Perhaps you’re thinking of booking a Valentine’s Day boudoir photo shoot. Photographer Taylor Prinsen answers all your questions.
Sponsored Content, Photos by Taylor Prinsen
How did you get started in boudoir photography?
Throughout high school and college, I struggled with disordered eating patterns and my relationship with my body. A breakthrough came when I decided to do a boudoir session for myself to really solidify my love and respect for my body. It was such an empowering experience that I decided to start offering boudoir to some past clients as “test shoots.” My clients not only loved the images, but the experience. And from there, it’s truly grown exponentially. I think women are waiting for a moment where they can finally be free and confident in their bodies, and I am simply giving them the space to do that.
What type of women are these shoots for?
Boudoir is for any woman interested in documenting this season of her life and gaining some confidence. I have so many different types of boudoir clients: brides-to-be; moms six months postpartum; young, single women feeling great about themselves; women in their 60s! I mean it: truly anyone.
Where do you take boudoir pictures?
I shoot at Casa Roja.
What if a woman is really nervous because she doesn’t like her body very much and doesn’t feel comfortable in front of the camera?
Very few women are naturally comfortable in front of the camera, and even fewer are completely confident with their bodies. But this is a step to release that shame or insecurity. I also send every client a questionnaire pre-shoot asking if they have any areas they’re less comfortable with or triggers I should know about. I want these women to feel comfortable and safe—and the Champagne, chocolate and music all help too!
What are your favorite client reactions?
After showing many of my clients sneak previews on my camera, they immediately respond with some version of, “Whoah that’s me?! Dang!” It’s so fun. I want these women to see what the other people in their lives see: a beautiful and amazing woman. It’s personally really sweet for me to see moms choose to prioritize themselves and invest in a boudoir shoot. Most moms are way overextended with little “me time” but then they come do a session with me and get the images back and just tear up because they realize they are still their own person. They are not just a mom, or a wife, or an employee or a daughter. They are a woman and they can still explore what that means for themselves.
How is this experience empowering to women?
These have become some of my favorite sessions to shoot because I also come away feeling incredibly empowered. Boudoir is an opportunity to take our bodies back from the scrutiny of society and proclaim that we are worthy and beautiful just as we are. It’s also a way to start letting go of all the sexual stigmas we deal with and just be able to be, well, really dang sexy! Women have been tucking our sexuality away for so long, feeling ashamed of it. And guess what? We don’t need to. It’s 2020! We need more of this and a boudoir session can be a great starting place for reclaiming the narrative.
Taylor Prinsen
As a photographer, how do you make the experience comfortable for women?
I’m an incredibly relational person. I am still very close friends with many of clients, so I think the answer to this question is really: I am just myself. I am vulnerable and honest about my own struggles and insecurities in person with clients and on social-media platforms. I am all about the real real: the raw, the authentic, the true. Of course, I edit my photos, but they will look like you, which is great, because you’re hot! I stay focused on doing the best work for my clients and making them feel like the most import- ant person in the world for the duration of our session.