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!

 Thinking this experience sounds fun? You can see more and contact me here

 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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Melanie is a beautiful, beautiful person. She is actually my yoga coach and she has helped me grow so much stronger (both physically and emotionally/mentally) in the past 1.5 years. She has profoundly changed my life and helped me move past many of my own fears, insecurities and supported me in going after my dreams in many ways. I could not be more grateful for her presence in my life.Melanie has been so generous to share her gifts with me, so I was really excited to have the opportunity to share my talents with her! It was really cool for me to do this glamour session for her too because I am so used to only seeing her in lululemon clothes, ready to work out! So it was really awesome to see this softer, super girly side to her. I was also super honored that she was generous enough to let me film and share her story in video format. So below please watch the behind the scenes video of her shoot and then check out some of my fave shots from the session!Melanie's Glamour Shoot from Ashleigh Henning on Vimeo.

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Lauren is a beautiful woman inside and out. She is a daughter, sister, chef, nutritionist, holistic expert and inspiring young business woman. She hired me to take photos for her ahhhh-mazing new website and we just had so much fun taking them! It was seriously an all out girly fest full of sequins, silk, color and jewels! What could be better? Seriously, no one deserves this shoot more as Lauren does so much to empower and inspire women to live happier & healthier lives. This shoot celebrates all her beauty, gifts and talents and I was happy to give to her some of the same feelings of confidence and beauty that she brings to her clients.I also made a little behind the scenes film of Lauren's shoot! Please check it out and then see some of my favorite images from the shoot below!

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Last week I blogged about Rita & Marilyn's Mother-Daughter Glamour Session.  That day was so special to my heart because it was so fun to help two amazing women feel beautiful, sexy, confident and empowered. It was also quite meaningful to document their bond and relationship and I know the photographs will be something they will cherish for the rest of their lives, especially as their family grows.And while the joint pictures were so beautiful and sentimental, I think the solo shots are really special and meaningful as well. Because seriously, how amazing is it to have a beautiful photo of yourself you can be proud of every time you see it?!A lot of the moms in my mother daughter shoots feel particularly self conscious. They worry they won't look young, beautiful, or skinny. They love watching their daughters shine and they secretly want to shine as well. But they are afraid. Afraid they just can't look good.But that's where they are wrong. I look at moms and see a beautiful woman, with a gorgeous inner light, and an elegant sophistication and sensuality only time and life experience can bring! I love helping to style and pose moms to bring all this out and make them shine so bright it.Marilyn was so fun to photograph because she has such style and sophistication and the most beautiful, warm, genuine soul. She's a mom, a business owner, a super creative person and a single gal looking for fun! We laughed, and just had such a blast during the shoot! And as the shoot went on I saw her nerves fade and her have so much fun-- maybe more fun than Rita was having if that's possible! I am pretty sure she could have shot two more hours, if getting hungry for lunch wasn't an issue for all of us! LOL! I just adore these photos of Marilyn. She has such a glow and beauty that can't be matched. Look below and you will see what I mean!

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A few days ago I blogged about Rita & Marilyn's Mother-Daughter Glamour Session. It was a gorgeous and fun filled day of bonding, love, and feminine energy! Today I am excited to share Rita's solo images for the shoot! I've photographed Rita several times before, but WOW, girl keeps getting more and more beautiful! It was funny because at the shoot she was tired and said I was giving her a pilates-esque work out with all the poses. But when she saw the pictures she was blown away and admitted all the contorting was totally worth it! hehehe!Rita had an amazing wardrobe and set of accessories to play with and each outfit was so fun to shoot too! Sequins, tulle, lace and more sequins... YES she is a girl after my own heart! Check out all her beauty below!

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I seriously LOVE LOVE LOVE Mother/Daughter Glamour sessions. They are just too fun, too sweet and too beautiful.You may remember my bride, Rita. Rita saw some of my glamour work and decided she wanted to do a shoot so she could have some gorgeous photos of herself alone that weren't bridal. She also told me her mother-in-law, Marilyn, might be interested too. And I said, well YES then bring her to your shoot! That way the two of them could have some fun , girly bonding time and get some gorgeous photos together, and also cheer each other on during the individual photos. And that is exactly what happened.These two had so a blast dressing up, sharing jewelry and accessories, cheering each other on, blowing fan air in each others hair and just being carefree together.I made sure they felt pampered and each got equal individual time and some amazing photos together they can cherish forever, especially as their family grows!  In the end they each got a beautiful folio box full of magazine quality matted portraits and were so ecstatic. It was honestly a perfect shoot in every way, and I only wish all mothers-daughters would do a shoot like this!!Below check out Marilyn & Rita's joint images. Soon I will blog their individuals!

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Meet Lisa. Lisa is a mother, a business owner and a true love guru! She is the owner/matchmaker at Santa Barbara MatchMaking and has helped so many people find love, happiness and meaningful relationships! What an amazing job and contribution to the world! Lisa was so fun to photograph because she radiated joy and positive energy. Just look at her big smile. You can't help but smile back when you see it! I so loved photographing her! Now it's your turn to enjoy the images... :) 

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Meet Farideh! Farideh is an amazingly fun, sweet and crazy stylish woman!  She is a wife, mother and believe it or not a NEW GRANDMOTHER too! Can you believe it? She's the most beautiful grandma I've ever seen! She looks just like Sandra Bullock, doesn't she? Farideh had so much fun at the glam shoot because she really does love to dress up and be girly. And while the shoot was not out of her comfort zone, like it is for most of my clients, I could tell it was till an empowering and fun experience for her. You can see it in the photos-- she's having the time of her life! I know one day her little grandbaby will look at these photos and cherish them! How cool to have such beautiful portraits of your grandma! Portraits like this are such a multi-layered gift because they are for you of course, but also for all the people who love you and want to remember you. Such a special treasure! And I of course had so much fun taking these pictures too! Check them out!

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Meet Mara. Mara is a wife, a yogi, a Zumba instructor and an Austinite (someone from Austin TX). She used to live in Santa Barbara, and that's how I was lucky enough to meet and photograph her. I had so much fun getting to know Mara at our shoot and photograph her. She really loved getting all dolled up and the whole prep part of the shoot! Which just goes to show that having hair & make up done not only helps because it looks nice in photos, but it actually is a fun experience in itself and helps you relax into the shoot. She also had fun posing for me and letting her personality shine. I am so excited to share these gorgeous images of her! Enjoy!

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Nanette, beautiful Nanette. She is an amazing officiant of weddings here in Santa Barbara and an all around wonderful spirit to be around. Nanette isn't that into getting glam every day. She told me before her shoot she had no idea what to wear or what kind of hair & make up she would like. It was a whole new world for-- to do this who girly glam thing. Which actually really excited me! I knew I could take her through a transformation and help her feel beautiful in a whole new way. The whole shoot we giggled. She kept saying "Oh my god" every time she looked in the mirror! She could hardly believe that very glamorous reflection. But she was having fun and she was willing to try anything. And her eyes. Her eyes just radiated. You can see so much of her beautiful soul in these pictures. Because she just went with it, let her guard down and let me see her beauty. And I happily captured.These images were taken 6 months ago, and yet they are still some of my favorite all time favorite images. When I look at these pictures I see a beautiful woman, embracing her femininity, and baring her soul. Pictures this beautiful are something to be cherished forever.

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Kelly is such a beautiful woman inside & out. She is a mom, a business owner, and just a super sweet, caring individual. It was my pleasure to capture these gorgeous glam photos for her! We did everything from a professional look (which she could use for business purposes) to more fun casual/every day glam to a fancy gown! It was so fun to photograph the many sides of her personality! I just adore these images and think they showcase just how versatile a glam sesh can be! It doesn't have to be all fancy looks, but it doesn't have to be all business or casual either. We can get a ton of variety so you have a folio that is a true reflection of you! Fun! Check out these gorgeousssss images below!PS- doesn't Kelly look like Courtney Cox?!

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I am super excited to share the behind the scenes video of Lauren's Glamour  Photo Shoot, which she did to get some photos for her new website!  This 2 minute video will give you a little glimpse into what it is actually like to be photographed by me, and also it shares Lauren's story and her experience during the photo shoot. I just adore Lauren and I am so over the moon with how this video turned out! Watch below and stay tuned for the full blog post on her session soon!Lauren's Glamour Shoot with Ashleigh Taylor Photography from Ashleigh Henning on Vimeo. 

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Is there anything more fun that a make over/glamour photo shoot? I think not! It is essentially getting primped and pampered and playing dress up... as an adult! Oh and you get photos after as a reminder of the whole fun experience and how fabulous you are! If there is anything better than that please let me know! As far as I can tell, the only thing that might come close would be eating really great sushi while watching the sunset in Hawaii ;)Anyways, earlier this year I got to photograph a glamour session for the gorgeous Oriana! Oriana is an actress in NYC and she is such a beautiful person inside + out! She moves like a trained dancer, and has a smile that just radiates joy and love! I had SO MUCH FUN photographing her in all her pretty outfits! Check out some snippets from this gorgeous session below! :)

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As you may or may not know, I am obsessed with shooting glamour photography, in addition to boudoir photography and weddings! I absolutely adore working with women and helping them feel truly beautiful, glamorous, and pampered (inside and out)! These shoots allow me to do just that!I am excited to share a snippet of this gorgeous shoot with Alia. She is a photographer too and just the sweetest person! It was an honor to photograph her and also really neat that she has made one of the pics from the session her facebook profile image and gotten over 110 likes from her friends! :)  Take a little peak at Alia "before" (isn't she the cutest?!) and how much fun we all had getting her glammed up for the camera! She is a serious superstar!AFTER.....

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