Diary

Her contradicting love for lace & flowers vs. leather & fur sheds light on the opposing energies we captured in her photoshoot. While some images are dark, sensual, and moody, others give off a more playful, airy glow...

Boudoir Is A Radicle, Outward Expression of Love.‍ Sometimes photoshoots express a love for others, but they always symbolize an act of deep love for self. When I read Sherri's questionnaire, I got the sense that she didn't see just how brave and confident she truly is. Sherri's story struck me as a tale of resilience and compassion. She was on her own at a young age, built a full life for herself, started her own family, and now supports her children with grace.

I am thrilled to share Alani Taylor's powerful & symbolic photoshoot. This is Alani's third photoshoot with Voulez Vous— and a very special shoot at that. Alani planned this session as a celebration of life and growth. She underwent brain surgery earlier this year and has experienced a deep sense of growth and acceptance over the years that she wished to capture in portraits.The overarching theme for Alani's shoot was finding the joy of maturing and body changes. "I'm now in my 40's and I want to embrace my beauty in it's current state, and to not feel compelled to look like I did in my 20's.""I am delighted with the body, mind, and spirit healing that I have experienced since the surgery. That may very well be on display anyway in my vibe!"

Nicole's journey with Voulez Vous began in 2016 through Lindsey House, an organization dedicated to empowering families on their journey to independence. I was working on a project there, photographing women as they reached important milestones in their journey towards a better life. Nicole was working with the women of Lindsey House and we quickly bonded over a mutual love for helping others rediscover their own light.

More and more often, women come to me simply because they wish to invest in their personal journey to self. That was the case with Caroline; She did this photoshoot as a gift to herself. Caroline's photoshoot is full of deep shadows and striking silhouettes. She described her style as casual yet chic, making for a collection of timelessly elegant portraits.

"There are not many times I can get Mr. dressed up just. for. photographs. He’s shy and reserved and not a fan of attention. However, getting engaged is a big deal and like everyone else we wanted to document the beginning of what would be our marriage story. We loosened up with a bourbon and champagne and then the clicking started, it was so easy. Lana captured our authentic laughter and love, Mark’s stoic nature and my silliness. Neither of us is a big fan of the lovey-dovey photos so Voulez Vous is the obvious choice. No cheesy hand hearts, just beautiful portraits documenting our next chapter. I’ll cherish our best dressed photos for the rest of our life. It’ll be fun to say in 60 years, see Nana and Pop were sexy once too."

Libbie came to Voulez Vous on an especially inspiring journey to self-love. She has lost over 150 pounds and wanted to document her transformation through a healing, celebratory photoshoot experience. The photos we created serve as a true reminder of how far she's come...

I grew up in a poor home, raised for the most part by my single mother. The church sponsored my sisters and I to attend a private religious school where we were expected to dress up for class every single day.My schools' standard of what looked 'presentable' wound up shaping my own standards for dressing in every-day life. I loved the way I felt when I dressed up for the day versus how I felt when I did not.I felt more confident, prepared, and motivated. Over the years, I've continued this tradition of dressing up, no matter the day. Especially on days when I'm not feeling my best.

Recently, I was rummaging through old files when I came across an article I saved in 2019 titled, "Come As You Are." I remembered saving this gem because it spoke me, as I'm sure it did many others, of the heavy burden of unrealistic beauty standards we women carry around. We hear new outlooks on body positivity all the time, but what stood out to me in this message wasn't the typical 'love yourself' mantra, it was the idea that we are actually losing time and productive energy to worrying about the way we look. This is time and precious energy spent loathing the bodies that serve us. These are not hours men accommodate for in their daily life. Why should we? So I wrote a list for you— A list of ways you can snap out of negative self-talk and tap into a more fulfilled and fired up energy to spend on making memories and impact where it actually matters most to you.

Constance shares her journey of vision, drive, and endurance in her own words this week in the diary. "When I was growing up I wanted to be a Marine. Once I got to college I signed up and went to US Marine Corps Officer Candidate School later turning down my commission in the military to study abroad in Estonia and Russia...