Yes today I was shot! Finally for the first time I had my photos taken! I was scared beyond belief for no reason and I loved every moment. I wanted to share about this experience because so many photographers or woman in general are frightened at the idea of being photographed, especially with little to no clothes. Let me just say DON'T BE SCARED! Or if you are do it anyways! So I'm going to rewind time for a moment. In 2014 I went to this amazing conference in Vegas. Yes if you're a photographer I'm sure you either know about wppi or you have gone. It's insane and amazing and changed my life, seriously. While I was there I listened to an amazing photographer who shared a style of photography I had dreamed of shooting, but never actually pursued it. Boudoir! I spent the next year studying, practicing and doing anything I needed to do to try and be great at shooting it. I wanted woman to feel amazing, so I know I needed to work at it in order to accomplish that. Because let's be honest if a woman comes in feeling down about herself and then you show her images that aren't great, you probably just made her feel worse and the worst part about it is you know she is gorgeous and you can see her beauty but you didn't translate that very well. But boudoir isn't just about a pretty face and body, it's about emotion and posing and lighting and I wanted to understand it all before I offered sessions. So I tried whatever I could to learn. Then this amazing photographer I saw in Vegas was doing a boudoir bootcamp on creative live. I decided If this is something I am serious about then I needed to make it a priority to watch. She had said something during her bootcamp that I knew I needed to hear. It was along the lines, if you are a boudoir photographer and you have never been photographed then you need to! I had been considering it for a long time but always had some excuse as to why I was waiting. Like when I lose this weight, I will book a photoshoot. Well that was pretty much the only real excuse I kept using. But while watching creative live I saw the wonderful group of photographers in the audience and realized that Alison just so happened to be an amazing photographer that lives only an hour away! That changed everything I can't remember if I even waited until the bootcamp was over before I contacted her to chat about shooting my session. I was so excited that I stopped using that horrible excuse and booked with her. I want to be an amazing boudoir photographer and I want to be 100% honest with my clients when I tell them it's an amazing experience and no matter your size or age or body type you should be photographed. You deserve it! So a few weeks out and I was extremely nervous for my session, to the point I thought of reasons maybe I should cancel (don't worry I wasn't ever going to,but I was scared). Then I attended wppi this year and again listened to Jennifer Rozenbaum and in her class she called me a hypocrite(no it wasn't directed at me it was to the entire room of photographers who have never had their own session) and she was 100%right! You know what else I needed this shoot more than I thought! So today I was shot and it was amazing! Alison Dudley is an amazing photographer who made me so comfortable and I felt beautiful, and sexy and she made me forget my size and my insecurities and reminded me that although I am still working towards a weight loss and getting into shape that I still have my beauty! So I'm leaving you with the thoughts if you're a boudoir photographer then you really need to be photographed. If you are not a photographer you still should be photographed! Don't let excuses stop you and start realizing that you are amazing the way you are! And it is a wonderful experience to be pampered and get your hair and makeup done. it truly is! So I want to thank Jennifer Rozenbaum, because although I don't know her she truly opened my eyes and has taught me so much. And finally thank you Alison Dudley for being such a wonderful photographer. You really know how to connect and your talent truly shows! And thank you for making me feel the best I have felt in years!
Much Love
Cherise Cardin
I don't have any of the images yet because the session seriously just ended a few hours ago, but I will share at least one when I get them! So for now I'm sharing a phone selfie (also new to me haha)
