"My butt's too big, I hate my thighs, eew - cellulite, saddle bags, back fat, bingo wings, double chins..." and the list goes on. You gather a group of women together anywhere and on any continent and I am willing to bet you that sooner or later we will get talking about our bodies and for some reason it is always about what we don't like. It's not often you'll hear a woman talk about what she likes about her body and as for LOVING her body? Well, companies like Dove have spent millions of dollars on showing women how to do this and it has been no easy task. I must confess, it was not so long ago, during my "fat" month (don't ask!), that I poured my heart into a blog post talking about how I didn't know how to get back to loving that girl in the mirror. It ended up being a little too personal for the world wide web but maybe one day I'll be brave enough to post it. We'll see. 🙂 But my point is that although I know how hard it can be to love ourselves just the way we are, the feminist and perhaps even the humanist in me wants us as women to look into that mirror (dim tungsten lighting allowed if you need baby steps) and accept the beautiful women that stare back at us instead of criticizing or wishing and hoping for the body we'll have in 6 months, 12 months or even 2 years time. We have to make a concerted effort to celebrate our bodies, our femininity and our idiosyncrasies because if we can't accept ourselves just the way we are, then how can we expect anyone else to? Now don't get me wrong, I am not advocating being unhealthy and doing nothing about it but instead accepting our current state as we work towards our ultimate physical goal - whatever that may be.
Enter Boudoir Photography - now if there is one type of photography that celebrates being a woman, it has to be Boudoir Photography. This form of photography became very popular in the 1940s and 50s with the pinups and is currently enjoying a revival. I personally like to think of Boudoir Photography as a form of acceptance of our womanhood, where we give ourselves permission to be beautiful, sexy, sensual without fear of judgement from ourselves or anyone else. These days, women of all ages, shapes and sizes have boudoir shoots for a variety of reasons; to celebrate weight loss, celebrate weight gain especially after a baby when they are feeling particularly voluptuous, as a wedding gift for their very lucky husbands to be, as an anniversary present to remind their husband / partner that they do indeed "still have it" or even as a valentine's day pressie. The options are endless.
Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a workshop run by the legendary Damian "The BIG Dog" McGillicuddy, a multi award winning celebrity photographer and part of the day involved a boudoir session. So I thought I would share a few of my favourite shots with you. Now it's easy to look at the pictures and dismiss them because this little lady is tiny but then she has her own issues like worrying about not having enough curves or not having a big enough derriere. As a boudoir photographer, my job is to understand your concerns, accentuate the parts of your body you like (maybe even love) and minimise the latter. At the end of the day, I really do want to help show you, more than anyone else, how beautiful you really are. If you are looking to unleash "the vixen within" for yourself or for that special someone, then do please contact me at wani@waniolatundephotography.com. Sessions are discreet and can be held in the privacy of your own home or in a luxury hotel room.
Wani Olatunde Photography
Beautiful Emotive Imagery To Capture Your Moments
