The Boudoir Trend and the Mature Woman
Unless you have been living on the moon for the past few years then you can’t have failed to notice the influence of boudoir in the media, on the high street and fashion in general. Many of the well known lingerie brands and even traditionally conventional and everyday retailers such as M&S and Evans are catching on to the boudoir and burlesque trend with their latest premium underwear collections?
Popularity
The popularity of boudoir photography may be due, to a large extent, to the craze for brides having a photo-shoot done as a wedding day gift out of the ordinary. Although a significant influence, however, this doesn’t explain the phenomena entirely?
We know that the experience of having a professional make-over and photo session can give women an enormous feeling of liberation and empowerment but does this explain the motivation for arranging the shoot in the first place?
Jules Fortune, the photographer behind The Black Book Sessions has been photographing women for many years and she sees a recent growth in demand from ladies who are a little older and not necessarily brides to be.
“I’m finding that ladies in their 30’s, 40’s and even 50’s are wanting Boudoir Photo Shoots more. Chatting to the ladies as to what their motivations are, the general feeling is that they are still feeling young at heart and want to capture themselves in some beautiful sensual images before it all hits the floor, so to speak!!
Also, unlike our mothers and grandmothers, who thought that by the age 30 it was all housework and childcare, we are more open-minded regards sex and being sexy with our choices in fashion and lingerie. We are also more aware that life is too short for hang-ups and that we should live for the day and just go for it!”
The Experience
One of Jules past clients Adrienne agrees that it just not for size 8, young model types.
“At the time I’d been watching Gok Wan’s ‘How to Look Good Naked‘ and mentioned to my husband (of 12 years), how I would love to have a photo shoot like that done. After all, if they can, then so can I?”
“I no longer have the figure I had in my twenties, having children has seen to that! After much research, and the realisation that it is not just for beautiful models with skinny figures, I decided to go for it! I’m normally the kind of person who hides from the camera, I hate snap shots of myself! Not that day though, Jules was very good at directing me how to sit and stand and where to look. I started out fully clothed and as the shoot progressed I wore less and less, only as far as I felt comfortable.”
“I wasn’t sure I could go completely naked at first but it felt quite normal after a couple of hours to do just that, although I was tastefully covered in the places that I did not want to be seen.”
“I had had the most amazing day and couldn’t wait to see the finished result.”
“The following day Jules sent me the proofs from my shoot, I couldn’t believe how good I looked to say they were the un-edited versions. I loved them! My husband did too! In fact his jaw dropped and he couldn’t speak at first. It was the most wonderful experience and I now know that I can look good, especially naked!”
About Jules and The Black Book Sessions
Jules and her passion for photography go back to her school years when, at the age of 14 when she was picked to be in a small group of Art students to study Photography.
“I just loved Photography from the first day I was let loose with a camera’. From day one it was always people with me, I liked to dress up college friends and take them to strange and wonderful locations and create beautiful but dramatic images. I think I just enjoy the fun of dress up and fantasy”
Jules has worked in the field of glamour makeover photography for over 13 years and in that time has seen some changes.
“In the early 90’s there was a demand from the general public for Glamorous Make Over style images and then it lost its way a little at the end of the 90’s. Now Glamour Photography for all us regular ladies is back and its better than ever. Gone are the days of cheesy images and poor glamour photography for the masses. Clients desire, sexy high fashion, high quality images that look like they could have been printed in a glossy fashion magazine, and that’s what they get at Black Book Sessions.”
Contacting Jules
Phone: 07786 355408
Email: jules.fortune@yahoo.co.uk
Web: www.blackbooksessions.co.uk
