There once was a girl named Lily who had always dreamed of doing a boudoir photoshoot.
She had seen beautiful images of confident women in lingerie, and she longed to feel that way about herself.
But every time she thought about booking a shoot, doubts crept in.
She wasn't thin enough, she wasn't pretty enough, she wasn't sexy enough. Eventually she was finding an excuse that she’s too busy with her job or life, and was giving up.
She watched as her friends went through life milestones, getting married and having children,
and she wondered if it was too late for her to capture her beauty in photographs.
One day, Lily stumbled upon a boudoir photographer's website.
She was struck by the images of everyday women transformed into confident, beautiful goddesses.
She felt a spark of inspiration and mustered the courage to send an inquiry. The photographer responded with warmth and enthusiasm, and she was booked for a shoot.
As the day of her shoot approached, Lily's nerves began to take over.
She worried that she wouldn't know how to pose, that she wouldn't look good in the lingerie she had chosen, that she would disappoint herself and the photographer.
But as soon as she arrived at the studio and met the photographer, all of her fears melted away. The photographer made her feel comfortable and confident, and Lily realized that this was her chance to finally see herself in a new light.
During the shoot, Lily felt her inhibitions slipping away.
She felt empowered by the way the photographer captured her body and by the way she was able to express her own unique beauty. She laughed, she danced, she let go of all of her self-doubt.
When it was over, Lily felt transformed. She saw herself as the beautiful, worthy woman she had always been but had never allowed herself to fully embrace.
The beauty of NOW is that we can choose to celebrate ourselves in this moment. We don't need to wait for a special occasion or a perfect body. We can embrace our beauty now and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Sometimes there is a temptation to experience something we've never done before. Especially if it's something mysterious and daring. Just like BOUDOIR PHOTOSHOOT (lol, you are at my webpage, what were you expecting hah).
So it was a great coincidence for me when I was invited to shoot an event I've never heard about before, but the description sounded attractive. It was organised by DAGuildGallery in Shanghai.
Before I continue, let me clarify what Shibari is.
In Japanese, “Shibari” simply means “to tie”. The contemporary meaning of Shibari describes an ancient Japanese artistic form of rope bondage.
The origin of Shibari comes from Hojo-jutsu, the martial art of restraining captives.
In Japan from 1400 to 1700, while the local police and Samurai used Hojo-jutsu as a form of imprisonment and torture, the honor of these ancient Samurai warriors required them to treat their prisoners well. So, they used different techniques to tie their prisoners, showing the honor and status of their captured prisoner.
In the late 1800′s and early 1900′s a new form of erotic Hojo-justu evolved, called Kinbaku, the art of erotic bondage. Today, particularly in the west, the art of erotic bondage is typically called Shibari, which is an art of erotic spirituality, not a martial art.
Shibari style rigging creates geometric patterns and shapes with rope that contrast beautifully with the human body’s natural curves. The ropes and their texture provide contrast to smooth skin and curves. In Shibari, the model is the canvas, the rope is the paint and brush, and the rigger is the rope artist.
It was a chamber event. Very cosy, atmospheric, intriguing. I was the only one moving around the room, sometimes lying next to the models or somewhere under the table just to frame the picture nicely. What mattered to me was the facial expression of the models - it was descriptive.
At the moment I could just assume how they felt, cause I've never tried it before myself. Does it feel like stretching, a massage? Or were they getting cramps and pain from the rope?
So before going to shoot the second event, I've tried shibari myself. The private one, not the performance one (They have a different approach. The first was more for feeling it and the second one for showing).
The main thing about it - as a "bunny" (the one who has been tied up) is you give up all control. You can't move, can't scratch your nose if its itchy. You have only one choice - observe everything your body is going through. That's the easiest thing to do if you want to be present and in a moment. If it hurts a little bit, and one shoulder blade pokes the other one for example - it's even easier. You are forced to feel it.
During one session I felt exited, scared, horny, almost crying, sweating, cold sweating, grateful and eventually super relaxed. It looks weird and scary for some - but its just one more form you can use for self-discovery and relaxation.
Enjoy viewing the pictures and let me know if you'd like to attend this event next time!
