. Much like the others, she was nervous, but trusting, and super excited to see the finished product.

"This experience was a B.L.A.S.T. I knew this was going to be fun but I didn't expect to love it as much as I did (clearly...I purchased round 2 within minutes!)." -Miss M

"A true professional and perfectionist in every way. Every piece was planned out from the prep to the shoot to the reveal; I cant tell you how impressive the details were. Cannot thank you enough for making this whole process so unbelievable and personalized!"

She was NOT kidding when she said she booked round 2 within minutes. During her photo reveal she said… “Would it be weird of me to get my next one scheduled right now???”. Obviously not. ;) Looking forward to working with her again as round 2 ALWAYS blows round 1 out of the water….and….like….how is that even going to be possible?! I have a feeling it’s going to blow both of our minds and I cannot wait!

Thank you, Miss M for trusting me with the process, with your kind words during and after, and for booking round 2 with me (is it TIME yet!?!?! Omg. HURRY!).

xx

Photography: Kara Marie Boudoir

Hair and makeup: Mayhem Boutique Salon

Taking it ALL off | Miss S | Austin Boudoir Studio

BY THE END OF THIS BLOG POST, I WILL ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE IT ALL OFF FOR YOUR BOUDOIR SESSION. 

Yep, down to just your birthday suit. There's something so damn freeing about not wearing even a stitch of clothing...yet that thought is often derailed by our intense fear of not looking the way we're "supposed" to, our crippling insecurities, or, maybe just the "weird" factor of being photographed by a stranger (Hi! I'm Kara Marie! Lovely to meet you. Now that THAT'S out of the way....

I GET IT.  I GET IT ALLLLL.

But if you're going to be nude in front of anyone's camera, mine is the one to choose. I've got the whole naked female form thing down to a perfectly lit and posed science. I'm also pretty easy to be comfortable in front of. *in my best Lamar Burton voice* "But you don't have to take MY word for it!", check out the RAVES page for more on clients being comfortable in such a "weird" setting. 

You'll giggle, then belly laugh. You'll wonder how these photos could possibly turn out with all your bits hanging out there. Then you'll see them, you'll gasp, and you'll fall deeper in love with yourself and the way you and your body are right now. And you'll probably wish you would have done your entire session in the buff. But it's fun to have the variety of wardrobe, too. ;)

Miss S reached out to me in order to help her celebrate herself in her 40th year of life. We started out clothed...then less clothed...then nude. She felt silly in the poses, she admits, but never imagined that she would love the photos, and so many of them, the way she did. Read on:

"When I turned 40, I promised myself that everyday would be better than the last. The power of intention led me to have the most amazing year of my life. As I round the corner towards 41, I wanted to do something extra special for myself. Enter Kara Marie Boudoir. I really enjoyed looking at images to give Kara an idea of the style that I like. "

"Kara nailed my vision and I'm thrilled with the results. Every step of the journey was easy and enjoyable. Kara's website has a ton of great info and she was quick to diminish any anxiousness that I had about being naked or doing a weird pose."

"I'm a glass half-full kind of gal so luckily, I don't struggle in the self esteem department. I did not expect to fall madly in love with so many photos, though!"

"I feel great and am proud of the hard work I've put into my body. I'm excited to look back on these when I'm older."

It was time to strip down, be vulnerable, and trust me completely. She did. And the resulting images make my heart skip a beat. They aren't hyper sexualized, but reveal a woman who is proud of her sexuality. They aren't "traditional" boudoir, rather, they lean more towards fine art nudes.  They aren't heavily retouched, but they are strategically posed and lit to show off her natural curves. They don't bare it ALL, but they bare her soul and show her in her most natural form.

"What a fun present to myself. I'm so happy, thank you a thousand times over. Hopefully I get to see you next year, too!"

Nudes are intimidating, I admit it. But you can truly rest assured that you are in the very capable hands of a professional. I'm never going to have my camera all up in your business in an uncomfortable way. I won't expect you to do ANYTHING at all and will monitor your comfort level the entire time. I will photograph you in an artistic and classy way. You will laugh and have fun and be surprised that you are able to have such a good time while being naked in front of a "stranger".  You won't be showing me anything I haven't seen before. Your body won't offend me, and when you see your final result, your body won't offend YOU, either.

If clients are considering a nude set of images during their boudoir experience, I always encourage them to bring an extra outfit, just in case they aren't feeling it. Yet I've never once had a client who was CONSIDERING doing a nude set decide mid-shoot that they weren't comfortable with it. If anything, they decided sooner into the shoot than planned that they were ready to take it off. This experience isn't about being someone you aren't. It's about showing EXACTLY who you are...who is hiding under masks. I only want you to do what you are comfortable doing. It's just that I have this uncanny ability to make people comfortable with themselves. That is my super power. 

Infinite thanks to Miss S for trusting me with her boudoir experience, for loving the process, and for allowing her words and images to be shared with the KMB audience. 

WHETHER YOU'RE READY TO BARE IT ALL, OR ONLY A LITTLE....LET'S CHAT.

DREAMY AF | Miss S Part I | Austin Boudoir Studio

A good whopping chunk of my clientele just so happens to be other photographers. I cannot tell you what an honor it is to be selected by other photography professionals to document them. Not only does it give me the warm and fuzzies, but it also reiterates just how valuable boudoir photography is and how women who discover the value know how important it is to regularly invest in this type of experience. 

Miss S makes SO many valid points in her review below. I swear I slow clapped through 3/4 of it, and the other 1/4 was spent tearing up. I GET you girl. 

We started her session very dreamy and natural with her white lingerie and sheer white lacy top.....

And then, of course, we took some of that off....

Read about her experience:

"As a photographer myself I'm familiar with the in's & out's of a photo shoot but don't often get the chance to be on the other side of the camera. I went into this experience totally open minded and fully invested in the process. I turned off my "photographer brain" and just sat back and let Kara do her thing. This totally paid off because it was such a treat!"

"During the photo shoot I felt beautiful, sexy and confident. That's not to say that I wasn't nervous! I had several moments leading up to the shoot where I thought "OMG I'm not ready yet, I need a few more weeks to get these abs in check!"  Luckily I powered through and I'm so glad I didn't postpone it. The makeup artist was talented - she did exactly what I requested! Natural but sexy."

"Kara you are truly an artist and that's one thing I had at the forefront of my mind when I chose you! Going into the photo shoot, it wasn't just about me or creating a gift for my husband... I wanted to create art with you! It may sound corny but it really was a major factor as to why I chose you. As you directed me into poses I was thinking about how this would look awesome blown up in our bedroom. Having the end result in mind helped me commit to the moment. :)"

"At the reveal meeting I never once thought about those problem areas of my body. Speaking of the photo reveal... I am so glad that I decided to bring my husband with me to help pick the photos! It was great getting to see his reaction and notice which photos he gravitated towards. (We still laugh that he was obsessed with my hair so much! If I would have known that going into it I would have stressed less about my body! haha) Now that the shoot is over I feel a stronger appreciation for my body.

^^^^THIS^^^^

“I may still be a work in progress but it’s never too soon to celebrate where I am at with this experience. Yes I still have some cellulite BUT it doesn’t take over my thoughts when I look in the mirror. I have showed so many of my girlfriends the photos - I am just so proud of the finished product! #Confidence”

— Miss S

"It's been a few months since the photo shoot and my husband still mentions the photos at least once a week. I love that he LOVES the photos so much."

GAHHH! I adore everything about this!  The simplicity of the wardrobe + lack thereof, the timeless feel, and most importantly, every word that Miss S had to say about her experience. Thank you SO much, from one boudoir professional to another, for selecting me to document you in this massively valuable way. 

Stay tuned for the blog feature showing off Part II of Miss S's session which involved slightly less (ok, zero) wardrobe. Coming soon!!!

READY TO SEE PAST YOUR "FLAWS" AND FALL IN LOVE WITH IMAGES OF YOURSELF? LET'S CHAT, DAHHLING!