It’s sassy. It’s sexy. It’s catching on in Saskatoon.
Boudoir photography is quickly becoming a popular trend for women in Saskatoon. In fact, for some photographers such as Crystal Skrupski of Joi Photography, boudoir photography takes up the bulk of their business.
“I’m looking to capture exactly who they are in that moment. I’m looking to capture that they feel they are the most beautiful person in the world,” says Skrupski.
A boudoir is a woman’s private bedroom, sitting room or dressing room. Over the years women such as Jean Harlow, Mae West and Kathleen Meyers of Hollywood fame have been captured on camera in these settings. Now Boudoir photography sees women of all ages, sizes and personalities stepping in front of the camera, revealing a somewhat secret side of themselves.
Clare Anstead, a scientist in Saskatoon, says boudoir photography is the exact opposite of her day-to-day experiments in the lab.
“Totally out of my comfort zone,” says the 27-year-old. “I love being in a lab. I love following protocol. I’m a huge nerd and so to… get all dressed up and have my hair all curly and all this make up on, it’s very different for me.”
Skrupski says the most important part of every shoot is that the woman in the picture feels good. Jeans and a T-shirt can sometimes do the trick.
“Every shoot we do is based on everyone’s personality,” Skrupski says. “If they want to show a more sexy side of themselves, we’ll dress them in a bra and underwear and stockings.”
Self-professed gamer geek Shannon Brect says she surprises herself with each boudoir portrait.
“It’s empowering. It makes you feel really good about yourself. It makes you feel confident and like you can do anything,” she says. “It kind of gives you this high where it’s like ‘Oh, I did that.’”
The married mother, who recently had her second child, likes that she doesn’t have to be a super model to enjoy the photo shoots.
“I’m not a super model on TV and I can still look good.”
Many women who model in front of Skrupski’s camera pose to celebrate milestones, like birthdays. For Lisa Mann, her most recent round of portraits marks her divorce.
The first time the mother of three was photographed, the portraits were for her husband. Now she’s posing to celebrate her new career and independence.
“I need to do it for me this time. When I did it for my husband three years ago at X-mas time, I did it for him. It was all geared toward him and what he wanted, but now I want to do it for me,” Mann says.
She knows she’ll walk away from the experience feeling empowered and confident, just like the many others drawn to the boudoir room.
“I see myself, but I see me as… what I can be, not what I am every day,” says Mann.
“I see a different side of me. I see something inside of me that nobody else gets to see,” says Brect.
“It was just very liberating and it just made me appreciate who I was more as an individual and as a woman. Just getting those beautiful, beautiful photos,” says Anstead.
The feedback is what keeps Skrupski snapping shots.
“That’s why I do all this. So many women have no idea how beautiful they are.”
