Modelling for a boudoir shoot comes easily for some.... for others it takes time, confidence and coaxing.

Meet Coco - she was kind enough to be my model on a recent boudoir shoot. 

 

Meet Coco

 

Conversation flowed and Coco shared some of her experiences

of being a model with me.

Since the shoot I have spent time editing and reflecting on her words. 

 

Then yesterday I observed a group of teenagers in a coffee shop "people watching"

and passing comment to each other....

The combination of observations, conversations and the shoot has resulted

in this blog....

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Back to Coco (YES it is her real name) how did she feel?  

Taking poses that perhaps only a loved one may see..... 

 

Boudoir photography

 

Questions:

Looking at this image what do you see?....

Youthful beauty and innocence of this model?

Are you looking only at those areas deemed private or sexy?

How does it make you feel?

When I first started shooting boudoir I held mixed emotions....

 Is it wrong to look at and admire another female?

To focus on the bosom area or curvature of her spine....

Does that make me "weird" or "gay"?

 

Womanly curves

 

Can you look at these images and see an art form? The beauty of her bodily form.

If it was a painting or sculpture would that make you feel different,

more comfortable, is that more acceptable?

Does seeing another woman in her lingerie make you feel insecure

about how you look unclothed?

Suggestive boudoir

 

When our bodies are so strong and integral to our being why do we

constantly desire to change them?

Is it media driven? peer driven? insecurities picked up from our mothers?

All of the above?

How many men will look and lust ... Wanting to know or see more?

Is the mystery of what lies beneath more tantalising and exciting

than having everything on display?

Will many feel ashamed, dirty or almost adulterous by gazing

and appreciating a beautiful body....

Will you feel embarrassed and make jokes or light hearted comments? 

 

Beautiful model in lingerie

 

Coco chose to model for me. This does not make her an object of lust nor desire...

it is her job, she's a business woman.

Coco has been propositioned on numerous occasions.

She shared that many models that she knows are put into a similar position

where they are almost expected to prostitute themselves.

Just because you employ/pay someone does it give you the right to every aspect of their life?

 

This isn't a rant, neither is it a man bashing blog,

hopefully some of these questions have very obvious answers,

I don't want to give you my answers,

I just wanted to share my random thoughts and observations..

 

Lingerie model

 

How many of us are guilty of looking at the television, a magazine or

even through a coffee shop window and undressing or redressing, making up scenarios or

just commenting on a persons appearance status or style.....just like those teenagers.

 

Marilyn Monroe, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, David Beckham are (were) icons:

does it give us the right to view them as sex objects?

Because they put themselves "out there" and they are famous does it

give us the right to scrutinise every area of their life?

family holidays, bad hair days, eating bacon butties?

 

With images easily, (maybe too easily available) Do we need to address

how we see beauty? the beauty of a nude or semi nude body

Should we take a different approach?

 

Do we need to learn how to look, comment and feel differently?

Maybe if we viewed our world and the people in it differently we would be kinder

in our thoughts about ourselves and our loved ones

and begin to instil some self (body) confidence in our children.

 

Boudoir photography

 

Otherwise we are as guilty as the generations before us.

Our children & teenagers should not be ashamed or worried about how they look

or become embarrassed on commenting how great a friend looks.

 

We all need to accept a compliment, to be comfortable and confident about giving compliments.

 

A woman looking at another woman and seeing beauty is not gay, weird or perverse

its complimentary, it is natural and it is flattering... likewise for men.

So what do you think? How do these images make you feel?....

Let me know I'm interested in your view.

 

My last thought for the day......

"Question or challenge everything;  judge no one - celebrate life"