Stephannie: Collar & Leash | Central PA Boudoir | Shannon Hemauer Photography

I’ve always said that each woman I photograph brings her own vibe to the studio, and Stephannie brought hers for sure!

So, I started the session out as I normally do—in my studio with the client wearing her dress rental selection. Most clients are nervous when we first start shooting, but quickly relax. I noticed Stephannie was having trouble finding her groove, so after a few shots I asked her if she’d want to go to the Penny Gallery, which is a room in my building that local artists can display their art work/you can rent for events. The entire floor is covered in pennies, hence the name.

Stephannie was game.

I mentioned to her that she should wear the collar/leash with the dress rental for a few shots—I often find that putting two contrasting things together truly go well in photographs. A sparkly evening gown and bondage gear would fall in to that category.

Let me tell you, the moment Stephannie put on that collar/leash, her entire demeanor changed. She went from being unsure of what she was doing, to being a strong, confident woman. She found her groove!

We worked our way back up to the studio for the next outfit, which was a beautiful corset/panty/thigh high look she purchased at Underneath It All.

 

And while I loved how things were going, I still felt she was more alive when we were in the Penny Gallery with the that collar/leash, so I told her the remaining session needed to be downstairs…

But we first took a detour on our way back to the Penny Gallery—I smooshed her into a windowsill to get this shot:

We finished her session—you can see the rest of the images sprinkled through her client interview below…but before you venture off to look, let me tell you what I learned that day from this incredible woman: What empowers one woman may not work for another.

My goal is to empower all of my clients. I strongly believe that an empowered woman is a confident woman, and a confident woman is a sexy woman. Stephannie found her empowerment by being true to herself, which was to incorporate bondage articles. To some, including me, I’ve always thought of bondage as “submissive,” and you cannot be empowered if being submissive….right? At least that is what I thought until I saw how it completely changed this woman.

Stephannie explains it best in her testimonial, “There’s a level of safety and trust, a bond if you will, that happens when you allow someone to place a collar around your neck.” I’d never thought of it that way! It makes sense, though—you better be able to trust that person!

I also want to say that it was my artistic decision to let Stephannie’s hair get messy/stringy. I felt it really worked with what we were doing—if her hair had been perfect in all of the shots, it just wouldn’t have been the same. So I apologize to my lead stylist Nath for messing up your lovely work. (Luv ya, Nath!)

OK! Enough of me talking…I’ll turn this over to Stephannie.

How long have you been wanting to do a boudoir session and what made you decide now was the time to do one?
I recently went through a divorce and a male friend I confided in commented that I’d look amazing in a boudoir shoot. He suggested I do something for myself as a reminder that I am more than just my experiences. I took a couple weeks to think about what he said and decided he was right.

What made you decide Shannon Hemauer was the photographer to work with to do your boudoir session?
I saw the before and after photos of her clients and thought she was a miracle worker with that camera.

 

What was your favorite part out of the entire experience? The planning, the session, the reveal?
My favorite part of the entire experience was my trip to buy lingerie. I went to Underneath It All and it was there that I think I saw me for the first time the way I’ve always wanted to see me. Shannon was the glue to that new self-image.

Did you leave your session worried that the posing felt awkward?
Anything done for the first time feels a little awkward but I trusted that Shannon knew what she was doing and I wasn’t worried after I left the session.

What were you more nervous about—the session or the reveal?
I was more nervous about the reveal because I was afraid I might begin to hold myself to a new standard of beauty.

Did you arrive to the reveal worried if you’d like your images?
I was worried but only slightly. We have a habit of taking 100 selfies to find that one good picture and I got a little anxious that I couldn’t see the shot immediately after Shannon took it.

What did you think when you saw that first image of yourself?
I didn’t recognize myself.

If you had been worried about the hair/makeup/posing, did you like what you saw in your portraits?
I liked the black and white photos more and I think I photographed better not looking at the camera.

How did shooting this session with Shannon Hemauer change your outlook on yourself? Are you more confident?
Yes, I think my experience with Shannon helped me feel more freedom in expressing publicly who I am.

Before this experience, did you feel you were photogenic? If no, do you feel you are photogenic now?
Yes and no. I think I take better selfies because I can see the expression on my face to know if I need to change it. But Shannon helped me realize that just because I smile doesn’t mean I’m happy and just because I don’t smile doesn’t mean I’m not happy. She helped me to realize that what I project in my own selfies is not necessarily who I am. She managed to capture on the outside who I am on the inside and that’s something I’ve rarely been able to do on my own.

Why should other women do a boudoir session with Shannon Hemauer Photography?
I think women focus so much of their lives on the idea of finding external happiness. I think they miss out on truly living because they’re searching for something that has lived inside us all along. These photography sessions help drive that point home.

Do you think a boudoir session looks like fun? Well, you’d be correct! Contact me today to schedule your complimentary phone consult to discuss how you want to be photographed.

Paintings on the Penny Gallery walls for the month of February 2019 are painted by local artist, Tim Hoover. All work is for sale. Contact Tim for details.

Until next time,

Shannon

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