Alison was wonderful to photograph. She had come in for a mix of boudoir, lots of nudes and some glamour or beauty. She had searched through all of the boudoir photographers in Calgary before settling on Inner Spirit.
![boudoir lingerie of woman in bed by Mark Laurie of Inner Spirit Photogaphy](https://staging.innerspiritphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5082D-0007AM-8x10-copy-1024x734.avif)
Alison had been here before but then as the support person for her friend. Checking out other photographers was a confirmation step. She is very thorough.
She had lots of ideas and was typically nervous as we planned her session. When we sat down to plan what we would create, she explained that this was at the top of her bucket list.
![fashion boudoir session of woman opening a coat, her face in shadows, dramatic photo by Mark Laurie of Inner Spirit Photo](https://staging.innerspiritphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5082D-0084AM-8x10-copy-819x1024.avif)
Many women do have this on their bucket or “things I gotta do before I die” list.
Do you have this on your list?
![woman sitting during boudoir photo session in Calgary, by Mark Laurie](https://staging.innerspiritphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5082D-0062AM-8x10-copy-819x1024.avif)
Like most women her biggest concern was the size of her tummy. The rest of her she was pretty happy and comfortable with. Her smile, which you can see a lot of in her images, lights up the room. Alison is an open book, what she is feeling and thinking shows up plainly on her face and body language.
![nude woman sitting behind chair in boudoir portrait session in Calgary by Mark Laurie](https://staging.innerspiritphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5082D-0108AM-8x10-copy-1024x1024.avif)
For settings, we can go very elaborate; some call it busy or full, to minimalist.
Alison loved clean, simple sets. She wanted to start soft and romantic and then switch it up with some attitude in our bad-ass back alley set. To finish a flowing high-key set, no props were used for a nice clean look.
![nude woman portrait by Mark Laurie Inner Spirit Photography](https://staging.innerspiritphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5082D-0101AM-8x10-copy-1024x606.avif)
Before I tell you more, here is Alison to tell you about her experience doing boudoir and nude photography for the first time.
“I recently picked up my images, and I absolutely love them. The photographs are stunning! I can’t wait to display them all over my house. The quality is unbelievable; I can’t get over how amazing I look.
![boudoir photo from her beauty session wearing a lingerie bra. by Mark Laurie At Inner Spirit Photo](https://staging.innerspiritphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5082D-0028AM-12x18-copy-683x1024.avif)
All the parts about myself that I love are beautifully accentuated, like the length of my legs and the shape of my breasts. They’re incredibly flattering, highlighting my best features.
The photo shoot was a very relaxing experience, which surprised me.
There was no fear.
![nude woman from her boudoir session showing off her legs and breasts in a bed bathed in sunset light. by Mark Laurie](https://staging.innerspiritphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5082D-0038AM-12x18-copy-683x1024.avif)
I just had this sense I was launching into something new. I did this for myself, to feel better about my body.
Mark was fantastic, open to my ideas and suggestions, even incorporating a ladder for one of the shots, which, odd as it sounds, turned out beautifully.
![From a woman's boudoir nude photo session. woman is climbing a latter wearing heels, lingerie panties and an open coat showing her breasts. by Mark Laurie of Inner Spirit Photography](https://staging.innerspiritphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5082D-0090AM-8x10-1-819x1024.avif)
Arriving nervous, Mark’s calm professionalism and entertaining stories eased my nerves., I didn’t even notice when I became nude. Isn’t that wild?
The experience was empowering; I got a heightened sense of confidence. Feeling proud of my body and who I am was so rewarding.
I feel excited and pleased with myself for doing this. It’s now crossed off my bucket list. The most exciting part was looking forward to getting my pictures. The anticipation! Then this thrill at seeing them!
My friends are still commenting on my new confidence and self-esteem.
![nude woman looking up by Mark Laurie of Inner Spirit Photography](https://staging.innerspiritphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5082D-0080AM-12x18-copy-683x1024.avif)
This incredible experience had me embracing my flaws while recognizing my beauty.
It was a powerful experience I can’t wait to do again.”
As you can tell, this was life-changing for her. We talked some time later. Alison shared the confidence boost and body-embracing feelings that stayed. What was interesting and unexpected was her status with friends and colleagues.
She became elevated in their eyes when they heard she had done a boudoir and nude photo session. Some saw her as leading the way, following her lead to book their own session. Many saw her as bolder and braver than they could comfortably be.
![boudoir photo session woman on white satin sheets wearing lingerie bra, sitting on bed. by Mark Laurie of Inner Spirit Photo in Calgary](https://staging.innerspiritphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5082D-0026AM-8x10-copy-819x1024.avif)
She found that wonderfully amusing, especially when she remembered her nervousness.
Coming in to assist her friend was a nice way to see how things worked and convinced her to get her own session done.
If this idea of creating your own empowering moments that grow your confidence resonates with you, I would love to chat with you about what that would look like.
![short haired woman in lingerie sitting on bed by Mark Laurie of Inner Spirit Photography](https://staging.innerspiritphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5082D-0001AM-8x10-copy-838x1024.avif)
Going nude is optional and always your choice. For some, it becomes a natural, exciting flow to their adventure. For others, beauty or boudoir photography is exactly what they want.
We will create something breathtaking for you, whatever fits your needs and comfort best.
![nude woman with fantastic legs in bed by Mark Laurie of Inner Spirit Photography](https://staging.innerspiritphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5082D-0020AM-8x10-copy-836x1024.avif)
For all her images and everyone’s images on our website and in our blogs, all my clients have given us a model release. That is a totally optional step for clients who are comfortable with it and even excited about it. We are very grateful to them. Without their permission, we would not be able to tell their stories or show how amazing they look in our photographs.
We are so grateful to them for that.
![woman in boudoir setting wearing lingerie sitting by Mark Laurie of Inner Spirit Photography](https://staging.innerspiritphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5082D-0025AM-8x10-copy-819x1024.avif)