Growth. The good kind.

While I'm busy blogging (HA! It's happening!), I wanted to make sure I got this one in before she grows up even more than she already has. Today, I am featuring my niece. My 1st niece. My now-eleven-year-old niece *insert heavy sigh*. I got to watch this baby take her very first breath. I got to kiss her dimple-filled cheeks. I got to pick her up from preschool and sing songs really loud in the car with her. I got to call her obnoxious nicknames and she loved them. She'd try to convince me to give her a bottle of milk when she was 4 years old. She liked the way I made peanut butter and jelly. And now, she's growing up. Growing up into a gorgeous, intelligent, courageous, independent young girl. She dances, and sings, and plays the bass. When she laughs, it's contagious. And her angry face? She does that well, too.

 

Aunt Meggie loves you ;)

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." - Helen Keller

You are beautiful.

I receive emails weekly asking about all of this Ladies Night promotion stuff I've been doing the last couple of months. I quickly send my standard response with all of the details pertaining to the sessions. I have come to realize that the session details are barely valid without some in depth conversation to back them. So this is what we are having here; in depth conversation.

After doing a family session for an old friend this summer, she approached the boudoir subject with me. Yes! Of course I will do it! But instead of simply doing a single boudoir shoot, how about you bring your friends and we will make an evening of it?! And so it began. Ladies Night. Five amazing (and nervous!) women in one of the best hotels in Louisville.

Now is the time to mention the nerves. All of the women had approached the subject of their own body issues with me prior to the shoot. I am VERY aware of the body issues I have and would NEVER want anyone to be uncomfortable in front of my camera. They each had that one spot that they REALLY didn't like. I don't perform miracles, and this was made very clear ahead of time! I was also not going to nip and tuck through the power of a certain editing software. My goal with these women was to show them exactly how beautiful they really are. The images I wanted them to see would be natural. It would be them. I agreed to smooth skin and touch up stretch marks, but that was it.

Once these women got used to the camera, they loved it! We laughed (a lot!!) and joked even more! CRAZY FUN! They were total naturals! There was a new sense of love for their bodies. I encouraged them to embrace themselves the way that they are. Stretch marks, wrinkles, dimples, and all. Turn the imperfections into perfection and love yourself for it.

With the current media situation and women, I feel like we all (women) struggle to find ourselves. We want to be a few pounds lighter, or a little less jiggly. We beat ourselves up for not meeting the supermodel standard of the century. It's become a sick and sad epidemic. I am raising 2 little girls and I have 8 nieces. This is not the world I want them blossoming in. Constantly under scrutiny for being a different size than the girl on television.

Love yourself ladies. If not FOR yourself, for your daughters, nieces, and all of the little girls following in your footsteps. YOU are beautiful.

FYI: I told all of my clients I would NOT use their images on the internet. This fine lady gave me permission to post this one though :)

For more information on your own boudoir session, or if you are interested in hosting a boudoir party in your home with a few of your closest friends, shoot me an email at meganhilephotography@yahoo.com.