Self Love Boudoir Photography in Columbia, South Carolina

Today I’d love to share with you all a very touching self-love journey with Kelsey. She stepped into my Jessica Hunt Photography studio recently for self love boudoir photography in Columbia, South Carolina and I cannot wait to share her experience and stunning images. Her experience with her body has truly stood out to me, and I cannot wait to share this! So without further ado, I give you Kelsey’s boudoir photography experience and her journey with her self-love!

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The Self-Love Journey In Kelsey’s Words

My relationship with my body? Complicated! In summation: Trigger Warning: Eating Disorder, Death, Body Dysmorphia..

A few days before I turned 18 I was in a drunk driving accident. In the middle of the day! I was fine (physically), but the other person died and I had a hard time with that survivor’s guilt. I coped with various drugs, but an extreme anxious episode is what did me in. I’m talking two months of being stressed every single minute of every day. It got to a point where I gave myself an ulcer. I couldn’t hold food down, I was dehydrated, weak and I lost a LOT of weight… very quickly, I might add.

So, after my stomach healed I developed an eating disorder. I figured I’d never get sick again if I didn’t eat, right? Eventually I was approached about it and after many toothaches I quit it. Everyone thought I was so beautiful since I had lost the weight, but I still couldn’t see it. Very slowly I put all of the weight back on and some extra pounds and here we are. I was very ashamed for putting the weight back on at first. I thought people wouldn’t think I was beautiful anymore. The idea of this terrified me. Then I realized that didn’t make me any less beautiful.. I have realized that my body is always going to change. It’s my job to do what I can to love it and take care of it.

Self – Love To Kelsey

I think I prefer the term ‘self-love’. Body acceptance is nice, but it’s just acceptance. I accept the fact that I’m not 5’10 but I certainly don’t love it!!! I like self-love because I think of that Bible verse that everyone reads at weddings. “Love is patient, love is kind, love is not boastful, etc.” I vibe less with the modern notion of Christianity, but I love what it has to teach about love. I think love is completely selfless and completely unconditional. Like a faucet you can’t turn off. I can definitely say that I practice self-love because I’m patient with myself. I’m kind with myself, I’m understanding when I make mistakes, and I try to be as accepting as possible when I change.

I think self-love is very profound because a big part of that is forgiveness. To be able to say that I 100% love myself no matter what happens, is no easy feat. Sometimes I don’t always like the choices I make, but I can always say I love myself. I don’t think any love can exist without trust. I think self-love is a very brutal and vulnerable type of honesty. It’s definitely uncomfortable at first because it means absolutely no bs. But on the bright side, it’s just me here. No judgement. This is the one person I can be completely myself with and not have to worry about her judging me, because I know she’s going to have my back no matter what!

Kelsey’s Self Love Boudoir Photo Session

For a very long time I was obsessed with how I look. Having these photos taken made me realize that even when I’m not obsessing over how I look I can still be absolutely stunning. I have been feeling pretty gross about myself since last summer. Working with Jessica Hunt at her studio has made me realize that I STILL have an inner bad b***h. She just needs rest sometimes! Right now I look forward to see what life is like when I’m not obsessing about how I look. But I do still want to acknowledge that I do think I hold that physical beauty. Wanting to be seen as beautiful vs actually feeling beautiful have been very tricky for me to balance out. Working with Jessica helped me figure that out.

What made me reach out to Jessica was her energy. She has a very curated look and feel to all of her professional photos and content and it was incredibly welcoming. On top of that, the quality is top tier. It was a combination of her professionalism, her aesthetic, and the way she stands up for what she believes in. It doesn’t matter what anyone says, Jessica’s confidence is unflappable. She doesn’t hesitate to stand up for herself and look out for everyone in her community. Seeing that without even knowing her is what made me want to support her.

The Boudoir Experience

Before I was so nervous! I was actually terrified for many reasons, but the biggest one was that I just wasn’t feeling beautiful that day. I hadn’t felt beautiful in ages, but I knew that if anyone would turn me into a model it would be Jess and her team! During, I felt like I was flying through the studio! I felt so comfortable because I trusted that everyone knew exactly what they were doing. It was a warm, welcoming and open environment. I felt so at ease almost immediately. After, I felt really great. I actually met up with a team member Mahkia right after and we had a conversation about film and video that really inspired me to go after what I wanted full force.

The way Jessica captures everyone’s inner beauty made me realize that beauty is something that needs to be nurtured. Beauty is something that exists before and after you walk into the studio, but Jessica helps to bring that out of you. I think she can show you something you didn’t know you had. It’s a very unique form of empowerment because it’s not just getting cute and taking pictures. Jessica really supports her clients long before they enter her studio.

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Self Love Boudoir Photography in Columbia, South Carolina

WHEW! Kelsey’s words made me feel some type of way. I am very honored to have photographed such a beautiful, thoughtful, and kind human in my studio. Self love boudoir photography in Columbia, South Carolina is more than just a gift for your parter. There are so many reasons to have boudoir photography taken, but the self-love is the most important to me. Knowing that people leave my studio with such a good experience and a new founded confidence really just makes this job so much more worth it. If you are looking for a similar experience, I’d always be honored to photography you!