Do the boudoir photos momma.
I gained 60+ pounds with my first pregnancy. I don't have an exact figure because somewhere in trimester 2, I pitched the scale...
In my second pregnancy it was 17 pounds - a combo of a horribly nauseous first 2 trimesters, 2 months of 'regular' pregnancy, and a final month of losing 12 pounds due to stress. What all this balances out to is a mom-bod that has seen miles, stripes, or whatever cute moniker we're using these days to say my bod looks like toast. So when I made the highly-private decision to do a personal boudoir shoot in 2013, it was with extreme nerves that my postpartum body would be on full display. I never imagined the experience could actually be transformative for my confidence, let alone comfort in my own skin.
Whenever February rolls around, our CityMoms community begins to buzz with ideas for Valentine's Day. This year, we proposed something new that frankly, has lasting year-round oomph:
A boudoir photo shoot.
The best part? The outcome doesn't have to be a gift for anyone other than yourself momma. In fact, my husband has never seen mine.
Let me set the record straight: The boudoir photos we’re showing off in this post aren’t me. They’re the incomparable CityMom Whit – find her at @whithowwow on Instagram.
Perhaps boudoir has taken a beautiful turn over the years - or maybe it was just my naive understanding of what this art was.
Where I thought my photos would look like an overworked Victoria's Secret model and her trouble areas, my shots revealed something else... Me. Teasingly glancing over my shoulder, playfully laughing, and seductively glancing into a camera lens. {Fun fact: I cropped+used that seductive one as a LinkedIn headshot for years.} I felt seen. I felt the confidence of the pre-baby me again. I felt beautiful.
Last week we turned to one of our favorite local photography resources Jenny Mundy to ask her about boudoir photos.
Isn’t Jenny the cutest? We kinda love her.
theCityMoms: Tell us a little about how you get started.
Jenny: I started my business in 2016 and started doing boudoir right away. I loved it but it was hard to gain Clients doing it because a lot of people don't want to share those private photos.
theCityMoms: What does your process look like when you're doing a boudoir photo shoot?
Jenny: 9 out of 10 women show up nervous. So I tell every woman to come in their most comfortable outfit. Usually we start with a baggy sweater and have her drop a shoulder a little bit. You can look sexy and cute fully clothed. That's probably the most intimidating part for woman is thinking they have to get in front of a camera and get naked right away - that's definitely not it at all. Layer up because we can take layers off as the session goes on, and as she gets a little more confident and has more fun. I have a questionnaire for my photo shoots too to make sure we have your favorite music on, etc. And I'm just a goofball! So I'm having you move and pose and do silly and different things to make you comfortable.
theCityMoms: Speaking of that, we've worked with you so many times before, and know how great you are at making that level of comfort shine thru to the models in front of you, and love how you always bring a loving and friendly vibe to your photo shoots.
Jenny: Yes! I really ride that line between Client and friend a lot. Especially doing sessions like boudoir photos. We end up building a connection and I find Clients then return to me for family sessions or weddings because we build a connection. I'm a mom and I've had two kids. My skin has been stretched to the limit. I'll focus on the sides Clients are more confident about, but also take images of those you might be a little more insecure about so you can see them through my eyes and know they're normal and beautiful. And once you do see what I see, it's empowering.
theCityMoms: Do models need to be completely naked for a session?
Jenny: No. I tell women to always layer and bring an oversized sweater/cardigan or your husband's favorite button-down or t-shirt. For women who don't want to wear lingerie, go to Target or TJ Maxx and get a cute matching pajama set. For those who do feel comfortable, I tell them to bring one-piece lingerie. They are so flattering on everyone and are super cute. You never need to be completely naked though! I do have Clients who get super confident during the shoot and go get their two piece set, or might have a tank top with a blanket over them so it looks like they're completely naked but aren't.
theCityMoms: You're also doing couple boudoir sessions. Tell us about them.
Jenny: I do couples boudoir and regular couple sessions. For boudoir, men will wear jeans and a shirt since we always start fully clothed. For those who want a more intimate couples session, men will take their shirt off but leave jeans on, and women will wear their cute clothing or lingerie. Any time I share the images from these types of shoots on my Instagram, they get the most interaction. I'll often hear from couples after that they didn't know what to expect but had so much fun and loved flirting with each other during the shoot.
JUST GONNA LEAVE THIS HERE: Selfie WRLD has arrived to Indianapolis
theCityMoms: And you have a couple Instagram accounts too, right?
Jenny: Yes, I have my general page, then I have @jennysboudie which I use as a private account to share boudoir photos. This account is for ladies-only.
theCityMoms: Any other things you'd like our audience to know?
Jenny: I will never do any body transforming {retouching}. I did it initially but instead learned about good poses for women and their body type so that all photos are in the most flattering light and format. I will go thru and do blemish fixes, but I won't do a full Kim Kardashian retouch on anyone. Boudoir photos are meant to make you feel more comfortable and confident with your own body and I want you to look like yourself and see how beautiful you are.
It's been 8 years since my last shoot - maybe it's time for another, and with Jenny? And maybe this time I'll share the photos with my husband. But for now, I like having them on standby in my own private folder as a reminder that I am beautiful both inside and out.
MORE INFO ON JENNY: Discover Jenny's portfolio of work at her website, jennymundy.com. And no, this post isn't sponsored - we just love Jenny and all-things-empowering-women just like you, dear reader. A special thanks to Whit Howard {@whithowwow on Insta!} and Jenny for use of the imagery in this post. ❤️
