… and Then I Found Boudoir Photography

From the age of seven, I thought I was going to be an art teacher

and then I found boudoir photography.

My love of art combined with my very on brand nature as an eldest daughter (and about a million career aptitude tests all saying the same thing) led me to getting a degree in art education that I haven't used a single day since it came in the mail, bent.

But let me back up a little bit.

For as long as I can remember I thought a career as an art teacher made perfect sense for me. I often default to teaching in any situation, even when I don’t intend to, and I really love being in the classroom setting whether behind a desk or in front of the blackboard. (My student teaching in a middle school art classroom was a highlight of my life.) 

I've wanted to teach art for most of my life, always making my little brother play school with me when we were kids – complete with lesson plans, homework, and quizzes – which led to me gleefully sitting and grading his papers with a red pen even though he had long since gotten fed up and gone to play outside.

I always felt very sure of the choice to pursue a teaching career... until I fully realized how overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated teachers are in our society.

As I worked my way through undergrad I slowly started to come to terms with the realities of teaching in the 2020's and I got progressively more and more disenchanted with my chosen career path. It turns out that teaching is a lot more bureaucracy than 18-year-old me had anticipated when choosing her major. Lesson learned: do your research before signing up to take on $20,000 in loans.

But I saw another career path opening up as I got nearer to graduation, and it was like I unlocked a new level in my creative dreams.

I started working as a photo assistant and then became a second shooter and photo editor when I realized that I would rather go to work than any of my classes, and the second thoughts about teaching really began.

So I recruited my best friends and started photographing them on the DSLR my mom got me for my high school graduation every chance I got, and I loved every minute of it. But it wasn't until I saw the way my friends' confidence bloomed after our first boudoir marathon in 2018 that I realized just how fulfilling it was to photograph people in this way.

I've had those same friends back in the studio year after year ever since, and have had the privilege of walking beside them through so many milestones of their own – becoming moms, getting married, moving abroad, completing grad school, starting new jobs, and so so much more. It's been the privilege of my life seeing them become the women they are today, and without them I wouldn't be where I am now.

With the support of my friends and family, I completed my bachelor's degree in P-12 Art Education, and two weeks later I launched my photography business five days before I turned twenty-three.

Now I can't imagine doing anything else — I'm helping my clients feel comfy and confident in their skin while holding space for them to allow themselves to be seen and loved within a trauma-informed experience. This is everything to me. And I'm so thankful I get to share it with you too!

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