Beauty + Brains + Badassness | Austin Boudoir Photographer

She's a bird owner, a car enthusiast, and a scientist (so basically, a total badass). On top of that, she's got the most beautiful blue eyes! Miss "B", here, is has been in front of my lens a few times before...but I would have to say that THIS was my favorite shoot.  She is just such a natural in front of the camera. Even when she's giggling because she feels awkward, it comes across as "supermodel".

Here is what Miss "B" had to say: 

"In early February, I had a tonsillectomy.  As an adult, it means a longer recovery and no real food for TWO WEEKS. I lost a lot of weight, and right about the time I was almost to my two week mark, I suffered a very rare and life threatening arterial hemorrhage that required emergency surgery and, you guessed it, another two week ban on food!

After four weeks of soupy mashed potatoes and apple sauce, I had lost a total of 15 pounds (and a large quantity of blood from the hemorrhage). For the next few months, I got to constantly hear from everyone how sick, tired and pale I looked! Not only was I physically feeling crummy, I was feeling down about how awful these complications apparently made me look. I was having trouble getting back to my old self after this, and it turns out a boudoir shoot with the Click Chick herself was exactly what I needed!

Kara is an amazing woman who really helped me feel great about myself again. I firmly believe that it’s not just the boudoir experience itself, but having a wonderful photographer that really gives it the impact. I felt so comfortable and spent the majority of my shoot laughing! It was also helpful that Kara has a great eye AND modeling experience so she will show you exactly how to pose- there is no need to think you shouldn’t shoot because you’re not sure what to do or how to do it.  

I am so happy that I did this for myself and I would strongly recommend any woman who needs a pick me up or just a fun way to pamper herself to consider a boudoir shoot with Kara! I am a three time customer for a reason!"

Beauty + Brains + Badassness. Told you. ;) 

If you haven't exactly been feeling at the top of your game lately, I can help! Let's chat, dahhling! 

30, skinny, and fan-freakin'-tastic | Austin Boudoir Photographer

I know that so many of you will identify with Miss "G"s story here. So often we hear about plus-sized women who are having a hard time feeling comfortable in their own skin, especially given outside opinion. The less-told story is that of the thin girl who ALSO feels inadequate. She gets told to "eat a donut". She is judged by her size and shape. She is told that her insecurities are ridiculous, that she should be grateful to have such a tiny frame. Much like the curly-haired woman longs for straight locks, and the woman with poker-straight hair does everything in her power for some texture and body, we always feel the grass is greener. The moral of the story is, OWN IT. Celebrate yourself. Miss "G" did....and the results were supa sexay.

Her story:

"Every day I fight and have a struggle with myself on how I look. I hear comments day in and day out on how I am too skinny, that I need to eat a hamburger (or insert any other food people find funny at the moment), how I must be anorexic or bulimic. I even receive comments asking how my husband could marry someone who looks like a prepubescent boy.

I am turning 30 years old this year and have never been able to weigh more than 100 pounds and I cry every time I go to buy clothes because I cannot fill out a simple tank top, let alone a bra to make me feel like a woman.

This shoot was not my first experience with Kara, and if you know me, you know I am a frequent flyer. But this shoot was different and extremely personal to me. I wanted to shut up those negative voices I hear every day, I wanted to be able to look at myself and feel beautiful, I wanted to feel like a woman, I wanted to finally feel like a wife that my husband deserves. I started shopping MANY months before my shoot, not because I wanted to be overly prepared, but because I needed to find outfits that could fit my tiny figure.

Everything that I would find online on websites had to be shipped back because I could not fill them out, even in their smallest sizes. I know many women right now are yelling at their computers “I wish I had that problem!” or “Lucky girl” but once again, I was crying because I wasn’t a woman. I was ashamed of who I am, ashamed of what I looked like, ashamed of what I didn’t have.

When arriving to the shoot to get my makeup done, I was actually the biggest ball of nerves I have ever been to see her! Here I am shooting with this amazing Chick who photographs all these gorgeous, fabulous, sexy women multiple times a day and then posts their inspiring stories! And then there was me……

I received an early text message from Kara a few days later of a few teasers! Instantly, I was in shock with my mouth opened as wide as a cartoon character! I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing, I was actually crying! I was beautiful!! I was on cloud 9 for these few simple images I couldn’t stop staring at!

Thank you Kara for showing me that I could be and that I AM beautiful! Thank you for showing me that there is a side to me that I never thought was possible! Thank you for showing me the woman my husband has told me he has seen for all these years, yet I was unable to. Thank you from the bottom on my heart!! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the awesome club that is the phenomenal women you shoot every day and show them how wonderful, spectacular and special they are! THANK YOU will never come close enough to the gratitude I have for you! THANK YOU!"

PHEW. Are YOU misty-eyed?! I am. 

Miss "G" has shot with me a record number of times. In fact, at our last shoot she wanted to make sure there was no one else who had shot with me as much as she had. I'm pretty sure if I told her that there was, she would have demanded another shoot on the spot. She is the dictionary definition of "loyal customer" and I'm honored to have her as such.  This shoot definitely topped all of our past ones. 

She told me she wanted to be a little more bold/daring/sexy/adventurous this time around. I'm PRETTTY sure we nailed it! Don't you think!?

BOOM!

THANK YOU, Miss "G" for sharing your story and photos with us!  May you only eat a hamburger if you're craving one, and never ever feel insecure again about that rockin' bod of yours!!

Ready for your turn? Let's chat about your boudoir shoot, dahhling!

For everybody and every BODY | Miss "L" | Austin Boudoir

Where to begin? When this amazing woman and mother of two contacted me, I KNEW that I was about to be a part of something spectacular. Miss "L" has had a doozy of a year, recently being diagnosed with Lupus, and losing a lot of weight as a result. In her initial email she told me she was having a hard time handling her lack of curves and "girlish" figure.  I knew that she NEEDED this. And I KNEW that I had to be the one to photograph her. I mean...no offense to other boudoir photographers out there or anything...but my tagline IS "boudoir photographer to the AWESOME". Miss "L" was the epitome of AWESOME.  

And here is her story....

“Over the course of 12 months, I broke my ankle and was in a NON-weight bearing cast for 4 months- with two children and a 2 STORY HOUSE!! It was my right ankle—No driving either! About two weeks after I could finally walk again, I found a lump in my breast.  5 doctors later, test after test after test, and finally an excisional biopsy, I found out I had a condition called SLE, or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. With this diagnosis, came a drastic change in my eating habits- think, you can’t eat anything except meat and vegetables! Since my diagnosis, I have lost a drastic amount of weight and my bust in its entirety.  I know it doesn’t sound like much, and is probably so trivial a thing to complain about, but after having two children I felt like I should have my womanly figure, that they had taken my health, basically every food out there, but that I should still get to have my figure!

I contacted Kara in the hopes that I would see these pictures, and not see the absence of a figure and the plight of this otherwise sick girl that is trying every day in every moment to prevent this inevitability of what SLE means, but that I would see the me, that my husband and family sees.

My morning was absolutely wonderful.  I had my hair styled by the sweetest stylist who was so welcoming and made me feel so special.  My make-up was no different. She airbrushed my make-up, perfected every imperfection, and made me look stunning.  Seriously these girls are awesome! I walked in an overworked, over-tired mom with a great cup of coffee, and I walked out a supermodel!  THEN, I went to this gorgeous studio that Kara had rented out JUST for the shoot, and had the pleasure of working with Kara, and Jennifer of Underwear, seriously the cutest lingerie boutique in AUSTIN. 

Then the shoot started, Kara is INCREDIBLE!! I was so nervous that I wouldn’t know what to do or where to look, or that the look of, “Oh my gosh, I can’t fill this out,” would show on my face.  But she talked me through every pose. Every inch of my body was so meticulously positioned to get the most flattering shots! She listened to every word, and hesitation and she talked me through it all! She would even burst out as she was snapping pictures, “Ooh I love it, You look Great, Eeee this looks soooo good!”  Seriously, with that much encouragement who wouldn’t feel comfortable! I ended up taking so many pictures and having so much fun, I would really love to do it again!  We had such a fun time shooting!"

“I never thought, after the year I have had, that anything this great could happen. It has been such a gift, and I know that these pictures are really going to help me to feel like the woman, the wife, and mother I am, and not like the condition I have.”

— Miss L

My husband was totally a fan of this too! Ha, go figure right! Hands down, Kara is the best.  Period. Thank you, Thank You, Thank you!”

What a delightful woman. Seriously. Her laugh was so much fun to capture. She is (clearly) so insanely beautiful. I'm so proud of her for rocking out this shoot!!!  GIVE HER SOME LOVE in the comments, y'all! <3

Credits: 

Hair: Nina of Urban Betty

Makeup: Lauren of Hint of Shimmer

Lingerie Styling: Jennifer of UNDERWEAR

Boudoir Photography: Click Chick Boudoir

Your turn! Yes...you. Let's chat, dahhling!

Moms are SEXY too. | Austin Boudoir Photographer

I'm sure most moms can identify with Miss "S", here. Always the one taking the photos...never actually IN them. Insecure about the way the body has changed after having kids.  She put on her big girl panties (well...maybe not BIG...sexy strappy black ones !) and had a boudoir shoot with me. And the result was magical.

Here's what Miss "S" had to say:

"This session was a way for me to reclaim my body and end the unhealthy relationship that I have held on to for far too long.  Since my daughter’s birth, to be exact, I have gone back and forth with accepting my body and created these self-made insecurities.  Being a photographer myself (Sweet Pixel Photography), I have felt like a hypocrite in so many mays and have always been behind the lens. In a way, I was hiding. Photographing and capturing love, life, and beauty is one thing, but being inside a body, claiming it as your own, and feeling (and believing) like a sexy and confident woman is another.  

Sorry guys and gals, my name is Stephanie, I am a photographer of love, and I have struggled with loving my body for quite some time.  At nearly 32, I needed to see myself in a different light.  I needed to truly “see” my body separate from what my loving partner has always told me.  I needed to see it separate from the words that I always hear my sweet 7 year old saying.  “Mommy, you are the most beautiful mommy in the whole wide world.” Even with their words, I didn’t believe it.  It wasn’t enough.

Before my session, I was nervous trying to get across town in the rain.  I assure you, those beads of water were not raindrops, I was sweating.  When I finally arrived for my make up, I pulled into a parking spot and sifted through some texts from my honey that I received earlier in the week. I re-read them all, and I smiled. To be completely raw, I teared up.   His support, his love, and his excitement for me and this session was unbelievable.  I knew in that moment that I fell even more in love with him through this experience because of the way HE chose to support me. He knew I needed this, wanted this, and he trusted me. Silently, he was trusting Kara, as well.  He didn’t care if there were images of me in lingerie on Instagram, Facebook, Blogs, and other social media outlets, because it wasn’t about that.  This session was about embracing womanhood and motherhood, ALL of it.  It is about a busy mom finally doing something for herself that made her feel beautiful. This was just one way of him supporting me practicing my own self-love, I just left the yoga pants at home. ;)

And then I met Lauren and Kara.  Lauren was fantastic and instantly started calming my nerves the moment she started my make-up application.  Then there was Kara, well let’s just say that she has a way of making you feel like you have been friends forever, as she lays behind her tulle-covered lens bringing out your inner goddess.  She was fantastic and I am so privileged to have had the opportunity to work with her team.  Kara, I am very grateful for your gift, thank you.

His words…

“You’ll be great. Be confident in the beauty you possess, be confident in your inner sexiness, be confident, be you. Embrace the gift of Boudoir and know that what goes around, comes around, and that it’s your turn.”

“Enjoy that time for yourself, be your sexy self, own it, and know that I’m thinking about you… I love you…”

 … and then my love took me shopping."

Isn't she a bombshell?!! Seriously. Gorgeous.  I applaud Miss "S" for not only stepping out of her comfort zone, but for proudly sharing her knockout photos with the world to encourage other women to embrace the experience for THEMSELVES. 

Credits-

Makeup by Lauren Davis of Hint of Shimmer

Austin Boudoir Photographer Click Chick Boudoir

Hand-Painted Silk robe from Bali can be found at UNDERWEAR of Austin and is originally from Brilliant Imports http://www.brilliantimports.com

Ready to break free of the mom mold for your boudoir shoot? Let's chat, dahhling!

Miss "B"s Bridal Boudoir | Austin Boudoir Photographer

It stands to reason that a good chunk of the boudoir shoots I do are for women who are about to be married.  What better gift to give your forever-partner a reminder of just how lucky they are? ;)

Miss "B", here, put a tremendous amount of thought and planning into her boudoir shoot.  We had to be sneaky...I'm talking 007 stealth type sneaky!  You see, her man was SLEEPING after a long shift in the downstairs bedroom while we shot upstairs. There may or may not have been a towel stuffed under his bedroom door to muffle any accidental noise we might make...

But it was worth it. Check out Mr. B's reaction to opening his bedside book (and learning that she did the shoot while he was sleeping downstairs!!):

...and because Mr. "B" was a marine...THIS had to be done...

I would like to state, for the record, that Miss "B"s hair is 100% alllll real, ALLL HERS. (My fellow thin-haired ladies out there are jealous right along with me right now...) Isn't that AMAZING!? I mean, if you're THIS beautiful as it is, it's just not fair to have such perfect locks as well. But I digress.

I ADORE this set of bridal boudoir images. ADORE it. Just. Ahhh. Love love love.

This amazing woman's photos are yet another example of how classy boudoir photos can be, y'all. You DON'T have to take it all off to be sexy (but you totally can, if you want! haha) 

BRAVO, BRAVVVOOOO *standing ovation*.  I love this set of images and this gorgeous woman...who is NOT a model....but SHOULD be, shouldn't she!?!   

Mr. B is a lucky man. 

It's your turn, dahhling! Let's get your shoot booked. You freaking deserve it. Let's chat.

Austin Boudoir Model Call! | Austin TX Boudoir Photographer

I only do this ONCE a year so now is your chance, ladies! Seeking out 2-3 confident, animated, smiley, awesome Austin ladies for a boudoir shoot! Ages 24-40(ish), all shapes and sizes welcome!  No modeling experience necessary.  Selected candidates will receive a photo shoot experience with me and will be featured right here on the Click Chick Boudoir blog and website!  Email hello@clickchickboudoir.com with a photo or two of yourself as well as WHY you feel you should be selected. Your story will be featured along with your photos! 

My  team will be making selections later this week (I will NOT be the one personally choosing! So your attempts to send me bribes of chocolate and wine will be useless...not that THAT should stop you ;) ) and shoots will occur over the next week to two weeks during the day.

Think you're woman enough? Apply now!

Miss "V" in all her glory... | Austin Boudoir Photographer

You've definitely seen the "teasers" by now...Miss "V"'s photo shoot was insanely amazing. She totally rocked the lens, rocked her outfit (uhm...this floral kimono is to DIE for), rocked her tattoos, and made my day. Miss "V" just moved to Austin from California and I think this photo shoot was the PERFECT welcome for her, don't you??

Many of you may not believe it (especially the photographers who may be reading)...but I did VERRRY little editing on these images. I only sharpened, added a touch of contrast, and straightened the crop when necessary. I did absolutely NO skin retouching whatsoever. My "secret" is so simple , it's ridiculous. If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you know what that secret is...if you don't, then I'll just leave you in wonder :) 

Incredible, right!? Miss "V" was such a classic beauty. It was a pleasure to have her in front of my lens! 

Major props to my incredible makeup artist, Lauren Davis of Hint of Shimmer! 

Ready for your turn?! Let's chat, dahhling!

Miss "V" teaser | Austin Boudoir Photographer

I have this shoot that I did this week...and, as a rule, I do my full boudoir features on MONDAYS (best web traffic day, y'all....gotta play the game!), but I definitely needed to blog a teaser. <3 

You will NOT want to miss this blog post bright and early Monday morning! Set an alarm, y'all! Or better yet, subscribe to my blog so you get an email! 

SO much more to come!

xx,

Kara Marie

I shot a man. #trynewthingsproject

My first MAJOR adventure in my #trynewthingsproject was to learn how to shoot a gun. {Pretty please withhold your political rants.}  I've always been pretty terrified of guns. That fear, of course, can be attributed to lack of education. I had never held a gun up until a couple of months ago when I had a boudoir shoot with one of my wedding industry friends...who showed up to her session packin'! Haha. She showed me that the gun wasn't loaded and there was nothing to be afraid of as I backed myself up against a wall and asked her to hide it. 

Flash forward past one too many horror stories of women being in the position of NEEDING to defend themselves and being unable to, and my self improvement project involving trying new things...and BANG (pun intended), you have "LEARN TO SHOOT A GUN" crossed off the list almost as soon as it was put on there. 

I turned to my industry friend...the same one who introduced me to a gun at her boudoir shoot...and her husband for help. They took me under their wings and we set out to Lockhart to visit the Lonestar Gun Range. Over the course of a couple hours I learned about gun safety, how to shoot a 9mm, and that I am a total badass.  I, of course, chose the "BAD GUY" target. And for my very first time shooting ever, I was very impressed to have successfully aimed, fired, and "killed" him. 

And here I am APOLOGIZING to the bad man for shooting him.... bwahaha

Overall, it was a really awesome experience. I'm SO glad that I learned and am anxious to go back again for round two. A HUGE thank you to Cheryl and Shea Bailey of Wedding Industry Rescue for teaching me how to be a "REAL Texan"! 

When's the last time you did something for the first time? Join me in the "try new things project"

If you're curious about the project and maybe want to start challenging yourself to live life to the fullest, watch the video about my #trynewthings project!

The lovely Miss "B" | Austin Boudoir Photographer

When I get MULTIPLE emails and texts from a client in the weeks leading up to her boudoir shoot oozing with excitement about their upcoming session, I KNOW it's going to be an amazing shoot!  Miss "B"'s enthusiasm was so apparent during her session. She TOTALLY brought it (along with my favorite chocolates. YESSS). She was completely in the moment. Her expressions were perfection. And she was such a laid back, goofy, free-spirit!  I got SO MANY amazing images of her....it was nearly impossible to select some for the blog. Alas, I gave it a shot! Here are some of my favorites!!

(Note before scrolling further...there is some tasteful nudity in this set of images!!!) 

Gorgeous, right!?  I told Miss "B" that it's TOTALLY unfair that she's been blessed with such a rocking body when the rest of us (eh hem) have to PAY for such (eh hem) assets. ;) 

Makeup by the fabulous Lauren Davis of Hint of Shimmer.

Pssst! Hey you! Are you ready to book your boudoir shoot or what?! You know you've been thinking about it forever. Let's chat, dahhling!