Self acceptance is a challenge we all have to face

I started shooting boudoir because I fell in love with both the complex artistry of it as well as the powerful way it can change our self-perception for the better. In our modern beauty-obsessed culture, we’re constantly left feeling like we’re not “enough”. If you’re curvy, you’re told you’re not skinny enough. If you’re skinny, you’re told you’re not curvy enough. If you’re short, you should be taller. If you’re tall, you should be shorter. If we have curly hair we wish it was straight; if we have straight hair we wish it could be naturally curly.

These conflicting outlooks on our own beauty affect us in deep and dangerous ways. It’s not uncommon for me to hear clients pick themselves apart - “I don’t like this part” they say, pointing to their arms or stomach or thighs. Everyone has blemishes, and most people have cellulite (literally just subcutaneous bodyfat), stretch marks, scars, facial asymmetries, and all sorts of other “deficiencies”.

If there’s one thing I want to impart to all Michael Alan clients, it’s that beauty is not the absence of those things. Beauty is found in the unapologetic embrace of your natural self. Think about all the times you’ve criticized yourself. How has that helped you? Has it improved your self-esteem? Has it inspired sustained self-discipline of healthy habits (not just sporadic bouts of motivation)? Has it improved others’ perspective of you?

We know that negative self-talk is harmful, and yet we all struggle not to do it. In our photography, we abide by a strict policy of minimal retouching because we want to showcase you as you really are. Bring your rolls, your curves, your wrinkles, your stretch marks, your blemishes, your scars. We’ll show you that being a stunning beauty is not about pretending you don’t have those “flaws”, but realizing that those things aren’t “flaws” at all.

Our past clients have all had the same insecurities as you do. They’ve all picked apart their bodies and criticized themselves for not being enough. But guess what? You are enough, and we want to show you that your most stunning self is also your most authentic self.