Wrapped in Nothing | Miss S Part II | Austin Boudoir Studio

I have really grown to be madly in love with tasteful nude imagery. There is nothing more raw, more natural, and...in my opinion...more rewarding for the client, than to have such timeless photos of yourself and nothing but yourself. 

Generally my clients come in, knowing that nude images are an option, and at the beginning of the session when we're reviewing her wardrobe, she gets shy and flushed and suggests maybe if she's comfortable towards the end she'd maybe sorta kinda like to possibly do some photos without any wardrobe.

It's always so amazing to watch the transformation between the shy girl thinking she could possibly do this with enough champagne, to the badass confident woman halfway through the shoot that says "You know what!? Screw this lingerie!"  Enter the classy nudes.

I know why clients are a little intimidated by the boudoir experience process. The women in my photos look SO confident, so sexy, like they really owned the shit out of their photo shoot. Practically pros, right!?

During your photo session, other than holding pretty uncomfortable poses for several minutes at a time, you'll be thinking "This can't possibly look sexy." and "Oh none of these are going to turn out.". It doesn't FEEL like a sexy experience while you're doing it. FUN...hell yes. But sexy?! Not really.  I'm not speaking in a seductive voice while using sexy verbiage in a dimly lit room with candle light and Marvin Gaye playing (although, I do believe "Let's Get it On" is on one of my playlists...we usually just laugh when it comes on.). 

NOT AT ALL.  The room is bright AF, generally some upbeat music playing, and it's pretty much an hour long chit chat with me about every day life with the occasional "Ok, now arch your back a tiny bit more and give me a good exhale out your mouth.....PERFECT!!! You're doing awesome!!!"

It's generally only 5 minutes into the shoot before women start to realize "hey, this is WAY easier than I thought it was going to be!"

So, trust me, the idea of taking off all of your everything in front of a stranger's camera IS scary to think about. But I assure you, it's business as usual for me and you can't scare me with "all this" (what women usually say while motioning to their bodies in reference to being nude), and, in fact, challenge accepted and you will LOVE your nude images, likely more than your clothed ones. I will pose you to perfection, I will use strategic lighting, I will coach you through every minute of it, and you will be SO GLAD YOU DID THIS!

Round of applause to this badass woman for taking it all off and being oh-so-proud to be documented wrapped in nothing. She actually didn't need any champagne and knew from the beginning she wanted to do nude artistry. And the final product reflected her confidence in that decision!

GET IT, GIRRRRRRLLLLL!!!!!

WHETHER YOU WANT TO TAKE IT ALL OFF OR KEEP IT ALL ON, IF YOU'RE READY TO FEEL AMAZING IN YOUR OWN SKIN, LET'S CHAT!

From Cute to Sexy | Austin Boudoir Studio

Ahhh yes. I've heard it a hundred times before...the ol' "I've always felt CUTE...but never sexy."

What most people don't realize is that "sexy" doesn't have much to do with appearance. It's about the way you carry yourself. It's about confidence. It's that feeling you get when you know you're amazing.

And with me directing your poses, facial expressions, and encouraging you the entire time, you are guaranteed to feel SEXY through the whole process. Especially seeing your photos. 

It was an absolute pleasure to blow Miss K away and show her just how sexy she is!

"I have always considered myself 'cute', but I never would have described myself as sexy."

“ It felt so great to actually feel sexy!”
— Miss K

"The whole experience from arrival, to hair and makeup to the actual shoot, it was a great day. Having my sister with me was the icing on the cake!"

" I felt very confident after the photo shoot. It was so much fun and definitely an experience I could do again."

“To me, sexy is the confident energy a person produces. Sexy is the comfortable feeling of being who you are. Sexy is not just having beautiful lips, legs, and arms. It is beyond that. Sexy is soul.”
— Karina Smirnoff

I'm so grateful for clients like Miss K that can come into the studio, trust me to do what I do best, and who finally get to see the SEXY in there. Because the more you experience, the more you can carry that SEXY with you every.single.day. 

ARE YOU READY TO SEE MORE THAN 'CUTE' WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR? LET'S CHAT, DAHHLING!

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!

The Second Time Around | Miss C | Austin Boudoir Studio

The majority of my clients have either already come back for a second (or third or fourth) round of boudoir, or have plans to. It's one of those experiences that you can't have just once. Not with me. 

When Miss C came in to see me last year, she was nervous, a little uneasy about the whole process, and...I have a feeling...she was talked into it by her best friend who was also coming in for a session on the same day. Our end results were lovely, and it all worked out just fine. 

She knew she wanted to give it another go now that she knew it wasn't quite so scary, and she headed back into my studio a year later with a gritty and less-clothed vision for her finished product. We ran with it and created some of my favorite images yet. 

You can really FEEL these photos, and I adore that. Not to mention her completely badass ink (she even added a few fresh pieces between sessions) that added the perfect edge to the images.  

"Kara is just amazing. So fun to work with and just a chick you want to be friends with." -Miss C

austinboudoir_tattooedboudoir-13.jpg
“Looking at these pictures makes me feel like a badass! ”
— Miss C

"This was round two boudoir for me with Kara and totally different than my first! Last year I was shy and unsure about even doing a boudoir and this year I came back with a vision and ready to take it all off!"

"It is so empowering to feel beautiful in your own skin and Kara is wonderful at capturing that. Doing this boudoir shoot let me see how far I've come in just a year. I've grown and I've changed and to get that in print is something I'll have forever."

YASSSS to Miss C! Major props for going at it again with less clothes and more confidence! It's amazing what we can accomplish with an hour and a badass attitude, isn't it? 

ARE YOU READY TO GIVE IT A GO? YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED! ALREADY DONE IT ONCE? EACH SESSION WILL BE BETTER THAN THE LAST! LET'S CHAT, DAHHLING!

Infertility struggles, body disconnect, and a happy ending | Austin Boudoir Studio

While there are endless reasons for a boudoir session, I find the common ground amongst my clients is often that they have become disconnected with their love for themselves and/or their bodies for one reason or another. Whether that be weight gain, an illness, the loss of a family member, a tumultuous relationship, or even just struggling with the concept of aging. 

It's important to remember that a boudoir experience with Kara Marie Boudoir is NOT just about sexy photos. It's about reconnecting with yourself, embracing your womanhood, and getting reacquainted with your femininity.  Regardless of WHY we've become disconnected with those things, this experience will help. It will. You'll appreciate yourself and your body a little more, you'll come to realize that you ARE stunning, sexy, and badass just the way you are.  You'll reconnect with the woman inside...the woman aside from the day-to-day routines and motherhood and career and relationship. 

BOUDOIR IS ABOUT YOU. It's not about your partner or spouse. Your ex who made you feel unworthy. Your health issues. Your extra 20, 30, 40 pounds. It's about who you are INSIDE and it's about helping you to love who you are outside, too. 

THIS story just has me all kinds of weepy. Miss T came to me after struggling with infertility and growing to dislike her body. It's a heartbreaking story that I, unfortunately, hear all too often. Read her words below....as well as the happy ending :) 

"I decided that this was a session that I needed because for the past couple of years, my husband and I have struggled with fertility. Through many rounds of medications, surgeries and so many other tests, I just didn't feel much like myself anymore. I also grew to hate my body."

"At the beginning of this year, I started running to feel better and stronger. The early morning was the perfect quiet time to hit the pavement and work through my feelings, or not, and just push my body to things I had previously told myself I couldn't do."

"My perspective began to change and I slowly started to love a body that I still didn't fully recognize. This photo shoot pushed me over the edge and I finally saw my body as strong and able again."

"My overall morale has improved greatly since the beginning of this year. Not only am I happy in my skin and with myself, I now can accept when my husband says the same thing to me."

"Before, I struggled so much with guilt that we couldn't have a baby and he has always told me that my body was beautiful but I just couldn't believe it. I know that Gods timing is perfect, but I have to believe the shoot was part of His plan. The same week my beautiful book of photos was delivered, we found out that we are pregnant!"

WAHOOOOOOO! Pregnant!!!!!!! Yassss! I certainly don't want to falsely advertise that a boudoir experience will knock you up...but I can't tell you how many clients of mine report that they are expecting really shortly after their session!  This thrills me to bits. 

Congratulations to Mrs and Mr T on their news!

 

The Glowing Miss B | Maternity Boudoir

If a camera was pointed in my direction at any point in the third trimester of either of my pregnancies, you wouldn't want to be the one holding the camera.  Ooooohhhh no. I remember how terrible I felt, how terrible I *thought* I looked based on how I felt, and how I cringed or flipped the bird anytime a phone or camera was pointed in my direction. 

Yet to this day I regret not documenting my pregnancies more thoroughly.  Looking back on the few photos I *do* have, it was actually a beautiful thing. I was growing my little muffins who mean more to me than anything. And I will never experience pregnancy again. There's no do overs. You can't recreate those photos. So, I urge you mammas....TAKE THE PHOTOS. Hire a photographer you love and document the crap out of your growing bump. Whether it be maternity boudoir, a beauty session, or a family portrait session.

Then there's Miss B. She knew that she would cherish these photos forever, and I'm SO BLEEPING STOKED that she chose me to document them. The session couldn't have gone more effortless, she couldn't have been any more stunning, and the final product most definitely could not be beat. I ADORE THESE PHOTOS AND THE WOMAN IN THEM! You GO, Miss B. 

"It was perfect. Pure and simple." ~Miss B

"Kara made things so easy and natural for me. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. It helped boost my confidence at the end of my pregnancy just when I needed it most. I can't thank her enough."

Seriously!? Seriously. S.T.U.N.N.I.N.G.

I urge you, mammas, get in front of the camera. If you find the right photographer (*clears throat*), you will not regret it. But if you hide from the camera like I did, you probably will. 

THANK YOU, Miss B for choosing me and for allowing me to share your images! 

Another thank you to Lauren of Lola Beauty for killin' it on hair and makeup, as per usual! 

 

Loving Photos of Yourself | Miss A | Austin Boudoir Studio

There probably won't be enough client stories and reviews that will make you believe that even YOU will love images of yourself.  But let's try for just one more, shall we?

You see, I *get* it. I'm a woman... well...a GIRL if you want to consider my reaction to photos of myself. I nitpick. I'm not proud of it, but I do. I am getting MUCH better about that...yet I seem to have a really long road ahead to getting to the point that I love myself from every angle, posed and unposed, candid or not. In the meantime, there's professional photographers like yours truly. 

I wish I kept track of the number of women who came in to me saying they were SO nervous about this experience because they aren't photogenic, they hate photos of themselves, they aren't as thin as the women on my website, etc etc.  Guess who calls bullshit? MEEEEEE!  It's not my client's job to take amazing photos of them. It's mine. And I will. And you will leave your photo reveal saying "I cannot believe I LOVE photos of MYSELF." It's a really awesome feeling....and this client here got to experience it!  

Miss A speaks on her Kara Marie Boudoir experience:

"The experience was surreal. I didn't know how to prepare for it other than the typical "let me lose weight and tone up before I strip down in front of a camera!"

"The week of my shoot was funky - I was in an emotional headspace and feeling pretty down. Needless to say, on the day of my shoot, I did not feel like being sexy. Luckily, Kara made me feel 100% comfortable right off the bat. She explained what to expect during the shoot and how to make a sexy pouty face. And just like that, the shoot was over and I could eat fried chicken again."

"The day of the photo reveal could not come soon enough. I was feeling happy and normal again and SO ready to see the pictures. This was far more exciting than the shoot itself. I couldn't believe how much I loved the pictures."

“Most people don’t LOVE pictures of themselves, but damn ... I L.O.V.E. these pictures.”
— Miss A
Makeup by Kendall of Mayhem 

Makeup by Kendall of Mayhem 

"I cannot wait to have the prints in my hands and the art on my walls. If you want to feel great about yourself in a way you haven't felt before, you must have a shoot with Kara."

" I'm a bit shocked to see myself in a such a pretty, sexy, and natural way."

" I usually try to take "selfies" so I have control over the picture and can decide if I like the outcome. I wasn't sure if I would like pictures of myself taken by someone else. Honestly, I was most terrified of seeing professional pictures and still picking myself apart in each image. This is where 'trust the professional' really comes into play. Kara knows what she's doing and DAMN it felt good seeing myself like that."

" I feel excited and happy with the pictures, I want to show everyone! And I want to tell everyone that you will look like that in your own photoshoot, too."

“You will look hot, sexy, beautiful, and like yourself. And by the way, I am not staring at them picking myself apart.”

"I wanted to add that I did this shoot for myself - these pictures are not for a significant other or fiance. These are for me to show myself how beautiful I am and to preserve when I'm 80 and no longer have my younger body. I highly recommend everyone do this, even if there is no special recipient in mind - YOU can be the special recipient of these beautiful images."

And if you're wishing and hoping that she printed some of these for her wall, you'll be pleased to know she went BIG....ANNNND went home!!! <3 

YASSSSS!!!!!! Just another example of a woman in shock at how much she loved photos of herself. She walked away with boosted confidence, self love, a mega thick boudoir album, and the most badass wall art pieces for over her bed that anyone could ask for! 

I know it's not always easy to place your trust in a stranger when it comes to seeing yourself in this manner. But, I assure you, you are in VERY CAPABLE hands. I photograph each and every client as I would want to be photographed. From the moment you book your shoot experience with me, you are in my hands, you are under my wing, and you are part of the Kara Marie Boudoir family. Consider me Mother Goose...I'll take amazing care of you.  

Thank you to Miss A for the amazing blog feature! You.are.ahmazinnnnggg!

Ready to trust me?? Good. Let's chat. 

A shattered woman on the mend | Austin Boudoir Studio

If you've learned only one thing by following along with my work and reading my blog, I hope it's that my message is about SO MUCH MORE than sexy photos. So. Much. More.  There is a very specific reason that I choose to share words direct from my client's mouths along with their photos. Those words tell the story of each woman, and those stories bring us together.

The images aren't anywhere near as important as what the images represent for the women in them.

The story that I share today is the very REAL and raw testimony of a recent client who has been working on putting her shattered world back together after the stillbirth of her daughter. SO many of you, unfortunately, can relate to such a loss. Things like this often cause us to shut down emotionally, focus on the negative, and lose our relationship with ourselves....lose our sense of womanhood.  

It's up to us to attempt to find ways of healing and reconnecting with ourselves and our bodies after such mental trauma. It was an absolute honor to be a part of helping Miss M get a little bit of herself back. 

She shares:

"After the stillbirth of my daughter I was a woman shattered. With her stillbirth came a complete disconnect from my sense of "womanhood.

I was so angry with my body. I wanted to separate from my physical self, to ignore it. I'd lost my strong, sexy, confident self. I was embarrassed. Others couldn't see why I was 25 pounds overweight. I had no child to hold. And yet, honestly I was holding onto the weight because it reminded me of what was. I wasn't ready to let that go.

"I'm working to rebuild my relationship with my physical self one piece at a time. This photoshoot was a big piece. Kara has beautifully captured me as I am today. She's frozen my body in time.  This body, the one that grew my precious baby girl, will forever stand still in those beautiful images. I can begin to let go of what was and move into what will be."

“I am finding ways to remind myself that I am a woman. Her death does not change that fact. And these photos are helping me rebuild a broken relationship piece-by-piece, image-by-image.”
— Miss M

"For someone who has an innate anxiety around new places and people this could have been bad. Thank you for making me feel comfortable and at ease."

I'm so grateful to Miss M for choosing me to be a part of her journey to reconnect with herself and her womanhood...and infinitely grateful to her for sharing her story with all of us. I know it will be such an inspiration to so many women who have experienced a similar loss. My heart breaks for every single woman who tells me a story similar to this. Yet I am so proud that they are taking this huge step towards loving on themselves with a boudoir experience.  If you think that a boudoir experience may help you cope/recover/mend/breathe/smile again, I encourage you to reach out! 

I'm in a hugging kind of mood, so I'm sending virtual hugs to all of you, and an extra one to you, Miss M! 

The Best Birthday Present for Yourself | Austin Boudoir Studio

Gone are the days that you need an excuse to have a boudoir experience. When I first dipped my toe into the pool that was boudoir photography, nearly every client was doing the shoot as a wedding present to their new spouse. 

Over the last several years, I've loved watching the mindset shift in my clientele who is now doing it for their DAMN selves! Yeah!

Miss Y here is one of them! I met her at an event several months back and I was thrilled when she booked herself a session for her 35th birthday. 

She said: "Every time I've stalked the website or Instagram I was 100% sure you only posted pictures women who looked like models...when I got my pictures back I couldn't believe it!!! I looked like those women...like a model!"

^^^^^ THIS. ^^^^^ So so many of my clients say this to me when they first reach out. They are concerned that they aren't as pretty or as fit or as confident as the women on my website. They are convinced that I could not possibly get as good of an outcome from them. I prove them wrong each and every time, and I kind of gloat a little bit about it, too ;) 

"I had been feeling very self-conscious and simply not good about myself for a while, this experience changed my whole opinion!!! Taking theses pictures for my 35th birthday was the best possible present I could have given myself! "

" My whole outlook had changed! Actually it had changed the moment you started taking my picture! Thank you for making me feel so amazing!!!"

“ I’ve walked with my head higher since I stepped out of the studio after the shoot...I’ve NEVER felt better!!!”
— Miss Y

A VERRRRRRRRYYY Happy Birthday to Miss Y!!! She looks like a model, doesn't she? Yeah, I know. ;) 

Who else would like me to prove them wrong? Let's chat.