01) What does boudoir photography mean to you?

Photography represents the opportunity to create a story with every single image. Keeping the same bodily pose but changing the facial direction, eye focus, lighting, and the way in which the model’s hair falls, can drastically change the mood or emotion being relayed in the image, and I love that. Boudoir photography, in general, is such a unique genre in its own right. I love learning the origins of art forms, and appreciate its French establishment as a means by which to capture a woman’s unclothed form in an overtly artistic manner - seeing the woman as a form of art herself. When I am working with a photographer in which we share mutual trust and work together to merge our visions for a photo, I adore creating boudoir photos. It feels powerful, it feels effortless, and the photos that come from those sessions empower me in ways that no other form of art can.

02) Why did you choose to pursue a career as a boudoir / fine art model? What got you started in boudoir?

I originated as a nude underwater model when I began modeling seriously. I decided rather quickly that I didn’t want to be a solely nude model because the industry is stressful and, most of all, demeaning. They take a woman’s form and verbally break it down to the point where it isn’t worth anything unless it has been edited beyond recognition and/or the model is expected to undergo the knife in order to reach perfection. (Absolutely zero hate for plastic surgery - I actually love all the options that exist so access to achieving one’s desire of beauty can be accomplished. It’s when photographers, corporations, etc., pressure other human beings into changing their bodies or faces in ways they might not otherwise is when it makes me mad.) At this point, I do all forms of photography, but boudoir is reserved for photographers who I know I can trust because, in a way, the way I am portrayed in a boudoir session is most important to me. I’m incredibly picky in how my image is used and spread in the world.

03) Among your boudoir-based works, which one is your favorite? Why?

This set I’ve sent in is my absolute favorite so far. Attempting to express various emotions in the same photoset - sensuality, statuesque, demureness, power, irritation, etc., - is rewarding. I love the different options between bright colors and black and white to tell a full story of a character’s experience in that specific set of photos. Photography is fiction, where a creator is portraying a character they have created in which to act to tell a tale, but also holds a true sense of the model’s emotions and being.

05) If you had one piece of advice for future or even current boudoir models, what would it be?

Trust your gut. Keep those you trust close, and keep that trusted circle small and tight. This industry has a lot to offer, and it is incredible to explore those options, but it is also an industry that will suck you dry and toss you aside for the next model who comes through, then repeat the process with her. Protect yourself first.

06) Just for fun, if you could shoot in any location, what would it be?

The Palace of Versailles. I own every biography about Marie Antoinette and her children that survived the French Revolution. Being given permission to attempt to channel her energy as a way to honor her memory would offer such a limitless scope in which to work, and also be an overwhelmingly humbling experience.

07) Do you have any other profession or anything you are passionate about?

I love writing, boxing, stunt training, and acting. I am also a Creative Director and this set is one I had full creative control over. I also edit and am learning both photo and video editing as I a, discovering if that is something I could be successful at because I want to be successful at it. Movies are my favorite way to escape and I fully devour ones that capture my entire being for the entire runtime (Scorsese, Ari Aster, classic horror, for starters). Basically, I want to learn as much as I can because it’s fulfilling but also offers me a lot more opportunities for artistic growth and in establishing a career that hopefully lasts for a while in which I’m able to grow and morph as I age and become more refined in what I know I’m good at doing. I’m thankful for this opportunity to share my work in a magazine that appreciates the art form of the female body as much as I do, and for giving me the chance to share my voice.