August 5, 2025 • 27 mins
Sexy is a vibe, not a size. This powerful truth sits at the heart of our conversation with Liz Hansen, owner of Chicago Boudoir Photography, who has photographed nearly 2,000 women in intimate, empowering sessions that celebrate their bodies exactly as they are.
For women navigating the physical and emotional landscape of midlife, boudoir photography offers something remarkable: the chance to see themselves through a different lens. Hansen shares how what often begins as a gift for a partner transforms into a profound gift to oneself. "What my studio really specializes in is helping women reclaim something, feel something that maybe they feel like they have lost," Hansen explains, noting how perimenopause and menopausal changes can leave women feeling disconnected from their bodies.
The misconceptions around boudoir photography run deep. Many women believe they need to lose weight before booking a session, but Hansen firmly rejects this notion: "Thinness is not greatness." She welcomes clients of all sizes, ages, and life circumstances—from celebrating milestone birthdays to processing cancer diagnoses or leaving abusive relationships. Her sessions provide a pampering experience with professional hair and makeup, guided posing, and an immediate photo reveal that often moves clients to tears when they see their true beauty captured.
Perhaps most eye-opening is Hansen's explanation of why so many of us hate photos of ourselves. The distortion created by smartphone cameras makes features closest to the lens appear larger and can create a fundamentally misleading self-image. Professional photography with proper lenses and lighting reveals a truer representation—one that often surprises and delights clients.
Whether you're curious about boudoir photography or simply looking to reconnect with your sense of self, Hansen's parting wisdom resonates: "Middle age is about taking risks, taking charge of your life. It's not the time to sit around and wait." What might you discover about yourself if you had the courage to be seen?
Subscribe to hear more conversations about navigating midlife with confidence, humor, and a healthy dose of rebellion against society's expectations.
Source: https://chicago-boudoir.com/FREE STUFF: https://chicago-boudoir.com/free
Thanks for listening! Follow us on our social channels
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For women navigating the physical and emotional landscape of midlife, boudoir photography offers something remarkable: the chance to see themselves through a different lens. Hansen shares how what often begins as a gift for a partner transforms into a profound gift to oneself. "What my studio really specializes in is helping women reclaim something, feel something that maybe they feel like they have lost," Hansen explains, noting how perimenopause and menopausal changes can leave women feeling disconnected from their bodies.
The misconceptions around boudoir photography run deep. Many women believe they need to lose weight before booking a session, but Hansen firmly rejects this notion: "Thinness is not greatness." She welcomes clients of all sizes, ages, and life circumstances—from celebrating milestone birthdays to processing cancer diagnoses or leaving abusive relationships. Her sessions provide a pampering experience with professional hair and makeup, guided posing, and an immediate photo reveal that often moves clients to tears when they see their true beauty captured.
Perhaps most eye-opening is Hansen's explanation of why so many of us hate photos of ourselves. The distortion created by smartphone cameras makes features closest to the lens appear larger and can create a fundamentally misleading self-image. Professional photography with proper lenses and lighting reveals a truer representation—one that often surprises and delights clients.
Whether you're curious about boudoir photography or simply looking to reconnect with your sense of self, Hansen's parting wisdom resonates: "Middle age is about taking risks, taking charge of your life. It's not the time to sit around and wait." What might you discover about yourself if you had the courage to be seen?
Subscribe to hear more conversations about navigating midlife with confidence, humor, and a healthy dose of rebellion against society's expectations.
Source: https://chicago-boudoir.com/FREE STUFF: https://chicago-boudoir.com/free
Thanks for listening! Follow us on our social channels
https://www.youtube.com/@Letstalkmidlifecrisis-mh2bf/videos
https://www.instagram.com/letstalkmidlifecrisis/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091451734861
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/let-s-talk-midlife-crisis-podcast--6627644/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Let's talk midlife crisis. I'm Ashley and I'm Tracy.
We're your go to hosts for all things midlife, menopause,
and moments of pure mayhem.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Ashley is in La today joining us from there, and
today we have a special guest. She has been featured
on the ted X stage, on National Public Radio and
with the Association of International Boudoir for Photographers. She holds
a bachelor's in art and a master's in education. She
(00:37):
lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two
teenage children. Welcome Liz Hansen, owner and photographer at.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Chicago Boudoir Photography.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Welcome, Hey, thanks so much for having me. It's great
to be here.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, you know,
becoming a photographer? What led you to this very interesting
career choice.
Speaker 5 (01:04):
Yeah, so I'm a boudoir photographer. If you've never heard
the word boudoir is just a fancy French.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Word that means a woman's bedroom.
Speaker 5 (01:11):
But what I do at my Budoir Photography studio is
I have created a safe space for women to come
and create sexy, sensual photos of themselves, to feel more
confident and empowered.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
In their own skin.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
And I've been doing this full time for nearly a decade.
I photographed almost two thousand women. I really love what
I do. Of course, boudoir is my business, but I
have this broader mission to help women feel more confident
and empowered every day of their lives.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
Wow. Fabulous.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
That is fabulous.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
And I actually took one of your online quizzes in
researching for this podcast, and apparently I would be categorized
as fierce.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Ooh girl.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
So there's lots of different ways you can go with
a boudoir photo shoot. So every photo shoot includes professional
hair and makeup and me telling you exactly what to
do and how to pose in the studio, but kind
of the vibe of your shoot, the outfits you wear.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
We can do a lot of different things.
Speaker 5 (02:16):
Maybe you want to do it light and bright and
fun and flirty and smiley.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Maybe you want to do it dark and.
Speaker 5 (02:22):
Moody and silhouettes and have some metal studs on the bra,
or maybe you want to do a little of both
in one shoot. We can do all of those things
to kind of capture your personality.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Wow, it's really cool.
Speaker 6 (02:35):
So you have your locations in Chicago. Are you part
of Is.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
It like a national thing organization or Yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:44):
So, I have a boudoir boutique that I run here
in Chicago, which means I just do boodwar photography.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I don't take pictures of weddings. I don't take pictures
of your dog.
Speaker 5 (02:53):
Or your kids, although I love photographers who do all that.
And then I'm part of that what you mentioned in
the bio of the Association International boud War Photographers.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
That is an.
Speaker 5 (03:02):
Organization that I belong to that seeks to educate and
help boudoir photographers. You can like join their group and
get health insurance and education and stuff. So I've been
a speaker with them to help train other photographers who
want to get into boudoir, who are interested in this
and want to add this.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
To their Repertoire's. Wow, that's really cool.
Speaker 6 (03:26):
Yeah so, and I think I read I saw a
video sorry that you had on your website, and it
said that a lot of people come to to do
this as a gift for their partner and end up
walking away kind of changed from the experience.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
It's not realizing how empowering it can be.
Speaker 6 (03:46):
Can you tell me about some examples like some of
the clients that you've had.
Speaker 5 (03:50):
Yeah, so everyone who signs up for a boo bar photoshoot,
they have a reason why they're there, right then, sometimes
it's a happy reason, like maybe they're marrying the love
of their life and there for some bridal boudoir.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Maybe they're pregnant with their first baby.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
Maybe they're celebrating their thirtieth or their fortieth or the
fiftieth birthday. And then some people come into the studio
under kind of like more difficult circumstances. Maybe they've left
a domestic violence relationship and they want to celebrate their freedom.
Maybe they've had a breast cancer diagnosis.
Speaker 7 (04:22):
Maybe they have had a serious injury or surgery or
something that's really changed how they see their body, and
they still want to reclaim something.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
A failing, a sexiness of wholeness.
Speaker 5 (04:35):
So I love to celebrate every woman who comes in,
regardless of her reason. We are here to create that space,
that moment for her to really capture and celebrate her journey.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
I was wondering about the healing aspect of it and
the transformational aspect of it, and you just nailed it
with that. What are some common myths and misconceptions that
you'd want to bust about this type of photography.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
Yeah, I mean taking nude photos of yourself or taking
photos of yourself in lingerie. Like, I think that is
still viewed as like a little bit taboo for a
lot of women. Like, it's the kind of thing that
you might want to do, but you might not want
to tell your mom.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
You're doing it.
Speaker 5 (05:19):
It's the kind of thing that you want to do,
but you don't want anyone to work to know you're
doing it right, And I get that. The number one
myth I feel like I need to bust is that
sexy is not a size. You don't have to lose
weight to do a boogar photo shoot. You don't have
to be smaller than you currently are to be sexy.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Sexy is a vibe, It is not a size.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
And I see women of all shapes and sizes in
the studio all the time, and it does.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Not define you.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
I mean, if you're on a fitness journey you want
to work out great, like, I'm here to support you.
But what what I don't want you to do is
wait until you're smaller, wait until you're different to show
up in big ways in your life, okay, because thinness
is not greatness. I mean, we live in diet culture,
we live in this world and the society that really,
you know, seems to worship thinness and youth. And I
(06:10):
just I don't believe that you don't have to change
yourself to be effective, to love others, to.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Change the world.
Speaker 5 (06:18):
And I want women to embrace themselves where they are
right now today.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah, that's yeah, I think too.
Speaker 6 (06:25):
We've talked about on our show how it really when
you hit midlife and you're experiencing the body changes and
the perimenopause or the menopause, and and you know, you
just it's like, oh, I all of a sudden have
a mom bought like you know, and I think you
do kind of like lose some of your identity and
(06:45):
you don't feel as comfortable in your skin as you
used to, and it's something that you're just trying to
go with and accept and go with the flow. And
I think something like this would be so cool to
help you achieve that. Like I'm still sexy, I still
I can still be confident.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
I don't have to. I'm going through these changes and
I'm going to embrace them. And you know, and I
think it's really cool and probably too.
Speaker 6 (07:10):
Do you do you get older clients like fifty plus?
I think that would be so cool, you know, because
I think at some point in your life it's like, oh,
I'm not twenty anymore, you know.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Like, yeah, very empowering.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Yeah right, empowering.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Yeah, that's the word that comes to me.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Now.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Listen, I'm almost forty five myself. I'm in the midst
of all of this too.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
Just the other day, my husband's like, tell me again,
what's the diversity in perimenopause and meno bas I was like,
oh boy, thanks for asking, right, But yes, I specialize
in helping women, especially forty and fifty plus, to come
in and feel beautiful in my studio. I yes, of course,
when you're twenty you should do this. Of course, taking
your photos when you're twenty, taking them when you're thirty, yes,
(07:51):
I approve. But what my studio really specializes in is
helping women reclaim something, feel something that.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Maybe they feel like they have lost.
Speaker 5 (08:00):
I don't think aging is all about loss, but there
can be feelings of loss as we age, right, And
I want in my studio for women to come in
and see images and feel like, no, it.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Is not a loss.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
I am building and gaining wisdom and strength as I go,
and I have photos to prove it. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Awes, that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Yeah, So tell us a step by step or typical
session from consultation to wardrobe to shoot day to reveal.
Can you walk us through some of that?
Speaker 4 (08:39):
Yeah? So boogoar is an intimate experience, right.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
So, like, if you're gonna come take pictures in your
underwear with me at the studio, you're gonna want to
feel confident and know exactly what's going to happen.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
So it all starts with a phone call.
Speaker 5 (08:51):
I'm going to talk to you on the phone before
you come to the studio and we're going to talk
about where your.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
Goals are, what you hope to feel, what are your fears.
Then on the day of your shoes, you're gonna arrive.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
At the studio with clean, dry hair and no makeup on,
and we are gonna just take care of you and
pamper you from start to finish.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
So we have a beauty team on staff to.
Speaker 5 (09:10):
Get you camera ready and we're gonna do airbrush, makeup, lashes,
everything so that.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
You look perfect in front of the camera. I love it. Then, yeah,
it's really fun.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
I mean, you just have to show up and I'll
basically supply the rest. Right after hair makeups done, we'll
do a wardrobe console.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
We'll pick what you're gonna wear for your photo shoot.
It might be some lingerie offits you've brought yourself. You
can also wear some things I have at the studio.
Some people want to wear my.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
Giant Victoria's Secret style angel wings.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
Other people want to go with something more subtle.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
I have a lot of props and robes and shoes
and jewey at the studio.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
We can add on to your shoe. Then we're gonna
walk into the studio.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
I have one side of my studio that's painted white
and light and bright, and the other that's painted black
and dark. And we're gonna do for most people some
pictures on each side, so we get a nice variety.
I'm gonna tell you exactly what to do and how
to pose. I'm going to tell you to do with
your hands and your feet and your face.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
You don't have to know what you're doing. You don't
have to practice in front of a mirror before you
come in. I'm gonna take care of you.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
I'm gonna use lighting, professional lighting and posing to highlight
your best assets. Then something cool that we do at
my studio that most places don't do is that we
do a photo reveal right then and there while you're
still at the studio. So before you leave the studio,
I'm gonna show you a slideshow of your pictures. This
(10:30):
is really important to me because I want you to
see yourself without photoshop, without retouching, and to see what
a glorious goddess you are just as you are now.
Of course, if you go home and you want a
little photoshop, you want me to take that actne after
your face, you've got a.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Garden, I'll take it off.
Speaker 5 (10:48):
But I want you to see and appreciate those pictures
just as you are while you're at the studio. So
you'll be at the studio for three to four hours,
sort of a half day pampering experience.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
At the studio, you'll go home and and if you've.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
Ordered an album or print products, will ship those straight
to your door.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Wow, that is so cool. I love it that.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Yes, I'm so excited. I haven't been back to Chicago
and I can't tell you when. As I mentioned prior
to the show.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
I was.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I was born in Chicago, moved out here when I
was young with my family. But I now I really
want to go and I want to experience this. It
sounds fabulous and like something that I feel I could
use in my life right now at the stage that
I'm in where I'm feeling, you know, like aging. It
(11:36):
hasn't creeped up on me. It's upon me. But the
fact that you're going to do makeup and hair at
those victorious Secret wings, I tell you what.
Speaker 5 (11:47):
I would I have them in pink and and gray,
so you can be a nice angel or a naughty angel.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
Oh, I would want both. I would want both.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
And it's funny because I did take your quiz doing
search for the show, and it came back as fierce,
and I thought, okay, But I also thought of myself
in this vision of myself doing a photoshoot. But I
would also want to be more classy and softer and
sexy as well. So it sounds like I could, you know,
(12:19):
have several different looks if you will, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
Yeah, absolutely, I would love to have you in my
studio in Chicago. Oh and if you don't make it
out here, there's probably Boodgar photographer near you.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Listen.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
I think every woman, whether you come to Chicago or not,
deserves to have this experience. If you're listening to this,
look up a bood war photographer near you and see
if their website and their approach appeals to But I
just believe that empowered women are going to change the world.
And one way that you can kind of step into
your confidence and feel.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
That is by doing something maybe a little bit out
of your comfort zone, like a boudoir photoshoot. I love it.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
And your website, which will be in our show notes
as well, that is Chicago hyphenboudoir dot com for our
listeners out there if they wanted to, you know, investigate
a little bit further. Any tips for anyone curious that
hesitant about booking a session.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
So it's like.
Speaker 5 (13:15):
Really normal to be nervous about doing something like this,
and I am really used to people coming in just
shaking in their boots, not knowing what they're doing. And
my recommendation is is if there is something kind of
in the back of your mind saying this is intriguing
to me, I want to do this.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
I don't have a partner. I want to do it
for myself. I do have a partner. I want to
do it for them and for myself. I want to
do it before I turn forty. I want to do
it before I turn fifty. I want to do it
after I turn fifty five. If there's something about this
that intrigues you after sixty, just.
Speaker 5 (13:48):
Start looking into it. Make a phone call, talk to
a photographer. Every photographer us their own approach, and just
see where it takes you. I did a big war
photo shoot for myself more than ten years ago. I
was so this.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
I'd never done anything like this before.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
I'd grown up in a very conservative household where showing
my body was like not approved of, And I felt
like I was being really naughty doing something like this,
doing a Boogar photoshoot. But man, I stepped out of
that studio feeling something, feeling like I could conquer the world.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
It was sort of like going skydiving or something. It
just felt I had this jole of energy.
Speaker 5 (14:22):
And I'm not exaggerating when I say that that Boogar photoshoot,
after another series of events, led me to become an
entrepreneur and open my own studio. So maybe a Boodoor
photoshoot will lead you to something bigger and better in
your life too.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Right, And perhaps there are women listening that are aspiring photographers,
perhaps never really thought about this little niche right of
boudoir photography. So that's always something as well.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
Right, Yeah, it's very unique.
Speaker 6 (14:54):
I mean you see a lot of landscape work obviously,
you know, yeah, birthdays and yeah, the usual stuff. But
that's probably something that a lot of people don't really
think too much about.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
It's so unique, not on their radar.
Speaker 5 (15:10):
Yeah, there are a lot of photographers in Chicago, and
I've tried to do some math, and there are about
two hundred photographers doing.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
Families, babies, weddings, landscapes.
Speaker 5 (15:19):
To everyone photographer in Chicago who's doing boudoir. I'm not
the only one, of course, there's other people who do it, but.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
It is a little niche industry. And the thing that I.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
Love about it and why I have kept doing it
for almost a decade, is because to me it's more
than just a business. I get to be with women
in this really special intimate moment, and every day when
I'm in the studio is rewarding for me to see women.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
I mean, just a couple of days ago, I was
at the studio put those pictures up on the screen,
and the woman who's in the.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
Studio, she broke into tears and she said to me,
I can't believe that's me. I haven't seen this version
of myself ever, and it means so much to me.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Thank you for holding my hand through this experience and
so getting to be there in those.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
Moments, like really, it's just it's more than a business
to me.
Speaker 6 (16:11):
Oh I see that really great for someone to see
themselves in that light. You know, it's not something you
really I've always said I'm not a very photogenic person.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
I don't photograph well, and I hate having my picture taken.
I hate it.
Speaker 6 (16:29):
And you know it's ironic because my partner is like
she logs everything. We have pictures of everything we do
and a lot of them, and so, you know, me
not liking getting my picture taken, it.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
Happens pretty often. But I can't imagine seeing myself in
that light.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
I think it would be really fun and exciting and
like oh wow, especially being all you know, what did
they they used to have like yeah, yeah, see getting
all dulled up.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
And feeling hampered, right with somebody doing your hair and
makeup and just that am just getting pampered.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
Yeah, and here's what I want to say. I don't
believe that there's such thing who's a person who's not photogenic.
You've just been photographed by that photographers.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
Right right, And your partner's not a bad photographer, great
pictures of me.
Speaker 5 (17:20):
Yeah, every person is worthy of being photographed and documented.
There's not there's no such thing as a human who
looks it just cannot be photographed.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
Well, it's just how are they photographed, how are they lit? What?
What are they wearing?
Speaker 3 (17:38):
How?
Speaker 5 (17:39):
Maybe the photos you've seen for yourself don't represent how
you feel yourself should look and should be represented well,
And I understand that.
Speaker 6 (17:48):
Yeah, I think to like you said, it's a lot
of it is the person that you're working with. If
you're a photographer makes you feel comfortable and relaxed, you're
gonna think, oh, yeah, that's that's who.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
I am when you look at that picture.
Speaker 5 (18:01):
You know, and I'm gonna say, is we've gotten so
used to using iPhones for photos and listen, I love.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
iPhones for photos. I take photos on my iPhone every day.
But if you look at the lens on an iPhone.
It is tiny. It's like the size it's like smaller
than the size of a penny, right.
Speaker 5 (18:16):
And if you think of a professional photographer, you're used
to knowing that it's like a big, big, old fat lens, right,
And that changes and distorts how pictures look.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
So if you take a.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
Selfie like this with a tiny little lens, whatever's closest
to that lens is gonna look bigger and spread.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
And that's why a lot of people think.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Their noses look really big in photos because literally, the
way you are taking a picture of an iPhone is
your nose is the closest thing to the to the lens, right,
because it sticks out from your face. So every selfie
you're taking is spreading your nose, making your nose look bigger,
and distorting your face back towards your ears. So if
(18:55):
you've only seen iPhone photos of yourself, and self is yourself,
A lot of times people actually have a legitimately distorted
view of what their face looks like to other people
because our eyes don't do that.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
When I look at you, my eyes.
Speaker 5 (19:08):
Don't distort your face in your nose, but the iPhone
lens does.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
And so I think especially in.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
The last few years, if everyone's gotten a cell phone
and all we are using a cell phones, which is great.
I'm not putting cell phones down, but it has given
some of us a weird view of what our bodies
and our faces look like because of.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
The lens distortion on iPhones.
Speaker 5 (19:28):
So that's something that I think is really important about
what I do, is kind of turning that narrative and
saying not every photo of you has to look distorted
like that.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
I can use a.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
Different kind of lens, I can use different lighting at
my studio, are kind of picture you've never seen of
yourself before.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
And also telling somebody how to pose right and guiding
you know them through that as well. I think it's
something I've always felt very awkward, you know, in front
of the camera right, and.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
It's like, oh am, I supposed to til my head.
It's like chin up.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
And I've heard things before and when you know, you
were a kid and you would go to the photographer
a J. C. Pennies, right, and they'd be like look
here and you know, chin up or whatever. And I
feel like that's still rolling in my head whenever I'm
in front of a camera and I again am my
own worst critic, and I don't like photos of myself,
but I think helping if I had someone to glam
(20:23):
me up number one and then help me guide me,
you know, through posing and you know, and maybe make
it look more natural or whatever. But just somebody to
help guide me as well as the lens, right, yeah, yeah,
in touch.
Speaker 4 (20:40):
It's interesting you may have gotten some good posing advice.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
But it depends where you are in the photo too.
So have you ever seen a group photo where the
people on the edge look like giants and the people
in the normal look middle, Because so that's what a
wide angle lens does, is it distorts the edges too.
So the posing advice that you get might be good
if you're standing on the edge, but it might need
poor advice you're staying the minimal advice versus So it's
(21:03):
just like, yes, you may have gotten some good advice
to some bad advice, but also is really dependent on
where you're standing the lens of a distance from the
group to the.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
Camera, there's like just like a lot that goes into it, right,
And so you might be like.
Speaker 5 (21:15):
I'm always doing that jac Penny post, I'm supposed to do,
but that maybe that pos is making.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
You look even wide a on the edge of thee.
Not that there's anything wrong with looking why, but that's
not how you want it to look in that picture.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
But because you're standing on the edge and someone's using
an iPhone that distorts the edge of the picture, and
you're posing that is not conducid to the wide angle anyway.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
There's just a lot.
Speaker 5 (21:38):
I mean, we think when we see a picture of
ourselves that that's the truth. We think that's the reality,
we think that is real. But the fact of the
matter is is that all photography is an illusion I
pho photography, or it's a flattened two D image of
a real, living three D person.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
Right.
Speaker 5 (21:54):
So even a beautiful picture I'd take in myself that
I've taken of you, that you think is.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
Beautiful, it's still just a representation of you. Right.
Speaker 5 (22:02):
And so when we equate our worth or our value,
our beauty with these two D representations, it can be dangerous.
And you know, you can say, well, I look bad
in pictures, I'm not photogenic, I hate pictures of myself.
Does that turn into I hate myself, I'm not worthy myself, right?
And that's really dangerous territory to start self loathing.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Right, yeah, yeah, And I was also wanting to touch
on the fact that and perhaps do you recommend that
anyone prior to coming in to see you prepare mentally
or emotionally for a suite or do you just say,
you know what, just shower, come as you are, and
(22:44):
maybe you create the mood in your studio with music
or ambiance, or.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
Come as you are. Come as you are. You don't
have to do any homework.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
I mean, of course you can do some things before
you You want to get your nails done, get your
roots touched up, like you know, what you want to
do is fine with me. But you don't have to
come just as you are. I want to just pamper you.
I had a woman in the studio yesterday. She's thirty
weeks pregnant with twins. She is you know, they had
to go through a lot of fertility to get these babies.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
She's pretty sure these are only you know, she's she's.
Speaker 5 (23:16):
Done growing her family after these babies were and she's
not feeling good. She told me she threw up all
the way over. She's been sick or well pregnancy. She's
like I didn't have time to get my nails on.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
I didn't do anything.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
I said, don't worry, just sit down, take any breath,
sip some water, and we created the most beautiful silhouette.
I mean, she has the most perfect round belly looking
just so, and we created these beautiful pictures with lighting.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
You. I mean, even if she.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
Didn't have any makeup on, you wouldn't it didn't wouldn't matter,
because it was.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
Just all about her beautiful curves and her belly. And
I showed her those pictures and she was like, I'm
going to look back on this.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
And enjoy this pregnancy just because of these pictures, you know.
And so you don't have to prepare, you don't have
to get in some mindset, you don't have to do yoga.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Just come.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
I want to photograph you just as you are. You're
fabulous and beautiful, just as you are today.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
That's I love that story. Yeah, I do too, I
do too.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
And yeah, and again the information to reach out to
Liz is going to be in our show notes. I
also noticed that you have empowering quotes available on your website.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Can you tell us a little bit about that real quick? Yeah, So,
on my website is a table that says free stuff.
So I'm at Chicago Blue dot com.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
Booe wok can be a tricky word to spelled b
o U d O R dot com.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
And Yeah, I have some downloads. I have a self
care calendar.
Speaker 5 (24:40):
I've got a dirty Talk ebook with one hundred and
one sexy phrases.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
I have some smar quiz you can take.
Speaker 5 (24:47):
I've got a text club you can join where I'll
text you an empowering quote once.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
A day for thirty days.
Speaker 5 (24:53):
If any of that interests you, just head over to
the free stuff tab on my website.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
I'd love to connect with you. If you're in Chicago
area or not. Just take looks Sea If any of
that appeals to you, I love that. I'm curious. Now
I just need to see this crazy one hundred and
one phrases you can use tonight. Wow.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yeah, one hundred and one phrases. That's hilarious. But we
really appreciate having you on our show, Liz. It's been wonderful.
It's such a fresh topic. I think to help women,
specifically in middle age and in their third act, gain
confidence and feel empowered and sexy in a whole new way. Right,
(25:34):
it's not now just talking about diet and exercise and
those types of things. And I love how you embrace
everyone no matter what their size is, no matter what
they look like, because of course the beauty does come
from within, but the society that we live in today,
so it's differently. I just think it would be an
(25:54):
amazing experience.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
It is.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
I mean, I just I think if I could give
one piece of device, I'd be like, don't wait, Like
I truly like if I I've probably.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Lived more than fifty percent of my life.
Speaker 5 (26:07):
I mean, if I make I'm almost forty five, if
I make it to ninety, I'll be super lucky.
Speaker 6 (26:11):
Right.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
So if there's things you want to do, you want
to do woodwar photoshoot, like do it now, you'd be
glad you did it now, not in five years.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
Right. If there's a trip you want to take, I
don't know.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
Middle age is about taking risks, taking charge of your life,
doing things, celebrating where you've been, where you're going.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
And it's not the time to sit around and wait.
Yeah right, I love that. I love what you do.
It's great.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Yes, yes, thank you so much for being on our show.
It's been a great pleasure. Wish you all the best.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
Well, thanks so much for having me. This is a
great conversation. Thank you you.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Well, that wraps it up for today. Thanks for joining
us on Let's Talk Midlife Crisis. We hope you got
some laughs, a little inspiration, and maybe a few new ideas.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
If you've loved today's episode, hit that subscribe button so
you'll never miss an episode, and hey, share the love.
Send this episode to a friend who could use a
good laugh and some midlife wisdom.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Connect with us on social media at Let's Talk Midlife
Crisis and let us know what's on your mind. We
love hearing from you.
Welcome to Let's talk midlife crisis. I'm Ashley and I'm Tracy.
We're your go to hosts for all things midlife, menopause,
and moments of pure mayhem.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Ashley is in La today joining us from there, and
today we have a special guest. She has been featured
on the ted X stage, on National Public Radio and
with the Association of International Boudoir for Photographers. She holds
a bachelor's in art and a master's in education. She
(00:37):
lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two
teenage children. Welcome Liz Hansen, owner and photographer at.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Chicago Boudoir Photography.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Welcome, Hey, thanks so much for having me. It's great
to be here.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, you know,
becoming a photographer? What led you to this very interesting
career choice.
Speaker 5 (01:04):
Yeah, so I'm a boudoir photographer. If you've never heard
the word boudoir is just a fancy French.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Word that means a woman's bedroom.
Speaker 5 (01:11):
But what I do at my Budoir Photography studio is
I have created a safe space for women to come
and create sexy, sensual photos of themselves, to feel more
confident and empowered.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
In their own skin.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
And I've been doing this full time for nearly a decade.
I photographed almost two thousand women. I really love what
I do. Of course, boudoir is my business, but I
have this broader mission to help women feel more confident
and empowered every day of their lives.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
Wow. Fabulous.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
That is fabulous.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
And I actually took one of your online quizzes in
researching for this podcast, and apparently I would be categorized
as fierce.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Ooh girl.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
So there's lots of different ways you can go with
a boudoir photo shoot. So every photo shoot includes professional
hair and makeup and me telling you exactly what to
do and how to pose in the studio, but kind
of the vibe of your shoot, the outfits you wear.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
We can do a lot of different things.
Speaker 5 (02:16):
Maybe you want to do it light and bright and
fun and flirty and smiley.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Maybe you want to do it dark and.
Speaker 5 (02:22):
Moody and silhouettes and have some metal studs on the bra,
or maybe you want to do a little of both
in one shoot. We can do all of those things
to kind of capture your personality.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Wow, it's really cool.
Speaker 6 (02:35):
So you have your locations in Chicago. Are you part
of Is.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
It like a national thing organization or Yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:44):
So, I have a boudoir boutique that I run here
in Chicago, which means I just do boodwar photography.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I don't take pictures of weddings. I don't take pictures
of your dog.
Speaker 5 (02:53):
Or your kids, although I love photographers who do all that.
And then I'm part of that what you mentioned in
the bio of the Association International boud War Photographers.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
That is an.
Speaker 5 (03:02):
Organization that I belong to that seeks to educate and
help boudoir photographers. You can like join their group and
get health insurance and education and stuff. So I've been
a speaker with them to help train other photographers who
want to get into boudoir, who are interested in this
and want to add this.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
To their Repertoire's. Wow, that's really cool.
Speaker 6 (03:26):
Yeah so, and I think I read I saw a
video sorry that you had on your website, and it
said that a lot of people come to to do
this as a gift for their partner and end up
walking away kind of changed from the experience.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
It's not realizing how empowering it can be.
Speaker 6 (03:46):
Can you tell me about some examples like some of
the clients that you've had.
Speaker 5 (03:50):
Yeah, so everyone who signs up for a boo bar photoshoot,
they have a reason why they're there, right then, sometimes
it's a happy reason, like maybe they're marrying the love
of their life and there for some bridal boudoir.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Maybe they're pregnant with their first baby.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
Maybe they're celebrating their thirtieth or their fortieth or the
fiftieth birthday. And then some people come into the studio
under kind of like more difficult circumstances. Maybe they've left
a domestic violence relationship and they want to celebrate their freedom.
Maybe they've had a breast cancer diagnosis.
Speaker 7 (04:22):
Maybe they have had a serious injury or surgery or
something that's really changed how they see their body, and
they still want to reclaim something.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
A failing, a sexiness of wholeness.
Speaker 5 (04:35):
So I love to celebrate every woman who comes in,
regardless of her reason. We are here to create that space,
that moment for her to really capture and celebrate her journey.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
I was wondering about the healing aspect of it and
the transformational aspect of it, and you just nailed it
with that. What are some common myths and misconceptions that
you'd want to bust about this type of photography.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
Yeah, I mean taking nude photos of yourself or taking
photos of yourself in lingerie. Like, I think that is
still viewed as like a little bit taboo for a
lot of women. Like, it's the kind of thing that
you might want to do, but you might not want
to tell your mom.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
You're doing it.
Speaker 5 (05:19):
It's the kind of thing that you want to do,
but you don't want anyone to work to know you're
doing it right, And I get that. The number one
myth I feel like I need to bust is that
sexy is not a size. You don't have to lose
weight to do a boogar photo shoot. You don't have
to be smaller than you currently are to be sexy.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Sexy is a vibe, It is not a size.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
And I see women of all shapes and sizes in
the studio all the time, and it does.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Not define you.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
I mean, if you're on a fitness journey you want
to work out great, like, I'm here to support you.
But what what I don't want you to do is
wait until you're smaller, wait until you're different to show
up in big ways in your life, okay, because thinness
is not greatness. I mean, we live in diet culture,
we live in this world and the society that really,
you know, seems to worship thinness and youth. And I
(06:10):
just I don't believe that you don't have to change
yourself to be effective, to love others, to.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Change the world.
Speaker 5 (06:18):
And I want women to embrace themselves where they are
right now today.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah, that's yeah, I think too.
Speaker 6 (06:25):
We've talked about on our show how it really when
you hit midlife and you're experiencing the body changes and
the perimenopause or the menopause, and and you know, you
just it's like, oh, I all of a sudden have
a mom bought like you know, and I think you
do kind of like lose some of your identity and
(06:45):
you don't feel as comfortable in your skin as you
used to, and it's something that you're just trying to
go with and accept and go with the flow. And
I think something like this would be so cool to
help you achieve that. Like I'm still sexy, I still
I can still be confident.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
I don't have to. I'm going through these changes and
I'm going to embrace them. And you know, and I
think it's really cool and probably too.
Speaker 6 (07:10):
Do you do you get older clients like fifty plus?
I think that would be so cool, you know, because
I think at some point in your life it's like, oh,
I'm not twenty anymore, you know.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Like, yeah, very empowering.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Yeah right, empowering.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Yeah, that's the word that comes to me.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Now.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Listen, I'm almost forty five myself. I'm in the midst
of all of this too.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
Just the other day, my husband's like, tell me again,
what's the diversity in perimenopause and meno bas I was like,
oh boy, thanks for asking, right, But yes, I specialize
in helping women, especially forty and fifty plus, to come
in and feel beautiful in my studio. I yes, of course,
when you're twenty you should do this. Of course, taking
your photos when you're twenty, taking them when you're thirty, yes,
(07:51):
I approve. But what my studio really specializes in is
helping women reclaim something, feel something that.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Maybe they feel like they have lost.
Speaker 5 (08:00):
I don't think aging is all about loss, but there
can be feelings of loss as we age, right, And
I want in my studio for women to come in
and see images and feel like, no, it.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Is not a loss.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
I am building and gaining wisdom and strength as I go,
and I have photos to prove it. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Awes, that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Yeah, So tell us a step by step or typical
session from consultation to wardrobe to shoot day to reveal.
Can you walk us through some of that?
Speaker 4 (08:39):
Yeah? So boogoar is an intimate experience, right.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
So, like, if you're gonna come take pictures in your
underwear with me at the studio, you're gonna want to
feel confident and know exactly what's going to happen.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
So it all starts with a phone call.
Speaker 5 (08:51):
I'm going to talk to you on the phone before
you come to the studio and we're going to talk
about where your.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
Goals are, what you hope to feel, what are your fears.
Then on the day of your shoes, you're gonna arrive.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
At the studio with clean, dry hair and no makeup on,
and we are gonna just take care of you and
pamper you from start to finish.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
So we have a beauty team on staff to.
Speaker 5 (09:10):
Get you camera ready and we're gonna do airbrush, makeup, lashes,
everything so that.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
You look perfect in front of the camera. I love it. Then, yeah,
it's really fun.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
I mean, you just have to show up and I'll
basically supply the rest. Right after hair makeups done, we'll
do a wardrobe console.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
We'll pick what you're gonna wear for your photo shoot.
It might be some lingerie offits you've brought yourself. You
can also wear some things I have at the studio.
Some people want to wear my.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
Giant Victoria's Secret style angel wings.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
Other people want to go with something more subtle.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
I have a lot of props and robes and shoes
and jewey at the studio.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
We can add on to your shoe. Then we're gonna
walk into the studio.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
I have one side of my studio that's painted white
and light and bright, and the other that's painted black
and dark. And we're gonna do for most people some
pictures on each side, so we get a nice variety.
I'm gonna tell you exactly what to do and how
to pose. I'm going to tell you to do with
your hands and your feet and your face.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
You don't have to know what you're doing. You don't
have to practice in front of a mirror before you
come in. I'm gonna take care of you.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
I'm gonna use lighting, professional lighting and posing to highlight
your best assets. Then something cool that we do at
my studio that most places don't do is that we
do a photo reveal right then and there while you're
still at the studio. So before you leave the studio,
I'm gonna show you a slideshow of your pictures. This
(10:30):
is really important to me because I want you to
see yourself without photoshop, without retouching, and to see what
a glorious goddess you are just as you are now.
Of course, if you go home and you want a
little photoshop, you want me to take that actne after
your face, you've got a.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Garden, I'll take it off.
Speaker 5 (10:48):
But I want you to see and appreciate those pictures
just as you are while you're at the studio. So
you'll be at the studio for three to four hours,
sort of a half day pampering experience.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
At the studio, you'll go home and and if you've.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
Ordered an album or print products, will ship those straight
to your door.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Wow, that is so cool. I love it that.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Yes, I'm so excited. I haven't been back to Chicago
and I can't tell you when. As I mentioned prior
to the show.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
I was.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I was born in Chicago, moved out here when I
was young with my family. But I now I really
want to go and I want to experience this. It
sounds fabulous and like something that I feel I could
use in my life right now at the stage that
I'm in where I'm feeling, you know, like aging. It
(11:36):
hasn't creeped up on me. It's upon me. But the
fact that you're going to do makeup and hair at
those victorious Secret wings, I tell you what.
Speaker 5 (11:47):
I would I have them in pink and and gray,
so you can be a nice angel or a naughty angel.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
Oh, I would want both. I would want both.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
And it's funny because I did take your quiz doing
search for the show, and it came back as fierce,
and I thought, okay, But I also thought of myself
in this vision of myself doing a photoshoot. But I
would also want to be more classy and softer and
sexy as well. So it sounds like I could, you know,
(12:19):
have several different looks if you will, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
Yeah, absolutely, I would love to have you in my
studio in Chicago. Oh and if you don't make it
out here, there's probably Boodgar photographer near you.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Listen.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
I think every woman, whether you come to Chicago or not,
deserves to have this experience. If you're listening to this,
look up a bood war photographer near you and see
if their website and their approach appeals to But I
just believe that empowered women are going to change the world.
And one way that you can kind of step into
your confidence and feel.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
That is by doing something maybe a little bit out
of your comfort zone, like a boudoir photoshoot. I love it.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
And your website, which will be in our show notes
as well, that is Chicago hyphenboudoir dot com for our
listeners out there if they wanted to, you know, investigate
a little bit further. Any tips for anyone curious that
hesitant about booking a session.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
So it's like.
Speaker 5 (13:15):
Really normal to be nervous about doing something like this,
and I am really used to people coming in just
shaking in their boots, not knowing what they're doing. And
my recommendation is is if there is something kind of
in the back of your mind saying this is intriguing
to me, I want to do this.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
I don't have a partner. I want to do it
for myself. I do have a partner. I want to
do it for them and for myself. I want to
do it before I turn forty. I want to do
it before I turn fifty. I want to do it
after I turn fifty five. If there's something about this
that intrigues you after sixty, just.
Speaker 5 (13:48):
Start looking into it. Make a phone call, talk to
a photographer. Every photographer us their own approach, and just
see where it takes you. I did a big war
photo shoot for myself more than ten years ago. I
was so this.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
I'd never done anything like this before.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
I'd grown up in a very conservative household where showing
my body was like not approved of, And I felt
like I was being really naughty doing something like this,
doing a Boogar photoshoot. But man, I stepped out of
that studio feeling something, feeling like I could conquer the world.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
It was sort of like going skydiving or something. It
just felt I had this jole of energy.
Speaker 5 (14:22):
And I'm not exaggerating when I say that that Boogar photoshoot,
after another series of events, led me to become an
entrepreneur and open my own studio. So maybe a Boodoor
photoshoot will lead you to something bigger and better in
your life too.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Right, And perhaps there are women listening that are aspiring photographers,
perhaps never really thought about this little niche right of
boudoir photography. So that's always something as well.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
Right, Yeah, it's very unique.
Speaker 6 (14:54):
I mean you see a lot of landscape work obviously,
you know, yeah, birthdays and yeah, the usual stuff. But
that's probably something that a lot of people don't really
think too much about.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
It's so unique, not on their radar.
Speaker 5 (15:10):
Yeah, there are a lot of photographers in Chicago, and
I've tried to do some math, and there are about
two hundred photographers doing.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
Families, babies, weddings, landscapes.
Speaker 5 (15:19):
To everyone photographer in Chicago who's doing boudoir. I'm not
the only one, of course, there's other people who do it, but.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
It is a little niche industry. And the thing that I.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
Love about it and why I have kept doing it
for almost a decade, is because to me it's more
than just a business. I get to be with women
in this really special intimate moment, and every day when
I'm in the studio is rewarding for me to see women.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
I mean, just a couple of days ago, I was
at the studio put those pictures up on the screen,
and the woman who's in the.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
Studio, she broke into tears and she said to me,
I can't believe that's me. I haven't seen this version
of myself ever, and it means so much to me.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Thank you for holding my hand through this experience and
so getting to be there in those.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
Moments, like really, it's just it's more than a business
to me.
Speaker 6 (16:11):
Oh I see that really great for someone to see
themselves in that light. You know, it's not something you
really I've always said I'm not a very photogenic person.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
I don't photograph well, and I hate having my picture taken.
I hate it.
Speaker 6 (16:29):
And you know it's ironic because my partner is like
she logs everything. We have pictures of everything we do
and a lot of them, and so, you know, me
not liking getting my picture taken, it.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
Happens pretty often. But I can't imagine seeing myself in
that light.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
I think it would be really fun and exciting and
like oh wow, especially being all you know, what did
they they used to have like yeah, yeah, see getting
all dulled up.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
And feeling hampered, right with somebody doing your hair and
makeup and just that am just getting pampered.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
Yeah, and here's what I want to say. I don't
believe that there's such thing who's a person who's not photogenic.
You've just been photographed by that photographers.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
Right right, And your partner's not a bad photographer, great
pictures of me.
Speaker 5 (17:20):
Yeah, every person is worthy of being photographed and documented.
There's not there's no such thing as a human who
looks it just cannot be photographed.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
Well, it's just how are they photographed, how are they lit? What?
What are they wearing?
Speaker 3 (17:38):
How?
Speaker 5 (17:39):
Maybe the photos you've seen for yourself don't represent how
you feel yourself should look and should be represented well,
And I understand that.
Speaker 6 (17:48):
Yeah, I think to like you said, it's a lot
of it is the person that you're working with. If
you're a photographer makes you feel comfortable and relaxed, you're
gonna think, oh, yeah, that's that's who.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
I am when you look at that picture.
Speaker 5 (18:01):
You know, and I'm gonna say, is we've gotten so
used to using iPhones for photos and listen, I love.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
iPhones for photos. I take photos on my iPhone every day.
But if you look at the lens on an iPhone.
It is tiny. It's like the size it's like smaller
than the size of a penny, right.
Speaker 5 (18:16):
And if you think of a professional photographer, you're used
to knowing that it's like a big, big, old fat lens, right,
And that changes and distorts how pictures look.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
So if you take a.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
Selfie like this with a tiny little lens, whatever's closest
to that lens is gonna look bigger and spread.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
And that's why a lot of people think.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Their noses look really big in photos because literally, the
way you are taking a picture of an iPhone is
your nose is the closest thing to the to the lens, right,
because it sticks out from your face. So every selfie
you're taking is spreading your nose, making your nose look bigger,
and distorting your face back towards your ears. So if
(18:55):
you've only seen iPhone photos of yourself, and self is yourself,
A lot of times people actually have a legitimately distorted
view of what their face looks like to other people
because our eyes don't do that.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
When I look at you, my eyes.
Speaker 5 (19:08):
Don't distort your face in your nose, but the iPhone
lens does.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
And so I think especially in.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
The last few years, if everyone's gotten a cell phone
and all we are using a cell phones, which is great.
I'm not putting cell phones down, but it has given
some of us a weird view of what our bodies
and our faces look like because of.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
The lens distortion on iPhones.
Speaker 5 (19:28):
So that's something that I think is really important about
what I do, is kind of turning that narrative and
saying not every photo of you has to look distorted
like that.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
I can use a.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
Different kind of lens, I can use different lighting at
my studio, are kind of picture you've never seen of
yourself before.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
And also telling somebody how to pose right and guiding
you know them through that as well. I think it's
something I've always felt very awkward, you know, in front
of the camera right, and.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
It's like, oh am, I supposed to til my head.
It's like chin up.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
And I've heard things before and when you know, you
were a kid and you would go to the photographer
a J. C. Pennies, right, and they'd be like look
here and you know, chin up or whatever. And I
feel like that's still rolling in my head whenever I'm
in front of a camera and I again am my
own worst critic, and I don't like photos of myself,
but I think helping if I had someone to glam
(20:23):
me up number one and then help me guide me,
you know, through posing and you know, and maybe make
it look more natural or whatever. But just somebody to
help guide me as well as the lens, right, yeah, yeah,
in touch.
Speaker 4 (20:40):
It's interesting you may have gotten some good posing advice.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
But it depends where you are in the photo too.
So have you ever seen a group photo where the
people on the edge look like giants and the people
in the normal look middle, Because so that's what a
wide angle lens does, is it distorts the edges too.
So the posing advice that you get might be good
if you're standing on the edge, but it might need
poor advice you're staying the minimal advice versus So it's
(21:03):
just like, yes, you may have gotten some good advice
to some bad advice, but also is really dependent on
where you're standing the lens of a distance from the
group to the.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
Camera, there's like just like a lot that goes into it, right,
And so you might be like.
Speaker 5 (21:15):
I'm always doing that jac Penny post, I'm supposed to do,
but that maybe that pos is making.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
You look even wide a on the edge of thee.
Not that there's anything wrong with looking why, but that's
not how you want it to look in that picture.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
But because you're standing on the edge and someone's using
an iPhone that distorts the edge of the picture, and
you're posing that is not conducid to the wide angle anyway.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
There's just a lot.
Speaker 5 (21:38):
I mean, we think when we see a picture of
ourselves that that's the truth. We think that's the reality,
we think that is real. But the fact of the
matter is is that all photography is an illusion I
pho photography, or it's a flattened two D image of
a real, living three D person.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
Right.
Speaker 5 (21:54):
So even a beautiful picture I'd take in myself that
I've taken of you, that you think is.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
Beautiful, it's still just a representation of you. Right.
Speaker 5 (22:02):
And so when we equate our worth or our value,
our beauty with these two D representations, it can be dangerous.
And you know, you can say, well, I look bad
in pictures, I'm not photogenic, I hate pictures of myself.
Does that turn into I hate myself, I'm not worthy myself, right?
And that's really dangerous territory to start self loathing.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Right, yeah, yeah, And I was also wanting to touch
on the fact that and perhaps do you recommend that
anyone prior to coming in to see you prepare mentally
or emotionally for a suite or do you just say,
you know what, just shower, come as you are, and
(22:44):
maybe you create the mood in your studio with music
or ambiance, or.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
Come as you are. Come as you are. You don't
have to do any homework.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
I mean, of course you can do some things before
you You want to get your nails done, get your
roots touched up, like you know, what you want to
do is fine with me. But you don't have to
come just as you are. I want to just pamper you.
I had a woman in the studio yesterday. She's thirty
weeks pregnant with twins. She is you know, they had
to go through a lot of fertility to get these babies.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
She's pretty sure these are only you know, she's she's.
Speaker 5 (23:16):
Done growing her family after these babies were and she's
not feeling good. She told me she threw up all
the way over. She's been sick or well pregnancy. She's
like I didn't have time to get my nails on.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
I didn't do anything.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
I said, don't worry, just sit down, take any breath,
sip some water, and we created the most beautiful silhouette.
I mean, she has the most perfect round belly looking
just so, and we created these beautiful pictures with lighting.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
You. I mean, even if she.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
Didn't have any makeup on, you wouldn't it didn't wouldn't matter,
because it was.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
Just all about her beautiful curves and her belly. And
I showed her those pictures and she was like, I'm
going to look back on this.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
And enjoy this pregnancy just because of these pictures, you know.
And so you don't have to prepare, you don't have
to get in some mindset, you don't have to do yoga.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Just come.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
I want to photograph you just as you are. You're
fabulous and beautiful, just as you are today.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
That's I love that story. Yeah, I do too, I
do too.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
And yeah, and again the information to reach out to
Liz is going to be in our show notes. I
also noticed that you have empowering quotes available on your website.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Can you tell us a little bit about that real quick? Yeah, So,
on my website is a table that says free stuff.
So I'm at Chicago Blue dot com.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
Booe wok can be a tricky word to spelled b
o U d O R dot com.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
And Yeah, I have some downloads. I have a self
care calendar.
Speaker 5 (24:40):
I've got a dirty Talk ebook with one hundred and
one sexy phrases.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
I have some smar quiz you can take.
Speaker 5 (24:47):
I've got a text club you can join where I'll
text you an empowering quote once.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
A day for thirty days.
Speaker 5 (24:53):
If any of that interests you, just head over to
the free stuff tab on my website.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
I'd love to connect with you. If you're in Chicago
area or not. Just take looks Sea If any of
that appeals to you, I love that. I'm curious. Now
I just need to see this crazy one hundred and
one phrases you can use tonight. Wow.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yeah, one hundred and one phrases. That's hilarious. But we
really appreciate having you on our show, Liz. It's been wonderful.
It's such a fresh topic. I think to help women,
specifically in middle age and in their third act, gain
confidence and feel empowered and sexy in a whole new way. Right,
(25:34):
it's not now just talking about diet and exercise and
those types of things. And I love how you embrace
everyone no matter what their size is, no matter what
they look like, because of course the beauty does come
from within, but the society that we live in today,
so it's differently. I just think it would be an
(25:54):
amazing experience.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
It is.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
I mean, I just I think if I could give
one piece of device, I'd be like, don't wait, Like
I truly like if I I've probably.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Lived more than fifty percent of my life.
Speaker 5 (26:07):
I mean, if I make I'm almost forty five, if
I make it to ninety, I'll be super lucky.
Speaker 6 (26:11):
Right.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
So if there's things you want to do, you want
to do woodwar photoshoot, like do it now, you'd be
glad you did it now, not in five years.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
Right. If there's a trip you want to take, I
don't know.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
Middle age is about taking risks, taking charge of your life,
doing things, celebrating where you've been, where you're going.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
And it's not the time to sit around and wait.
Yeah right, I love that. I love what you do.
It's great.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Yes, yes, thank you so much for being on our show.
It's been a great pleasure. Wish you all the best.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
Well, thanks so much for having me. This is a
great conversation. Thank you you.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Well, that wraps it up for today. Thanks for joining
us on Let's Talk Midlife Crisis. We hope you got
some laughs, a little inspiration, and maybe a few new ideas.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
If you've loved today's episode, hit that subscribe button so
you'll never miss an episode, and hey, share the love.
Send this episode to a friend who could use a
good laugh and some midlife wisdom.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Connect with us on social media at Let's Talk Midlife
Crisis and let us know what's on your mind. We
love hearing from you.
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