Mrs. N. came to me shortly after she got engaged. Her mother had recently done a boudoir session and she wanted to do one too! She wanted to do something for herself to mark her strength as a woman and her images did just that! Each shot captured her confidence beautifully.

What made you decide on doing a boudoir session?

To be completely honest, I was inspired to do a boudoir session after my Mother did one shortly after she and my Father divorced. She was seeking an opportunity to celebrate herself, to feel empowered and strong again, and boudoir did that for her. When I got engaged, my Mother suggested that I use the opportunity to have my own boudoir session, as a means to empower myself and mark my strength as a woman - especially as I enter a new partnership. I am so glad that I did!

How did you decide on what to wear? Did you bring any meaningful accessories? Did the Pinterest board created for you help?

I decided to wear items that felt entirely like me, but in different ways. I wore my bra and panty set with a button up top that I always wear as my first look, which helped me to get into the mood of the shoot. I then wore a bodysuit that I had purchased as a gift to myself specifically for the photo shoot. I then wore for my last look my leather jacket - which to me is the defining article of clothing for the bad ass side of myself. I used the incredible Pinterest board that Annika made for me to find my bodysuit, and to pick out my makeup look for the shoot.

Let's talk about the day of the shoot. Were you nervous before arriving? How did you feel being in front of the camera?

I was SO nervous! I didn’t know what to expect. I walked into Annika’s studio and immediately felt at ease and comfortable. She handed me champagne, and with Beyoncé playing in the background, I knew I was going to have an incredible time. I’m really glad that I got my makeup done as a part of the shoot, because it gave me time to get excited and in the mood (and to have more champagne!). Once I was in front of the camera, Annika made me feel entirely calm and comfortable. She did an amazing job walking me through all of the poses, and I never once felt awkward or unsure. Instead, I felt like a sensual goddess!

Tell me about the experience you had during the session. Were the poses what you expected? Did you have fun?

I had no idea what to expect for the poses, especially because I did not have any settings or poses in mind for myself. Annika was amazing at walking me through all of the poses, and I never once felt uncomfortable or awkward. All of the poses felt natural on my body, and I felt empowered, gorgeous, and entirely myself. I didn’t want anything overly sexy, and Annika did a phenomenal job with tweaking the poses based on how I was feeling. She showed me the shots while we were going, and it was such a confidence boost to see them in the middle! It was SO much fun!

I always have to ask, were you sore the next day from the poses?

I surprisingly wasn’t! Thankfully as a dancer and a runner, my legs are used to all sorts of poses.