Ms. K was so much fun to work with.  As a nude model, she had worked more with male photographers and it was interesting to hear her take on my approach as a woman.  It was important to Ms. K that the women who read this blog see a confidently curvy woman do a boudoir shoot. I loved that and was so thankful to have her images to share with you all!  When I first sent Ms. K a sneak peek I immediately got back these words: “WHOA MAMA YES.  Thank you so much!! I had so much fun and it was great to work with an awesome lady!!  Can’t wait to see response on this post lololol HELLO CURVY LADIES LETS GET IN FORMATION”  You know I love a response like that!  Then after seeing her entire shoot, Ms. K shared these words with me to share with you all:

“When I reached out to Ashley, we spoke about how it had been difficult for her to feature plus-size women on the boudoir blog. Few were willing to share their photos for various reasons, and I felt it had to be difficult for Ashley to promote her business to these women when the only photo examples she had permission to show were from mostly thin body types. I wanted to do a shoot, for myself, but also to hopefully maybe convince another woman like me to treat herself, and to see her body in a different way than what she’s probably been told to think her entire life.

Ashley’s boudoir space was so clean, beautiful, and comfortable. It was gorgeously modern and elegant, but still felt warm and homey. This was actually my first time being a model for a lady photographer, and the couple hours spent with her felt more like a fun girls day out instead of a photoshoot. We chatted and laughed so much, I mostly forgot I was in my undies until Ashley asked if I wanted to change outfits! She was so professional and considerate! She checked in with me along the way, making suggestions for pose or angle and ensuring that I was comfortable (I usually run pretty hot and she made sure to position the multiple standing fans in the room on me at all times).

As someone who is already comfortable and confident in myself, I can’t even imagine the impact a boudoir shoot would have on someone who has maybe felt like their desire was inaccessible, because perhaps they’ve been told a boudoir shoot was something that they couldn’t or weren’t even supposed to want to do.

The day I got my photos back, it was a week of humidity and 90+ degree temperatures in New York, I’d had the same bun in my hair for about three days in a row, and I was feeling pretty deflated and sweaty. I got home and looked through the photos and fell in love with myself all over again. Whoa mama, I am a hot lady! Anyone who thinks otherwise is obviously an idiot. LOOK AT THESE PHOTOS, ARE YOU KIDDING ME. Ashley is here to help you celebrate yourself, remind you that your body is for appreciating and not for punishment. It’s after an experience like this that I really stop and think about how amazing this body of mine is, how it takes me places, what it is capable of, and how fortunate I am to be able to love and take care of it. Thanks so much, Ashley, for the good vibes and fun memories!”

Ladies, check the end of this post for Katie’s recommendations for boudoir outfits!

According to Ms. K, “PLACES TO SHOP IF YOU ARE A FABULOUS FAT FEMME”….

All right, Ashley, here are some of my recommendations, although I’m TOTALLY WITH YOU re: the bounty of great boudoir options at places like Target (almost all my superhero items were Target finds) but I’ve had luck over the years at some online retailers:

Hips and Curves (hipsandcurves.com)

Where I got my lace bralette / lace hi-wasted cheekies
Also I’ve gotten a few chemises from there, and they’re my go-to for fun thigh-high options!

Torrid (torrid.com)
Where I got my high-waisted briefs and the thigh-highs we used for the shoot

They also have some cute bralettes here too!!

Lane Bryant (lanebryant.com)
Ok, in the store it’s like all mom-wear, but online they have some really cute options and usually have really good deals on undies. Also Ashley Graham is their model now, homina homina ::heart eyes emojis into forever::

The Gap (gap.com)

Where I got my chambray shirt, simple black bra, black t-shirt

Other places I haven’t tried yet, but my plus-sized pals recommend:

Lace.com

Whatkatiedid.com

3wishes.com

Miss C wanted to share with you about her journey since first doing a boudoir shoot with me seven years ago, and then doing her second boudoir shoot with me this year, on her birthday…

“My first boudoir shoot was a gift for my fiancé back in 2009. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I was 100% doing it for him. I was in a completely different state of mind going into that shoot. I wanted to make sure to look good for him. I was nervous at first but you quickly made things so comfortable.  I loved seeing all of the “candid” shots of me laughing and smiling. I remember the day so vividly, and I’m kicking myself for not doing more of these over the past 7 years.

After I found out my husband was cheating on me five years into our marriage, to say I had self-esteem issues is an understatement. It took some time and a lot of self love to start finding myself, and to understand what that really means. When moving recently, I stumbled upon the boudoir photos you took back in 2009 and I didn’t just see myself in a different light, but I felt it. I remembered the feelings of confidence you brought out during the shoot, and reminded myself that somewhere inside of this broken mess is that confident woman. I decided to make the leap and go for another shoot. This time, not as a gift to a guy, but to celebrate the strength and inner beauty I’ve discovered over the past few years, and to celebrate the last year in my twenties!

The level of peace I had with you and Stephanie was amazing. I felt like I was in a spa, and had lots of time to think and reflect, which took away any nerves that were lingering around. I remember looking outside watching the cars and people go by [during hair and makeup] and thinking, I’m so thankful to be right where I am in life. Because I love me for me now, I wasn’t self-conscious in front of the camera about what I previously considered flaws… I can celebrate my wide hips that give me incredible curves and my thick legs that I know are so strong. I just see me in a new light and I’m so grateful you had a hand in bringing that out. 29 is going to be a great year!”

The second annual See Her Story event is happening in a week! On April 26th! I can’t talk enough about how much I love this event and how much I love all the ways it’s come to support women.

The heart of it for me is that in my job, I observe year after year how women generally don’t love being photographed. But I do know that the people that love you, woman, want your picture. They want that memory with you, this moment frozen in time with you. They don’t know or worry about what your self conscious about on your body, or with your clothes/hair/makeup/etc when they see your picture, they just know that they adore you and want a precious picture of you. Women are also notorious for not wanting to do something just for ourselves, amIright? So I’m meeting you in the middle. Come be photographed for YOU. So that you have a fresh headshot for work. Or so that your kids have a picture of you right now. Or so that you can work on conquering your fear of being in front of the camera. Come be photographed for OTHER WOMEN. The money and items you donate support women and their children who need support during a really tough time in their lives. Your story is co-mingling with their story in such a beautiful way. And who knows, you might decide to volunteer with InterAct once you hear all the amazing, VERY important programs they offer to women in Wake County (we will have information on hand if you are interested in learning more).

Want to know more about what this event looked like last year?  Read more about my idea for the event, the portraits we shot at the event, and the general outcome of what we collected and the money we raised on the main Story Photographer’s blog.