HOW I BECAME SO POPULAR AS A PLUS SIZE BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHER.
I have always been a big girl, at least it was what I always believed since I turned 16 and realized that I was bigger than all my friends in school. At 5’7″ and always being of an athletic constitution, I was two to three inches taller than my friends including boys.
I grew up hearing remarks about my weight all the time. Things like: “You carry your weight really well” or “You are so pretty for a girl your size”, or “You only need to loose 20 pounds to look thin”. Sounds familiar?
As a consequence, I grew up with a very distorted image of myself and thought that I was never going to be liked by men because I was not thin enough, I was too tall and I wasn’t pretty enough.
At one point my mother took me to a doctor to get prescription appetite suppressants because she couldn’t stand seeing me fat (I was a size 12 at 18 years old and still are the same size at 46). The pills worked, I didn’t eat for a month and lost a lot of weight in muscle mass, not fat. But even after losing the weight, it was STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH, I was still fat.
I was so hungry after the pill effect wore out, I gained all the weight back plus 10 pounds in less than a month, I felt worthless and without hope of ever being good enough to anybody. My self-esteem and self-worth were damaged from that point on and it stayed with me until my late 30’s.
As a result, as soon as I was able to leave home, I avoided going back and tried to build my life hiding away from those who had hurt me and reminded me I was not good enough. I concentrated in my career and finding a way to rebuild my self-esteem, find a purpose to my life and a way to live with my physical appearance.
THE TRANSFORMATION
Fast forward 20 years, I started doing boudoir photography, mostly for brides-to-be.
I thought only young, beautiful, skinny girls that looked like models were the only ones that could do a boudoir photoshoot. But then I started to get women like me, in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and even 60’s! Women of all shapes and sizes including plus size women who wanted to feel beautiful just as they were. These women became my inspiration and gave me the courage to do my own boudoir photoshoot at age 38.
What I saw changed my life forever. For the first time in my life I saw I was beautiful just as I was. I started to walk tall, be flirtatious, smile a lot, get dressed up and for a change, I was able to take compliments and BELIEVE they were TRUE and not just comments to make me feel better. My perception of ME changed completely from feeling unattractive to feeling beautiful ALL THE TIME!
MY PLUS SIZE BOUDOIR CLIENTS
This transformation inspired me to create what I call “Divalicious” boudoir photohoot. A boudoir shoot to capture the beauty of curvy women.
I realized that ALL women want to feel beautiful regardless of shape, size or age. Many boudoir studios portray perfect, young, thin women but it is time to show to all women that we all have the right to feel beautiful at any age and weight All we have to do is to change how we feel.
Through boudoir photography I have photographed hundreds of gorgeous women, and they were absolutely amazed and thrilled that they could look so good in the boudoir poses I have perfected for plus size women.
Something I want to point out is that being plus size is different for every woman since there are different body types. Plus size only means "larger than average" and it can only mean you are just taller than the average woman. Many describe being plus size as being: curvy, voluptuous, Rubenesque, full-figured or my least favorite word, fat .🤮
In any case, however women describe themselves, posing these women must be done skillfully in order to accentuate their assets whichever they might be: cleavage, bootie, legs, hourglass figure....an dissimulate things that they can feel subconscious about or can just be distracting in a photograph: tummy, loose skin, double chin, big arms...For this reason, I put a lot of work into mastering the art of developing boudoir poses that are perfect for plus size women.
Plus size women know they are "big girls" and are not trying to hide this fact in their photos, on the contrary, they want to flaunt their curves and look good at their size. When the reach out to me they voice out their concern about looking good in boudoir images and because I totally understand their concern, I always direct them to my plus size boudoir gallery to see the best plus size boudoir poses that I have perfected over the years.
To ensure that as a plus size woman you look your best in a boudoir photoshoot, you must follow these guidelines.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR A PLUS SIZE BOUDOIR PHOTOSHOOT
TIP #1 Select the best sexy plus size lingerie for you
Your body needs support, shaping and enhancement to fight back "gravity"!
Here are the best recommendations to put together you lingerie collection.
Push up bras are essential part of your lingerie outfits since most lingerie doesn't have perfect support. And being a plus size lady, most likely you have big breasts that need the support of a good push up bra to help you feel confident on how you look.
Underbust corsets will give you tummy control as well as create a nice curve in your waist line. I get under bust corsets online from Hips and Curves, where I get a lot of my plus size lingerie I use as back up at my studios. In San Antonio TX, my favorite lingerie boutique with great selection of plus size lingerie is Love Shack Boutique and in Austin, Le Rouge Boutique.
Cheeky panties will shape your bootie and you can never go wrong with a lacy black cheeky. When wearing a corset, choose high waisted panties instead.
Thigh highs will make your legs look longer and cover skin imperfections. The best thigh highs for plus size women can be purchased at Glamory Hosier and this is the only brand I use in my studio for plus size women. They stretch a lot and you won't have pinching in your inner thigh.
High heels will make you look taller and slimmer and the higher the better!
Tip #2 Professional hair and makeup
This is by far the most important part of your boudoir photoshoot because your face is the center of attention and you will be looking at it more than any other part of your body. Through professional contouring and highlighting, your face can be slimmed down to look your best in pictures. In the same way, your hair can be styled to frame your face better and add a seductive touch to your overall makeover. You can see images of my clients before and after makeup here.
Tip #3 Select a qualified Boudoir Photographer
Not every professional photographer can make plus size ladies look their best in boudoir images, especially mature plus size women who have more limited mobility.
Look for a professional boudoir photographer instead of someone who does all sorts of photography and look at their websites to make sure they portray women you can identify with in their boudoir galleries to see if you like how they look. You can see my own plus size Boudoir Galleries HERE. You can also search social media for curvy boudoir photography ideas to show your photographer.
HERE ARE MY FAVORITE PLUSE SIZE BOUDOIR POSES
If you want ideas on the best boudoir poses for plus size women, whether you want learn how to take your own boudoir pictures (DYI) at home or your husband is an amateur photographer and wants to photograph you in sexy lingerie, here are simple and very "size and age" friendly boudoir poses you can try at home for your own boudoir photography session.
Boudoir Pose Standing Up
This is the best and easiest pose to do on your own curvy boudoir session, but the secret is, to be dressed for this pose with a good push up bra, cincher or corset and high heels to really make you look shaped and slimmed down naturally.
It is the perfect pose that allows you to place your arms in a position that dissimulates bulging and if you add a sheer top with long sleeves, it is even better. What you want is a boudoir photo that makes you look great straight out of the camera or your own cell phone without the need of photoshoot or digital enhancement. By crossing your legs, they also slim down naturally and stocking and high heels will make them look smoother and longer.
Boudoir Pose Sitting Down
Sitting down can be tricky because your mid section looks bigger. However, you can get around this issue with the right outfit to make it look natural. I love feather boas and a man's shirt hanging off your shoulders.
You can have a good push up bra under or nothing, just make sure to place opposite hand under the opposite boob to bring out the cleavage. Wear your high heels and show your legs by crossing your ankles instead of your knees. Feather boas are sexy and messy and will help you cover your mid section very easily, just make sure to get a rally big one.
Boudoir Pose Laying Down
In the same way you used the feather boa sitting down, you can use it to lay down and get it off your shoulder to show your cleavage by placing opposite hands under opposite breasts to fight gravity and enhance your cleavage.
The feathers will dissimulate your mid section and arms while your legs look sexy and long by extending one that is farthest from the camera and bending the leg that is closest to the camera. This is the best way to position your legs so your inner thighs are not exposed
Boudoir Pose From The Behind
If you have a great bootie, you have to get a bootie shot! I love these boudoir poses from the back because if you don't have the best support for your tummy, in these poses, it is completely imperceptible. You can do this boudoir pose with the legs crossed or open. You can do it fully from the back or rotate your torso until your eyes can see the camera and you can play with your facial expression.
You can wear a sweater, shirt or jersey off your shoulder or like in this photo, my client is wearing her husband's work vest to add a fun and teasing touch to her boudoir images she was creating to celebrate her anniversary and surprise her husband with sexy photos.
Use your imagination on what other outfits you can use besides lingerie. Just make sure to take lots of pictures if you are taking your own boudoir photos and don't forget to play a lot with your facial expression and your hair.
The Best Plus Size Lingerie and Outfits for Your Boudoir Shoot
After working with so many plus size women to create their boudoir photos, I know what works best in terms of outfits. I have used all sorts of lingerie and clothing items and there are some that work best than others.
First of all, not all plus size women are the same. Some have hourglass bodies, some a more apple shape. Some have big breasts, others don't. Different body areas need different lingerie and accessories to make them look best in boudoir photos.
The majority of my clients want to look slimmer and hide things they feel self-conscious about like their tummies, stretchmarks, arms, cellulite or double chins. I am a huge supporter of loving and accepting our bodies as they are, and to help women do exactly that, my job is to use poses, lingerie and lighting to make their bodies look more appealing and pleasant to the eye without having to use photoshop.
It is no different than taking photos of a flower from the side where you can't see it is missing petals. In the same way, I would place the flower in a beautiful vase and close to a window to take a picture.
Photographing a plus size body is no different. I look for the best sides, the best light and get their curvy bodies into beautiful lingerie, jewelry, makeup and sexy shoes.
Here are my picks for best lingerie for plus size women based on their body type.
Best plus size lingerie for women with big or small breasts
Say YES to push up bras and stay away from over bust corsets. corsets will fit your breasts or your waist but not both. It will not enhance your small breasts, it will flatten them even more and big breasts will spill out of the corset. Get sized with the appropriate push up bra with a little padding for big breasts and LOTS of padding for small breasts. Have fun with straps and colors and try not to overwhelm your chest area with huge jewelry.
Best plus size lingerie for women who need tummy control
If you have breasts that are not too big but also not too small, rather proportionate, you can use an over bust corset to give you tummy control and a more hourglass look while enhancing your breasts with a great cleavage.
But if your breasts are too big or too small, get a well-fitted push up bra for your breasts and pair it with an under bust corset like the image on the right or a cincher.
Best plus size lingerie for short women.
You want to look taller in your boudoir photos so more than lingerie, it is about the poses. Focus on poses where your legs are extended all the way instead of bent. However, high heels will make you look taller and make sure that if you wear stockings or thigh highs, they are high on your legs.
If you are ready to discover your own beauty in a life changing experience, I invite you to click on this link to receive our latest studio price menu.
I am certain that I can show you your beauty in a way that will change your life. All you have to do is take the first step and connect with me.
I look forward talking to you!
Argentina
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