Those of you who have worked with me or followed my blog know that I love stories. And if I can tell the story using the lens of my camera, my work becomes that much more meaningful.
Even though the common perception is that I photograph “naked ladies” as some have described it… Not many know that I actually work with women whose images often hide deep, sometimes very painful tales.
A couple of weeks ago, I had an opportunity to work with Michelle, a fellow photographer whose story touched me very deeply and on many different levels. As someone who has struggled with infertility myself, I could very much relate to her pain and sense of disappointment. She came in hoping that a boudoir session would help her reconnect with her body and her lost sense of femininity and womanhood.
Infertility affects more and more women each year and although the roots of the problem may vary… the psychological pain that comes with it is universal. It is very difficult to find words that could accurately describe the depth of that pain. It’s the kind of pain that rips you apart, makes you question your self-worth and leaves you feeling broken and disabled.
Women often lose an emotional connection with their own bodies as they go through intensive and invasive medical procedures. Their bodies become objects of countless tests, exams and needle pokes. The process of creating a life is being deprived of its intimacy and privacy. This, in turn, can be traumatizing, leaving wounds that are sometimes impossible to heal.
The relationship and connection with your body becomes even more difficult to maintain when we build up conflicting emotions toward our bodies. On one hand, we are told to nourish it and take good care of it as that can help increase the chances of pregnancy. On another hand, hateful feelings of resentment and disconnection are very common as the body is unable to do what we want it to do.
Infertility affects relationships with our partners as well. Exposed and deprived of intimacy… sexual and romantic relationships suffer greatly as a result of not being able to conceive. Women often feel unattractive and “less of a woman” when they encounter difficulties with conception.
A Boudoir Session and its Effects
A BOUDOIR SESSION can be very therapeutic and liberating for women who suffer from infertility. It can improve their sense of attractiveness and sensuality, so often lost in the exhausting battle of trying to get pregnant.
Women who have decided to do a boudoir session often say that it helped them reconnect with their bodies, learn to love their bodies again and to feel comfortable in their own skin.
An intimate photography session can help rebuilt the body image that has been often broken by sense of powerlessness and inadequacy. It can give hope and encouragement to keep going and accept oneself unconditionally.
Our reproductive abilities are only a small part of us as human beings. We are so much more than that and I wish each and every woman who has her own personal story of struggling with conceiving to find her inner peace and her own sense of acceptance of what is.
I would like to thank Michelle for taking up the courage to step out of the isolation zone. She is a warrior- strong and inspiring. There are so many of us women who have experienced the pain of infertility- we need to talk about it and not let any of us feel alone and isolated on this path.
