Nashville Boudoir Photographer | Fearlessly Feminine

This year I'm excited to start frequently offering travel boudoir sessions! Who's excited about a new adventure? I know I am! 

I did this session in Nashville on a rad roof top and modern condo! The ladies flaunted their beautiful selves in the pool, on the balcony and in the bedroom! 

Where do you dream of being photographed? What's stopping you from booking your session now?! Here are my top seven reasons to say yes today! 

1. You want to join the self love club! and mean it.  

2. It's your birthday! And you wanna celebrate in your birthday suit! 

3. You want a day all about you where you feel pampered and sexy AF! 

4. You want to step outside your comfort zone.

5. You want to celebrate an big event! Are you getting married? Divorced? Had a baby?
   Got a promotion? Graduated? 

6. You want to own your sexuality and feel empowered!

7. You want to give a really fabulous gift to someone you love!

Let me be honest, you don't need a reason to celebrate your amazing self. I'm all for body positivity, self love and girl power all day, every day. BUT there are 7 great reasons above and I'm happy to help you come up with more! Girl, you deserve this! 

Miss K | Evansville Indiana Boudoir Photographer

I love working with Miss K! She's confident, beautiful, and a seriously hard worker! She did this session for herself and her new husband as a surprise. What a perfect wedding present to give the love of your life! 

She absolutely blew us away at her shoot with her willingness to try new things and fun poses; I'm so happy with how these images turned out, and I feel so blessed to get to work with this babe! 

Below Miss K shares about her session; I love how she talks about how beautiful the process made her feel and the way she encourages other women to participate in something like this for themselves as well! 

Why did you choose to do a Fearlessly Feminine shoot?

I chose to do a Fearlessly Feminine shoot because I wanted to do something special for myself and for my fiance.

What was your favorite part of the experience?

The whole experience was out of my comfort zone. I got my hair and makeup done. I got to wear sexy lingerie. Seeing the photos was my favorite part. It made me feel beautiful.

How did your boudoir session make you feel?

I was nervous at the beginning. I didn't know how to pose. Through the session, I became more comfortable and confident.

Would you do another Fearlessly Feminine shoot?

Sure!

Would you recommend a session like this to anyone else? If so, who?

Any woman!

What did you do to prepare for the shoot?

I bought a few new outfits. I took extra care of my skin and face including a hot bath the night before, eating well and drinking plenty of water.

What image was your favorite?

Honestly, I love all of the images I chose. The image that shows my booty is probably the favorite one. I think that is one of my best features.

What products did you decide on? Are you happy with your choice?

I chose the black leather book. I wanted it to be a surprise!

Sugar, Sugar... It's Everywhere! | Workout Wednesday

If I offered you a million dollars, could you hold your breath underwater for 15 minutes? Unless you’re an amphibian, the answer will be 'No.' The brain’s innate drive for oxygen would override any “willpower” to win the prize. If you’re currently living on a steady diet of sugar-enhanced foods, your brain is similarly re-wired, demanding that next “hit.” Your willpower has as much of a chance at resistance as the ability to keep your body underwater.

We know sugar is not a healthy substance. You see, I was once a sugar addict. When teaching 8 hours daily at school, a few bags of Skittles or M&Ms would be my “high” along with about 4 Diet Cokes or Diet Dews. But I realized that these sugar hits always led to a crash — and then a craving for even more — which made it clear to me that it was time to make a change.

Sugar acts within the brain’s “Reward Center” mechanism (it’s like the brain’s equivalent of the elementary school Gold Star chart) Upon eating sugar, your brain releases Dopamine, our favorite “feel good” hormone, which is the same one that’s triggered by other pleasure mechanisms like sex or exercise. Through the same mechanisms as drug addiction, frequent sugar intake means that the brain eventually gets accustomed to that high and become less sensitive to sugar. So, to get the same rush, your brain requires more and more sugar over time.

Here’s how it works: You eat a sugary food, your blood sugar levels spike, and your body releases Dopamine and insulin (which triggers your body to store the sugar as fat). Then comes the “crash”: your sugar level plummets and you feel tired, hungry, and reach for the next sugary treat. It’s purely chemistry and these physical urges completely override your willpower and desire to eat healthy.

Look, we all know it's going to sneak in somewhere. You don’t need to become a biochemist to cut back, and you can still even have a sugary treat once in a while. But if you’re tired of this sugary chemistry experiment going on in your brain, follow these tips to at least minimize the majority of added sugar.

Learn its disguises: As tricky as this seems, sugar is almost never called just “sugar” on ingredient lists, so you have to be smart about spotting where it hides. Here are a few tricks: avoid anything ending in “-ose” like sucrose or maltrose. Look out for the buzzwords of “syrup,” “nectar,” “cane” and “sweetener.” And be mindful that even natural sugars, like agave or honey, still contribute to your daily sugar limit.

Cut Out Liquid Sugar: Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages? News flash — your brain doesn’t even recognize these calories as food, leading to a high and crash that will end with you eating even more.

DIY: You don’t have to completely cut out everything sweet; I don’t like my coffee black or my yogurt plain, but it’s a lot easier to control the amount of sugar you’re adding if you do it yourself. Add a half-packet to coffee instead of letting the barista talk you into a fancy, sweetened frap. Buy plain Greek yogurt and add berries and honey; I guarantee it will have less sugar than the fruit-flavored, sugar-laden packaged kind. As it often does, it comes down to a simple truth: it’s a lot easier to know what’s going on in your body if you control what you put into it.

Vacation Workouts | Workout Wednesday

Some might think it is just plain crazy to work out while on vacation. A quick 20-30-minute sweat session in the morning though can leave you feeling way less guilty about indulging in food and leave you feeling energized for the rest of day. 

Here are a few of my favorite exercises that can be done anywhere at any time. The first examples are all body weight exercises:

-Jump squats

-Knee Ups

-Side lunges

-High Knees

-Body Planks

-Push Ups

-Burpees

-Bicycle Crunches

Staying in a hotel? No problem- Give this a try!

- One-Leg Burpees, Cross-Body Toe Touch, Elbow Plank Hops, Squat Jumps with Alternating Side Leg Lifts, Seated Ab Scissors. Complete this routine 5 rounds with minimal rest. 

Just because you are on vacation doesn’t mean you have to throw your fitness out the window. Try a mixture of these on your next vacay and feel the difference. Remember, a quick workout is better than no workout!

Miss S Maternity | Evansville Indiana Maternity Boudoir Photography

Miss S was glowing, not only from the sun peeking through the trees, but also from the love and beauty of motherhood. Miss S has told me often how much she's enjoyed being pregnant. She's embraced each change at every turn and loved watching her little man grow so close to her heart.  

To me being fearlessly feminine is embracing your body and celebrating your femininity and this session did just that! 

Miss S, you know I love you dearly. You're always beautiful but pregnant you exudes a new kind of grace and its extra lovely. Cheers to getting to hold that baby soon, I know you're anxious for his arrival!  

Miss E | Evansville Indiana Boudoir Photographer

Miss E came to me one day and told me she was ready for a fearlessly feminine session and I jumped for joy.. literally! I love getting my girls in front of the camera! Miss E is not only a badass babe in front of a camera, but she's also part of the ASP/FF team! And as you know, we believe in girl power, and owning your body. She's perfect example of confidence and self-love, and we wanted to celebrate her with a shoot that showcased her femininity. 

Miss E is a student and amazing artist! This girl does it all, and she looks fantastic while she does it.

Miss E, we couldn't be happier to have you on the team! Sara and I had so much fun working on your session and celebrating you! You're gorgeous and we adore you! Thanks for being your detail oriented, email sending, photography passionate self!