Oh boudoir photography! Many people have a love/hate with this word. You see, I always call myself a portrait photographer because I do so much more than just boudoir and I don't want to be pigeonholed. And yet when a woman is looking for a shoot that will make her feel sexy in her skin, she usually googles for "boudoir" (I've also seen some spelling errors like boudior or budoir or bodoir or buodior! ha!).... you get the picture. The word is damn hard to say, spell and even harder to define.SO let me define it for MY SHOOTS

1. It's an empowering photoshoot all about celebrating the beauty of the female form. It's about celebrating your beautiful body and all it's done for you thus far.
2. It's about showing a bit more skin than most of my other shoots. Though you don't have to go full nude as you can see above. You might wear a robe, or a slip, or a tank or a bodysuit or some combo... or you might just lay in the sheets
3. It's about being classy, tasteful and fashion inspired (I never photograph anything that's raunchy or vulgar! ugh!). And don't worry I pose and style you with this in mind so we never accidentally swerve into territory that's too racy! I always like leaving a little something to the imagination as mystery a huge part of sexiness.
4. It's for you not for your partner. Though yes your partner may share in and enjoy the benefits of these photographs, I want you to do this for you!
5. It's all female all the time. My shoots are a safe space so I use an all female team and it's no boys allowed!

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2015 was a year of a lot of soul searching... which given that I had a baby last year, it makes total sense that I wanted to evaluate all aspects of my life. I came to some conclusions about the direction of my business and brand, what I wanted to be doing with my time, and what I did not. I attended another live workshop by my hero Sue Bryce and wrote some major, scary, but exciting decisions on paper... And this year, 2016, has been making them all come to life!!So I am being very cryptic but letting you know that the "Ashleigh Taylor" brand is being updated and the big unveiling is Monday! Yes, like as in 48 hours from now. I can't wait to show you what I am working on and share our new changes to the business with you. As always thanks to everyone who supports me-- I know some of you have been around for 7 years (the very beginning). You are very loved and appreciated and I hope you will go with me on this journey into Ashleigh Taylor 2.0 ...Here's a sneak peek of what's to come:

 When I shoot a boudoir shoot I like to capture all the different sides to a woman. Her soft side, her bold side, her relaxed side, her carefree side. I find a woman’s different moods and expressions to all be sexy in their own unique way. Not every look has to be about strapping on the garters and stilettos… But then again, we shouldn’t let a whole shoot go by without really being brave with one super sexy look should we?I love this shoot because there are so many moods captured the bold and daring to the soft and intimate. And dang if my client doesn’t just have LEGS FOR DAYS!Are you interested in having me capture all the sides that make up your sexiness? If so shoot me an email, I’d love to chat!

Boudoir is sexy. Boudoir is fun. Boudoir is confidence. Boudoir is power. Boudoir is feminine. Boudoir is grace. Boudoir is courage. Boudoir is bold. Boudoir is daring. Boudoir is shameless. Boudoir is strong. Boudoir is fierce and boudoir is fabulous. Boudoir is dashing and daring and not caring what others think. It’s courage and strength and effervescence.And I see all those things and more in this shoot. This shoot is one of my all-time favorites. It’s so celebratory, so full of confidence, so full of loving yourself 100%. And that’s why I do what I do.My shoots are for women first and foremost. Sure, I realize my clients might give these photos to a man in their life… but more than anything I want you do to this shoot for you. To love yourself. To say to yourself I am reason enough and I am fabulous and I rock what I got. 

One of my favorite things about shooting a boudoir session is watching a client come alive in front of the camera. Every client starts out so shy— I mean, it’s not every day you have some taking your photo…while you are dressed in your skivvies!!! I have yet to have a client walk in 100% confident and ready to be seen in her undies! But sure enough we start with hair and make up and then the first look and the nerves melt away and a goddess shines through! Every woman seriously ends the session by prancing around half naked (or hey full naked if they want) without a care in the world. So if you’ve ever wanted to feel really good about yourself naked you totally need to come in for a session with me because that confidence in your skin will be there when the shoot ends!!Check out this amazing session to see what I mean!  

It's not every day a client lets me showcase images from her boudoir session, but when she does I'm oh so thankful! I love to showcase client sessions so that way future clients know that I really do shoot real women, and not models (but I sure make my clients look like models, don't I)! My passion is photographing real women, in the Santa Barbara area and beyond, and making them look and feel beautiful! That is what I do best, and it's for real! No client has ever come to me for a session feeling 100% confident and ready, but they see my work and trust me that I will make them look amazing. And I never take that for granted! This lovely lady was also kind enough to write me about her shoot and I'd love to share what she said about the experience! See below: 

"Hi Ashleigh!I just wanted to say thank you so much! I had some reservations about a photo shoot in the beginning, but you made me feel super comfortable and I even had fun!!! I was incredibly nervous about giving hubby the book, but wow was he surprised! He absolutely loved it! I don't even think he noticed the nice watch I also gave him for a wedding gift, lol!The layout of the book and the quality of the book itself is wonderful:)I am so glad I decided to go through with this. My body will not be the same for a long while, since we are expecting our first little one soon! So it will be nice for me to look back at these photos...Thank you so much for everything, Ashleigh:) and a BIG thanks from hubby!"

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I am so excited to share a recent boudoir shoot, and that client's wonderful testimonial! This client, as you will read, is a mom of three... and she rocked our boudoir session MAJOR! She showed her girls her pictures too, and they loved them and thought she looked beautiful! What an amazing thing to teach your daughter, by doing a shoot, that mom can love herself and love her body no matter what! So great! So please, read my sweet clients words, and check out her smoking pictures! ;)

"As a mama of three, I was hoping to gain some new appreciation for my body. Though our body is pretty for incredible for creating, then birthing a human in the first place, it can take a toll on how we view our post-baby bod.Seeing Ashleigh’s work, plus getting the much needed nudge from a dear friend, brought me to make the final decision to go for it and bare it all for Ashleigh. Bare it all I did!Ashleigh created a serene and safe atmosphere that made me feel comfortable, confident, and relaxed during my boudoir shoot. I enjoyed every step from the pre-shoot prep I did on my own, to the hair and makeup Ashleigh’s team provided, and the constant encouragement coming from behind the camera.I would encourage every mama to work with Ashleigh to gain a newfound appreciation for her beautiful, strong, capable body."

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Oh, boudoir how I love thee! Seriously, helping women to see themselves as beautiful is my favorite thing ever! That is why I shoot boudoir. That is why I get up in the morning. Watching a woman literally transform her body image in front of my own eyes is so rewarding... and I know that not only is the process an amazing thing for me to experience, but it is so **life changing** for the women I serve. That's why my studio here in Santa Barbara is my happy place. It's where I make women see their own beauty! LOVE!I have a few snippets to share of a recent session. The client, understandably, did not want to show any images of her face online (which by the way my sessions are PRIVATE so I would never share a clients images online in any capacity without their full support)! BUT, my client did want to share a few body shots, since they are anonymous, and because she so loved the experience. Believe it or not this woman is a mother and came in very nervous about her post baby bod! But she wanted to own her beauty and feel sexy... And judging by the pics, and more importantly her joyful reaction to them, I'd say we nailed it! Check it out below... and keep in mind they are probably NSFW (not safe for work)! xoxoxo

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I am SOOOO thrilled to be featured in the September issue of Denim+Grace Magazine-- a magazine for photographers! I have a cover story article featured about boudoir photography as the new feminist movement, AND they were even nice enough to include one of my images as the back cover photo as well! Soooo exciting!Photographer or not, the article is a great read and you can buy a copy HERE! Check out the highlights below as well! :)  

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I am soooo very excited that the lovely JunebugWeddings.com contacted me to share some boudoir tips for them and to feature some of my photos! I absolutely adore Junebug, as they only feature the best of the best photos, so it is a real honor to see my boudoir work featured there today! :)If you have ever wondered about doing boudoir, this is the article to read! Go check it out here:

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We first opened our special Valentine's Day all inclusive mini-sessions up to our facebook fans and the response has been crazy! Now there are only 2 spots left on Saturday 2/1/14. Rarely do we do mini-sessions like these, but for Valentine's Day? Well it just makes sense! Who wouldn't want to give their love the gift of sexy? Or heck, maybe you're single. Valentine's Day can be rough on single gals (trust me I've BEEN THERE) so what better time to remember what a sexy fox you are and celebrate your fabulousness?! Am I right ladies!!Check out the flyer below for some info...Our full boudoir folio can be seen here!Interested in snagging one of the last TWO spots? Email info@ashleightaylorphotography.com for more details! 

I am so excited to share Tina's inspiring boudoir story. Tina was given a gift certificate for a boudoir sitting by her friend Stacey, who is also a past boudoir client of mine, for her 40th birthday. Tina had been going through a few ups and downs the year before in her personal life, and she told me she really just needed a day to herself-- to rejuvenate, feel beautiful, pampered, relaxed and sexy again. Because she wanted to start 40 off right. I was so excited!! Because this is why I do what I do. My passion is helping women reconnect to their inner (and also outer) beauty and femininity. And I wanted to give Tina the time of her life.The day of the shoot, we did just that. I photographed Tina prior to having my studio, so we shot at her home. There were some logistical challenges-- like when her kids came home from school early or when her sweet kitty thought my seamless paper backdrop was the greatest toy ever-- but we powered through those things and had some serious LOLs. Tina drank champagne, got her hair & make up done by Page, and giggled with us Stacey who was there to cheer her on. We sorted through her wardrobe and picked the sexiest options that really fit her style and the way she dreamed of looking. I guided her into poses. WE MADE HER LOOK & FEEL HOT. It was so nice to just celebrate her all day and help her feel 40 and Fabulous! By the end of the shoot she has a certain confidence and was letting her inner light shine through. It was beautiful. And I was honored to help facilitate bringing that out of her!A few weeks later she came to her viewing session, and I revealed her pics and she was so thrilled! She ended up choosing all of them and told me she would cherish them forever. And that is what I want, to give my clients beautiful images, reflections of themselves, that they can cherish forever!Thank you Tina for allowing me to share your beautiful story and a few of her pictures. You are 40 & Fabulous, and you will always be fabulous! It was an honor to photograph you during this milestone moment in your life and help you feel beautiful!

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Check out these super sexy boudoir photos I took last year on location in Santa Barbara, before I had my studio! I just adore the glamour of this shoot! It is always so fun for me to help style my clients based on the look they dream of achieving and guide them into fun, flattering and sensual poses. But it's even more fun to see a client come out of her nervous shell and into embracing her beauty and confidence. This shoot is all that, and more! I am so excited to finally share it! Enjoy!

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We all remember that classic scene from Pretty Woman, right? Where Julia Roberts gets denied and shamed out of a posh Beverly Hills store because they don't think she is the type of woman who can and should be in their store? If you don't remember here is the clip:  Well today I kinda had my own "Pretty Woman" experience... Or shall we say NOT-so-pretty-woman experience.I had heard of a lingerie store in town that I did not knew existed. I am always looking for the BEST lingerie stores to refer my boudoir clients to. In a dream world, there would be a store here in town with great selection and helpful sales people who I could collaborate with, so I know if I refer my clients to them, my clients will have a great shopping experience and leave with just the right items for a shoot. I just wanted to check the store out and see what they had, maybe introduce myself but it was mostly a stop-in-see-what-you-got outing. Was I dressed up? No. I was in the middle of a busy day. This morning I threw on a (what I think is) cute romper from Forever21 and I haven't changed since. Was I in make up? No. The fact is despite having a love of glamour, I am also a no-muss-no-fuss kind of gal, and most days I don't bother with make up. The clerk asked why I was there and looking for and I explained what I do, showed her one of my cards with photos on it, and explained I was just checking out the store's selection. That's when it happened.She told me **I** was actually the  one in need of make over and I should be practicing what I preach. According to her, I was not made up nice enough to be introducing myself to another business  and looked like I was 8 year old the way I was dressed. According to her, I should also have taken the time to wear make up, because it's not polished to introduce yourself to a business without wearing make up. She said I should know better. And maybe I should have.BUT WHEN IS IT OKAY TO TELL A WOMAN SHE IS NOT GLAMOROUS ENOUGH?The whole experience got me thinking about my shoots and why I do what I do. To be clear, I do not shoot glamour and boudoir because I think every woman needs to dress and look her best on a daily basis. No, quite the opposite. I understand that women have a lot on their plate. We are employees, business owners, volunteers, mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, wives, girlfriends, lovers, caretakers and more. There are days we don't put make up  on, eat lunch till three, or ever get  out of the yoga clothes (yoga clothes I should add that we never actually got around to doing yoga in that day). I understand that. For most modern women, every day is not a red carpet experience.And yet, I believe that is what most of us our longing for. For one special day to be made to feel beautiful. To be celebrated. To be dressed up as close to a Hollywood starlet as possible. And to have a magazine worthy photograph taken of us to remember the whole experience by. So when we have that day where we aren't feeling enough, or someone has cut us down, we can look back at that picture and remember that fabulous woman is in there all the time. And that you are beautiful and should never forget that.So that's why I do what I do. Maybe a glamour/boudoir shoot seems superficial on the surface. But it is truly about empowering the inner beauty. It is truly about celebrating who you are. And it is truly about loving yourself-- loving yourself dressed up and loving yourself dressed down.I want to give every woman this experience. I want to give every woman this powerful message. And I never ever ever want to make another woman feel the way the employee at the lingerie store made feel today.Here is a picture of me today after the whole experience. Yup, it's a selfie. Trying to smile through the salty tears I had just shed. Trying to remember that I am beautiful and stylish and sophisticated and mature no matter what anyone else thinks or says. I am showing it to you to keep it real. This is who I am. I am not a glamour girl 24/7 and I am definitely not perfect. Most days I am just Ashleigh, trying to conquer the day, and trying to take the best  care of my clients, friends, family and cats the best I can. That's who I am. And that is beautiful.PS- after this whole thing happened, the friend I was with contacted the actual store owner and told her what went down. The owner was EXTREMELY nice and personally called me to apologize for her employee and affirmed that she owns a lingerie store to also help women feel beautiful and was really upset that this happened in her store. I truly appreciate that kind of customer service and try my very best to give that same care and service to my clients as well.

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Sunday was our official Grand Opening party for our new studio space in Downtown Santa Barbara! Even though I have been doing boudoir and glamour shoots in the space since mid-July, it was so nice to finally be able to open it up and invite our friends, family, clients and colleagues to see and experience it! The reaction was overwhelming and I am so thankful for everyone's support and love! I truly never thought I'd have a space, and it is a huge accomplishment... and also-- not gonna lie-- a little bit daring of an adventure! But I truly believe it's only UP from here! Because I know that this space allows me to serve women better... to help empower them to see themselves as beautiful... and to do that by taking gorgeous, sexy, glamorous photos! YAY!Check out pics from the event below. HUGE thanks to Nicole Chapman of Hint Of Chic for designing and planning ad providing the florals. Thanks to Page of Absolutely Fabulous Hair + Make Up who I share the space with! Thanks to Veronique Coleccion for providing lingerie to display, and Coast 2 Coast for providing our jewelry display! Thanks to Chocolat Calibressan + Kay's Candy Cart for providing some of the goodie bag treats! And thanks to my hubby and in-laws for helping with set up and manning the sign in area! So appreciative of everyone's support!!!Our studio is located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara-- 1129 State Street-- right by Peet's Coffee, Anthropologie, Paper Source, and CorePower Yoga! The historic building features a gorgeous courtyard and architectural details... head up the stairs to our private, by appoint only, suite!

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So much BIG STUFF has happened since I moved to Santa Barbara in December 2011. But this year has been bigger than my wildest dreams! Amongst a crazy busy/good wedding season, I watched my boudoir and glamour photography just blossom. Truth be told there is no one doing boudoir and glam the way I do boudoir/glam here in Santa Barbara... or Ventura or SLO as a matter of fact! The feedback from clients and the community has been incredible. Pretty much every inquiry I received starts with "I want to do a shoot with you because your work is amazing and the best I've seen"... It's humbling beyond words. And is also a dream come true. Because while I love shooting weddings, I equally love to photograph women. To help them to feel beautiful. confident and amazing in their own skin. To show women just how beautiful they can be.So my make up artist friend Page of Absolutely Fabulous and I secured a fabulous studio space in downtown Santa Barbara. It is a space dedicated to all things feminine-- hair, make up , beauty, boudoir, glam, photography, girl power. We are super excited to be opening this space to better serve the women of Santa Barbara, Ventura and beyond!And THIS SUNDAY. We are having a Grand Opening Party! You are invited to swing by and check out the space. You can meet me (if you haven't yet, and if you have just say hi) and find out what this glamour revolution is all about! And bonus you will even get some treats too!Here are the detailsWHAT: Grand Opening Party for Ashleigh Taylor's new glamour/boudoir studio WHEN: Sunday September 15, 2013. From 2pm-5pm. Stop by anytime within this window!WHERE: 1129 State St #26 Santa Barbara CA 93101PARKING: Public Parking, free for 75 minutes, in the lot behind our building. Enter off Chapala between Figueroa and Anapamu.Bonus for brides!!! Our neighbors across the street, Coast 2 Coast Jewelry, are also having a bridal open house and trunk show that day! Check us out and then pop over to check them out! 2 birds, one stone!Hope to see you there!xoAshleigh

Earlier this year a very very very cool thing happened! My boudoir photography was featured on Cosmopolitan Magazine's website COSMOPOLITAN.com! Cosmo has always been the go to place for reads on all things feminine, flirty, sexy and glamorous. So to see my work on their site was a pretty huge honor! I also have to give big props to my client Stacey who gave a little insight on the experience of being shot by me and allowed one of her pictures to be used so publicly! This awesome feature could not have happened without her fearlessness and generosity-- so thanks Stacey!!Go check out the feature here: 

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This session is everything I love about shooting boudoir in Santa Barbara! Playful. Flirty. Fun. And seriously seductive! Not much to say other than that! Enjoy this dang sexy session below!

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Boudoir can be a lot of things. Some sessions are surprisingly modest whilst others are a bit more risque. One thing I'm always up for, if my client wants to go there, are some tasteful fine art nude shots. While it definitely is not for all, there is nothing more beautiful and sexy than ones birthday suit! I definitely think it can be nice to have a few classy nude shots to celebrate the hardwork you've put into your body to get it in shape, or to celebrate it's journey through womanhood. Below are a few examples of some tasteful fine art nude shots. Enjoy!

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Shooting boudoir in Santa Barbara is one of my favorite things ever! In each session I try to capture a lot of variety-- variety in terms of emotion: playful, flirty, innocent, sweet, saucy, naughty, fierce, vixen; but also variety in outfits, variety in poses, variety in body shots, head shots, medium, close ups... When you shoot with me you get a lot of moods and pretty pictures to choose from! This snippet of a session below is smokin' and saucy. In between the sheets, lacey lingerie, casual sporty lingerie, booty and body shots, and some breathtakingly glamorous portraits... so much to love! Check it out:

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