Hi, I’m Laura, A boudoir photographer based in Leeds, UK. I absolutely love what I do, I love empowering women and helping transform the way my clients see themselves.

If you’re looking for a relaxed, confidence-boosting boudoir photography experience in Leeds, you can find full details here or click the button below!

However, as a boudoir photographer, it’s the easiest thing to shoot many a boudoir photography session, without ever doing one yourself.

Hiding behind the camera is where it’s at for me. It’s where I am my most comfortable.
However, I knew that this wasn’t right. I HAD to experience boudoir photography from my clients point of view. To be able to say – “I know how you feel, I know its daunting, I know its scary”… and MEAN it!
This, I think, allows me to connect with my clients so much better. I am confident now in knowing I can answer any question a client may have, because I’ve done it… multiple times now!

I first wrote this blog back in 2019 after doing my first very own boudoir session in my own studio. And then I wrote an update in 2024 to talk about how differently I felt about my 2018 boudoir shoot. And now I’ve done ANOTHER boudoir shoot in 2025 – and yet again, it’s a new journey for me. Keep reading below…

2018 Boudoir Photoshoot

Obviously I couldn’t do my own shoot, so I roped in my lovely friend, Kirsty. I taught Kirsty everything about boudoir photography, and how to be a boudoir photographer at a studio I used to work at. So I know that she’s good, I trusted her and… she did an amazing job!
And when I saw my images, I was over the moon. I was so happy with how they looked, I couldn’t have asked for more.
I knew I wanted to do the shoot prior to Christmas, mainly so that I could eat what I wanted over the festive period without worrying about fitting into my outfits after! But actually, my shoot had the exact opposite effect on me. I was so in love with my images and the way my body looks right now (I think I’m the slimmest I’ve ever been!), that it was the motivation I needed to keep my eating under control and to maintain my new figure!
What I learnt from my shoot was, yes it’s scary/nerve-wracking, yes it requires a certain element of preparation (I now send out a full prep guide to my clients prior to their session), and yes, it’s hard work – I don’t think I’ve ever ached so much as I did the day after!
But… What was most important, was that I learned, it was SO worth it!

2024 Update

It’s so alien to me, looking back on the text above and not recognising the person who wrote it. Truth be told, in 2018 I split up with my partner and it threw me. We were together for a long time, during some of the most formative years of my life. And though the break up was amicable, and ultimately what I wanted.. it turned my world upside down.
I ended up living on my own for the first time, with my dog, trying to sustain my business and the studio I’d just taken on. I worked 4 jobs just to try and keep my head above water.  I lost a TON of weight and was indeed, my slimmest ever. But unlike the paragraphs above, I no longer look on that fondly. I was slim because I wasn’t eating properly or taking care of myself. I look back at those boudoir images now and don’t recognise the girl in them. She has a great figure for sure… but it’s not me.

That might sound a bit crazy because obviously it’s me, but it’s not the real me. Does this make sense? Anyway, since then, I’ve gotten into the habit of taking more and more images of myself. I try and do some kind of boudoir photoshoot each year if I can. And I watch my body change all the time. I’m now probably 2 stone heavier than I was when I did my first session, but I feel like me again now. I recognise myself, and I know that those extra couple of stone are because I’m happy. And yep, I absolutely put weight on when I’m happy. And I’m okay with that.

Don’t get me wrong, doing that boudoir shoot in 2018 was exactly what I needed at that point. It was the confidence boost I needed and it made me feel incredible and worthy of being loved again. So it absolutely played it’s part in my life at that time, and every time I take pictures of myself now, it gives me the little boost I need, even now that my body is bigger. And that’s the beauty of a boudoir photoshoot. It does exactly what you need it to do.

This is why I’m constantly trying to tell clients that waiting for the “right time” isn’t what a boudoir photoshoot is all about. It’s about learning to love your body, just the way you are, right now. Sure if you want to do another one in a year or two if your body has changed massively, go ahead! But putting off something so uplifting and empowering until you’ve “lost the weight” or whatever, is a bit of an oxymoron.

Phewwwwww, it got deep there for a minute! If you stuck with me through this rambling blog then I thank you! And I encourage you to get in touch with me and take those first steps to booking your own boudoir shoot. Now you know, that I know, exactly how you feel. I’ve got you. I’ll guide you. You just need the courage to show up. And you’ll be so glad you did.
Use this link to > Get In Touch

2025 Update! 

Another year down, and another update for this blog.

I read the paragraphs I wrote in 2018 & 2024 and I notice how completely weight & size focused they are. And I cringe!

I’m really pleased to say I’ve totally moved past that now. But that hasn’t been easy. I was brought up as a child of the 90’s and early 2000’s. In a world where Victoria Beckham was weighed live on TV to see if she had “bounced back” to her pre-baby weight. Magazines were front page after front page and headline after headline about how to “tackle cellulite” and which celebrity had “let herself go”. We were fed the lie, movie after movie, that Bridget Jones was fat. Size zero was the aim, Kate Moss was described as “heroin chic” and we were told to drink water when we felt hungry.

I truly believe it’s damaged a lot of us, if not all of us, and it’s going to take SO.MUCH.WORK to move past that.

But this is what I practice every day, and I encourage my clients to do the same. To speak kindly to ourselves, to put less pressure on ourselves to look a certain way. To practise gratitude – how amazing is it that our legs work, and I can hike anytime I like. How incredible that I can lift my arms to hug my loved ones and I can breathe easily.

I’m also very lucky that I see A LOT of bodies and it truly makes me appreciate how wonderfully different we all are, and that is something to be celebrated. How boring would it be if we all looked the same!

So now, if I’m ever feeling a little low and need a pick me up – I photograph myself. Because the criticism in my head is just noise and as soon as I see my photos – it goes quiet.
Equally, if I’m feeling particularly good about myself – I will absolutely take advantage of that feeling and celebrate myself with a photoshoot!

So here is a little gallery from my 2025 photoshoot when I was feeling a little low and wanted to remind myself that I am worthy of some self love, deserving of way more confidence and I actually look pretty great!

If you’ve read this far, thank you! — Perhaps you’re genuinely curious about what a boudoir session could do for you. What started as a personal journey has become one of the most meaningful parts of my work as a UK boudoir photographer, and I’d love to help you have that same experience — one that celebrates you, your story, and your confidence in a way that feels joyful and empowering. If you’re ready to find out what a boudoir photoshoot in Leeds, at my Ilkley studio might look like for you, you can head over to my Boudoir Photography page for full details and to see how booking works. Or, if you’re not quite there yet but want to chat through the idea, I’m always happy to hear from you — just click the button below to get in touch. I truly can’t wait to meet you and create something beautiful together.