“Always go with the choice that scares you the most. Because that is the one that is going to help you grow.” – Caroline Myss
Amanda’s husband booked a shoot for her via my website as a surprise gift for her birthday. (Fellas, take note because this is how it’s done. Just book it, don’t ask her beforehand. She’ll psych herself out by overthinking it. Be like Nike- Just. Do. It.) Before I called her to plan out her shoot I made sure she actually knew about it so I wouldn’t ruin the surprise. These types of phone calls go one of two ways- either she’s really, really excited about being in front of the camera or she’s really, really nervous and half wants to kill him/half wants to throw up. I never really know until I hear the voice on the other end of the line, thankfully Amanda’s was incredibly kind, funny, and I felt like I was talking to an old friend. We have so much in common and I knew by the end of the call that this girl is fierce, badass, smart, welcoming, and adventurous. I knew she’d rock her session. By the end of our phone call we realized that we’re both fish out of water and what people here call “Yankees” (insert eye roll here) we both lost our mothers long before we should have, and we both have suffered with fertility issues. Each one of those things can daunting by itself, but pile them all together and you’ve got one colorful story in your book of life. How you choose to write your life story is totally up to you and you alone, but I knew that her book is not going to be one of pure sadness. It will be one of strength and it has adventures yet to be written. I can’t tell you how happy I am to know that this experience will be one of those adventures.
Day Of Shoot
Once Amanda started hair and makeup I handed her a mimosa and she, Alison, and I sat in the studio bathroom and laughed as we traded stories. I could feel her nerves quiet and I knew she was about to jump off the cliff and dive right in to our boudoir shoot. She brought some of her own lingerie and also sifted through the client closet for outfits to add, I even got her to add a pink Honey Birdette piece to her pile! Before we knew it we had a good stack of outfits and we were ready to go! She crushed it and by the end she broke out her vape pen so we could take some shots for gifs! Her shoot was a dream and oh so fun! Keep reading to see her take on the shoot and some of her absolutely amazing images.
Amanda’s Q/A
How did you hear about AK Photography?
A: I honestly had no idea that AK Photography existed until my husband booked my shoot as a birthday surprise. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they are located right in our little sea-side town and I didn’t have to travel to Wilmington or Raleigh!
Why boudoir photography? What led you to book a session?
A: The very first time I ever even thought about doing a Boudoir shoot was about 9 years ago when I was planning my wedding. It was an option I explored as a wedding gift to my husband, however the cost changed my mind very quickly, LOL. I was also extremely nervous and unsure of being in lingerie and/or naked in-front of a complete stranger. So I pushed the idea to the back of my mind and told myself “Maybe one day…”. Fast-forward to the present…For the last 3 years or so doing a boudoir shoot has been in the forefront of my mind, however it was something that I just couldn’t bring myself to actually book. That little voice in my head told me “There is no way you can do that. You won’t look good – You won’t like any of the photos – You’re not pretty enough, sexy enough, etc, etc…”. You know, all those negative thoughts that many of us women have on a daily basis. Then I spent a weekend with my best friend, I told her how badly I wanted to do a shoot, not for my husband, but for ME! I wanted to see myself like others see me, like my husband sees me. I wanted to see that I was in fact ENOUGH, in all aspects. But, I was still scared to actually book the shoot. So, she called my husband and told him that I wanted to do this photo-shoot and together they searched for a photographer in our area and set the shoot up for me – it was a complete surprise to me! And it’s a surprise that I will never be able to thank them enough for.
How did you feel before the session vs after it wrapped up?
A: When I first found out I was doing this shoot I was so nervous I could have vomited, and then I found out it was only 2 weeks away and I really wanted to vomit! That was NOT enough time to mentally prepare myself for this experience. Then I spoke with Andrea and she calmed my nerves tremendously in just one phone call! The morning of my shoot, the nerves came back, I mean I was about to be almost naked (and very naked) in front of someone that I had never met. When I arrived at the studio, Andrea came out to greet me and hugged me like an old friend. That simple gesture helped to calm my nerves and made me feel so much better. Don’t get me wrong I was still nervous, but there was just something about Andrea that made me feel more at ease in that moment. My nerves stuck around for a short time when the shoot started, but by the 3rd out-fit change I was completely comfortable. At the end of my shoot, I got into my car and cried. Not sad tears, HAPPY TEARS! I finally felt like I was enough and I hadn’t even seen my photos yet.
A: I was shocked…I went to my reveal with the thought process of “I probably won’t like many of the photos – maybe a handful”. I’m really hard on myself and always nit-pick every single photo of myself. Well, let me tell you I was in complete shock & awe when I watched my reveal video! I still cannot believe that those photos are me! I ended up loving almost every single image!! My reveal just helped to solidify the “I AM ENOUGH” thought-process in my head. For so long I have struggled with not feeling that I am enough…NOT ANYMORE! I am beautiful. I am sexy. I am a badass and I will never forget that again! I will never be able to Thank Andrea, my husband, or my best friend enough for the role that they all played in making me see myself in a different light.
What was your reaction to your images during your reveal? Did seeing your images change how you see yourself?
If you could say one thing to the women who are too scared to book a boudoir experience what would it be?
A: Just book the shoot! Don’t worry about the cost, don’t worry about not being ‘skinny’ enough or ‘pretty’ enough. BOOK THE SHOOT AND SEE HOW BEAUTIFUL & BADASS YOU REALLY ARE!!!!
