Empowerment through photography

The empowerment of photography

I got an email a few days ago from a woman (not the woman shown in this photo) who wanted to get some photography done as a way to promote empowerment and healing. It got me thinking – photography isn’t always just images. Photography can stir someone’s soul, make them feel better about themselves and overall empower them.

Back to the email. It was from the cousin of a young woman who has been through some kind of trauma. The writer didn’t specify what the trauma was and I didn’t ask. This woman said her cousin feels ugly and wanted to do something to help her realize how beautiful she really is. This email made me realize that photography can indeed be powerful. It can make people who don’t feel good about themselves start to feel good about themselves. Photography can make someone feel beautiful when they have always felt otherwise.

Boudoir photography

It really can be any type of photography. I think boudoir is one area of photography that can truly empower women to feel good about themselves and their bodies. Women can be really hard on themselves but when they get boudoir photos they can truly see how beautiful their body is.

It’s not difficult to make someone look beautiful in photos. One’s beauty can come shining through when they sit in front of a camera.

I read an article online from a writer who posted on Facebook that she wanted to photograph women wearing a certain kind of lingerie. It was just going to be a short photo shoot and they wouldn’t get any money for doing it. This writer said her phone “blew up” with women wanting to pose. She ultimately concluded that doing this allowed these women to “feel beautiful.”

Another boudoir photographer posted that this type of photography makes women feel good about themselves and brings empowerment.

Feeling beautiful

In the words of this photographer, Erica Peerenboom, photos can let women them see themselves differently.

“You know we’re fed the whole media idealization of what a perfect woman looks like – that’s not the case! Everyone is beautiful in their own way so I just like to be able to show them, they are,” she said.

I believe any person, man or woman, can feel good about themselves when they see a great photo of themselves. It’s my job and my goal to take that great photo of them – to make them look their best and help them feel some empowerment in photography.