Mr. D came to the studio ready to kill his session. I mean, can you believe this guy has an eight-year old?? Look at that bod! There's no waaaaay, he's had a kid....no possible way. And 31?? I doubt it. He looks so good for his age.
Do we realize how fucking ridiculous that sounds? I have yet to see this shit on a post of a man. While surviving any birthday and the ability to have children are milestones not awarded to many, I don't think the intent of people commenting these things are thinking of that perspective. I am in far too many photographer groups/facebook groups/and social communities where this bullshit chatter is the norm...in regards to women. Whenever a photo of a woman who fits the stereotypical societal standards of beauty is posted, there is a caption and comments that applaud her for "looking so good after having babies" and "This woman just gave birth and she looks sooooo good".....ummmm....I am not saying don't appreciate the women who fall into the societal standard of beauty nor am I saying don't celebrate the ability of women to have children....I am saying we need to stop saying shit like this and reducing women to their capacity to have children AND maintain a svelte figure. We can appreciate beauty without saying shit like "CAN YOU BELIEVE SHE HAS 3 CHILDREN??? OMG I WOULD DIE TO LOOK LIKE THAT!" It just continues to perpetuate the fallacy that women need to get back to a pre-baby body (which, fyi, is technically impossible unless you are willing to shove your baby back up your hoo ha) Same thing with the age thing...."SHE LOOKS SO AAAAMAZING FOR 65"....MAYBE SHE DOES LOOK AMAZING, BUT IT'S NOT DESPITE HER NUMBER OF YEARS ON THIS PLANET!! When we say things like this, it continues to remind women that they have to uphold a certain look or aesthetic despite having children, getting older, etc. Can we just stop please? Next time you are viewing and appreciating a woman's beauty, try to refrain from using phrases like that. Next time you are having a chat with your friends, avoid saying things like "Omigod, you look so good for just having a baby" or "You age beautifully" and while people may look beautiful and "so good" you don't need to tack on the reason why you are SURPRISED they look so good...it's a shitty thing to do and I assume you are a good human. So, after this ranty post, I urge you to listen to the conversations around you, online and in person, compliment people for their qualities, both physical and not, be mindful of the chatter you are contributing to...oh and enjoy some photos of Mr. D who delightfully shared his life and time with me so I COULD write this ranty post.
Kyle was one of the other male models that I had the pleasure of photographing while I was at the Stripped Down Retreat in and with him, I wanted to get weird, because hey, it was the end of the retreat and I was feeling adventurous. Kyle gladly obliged my odd requests and we had a lot of fun just loosening up and make some really fun editorial shots. We also managed to grab some more traditional male boudoir shots. Enjoy!
One of the best things for me was photographing the men at the workshop and not just because they were sexy as hell, but because it is something that is slightly out of my comfort zone. I rarely photographed men, but have since decided to offer my empowerMENt sessions because men struggle with body image as much as women do, but they are not able to talk about it as easily as us. Justin was the first male that I got to photograph at the retreat and once I got started shooting, my nerves totally fell away and before you know it, myself, Paige & Stephanie convinced him to wear nothin' but a hand towel at the end of the day. If you or any guys you know are interested in coming for a session that shows them in a sexy, hot af, and confident light, then send them my way!
Let me introduce you to Mr. J. This guy is equally charming as he is talented. A self proclaimed flirt, Mr. J does comedy, music, and I found out from creeping his facebook that he also like to do the occasional drawing! As we went through the shoot we talked about all the important things in life: dick pics, being a musician, the comedy life, and female and male stereotypes. Clearly, he isn't shy and did awesome for his first time being a "model" for male boudoir. Just one more thing for him to add to his resume! I think he proves that being the funny guy can also be sexy as hell. I don't know about you, ladies, but those eyelashes could get a woman in trouble.
Mr. R contacted me about doing a shoot for his lovely wife, as she had had a shoot done for him a few years prior and he wanted to surprise her with an amazing gift! Seriously, ladies & gents, this guy gets it. The hardest and most nerve-wracking thing for him was coming up with a lie to tell his wife about why he was "busy" for his consult and then his session. He was so nervous that she would find out that he was doing this, so he came up with a story and did everything covert so as not to spill the beans.
Like women, men also struggle with insecurities of having to fit the "perfect build" and I actually think it may be worse for men, because not only are they belittled if they don't have abs of steal, but they are teased if they even admit to being sensitive to the subject. All of that is bullshit. ALL people, regardless of gender, should be allowed to feel awesome about themselves, their body, and what they choose to do with it. It's time we start re-writing all these old school notions of "men being men" and what it means to be a "real man."
DUDES! It's not vain, conceited or "womanly" to enjoy have your photo taken and be okay with your body just as it is. It is, however, cowardly and insecure of you to pick on other dudes for it. LADIES! Don't laugh if you catch your husband/boyfriend taking selfies or appreciating their looks. They should be allowed to feel good in what they wear, how they feel, and the actions they take (unless by hurting other people).
Mr. R killed his shoot and his wife was beyond ecstatic with the results! They both came in for the viewing and she chose almost all of the photos! As ladies, we like a little eye candy from our partners too!
So, with that, I will be launching the male side of my boudoir business and I hope that more men will come forward after seeing that you don't have to be a male model with an 8 pack of abs and a chiseled jaw....instead, you need to be an awesome human being who is trying to or does love his body. THAT is the only criteria to doing a boudoir session with me! Bring it on, boys. And ladies, calm your tits, because there is more where this came from.
Here's what Mr. R said about his shoot:"For all you dudes that have perhaps thought about getting professional photos done, but for whatever reason haven't, I s