I love photographing women. It’s hard for us to love ourselves with the constant bombardment of media messages telling us how to look, but boudoir photography is something that can make us feel so empowered and I enjoy being able to bring that feeling to others. I really should go out and get a boudoir photo shoot done for myself. Y’know, I keep meaning to but I’m kinda scared. I guess that also makes me a bit of a hypocrite!

I’ve done shoots for women who want the photos for themselves. I’ve worked with women who want it as an acknowledgement that they are incredible; as a stepping stone in overcoming bad times in their lives; and of course as a gift to their partner. Each shoot is as unique as the woman who’s in it. But the one thing all boudoir shoots have in common is that by the end of it she feels so confident and sexy. No matter how nervous she was at the start! It’s one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.

I suppose I ended up thinking about this because it’s Valentine’s Day today. Valentines isn’t something my other half and I celebrate. I think that has more to do with us being together for 11 years than anything else. Not that I don’t approve of romance, but we do the romantic thing whenever we feel like it. Thing is, I’m not a fan of sitting in restaurants with lots of other couples. It’s a bit weird. And the menus are never to my taste.

Romance Isn’t Just For Valentine’s Day

For me, Valentines was always about the first throes of a relationship, the fluttery excitement of getting a card and hoping it was from that certain someone. Later, it was getting a bottle of champagne from the person I’d just started dating and had feelings for. We didn’t do anything at all for a while but as time’s gone on we’ll buy each other things when we see them, send a card when we want to, or surprise each other with meals out. Funny how we typically do that as a society though, devote one day to something and kinda forget about it for the rest of the year.

What I’m trying to say, in a very round about way I’m sure, is that however nice it is to do something for Valentines day, why shouldn’t we show love and affection all year round? I got terribly upset once (in a good way) that my partner had brought me a trolley token one Thursday in May. A tiny gift but he’d thought about me. That’s surely more romantic than doing something because you’re supposed to.