Dawn had heard about me via word-of-mouth. She was turning 50 soon and had wanted to do a session since she saw her friend's session. I photographed that session back in, like, 2013 I think. It was a long time ago. I was pretty flattered. I was excited to meet and work with Dawn. When she walked into the studio I immediately loved her hair. She had this beautiful red underneath her rockin' blonde. She chose a wardrobe item to start with and went to change. When she came back we noticed her beautifully striking back tattoo. Rather, we noticed that her back was tattooed. She didn't just have a small tattoo on her back. Her entire back was tattooed. Gah... tattoo envy reared it's head, for sure!

During every session I learn a few things. I am absolutely a professional, but I'm also human. This is a super honest blog post with 100% transparency. I feel like it's important that I own my shit. I don't have a lot of folks who come in full garters, so this time was a learning experience. I learned that certain poses make the garters buckle in a way that a client may find unflattering. The photos that I ended up taking of this outfit in certain poses were not my 100% best and I totally own that. Unfortunately, for Dawn, when I showed the photos those ones were not present and she was left wondering where they were. I also relearned (as I had forgotten this piece) that garters leave marks on the skin. If you're wearing garters, that's totally fine, but note to self... save them for last.

The other two wardrobe pieces that Dawn had were strappy... like, just straps. One was black and the other was red. They showed off her body well... as she likes to stay fit and wanted her muscles and curves to show. They also showed off her tattooed back gorgeously. Dawn is super kind and genuinely happy. Her beautiful soul shines through and she was such a joy to photograph. I'll be 50 in four years. If her sparkle and badassness is any indication of what 50 is like, I'm ready.



What were you most nervous about heading into your session?

Looking old, stupid/awkward, and un-sexy. This was my first boudoir shoot so I was VERY nervous!


How did your session compare to how you thought it would be?

When I walked into the studio with my lingerie on, Erica and her assistant immediately said complementary things about how I looked ("wow" and "beautiful")- this made me feel less self-conscious. Erica had me create a list of my favorite songs prior to the session and hearing the songs made me feel more comfortable and ready to MOVE/ "strike a pose"! It was very professional, and after a few poses my fear and self-doubt began to disappear.


What was your favorite part of your experience?

I turned 50 4-days after my photo shoot, in the midst of the COVID pandemic. This made me feel less "50", and was something super-fun to do after so many months of quarantining!


What was your absolute most favorite photo from your session and how does it make you feel?

Too many to choose from! I love the black-and-white of me standing against a door, looking out the window- it's so simple and peaceful. There is another B&W photo of me laying on my side on the hardwood floor- I love the curves of my body in that photo! I think my "absolute most favorite photo" is the one Erica put as the cover-page to my gallery. I'm on the hardwood floor in the sun with my head back- the light and color in the photo are beautiful, and the photo is HOT! I have a back-tattoo, so any of the photos showcasing my curves and tattoo I love, also. I loved the ones on the wooden bench, also!


Dawn's Playlist:

1-Kiss - Prince

2 -Applause - Lady Gaga

3 -Titanium - Sia

4 -Work Bitch - Brittney Spears

5 -Dr. Feelgood - Motley Crew

6 - Mamas Broken Heart - Miranda Lambert

7- Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy - Big n Rich

8 - Girls, Girls, Girls - Motley Crew

9 - gunpowder and lead- Miranda lambert

10 - Nothin' But a Good Time - Poison

11 - Vogue - Madonna