Battling Your Inner Critic
One of the most curious things I get to observe as a male boudoir photographer is just how prevalent it is for women latch on to perceived body flaws and build narratives around them. As a whole, we as men don’t do this nearly as much as women do.
This behavior is actually something so uncommon in men I actually have to slow down and explain women’s perspective to men curious about why a woman would want to do a boudoir session for herself.
To further exaggerate this, I’ll show women the images from past clients (who did their sessions despite their insecurities) and often times they will make a comment along the lines of
“what the fuck did she have to be nervous about?!? She’s gorgeous!!!”
The truth that I think most women don’t realize is that the inner critic is something that infects the minds of women of all body types and age ranges. It’s a condition that has no mercy that I’ve personally seen exhibited in published models and mothers of multiple children alike.
Today’s featured session is from my recent photo shoot with miss J. As hard as it might be for you to believe, even she battles her own inner critic and did her session despite her insecurities.
Miss J’s circumstance is somewhat unique in that she used to be a bikini model back in her early 20’s. The incredibly common thing miss J does now as a woman IN HER EARLY 40’S, is compare herself to what she used to look like 20 years ago. Many of you will look at her images today and will ask yourselves how on earth she could even have an inner critic. She does, and this is her inner battle.
To all of the women reading this, your inner critic may fixate on the cellulite on your thighs, the stretch marks on your tummy or maybe even the size of your chest. Most of you can (and will) justify your inner critic to yourself in a myriad of ways different from miss J. Some of you will let your inner critic win and tell yourselves why you shouldn’t do a boudoir session.
My biggest goal for your sessions is to shut down your inner critic and show you how beautiful and sexy you ACTUALLY are.
The truth is most women I photograph do a boudoir session despite their insecurities. I’ve also seen an incredible tendency for some really attractive women to nit pick their itty bitty “flaws” to death. My passion is to shut that inner critic down for every person I photograph.
Hair and makeup for miss J’s session by Ducky Suboreau
Like this post? Here’s some other boudoir photo shoots you might like to check out :-)
