She had no idea how to be sexy.| Austin Boudoir Photographer

"I can't believe I'm actually going to do this."

"I don't even own any lingerie."

"I'm not sexy". 

These are the comments that flood my inbox on the regular from all different types of women of all different walks of life. 

Miss "N" told me that she had no idea how to be sexy.  But, by simply existing, she already was. And she didn't have to know *HOW* to give sexy looks or make her waist look as small as possible, or know what the most flattering light was. You see, that's my job. 

Simply show up. I'll even let you show up nervous as hell, if that's what's natural for you. Because it's also my job to make you feel comfortable. 

You can bring lingerie or nothing at all. 

You can have an idea in your mind of what you want to accomplish with this, or you can just leave all your trust and anxiety to me. 

It's natural to be nervous, I GET IT. But the point is....it's not your job to make yourself look the best you can look in your photos. It's mine. So you can just relax and follow the very detailed directions that I give you while we're shooting, and know that your images WILL be every bit as stunning as all of those you swoon over on my website. And we did just that for Miss "N". 

"This was my first boudoir shoot and, if I'm completely honest, the first time I wore real lingerie in all my 30 years. Needless to say I was nervous and had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea how to be sexy. "

Hair + makeup credit: Kendall of Mayhem Beauty

“But Kara made me feel comfortable and she made me feel beautiful! My experience was amazing from the minute I walked in to the very last interaction. Kara is incredibly talented. She knows exactly what to say, how to pose you and what lighting will bring out the goddess in you. I highly recommend Kara and her studio!”

— Miss N

“ Amazingly my boudoir experience changed the way I see my body. I feel more confident and I feel sexy! I’m ready to walk around in my lingerie if it weren’t for pesky indecent exposure charges, hahaha ;)”

— Miss N

Miss "N", thank you SO much for trusting me with your first (and hopefully not last!) boudoir experience. I'm seriously over-the-moon with our finished product and so excited that you can see what I saw forever and ever each time you look at your incredible boudoir album. You are STUNNINGGGGGGG and I adore you and your photos!!

THINK THAT YOU CAN'T LOOK AS SEXY AS THE WOMEN ON MY WEBSITE? THEY DIDN'T EITHER. LET'S CHAT, DAHHLING!

You don't *have* to take your clothes off | Austin Beauty Photographer

It's probably no secret that I'm a fan of nudity. I think every woman should be able to rip her clothes off, whip them around her head, and have her photos taken confidently. (Note: I have not yet achieved such confidence myself...but I'm one step closer with each personal boudoir shoot I do).

Boudoir is my baby. It's my niche, my specialty. It's what I do 92% of the time. Yes. I did the math.

The *OTHER* 8% of the time is spent doing BEAUTY portraiture. So. What's the difference? 

BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY

While boudoir photography almost always involves a certain level of undress or nudity, it is also a little more raw, candid, unposed LOOKING (although we do pose you throughout the entire shoot!). Boudoir is meant to embrace a woman's sexuality, independence, femininity, and badassness. Because of the posing and the wardrobe, these images tend to be more intimate in nature. We do retouch all boudoir images for our clients with standard retouching techniques and the finished product is generally a variety of about 50-60 images with a natural retouch that include "detail" shots such as legs, tush, breasts, back, shoulders, collar bone, lips, as well as full bodyscapes and imagery that includes the face. 

Example of Kara Marie's BOUDOIR Photography. More intimate in nature, boudoir images embrace a woman's sexuality, femininity, and badassness in a certain level of undress. 

BEAUTY PHOTOGRAPHY

Now, BEAUTY portraiture is a bit more polished...with a finished "fine art" look and feel. Beauty portraiture is a great option for a woman who wants a smaller collection of absolutely breathtaking portraits of herself that are wall-worthy. Our beauty portraits always containing the full face and have more "statement" wardrobe which can mean a ball gown, little black dress, lace bodysuit, fabric draping or even nudity. There are also more special effects such as fine art tectures and extensive retouching done on these images.  The finished product is generally a smaller collection (roughly 15-20) fully enhanced, wall (or Facebook profile pic)-ready images. 

Example of Beauty Portraiture by Kara Marie Boudoir. Beauty photos always contain the client's face, can be taken fully clothed, + are finished with a full retouch and a fine-art edit making it classic wall art.

Beauty portraiture also tends to appeal more to the masses.....it may be a little less intimidating for a woman who is hesitant to bare it all for my camera (although I maintain that, regardless of your wardrobe or lack thereof, I *WILL* make you feel comfortable. Promise.)

These are images that you can gift to mom or grandma and they will gush over without instructing you to cover up your bits. 

They don't necessarily need to be taken in our studio, as you can see. These can be taken outdoors, in your own home, on the street, in a car....you get my drift. 

So, if you do happen to be holding out on a boudoir session because you're just a little too intimidated by the idea, try a beauty shoot first! Even if you've already done a boudoir shoot or seven, a beauty shoot offers a whole different element of elegance and femininity. 

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!

It's All Happening | NYC Boudoir Session

"ALMOST FAMOUS" is my favorite movie. It's a combination of my love of music, the obsession with the lives of rock stars (from a distance!), and my biggest girl crush ever on Kate Hudson. Often when I quote this movie, I'm the only one in the room who gets it. I'll get to the point soon enough.

Compared to other photography niches, boudoir (while ever-growing), is one of the smaller groups of camera slingers. What I love about that is the tight-knit community of boudoir photographers that I have been able to network with over the last several years. Because, believe it or not, not EVERYONE understands the mind of someone who shoots half naked people for a living.

Agnes Fohn of Yellow Brick Collective in NYC is a photographer whose style is so, so different than mine, and SO utterly incredible. Her images are dripping with artistry and her personality is downright awesome. That must be why we get along so famously (we're both equally modest too! hahahaha). And she loves "ALMOST FAMOUS" as much as I do. And comments things like "It's all happening" often. So basically we're soulmates. When we established that I was going to be in NYC on a day that she had availability, we knew that we needed to make a shoot happen. 

What you're about to see is the result of 2 boudoir photographers getting together very early one fahhh-reeeeeezing (to me) NYC morning for a little bit of scantily clad fun.

Do you see that smirk!?!?! GAH! Love love love!  She is just the stunningest. 

And... just a little peak into what this crazy talented lady shot of me:

Shot by Agnes Fohn of Yellow Brick Collective, NYC.

THANK YOU THANK YOU AGNES for your talent in front and behind the camera, thank you to Natalia Carrasco for totally perfecting Agnes' makeup for the shoot (and, apparently, doing a quick bang trim, too!). 

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! 

More than just pictures : It's the Sparkle | Austin Boudoir Studio

Before you even see a single photo, it's the EXPERIENCE that you need and deserve as a woman. We juggle. We are professional jugglers. Whether you are a stay-at-home-mom, a work-from home-mom, a work-out-of-the-home-mom, or just a working woman....I can guarantee that you are juggling tons of shit. 

It's also a safe bet that often times, of all the things you juggle, taking care to make sure that YOU are taken care of isn't one of those priorities. There just simply isn't that much time, I get it. 

As many articles as we read about making ourselves a priority so that the loved ones in our lives reap the benefits, it's downright HARD to find an hour a day to work out, it's hard to schedule a monthly girl's night with a bunch of busy women, it's hard to take 5 minutes out of your morning to meditate, it's hard to not feel guilty booking a 3 hour boudoir photo shoot experience when you know you've got others to take care of. 

But I can promise you, it's worth it. ALL OF THOSE THINGS: worth it.  Do I struggle with doing them, too? HELL.YES. But when I do, my family notices. *I* notice. I'm more productive. I'm happier. I've got a pep in my step. 
 

So did Miss "M" who is an insanely busy new mom who unexpectedly got the opportunity for a quick photo shoot one day last week. When she went to work in the morning, she had no idea that she would be grabbing her husband's hoodie out of the backseat of her car for a 20 minute dark and moody shoot with me. 

Like so many other women that come into my studio, she was tired. DAMN TIRED. She was doing SO much on a daily basis, it made even MY head spin. That made her words about her experience all-the-sweeter. 

“I can’t thank you enough for yesterday. It was just the pep I needed. Last night, while cooking dinner, my husband said I had a sparkle in my eye. I told him it was the wine...it’s still a secret!

I can’t wait to work with you again!”

— Miss M

SO....YOU.  Yes, YOUUUU there with the overflowing to-do list and the yoga pants that will not be seeing a yoga studio today because you're just too damn busy.....EMAIL ME at hello@karamarieboudoir.com . Let's chat. If you can give me at least 2 hours of your life, I promise that I can change the way you see yourself. 

Do it for 80-year-old-you | Austin Boudoir Studio

She wanted a set of pretty images to give to her husband-to-be on their wedding day in December. She ended up with the most stunning collection of the most stunning images to present to him...but more importantly...to look back on herself for the rest of time. 

I think *that* is one of the most overlooked outcomes of having a boudoir photo shoot done: The importance of having these KILLER images of YOU to look back on when you're 70, 80, 90 years old. To be able to look back and say "DAMN. THAT IS ME!". Even better, which is what I've been working on myself, is to have photos of yourself at different periods of time over the years.

You can watch yourself age, get wiser, get stronger, and get MORE confident through boudoir photos. 

Miss S brought poise, elegance, confidence, and beauty with her to her shoot last month. I have no doubt that her super gorgeous album is going to get a TON of view time for the rest of time. 

Miss "S" Said:

"First of all I can't thank you enough for this experience. You were amazing throughout the entire process, from emails to the actual shoot, plus your positivity is contagious! "

“As all the reviews say, you do make the entire experience so comfortable and easy, everything about the process exceeded my expectations by leaps and bounds.”

— Miss S

"You truly are an artist and you captured exactly what I had imagined in my wildest dreams. Thank you for being so amazing at what you do, I can't wait to do another shoot with you!"

So I urge you, YES. Do it for your spouse. YES. Do it for yourself. And HELLLLLL YESSSSS do it for 80-year-old you!  If you don't, you'll wish you had. If you do, you'll high five yourself while you're sitting on your porch swing crocheting a scarf, people-watching and flipping through your album (and probably snagging anyone who passes your house to come look at what a badass you are). How's THAT for a mental picture!? ;)

xo

SO, you're sick of all the New Year's posts....

"17 days past due"

Every day, over the last 2 weeks, I've watched that number increase next to the to-do list item: "Write and schedule New Year's blog post". Of course the app I use makes anything past due red. It's a really condescending shade of red, too. 

I started the post several times, but kept deleting everything I wrote. Then I would just stare at my computer screen blankly for 3-4 minutes before finally closing my laptop and deciding I was too hungry to think. 

There's a lot of pressure on us to make and share our resolutions. And when I say pressure I mean: Well, everyone ELSE is doing it....so.....

We boldly proclaim that THIS year, we're finally going to get our shit together. We are finally going to lose that 10 pounds, eat cleaner, be more organized, travel more, spend less, wear pants more often (Imma tell you right now...not gonna happen for me), be better parents, etc etc etc. It's pretty exhausting thinking of all the ways we can be "better" people. 

So why not trash the resolution list, huh? Screw it. Goals are definitely good! But not in the form of bashing yourself over all the things you aren't. 

Instead, look back on 2015 and realize all the cool stuff you did. Realize how blessed you are. Realize that even if 2016 doesn't get ANY better than this, you've still got a pretty rad life. 

IN 2015 I TRAVELED TO/SHOT IN...

Las Vegas, Erie, San Francisco, Monterrey, Midland, Galveston, Key West, Tulum, NYC.

IN 2015, THIS DARLING BUSINESS OF MINE...

...Had an 8 page feature in Philosophie Magazine

...Upgraded from "Click Chick Boudoir" to "Kara Marie Boudoir"

...Brought on a new and awesome studio assistant, Elaine

...Had it's BEST.YEAR.EVER

...Surpassed all quarterly goals

...Gave over 300 women a badass boudoir experience

...Was featured by over 40 international brands

...Donated over $10,000 in beauty/boudoir photo shoot experience credits to charity organizations

...And kicked my 2014 business' ass

It was an absolutely killer year, and of course, had it's downfalls too. I just choose not to dwell on them. Overall, I give 2015 a 9.9999 out of 10 (because there's always room for improvement.)

And because PHOTOS are my preferred method of communication, here is a whole crap ton of images that got the most love on Instagram in 2015 and sum up the year perfectly!

And in 2016, instead of willing yourself skinnier, funnier, happier, richer, or a completely different person....how about you just try to not be an asshole? Let's not create a list of 10341 things that make us inadequate and then feel supremely defeated looking at that list.  Just narrow that right down to 1 goal: Don't be an asshole. Boom. 

The rest, you can make up along the way. 

Thank you all SO much for every single comment, follow, like, share, and shoot. I love y'all to pieces!

Cheers to 2016, dahhlings!

MAKE 2016 THE YEAR YOU FINALLY DO A BOUDOIR SHOOT! LET'S CHAT, DAHHLING!

Is solo travel for you? | My "me-time" trip to Tulum, Mexico

I have been making a blanket statement a lot lately that I would like to recant. I've been proclaiming from the rooftops that everyone should take a solo trip, but I think maybe I was just trying to lessen the guilt that I felt for leaving my family and "real life" for completely selfish reasons. 

While I do thoroughly believe that traveling solo is amazing for the soul and that everyone could benefit from it....if you know yourself and your personality and know that you would be uncomfortable, lonely, and downright scared the whole time...then maybe it's not for you. Or maybe you should baby step it and try a night alone in a hotel.

But I have decided that solo travel IS for me. 

Not ALL the time, obviously. But a weekend getaway every now and then? Yep. 

My life is pretty great. I absolutely adore my little family, love my "job", love the life that I've built for myself. I didn't feel the need for an "ESCAPE", necessarily. Just a "REFRESH and EXPLORE".  And maybe a chance to pee alone.

I'm not much of a New Year's Resolution-maker. Resolutions, in my mind, are empty promises. I think it's just the word "resolution" that carries the negative connotation of failure. So while I don't call them "resolutions", every year I make a bucket list. A list of things that, if THIS were my last year on earth, I would want to accomplish them. Sounds half morbid and half hipster douchebag, I suppose. 

Nonetheless, one of the items on 2015's list was a solo trip. Sure, I take lots of little trips for business by myself. But those trips aren't about me. I wanted a block of time to do whatever the hell I wanted in a place that was unfamiliar to me. I wanted to explore. I wanted to sleep in if I wanted (or wake up before sunrise every day in my case).  I wanted to eat breakfast for dinner and desert for breakfast. I didn't want to have any agenda. I wanted to try something new. I wanted to rely only on myself. AND...as the mother of 2 children....I wanted to go to the bathroom and take a shower without interruption. If you're a mom...you DEFINITELY get it.  

In January of 2015, I blocked out a weekend in February to take this solo trip. Then I pushed it back to March.  Then June. Then August. Then November. It got bumped so many times it almost got bumped to 2016. I didn't want to let that happen. 

So December 11th it was. I scoured vacation deal sites for a last minute deal....REALLY open to new places that the interwebs might point me to. But, of course, I only had one weekend because I didn't want it to mess up my husband's or kids' schedules. (Still the mom/wife guilt!). 

Alas I scored an insane deal in what was considered the "off-season" for Tulum, Mexico. 

I'd never been to Tulum before, just Cancun. So I did some research and saw that it was much further from being touristy, that it was safe, it was a quick direct flight from Austin, it was super cheap, that it was FREAKING GORGEOUS, and that it was full of culture. Winner. 

In-flight view somewhere between Texas and Mexico. 

On the plane, I read a book. It was not a business book or a self-improvement book. It was a "just for the read-of-it book.". Already I was digging being selfish. When the flight attendant came by to offer me a beverage, I got a charcuterie plate and a glass of white wine. I lounged back in the row I had to myself in my business class seat, and I wasn't doing ANY business. 

I was sure to set up a shared shuttle to my resort, because, as a woman traveling alone in Mexico....safety is key. 

I actually really enjoyed the shared shuttle ride. I talked to several other people (all from Dallas, coincidentally) en route, got a lot of great recommendations, and since Tulum was the very last stop on the route...I got to see all kinds of boutique hotels and resorts along the way to get a good idea for next time. 

It was just about dark when I arrived at my hotel. I got checked in, and did exactly what I'd been dying to do all day: Had a solo candlelight dinner overlooking the pool and ocean.  I don't just mean "without a date"...I literally was the only one in the restaurant. 

Sunrise in Tulum

Being that I took this trip during mega off-season, apparently, I got SO much special attention from the staff. It was an all-inclusive resort, and, if you've ever been to one of those, you know that the service is not always stellar given that tips aren't a thing. That couldn't have been further from the truth! I'm not sure if it's because they didn't have anyone else to serve, or because they took pity that I was alone.  But there was absolutely zero self-pity the entire trip. 

Saturday was an amazing day. I woke up super early, walked the grounds, watched the sunrise, went to breakfast, and then took a snorkeling tour with "EDVENTURE TOURS". If you are anywhere on the Yucatan Peninsula, you absolutely MUST look into this family owned company.

Again, I got a ton of personal attention because I was the ONLY ONE with a tour booked that day, so to keep me from feeling uncomfortable (without me asking), they made it a private "training" tour. They brought out several other new guides to train them on the snorkeling locations that we were going to, and to show them how to treat their customers. So I had 6 wonderful ladies and gentlemen giving me the ultimate in customer service. 

First stop was the Mayan Ruins, which was really cool to see. My favorite part, though, was the little beach at the bottom. I made my way through the ruins pretty quickly and used the rest of my allotted "exploration" time to sit on the beach, watch the waves, take photos, and trying to coax a giant iguana to pose for a picture. (I swear he growled at me.)

Then it was time to snorkel. The only other time I've been snorkeling was in the deep end McDowell High School pool as part of swim class. And I failed HARD at it. I've had anxiety about snorkeling ever since, yet it's something I've wanted to conquer so badly. So I freaking did it.

When the guides told me that we were going to snorkel in the Dos Ojos Cenote, I was flipping terrified. Being a slightly claustrophobic girl as it was, and a brand new snorkeler...the thought of jumping into a dark well in a cave with a flashlight pretty much made me want to catch the next donkey out of there. But with nobody else there to talk me down, I told myself to give it a chance. I had an internal freak out for about 2 minutes, and after that I was ready to explore. 

Snorkeling for the first time in the Dos Ojos Cenote, Mexico.

Then I was challenged a bit further when the guides asked me if I wanted to see the bat cave. I immediately said "YEAH! Let's DO it!" when they looked at each other like "silly little girl..."....and then explained to me that I would have to doggie paddle, head out of the water, with only about 6 inches between the top of the water and the ceiling of the cave in order to get there. UHMMMMM.   REALLY!? Holy shit. Ok. 

So I did that and made it into the bat cave. To be honest, I was grossed out thinking about how much bat shit I was floating around in. But the small dark cave anxiety was non-existent, so that's good ;) 

Then we went to Akumal for lunch and lagoon snorkeling. The tour set up a private lunch table for me at an authentic Mexican restaurant (because all I'd eaten prior to this was the resort's idea of what tourists wanted to eat while in Mexico: Italian and Japanese food.) and I devoured chicken fajitas, chips and salsa, and a Dos Equis before jumping into the lagoon for another snorkel.

Between the snorkeling tour, the lying by the pool, the toes in the sand, the strange Italian meals at the Mexican restaurant, and brushing up on my Spanish that hasn't really been used in years....it was an incredible trip. 

First time ever wearing a thong bathing suit. This is a major milestone for me, people!

I spent many hours alone at this glorious pool. Glorious = understatement.

The intention: A yoga practice on the beach. Reality: 3 in-my-room yoga poses and 3 self timer pictures followed by a mojito in a seated position on the floor.

Would it have been incredible with my husband? Hell yes. And I would love to go back with him. But it would have been different. Would it have been amazing with my girlfriends? Yep. And try as they might, I insisted that I do this one alone. And I am so, so glad that I did. 

I recharged my batteries, learned a little about myself, indulged when I saw fit, was gone just long enough to feel replenished, but not so long that I was sulking about missing my family. 

For those with children and busy lives, traveling alone may just be the best way to go! My husband and I have crazy schedules, two kids, and no family in our city to watch them at the drop of a hat. For us to take a trip together requires planning 6 months+ ahead, flying one of our family members into Austin for the duration, therefore triple the expense, not to mention the guilt of asking our family to use their days off/vacation time to babysit. 

I'm not sure I would do a BIG international trip by myself at this point. Maybe once the kids are grown and I've done a huge share of exploring WITH my husband. There are so many places that I want to see and experience with him/them. But for now, little weekend getaways are definitely in the cards for me to help keep me mentally stable and enhancing my already pretty-damn-cool life ;) 

If anyone has any specific questions for me about my solo travel experience, don't hesitate to reach out!

In the meantime, I encourage you to plan a weekend getaway for yourself. Don't let anyone else sway your thoughts on what a good time is (as long as you're being safe. And legal. And not doing anything behind your spouse's back. And all that.). If that means total seclusion and silence, so be it. If that means a cheese tour in Wisconsin: do it (ooooh that's a good one. Mental note.). If that means a spa day and overnight hotel stay in your own city: DO.IT.  

OVERALL SOLO TRAVEL TO TULUM, MEXICO RATING: 10/10. 

xo

She forgot to hate herself.... | Austin Boudoir Studio

I'm one of those weird "everything happens for a reason" people...you know, the kind who believes if you put good shit into the universe, you'll get good shit in return. I fully believe that my new assistant, Elaine, is one of those good shits. 

I am highly picky when it comes to letting people in to be a part of my business. I've spent nearly a decade building my brand and preaching my purpose. Someone coming to work for me can't just be "like, really, really good with people." or "a huge fan who has always been interested in photography!". On top of needing to have very specific character traits, work ethic, and qualifications, I had to KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that this person was a perfect fit. 

 For that reason, I poured through hundreds of applications and interviewed over a dozen candidates for the new assistant position. Then, finally, I met this uber passionate, intelligent, friendly, qualified, and freaking adorable super-ball of  energy. She actually wanted to interview ME for her research paper on how boudoir photography could be a complementary therapy for sexual assault survivors. Instead, she got a job. 

Elaine "before" her boudoir transformation......still absolutely gorgeous. 

In her short time working for me, I've breathed so many sighs of relief. I've been blown away by how amazing her young mind works, how quickly and efficiently she completes tasks, how INSANELY fast she learned my retouching style, and how much more at ease I've been about trusting someone else with some of my work load. 

On top of being the perfect fit for Kara Marie Boudoir, she also is a bit of a "super fan", and had her own photo shoot booked prior to speaking with me about a job opportunity. Because of her chosen research path, the shoot was approved by UT and considered "ethnographic research". So on her SECOND day of work, she had her scheduled boudoir experience. 

I have so much to say about her, her experience, and her photos....but she does a FAR more eloquent job, herself...so I will allow her to elaborate. I encourage you to grab a cup of coffee, glass of wine or whiskey, and really read this woman's testimony. She is wise beyond her years.

Makeup by Kendall Koehler of Mayhem Beauty

Elaine said:

"During the spring semester, I had a family emergency and ended up missing roughly a month of a school. The experience, the drop in my GPA, plus my weight gain completely devastated me. When I went home for the summer, I was considering transferring universities or just taking some time off altogether. I stayed by myself a lot, splitting my time between moody poetry and mindless pinterest-ing.

And it was through one of those night on Pinterest that I came across a boudoir board. From there I ended up on a Texas boudoir board and soon I found myself googling Austin boudoir photographers at four in the morning. And then I found Kara’s page."

"I wept reading the blog, seeing the stories and pictures of these women who were loving themselves again, or were at least on the path too. Reading Kara’s site from front to back and back again, it was obvious that boudoir was a tool of empowerment for these ladies.

Even though her work only reflected a small population of women, it had to be possible that Kara’s style of boudoir could help a large volume of women- and I started thinking maybe even women with a history of trauma or violence, where self-love isn’t as easy. So I poured over databases looking for academic articles on boudoir photography and it’s ability to empower sexual assault survivors or trauma patients or any group of women in general. And there was hardly any work out there."

"That’s how I knew I had to go back to school in the fall.
If I could pour all of my energy into this research project, (at arguably one of the best research universities in the world,) then I would have the motivation to stay in school and stop spending energy trying to figure out how to make myself feel better, but instead, work towards helping other women feel in control and empowered. So I rushed a lot of paperwork, sent way too many frantic emails, and miraculously got my project approved.

I immediately signed up for a shoot with Kara once I had a general plan for my research. The shoot was considered 'ethnographic research’ and was meant to give me a better perspective on the boudoir experience. And it did. But more importantly- and yes, this is cliche but I am going to write it anyways- it gave me a better perspective of myself."

“I had always considered myself as someone with a “nice personality,” but moreover, someone overwhelmingly podgy and homely with a good dash of anxiety thrown in just to keep things interesting.”

“ And I was certain Kara was going to make fun of me for being some silly undergrad coming in taking silly photos for some silly research.

If you know Kara and her blog well enough, you know that didn’t happen.

I completely forgot to hate myself when I was with Kara. I thought the shoot would be 95% me straining my body as Kara barked disappointed orders. I couldn’t be more wrong. ”

— Elaine

"Literally, as long as you can take deep breaths and breathe, you can do the shoot. Let me repeat: your basic human functions are all that you need to shoot with Kara. She makes it so easy to just show up and be genuinely happy. That’s because, honestly, Kara is a genuine person and that kind of naked authenticity makes a huge impact (particularly when you’re practically naked).

"Now I read stories about women crying after their shoot or after their reveal, but for me, it wasn’t until last week. There I was again, at four in the morning, but this time I was turning in the first part of my research. And I couldn’t help but think back to the spring when I didn’t want to be in school anymore. Now I have a project that I’m not only passionate about, but has passionately changed me: I stopped sighing every time I looked in the mirror.

I am a thousand percent dedicated and happy to be at my university again and I’m now slightly obsessed with academic databases. And yeah, I’m not going to lie, I may or may not have been the background on my laptop for a few hours because I looked amazing. And I felt, well, overwhelmed. But this time, not by my flaws or insecurities or anxieties- but by my value. No one could give it to me or take it away . It was something that was intrinsically and inherently mine."

"Having an amazing shoot with Kara and making it through this semester didn’t give me my value, just reminded me of what was always there. And so, I poured all my energy into this research project and got more back then I could ever ask. I trusted Kara just the slightest bit and she showered me in an abundance of warmth and genuineness.

So I guess the lesson here is that there is a huge return on investment with boudoir and if you’re not booking your shoot right now, it’s gotta be because you’re already scheduled. If you’re unsure then just wait- at about four in the morning it’ll hit you and you’ll know that I was right."

I couldn't have said it better myself. No....really. I couldn't have. This young mind is brilliant beyond words and I am honored to have her as a part of this little business of mine. I applaud her for her extensive research and for really understanding what empowerment through boudoir is all about. 

Do a boudoir shoot. Don't do it just because you need a gift idea (yes, yes, it would be an unable-to-be-topped gift idea), but do it because you need to stop hating on yourself. Do it to stop sighing at yourself in the mirror. Do it to embrace your beauty, your body, and your soul. DO. IT. 

READY TO START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT YOUR OWN BOUDOIR EXPERIENCE? I'M MORE THAN READY TO SHOW YOU HOW AMAZING YOU ARE. LET'S CHAT.