Creeks, Ferns, & Moss - Kismet Boudoir
Some experiences are just kismet - just meant to be.
I speak with hundreds, if not a thousand, folks each year about what it’s like to have a boudoir photoshoot. Everyone thinks they want to know about process, pricing, and products, which I do give, of course, but the real conversation is far more nuanced and in depth. It’s about THEM.
What are they hoping to feel through a photoshoot? What is their comfort zone? What do they love about themselves and what do they want to love more about themselves?
Most of the time, folks listen, agree to think about themselves in this new way, and we book a session. This time, however, I was caught by surprise.
While most clients have a pretty good idea of who I am and what I’m all about from my website, this is the first time a client had a question for me – not the “me” who is the business owner and experience guide, the “me” that is the creative, the artist, the dreamer.
She asked me, “What is your dream shoot? What have you always wanted to photograph?” I was totally shocked someone would ask!
I knew my answer right away – I said I wanted to photograph someone deep in the woods, laying in a field of ferns, at the foot of a waterfall, and surrounded by moss. I’ve always loved nature and I’ve always loved the human condition. Both brilliant, both complex, both full of life, personality and vibrancy as well as the complex nuances of joy, sadness and even pain. (My transcendental roots run far and deep back into my youth with the works of Henry David Thoreau, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and the confessional poetry of Sylvia Plath.)
“In some Native languages, the term for plants translates to “those who take care of us.”
We are inextricably intertwined, us humans and nature. Indeed, we depend on each other for survival. So, to me, it always seems so comforting to be in the arms of nature. I wanted to photograph someone who understood what that felt like.
To be honest, I was a little hesitant to answer her question. Was she the type of girl who would find my woodland musings “out there?” Would she think, “ewwwww….laying on the ground?” Would my answer completely turn her off and derail our conversation?
Imagine my surprise when she said, “That’s my dream too!” I did not even believe her. My mind raced, why would this random woman I’ve never met say something like that? Was she trying to trick me or something? I mean, what are the chances? She heard the disbelief in my voice and offered, “Do you want me to prove it to you?” Now, positively bedeviled with curiosity, I said, “OK, sure!” Within 2 seconds, she texted me an image she had saved as inspiration for her “one day” boudoir session – sure enough, it was a woman, deep in the woods, having a moment, a connection with nature.
I was floored! Could the universe really have brought us together? Could our energies really have aligned and brought us together like magnets? The connection felt ordained.
Once we made this connection, we both knew we were off on a grand adventure.
Lauren is a force of nature – bold, powerful, daring – plus, like all my favorite people, she’s also pensive, tender, poetic even and, most admirably, dedicated to her authenticity.
One bright morning, we headed off into the woods, makeup artist in tow. We did everything that was on bothour bucket lists. Laying amongst the moss, laying in cold creeks, braving the rushing movement of a waterfall, nestling in the quiet stillness of forests, and even playing with leaves. Actually, this session took two days, two locations. One glorious outcome. Well, that’s not true. If I’m honest, there were innumerable outcomes.
Yes, Lauren now has a collection of gorgeous, heartfelt, once-in-a-lifetime portraits. That’s one thing.
The other things? I’ll let Lauren tell her story here.
In Lauren’s words….
My understanding of vulnerability has changed over the years. I once associated it with weakness—as something to hide, avoid, or overcome as quickly as possible. Today, I see it differently. Vulnerability is not where we fall apart; it is often where we discover our greatest capacity for resilience. It is the place where we learn to stand a little taller, square our shoulders, and meet ourselves with honesty.
That shift did not happen overnight. It was shaped by difficult seasons marked by fear, grief, self-doubt, and moments of profound loneliness. There were days when I questioned my own strength and days when I felt consumed by disappointment. Yet those experiences also required me to turn inward. Instead of measuring my worth by circumstances or the opinions of others, I learned to invest in my own growth.
Along that journey, I found myself reflecting on an unexpected childhood memory.
My grandmother kept photographs of herself in her bathroom wearing only a bra and panties. She was likely in her seventies when those photographs were taken. As a child, I never examined the wrinkles on her skin or viewed those images through the lens of aging. I saw something far more enduring.
I saw confidence.
She occupied her own body without apology. There was no attempt to conceal the passage of time or conform to anyone else’s expectations of beauty. She simply existed as herself, and that quiet confidence left an impression on me long before I understood its significance.
Only now do I appreciate the lesson she gave me. Confidence is not the absence of imperfections; it is the willingness to embrace them without allowing them to define us. Beauty is not preserved by youth but revealed through authenticity, resilience, and self-acceptance.
For many of us, celebrating ourselves feels uncomfortable. We are often taught to minimize our accomplishments, criticize our appearance, or wait until we are somehow “better” before believing we are worthy of appreciation. I am learning that self-celebration is not vanity—it is an acknowledgment of the work required to become the person standing before us.
When I look at recent photographs of myself, I no longer focus solely on what I see. I remember what those moments represent: perseverance, healing, femininity, and strength. Sometimes I am genuinely surprised by the woman looking back at me—not because she is perfect, but because I know what it took for her to get there.
Perhaps that is the legacy my grandmother unknowingly left me. I hope that one day, when someone looks at photographs of me, they won’t remember my age or search for my imperfections. I hope they see what I saw in her: a woman who lived with confidence, embraced vulnerability, and understood that true beauty begins with accepting yourself exactly as you are.
……..
When I tell you this session took my breath away…. when I tell you it continues to spark joy in me…. when I tell you how it moves others…
Look at the joy on Lauren’s face when we decided to just play in the forest. I’m reminded of when Kahlil Gibran said, “and forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”
What’s really glorious about all this is that this can be your experience too. This can be the big thing you give yourself. This can be the catalyst. This can be the celebration. This can be everything you want it to be. It just starts with a simple conversation. Believe me when I say I’m excited to talk to YOU, to hear YOUR story, to understand YOUR dreams and desires. Let’s create something brilliant together.
“I want to stand by the river in my finest dress. I want to sing, strong and hard, and stomp my feet with a hundred others so that the waters hum with our happiness. I want to dance for the renewal of the world.”