Meet your boudoir photographer! I am Stephanie Nivens, one of the few natives in the Tennessee area. In fact, my husband and I bought our first home just 30 minutes from where we grew up. Not only am I the owner of Boudoir Unleashed but I am also the photographer making all your dream photos become a reality
If I am not taking photos you can find me hanging out at home with my husband, with good beer in my hand along with our 3 dogs. Some of my favorite things are tattoos, eating junk food, and feeding my unhealthy addiction with Dr Peppers. This is worth mentioning to let you know, that I am just like you and not perfect with habits by any means. While I couldn’t tell a joke to save my life, I do love to binge watch stand-up comedians. With that there’s also not a lot that offends me. My humor and myself tend to go with the flow allowing life to stay enjoyable.
My life is also enjoyable due to my husband putting up with all of my crazy ideas. (Seriously though- how else do you think I have ended up with three crazy German Shepherds, a clawfoot tub in the dining room, & to top it off industrial piping hanging from the dining room ceiling for my all of my backdrops).
My Why:
Why I created Boudoir by Stephanie Nivens is for a multitude of purposes. Like many women, I wish I could sit here and tell you that I have found peace with all of my insecurities but that is not the case. Let me also say that’s okay, it’s okay to have moments still of self-doubt. (You’re human girl). As an adult my body is changing, and I am dealing with things that I never really had to deal with or concern myself with. It’s definitely an adjustment, a learning curve, and an added adventure in my journey. The double edge sword is that (like many of us) I have a hard time accepting compliments. With that nothing makes me happier then when I get to show a client the back of my camera and she says, “WOW, I look HOT!” or “I would date me”.
For some women that might be the first compliment she has given herself in a very long time. It’s a compliment that is long overdue for many of us. There’s a woman who finally has a chance to see what everyone else sees when they look at her. Giving women that feeling alone is one driving force as to why I do what I do.
The other part I love about my job are the random messages I get after their sessions. I receive messages from the women saying, “I am in love with the pictures, I can’t stop looking at them”. Or the videos I receive when they give their significant other the album. Being able to instill confidence like that for others makes this all worth it. To this day, I haven’t received a video where they were able to finish looking through the entire album. Most couldn’t keep their hands off of them or they were fighting back the tears that were starting to build up.
Did you always knew that you wanted to shoot Boudoir
When it I first picked up my camera, I never would have expected that I would be running my own boudoir studio. If I am being honest, I got it to take pictures of the dogs. (Yeah I am THAT dog mom). Soon enough I became the club photographer back in the days when I used to have time to train my dogs. From there I was asked to photograph families and children. I quickly noticed a common theme when photographing families, specifically the women.
Besides the obvious of things never going as planned, you’re at the mercy of the kids and how they feel that day. Usually by the end everyone was stressed and ready for it to be over. The thing I always noticed though was that the women would pick themselves apart at the end every time. Raise a hand if that’s you. “I’m bloated, my hair doesn’t look right, god why did I wear those jeans”. Insert whatever story you have probably used once or twice during a shoot (myself included).
I always felt like something was missing until I found my purpose.
I knew there was more for me to do with photography, I knew there was a way I could help. Fast forward to November of 2018, I had a friend call and ask if I would do her pictures for her. She had put a lot of time into taking care of herself along with creating a healthier lifestyle that she wanted to showcase it off. As a gift to herself and a surprise Christmas present for her husband she decided to take the leap and do a Boudoir Session. The rest was history. The day of her session was also the last day I would ever photograph families and children. For the first time in my life, there was never any doubt as to what I was supposed to be doing. Shooting, creating, and planning a boudoir session is my happy place.
What do I love most about Boudoir?
I love shooting Boudoir just as much as the women in the photos love their pictures and creating the atmosphere that allows them to relax, and for a few hours they get to forget about everything else going on in their lives. I love that they get to spend that time being pampered, waited on and just being the center of attention. What I love most is I get to be the one freezing a moment in time for them to always remember.