Cleansing water

What is your story?

Coming from a dark story like mine I always kept pushing to the light. I was in an abusive relationship for a couple of years and he made me feel very little and ugly. He always said I wouldn't make a good mother and I need to see council, which basically made me feel horrible inside and out.

I did meet a beautiful partner two years ago and we are now expecting a little boy. My partner is super supportive and wants me to feel good in my skin and wants me to see what he sees daily.

Why did you want to do a boudoir shoot?

I wanted to feel beautiful, free and fall in love with myself and my body. Also, I want to stand up for people who have been in an abusive relationship and show them we are beautiful and we can do the things they make us feel that we can't or we are not good enough for.

What was the location of your shoot and why did you choose it?

I chose a nature shoot in the water because the theme of my shoot was "Cleansing water". Marina suggested a creek about one hour drive from Brisbane and it was beautiful!

How did you feel preparing for the session?

I went to a couple of Op shops in the neighbourhood to find some fun items for the shoot, looked in my wardrobe and packed it all in a big overnight bag. Went to bed early, drank plenty of water the day before and in the morning I put on some eye pads to help the undereye glow a little and not be puffed in any way.

What was it like to be naked/ half-naked in front of the camera?

So when I undressed to get into the first outfit I kinda thought by myself "omg I'm really getting naked outdoors?!" but after the first set of pictures Marina already made me feel comfortable and the rest of the shoot felt like a breeze.

How did you feel after the session? What have you thought when you saw your images for the first time?

After the boudoir shoot, I felt amazing and powerful. I also loved how Marina checked in the day after to see if I had any aches from the shoot as you spend a little bit hiking to location and in weird positions in open nature.

Would you do it again?

I would definitely do it again and am already lined up for a couple of Marina's other projects for shoots which I'm really excited for!

Would you recommend a boudoir shoot to other women/men and why?

I definitely would recommend it because I feel it is a way to get in touch with yourself and see you in a raw and real way. Looking at the pictures I appreciated parts of my body that I didn't like as much and it definitely highlighted the parts that I already loved.

Do you have any tips for women/men who are planning to do a boudoir shoot?

I think my following tips are:

Make a mood board so you and the photographer are on the same wavelength before the shoot.

Have a nice well-rested sleep the day before. I felt better after moisturising the day before and off the shoot

Bring a couple of pieces that you feel sexy in so you feel empowered from the start of the shoot.

Go with the flow, have an open mind! -Ashley