Embracing your body with a self love photoshoot
When faced with the idea of baring all in front of a camera, it can be easy to begin picking ourselves apart. Critiquing our every curve, bump and mark becomes second nature and we can start to obsess over our self-image. At Maru Collective, we see boudoir photography as a place where art and body positivity intersect to create a safe environment for a self love photoshoot to take place. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of what makes us women – in all of our unique shapes, sizes, ages and personalities.
I encourage every one of my beautiful clients to approach self love boudoir photography as a self love photoshoot and a stepping stone to truly embracing their body. So here’s some of my favourite ways to spring-clean your mindset and get the most out of self love boudoir photography.
Use body-positive affirmations
Negative self-talk is the rival to self-love. Transforming your mindset and learning to love the skin you’re in begins with speaking kindly to yourself. Body-positive affirmations are a wonderful place to start. These bold and uplifting statements can lay the foundations to quickly transform negative self-talk into positive thoughts and feelings about yourself and your body.
Whether you choose to repeat these affirmations to yourself in the mirror, put pen to paper or leave love notes around your home, creating a positive mindset in the leadup to your self love boudoir shoot can give you the boost of confidence you need to immerse yourself in the experience
Here’s a small collection of body-positive mantras:
I am beautiful.
My body is a work of art.
I am healthy, happy and radiant.
I fully embrace my body and how it looks in this moment.
I am perfect, whole and complete just the way I am.
Shift your focus
When you step in front of the mirror, it can be easy to fixate on what you don’t love about yourself. And shifting your focus to look at yourself with kinder eyes can be a journey. This is why it’s important to start small – begin with something you genuinely adore about yourself. It can be a physical aspect of your body, or an intrinsic part of yourself that you can revel in. This exercise of speaking to yourself in a mirror is powerful and can become a habit where self-love blossoms.
Know your boundaries
While a self love photoshoot is the perfect place to step outside your comfort zone, you don’t have to bare all. Slipping into a dreamy lingerie set is often all it takes to elevate your confidence – and artfully covering up will still allow you to feel embodied and feminine during your shoot. The most important part of cultivating self love is gently pushing the boundaries, while still remaining true to who you are.
Take the first step to embracing who you truly are by enquiring about self love boudoir photography with Maru Collective.