Mary is a lot of things, all of which she is proud of.
A single, divorced 56 years young woman, Mary loves her job as a pediatric home health nurse almost as much as her hobbies, which range from crochet and K Pop, to playing Dungeons and Dragons (she is a self-described dork in that sense!). Perhaps what she is most proud of though, her three adult children.
“Two of my children live with me and yes, I’m okay with that. Growing up Latina, I was taught that family is important and in my culture, kids aren’t pushed to leave the nest as soon as they turn 18. Heck, I have a cousin in her sixties who still lives with her mom,” says Mary.
Mary has herself, her children and has no qualms with being “alone” in a romantic sense, perhaps because her life is so full!
“I am not in a relationship and I’m not sure if I want to be in one. While I sometimes miss having a partner, I don’t mind being alone, if that makes any sense,” she explains.
Self-described as chubby, with “sparkling” gray hair, Mary wanted to do a boudoir session for several reasons, not least of which being she wanted to show others and herself that age is just a number.
“It was a bunch of things. I wanted to prove to myself that silver vixens can still be sexy. That age is just a number, and I wasn’t too fat or too old to do this. And I wanted to inspire others in my age group to step up and take chances.”
She added, “It also helped that everyone who has done a shoot with you absolutely loved it and encouraged others to try it out.”
Mary had mixed emotions on her way to the studio, she was both excited and nervous and found herself giving her own pep talk during her drive.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect. Yes, I read many articles about single and couples boudoir shoots, and how comfortable people were during their sessions, but I wasn’t entirely sure that would be my experience,” she said.
Though she brought seven outfits, ultimately, she went with a lacy two-piece lingerie in red, a black two-piece lingerie that was paired with pleather pants and motorcycle jacket, and a black bodysuit.
Mary said during her boudoir session, she felt comfortable both in these outfits (the pleather pants and motorcycle jacket helped show off her personality), as well as in her own skin.
“I thought I would be awkward and unable to even try to look good. I was wrong. I felt pretty, sexy, and comfortable in my own skin. I was more comfortable than I thought I would be, and that’s a good thing!”
Mary says she loved the entire experience, but that her favorite part was taking photos in the stairwell.
“It was the first time I felt sexy in how long? It was also the moment I realized I was having fun and enjoying myself.”
When Mary saw her images during her photo reveal she almost cried.
“I think the first thing out of my mouth was, ‘wow. I look pretty!’ And I was. I was confident in my own skin, and it showed.”
No reason to be so surprised Mary!
She loved her photos so much; she had difficulty choosing her favorites.
“Let me say that picking out which pictures were my favorites was HARD. I wanted them all. But in the end, I’m happy with the ones I chose to keep. I look sexy, confident, comfortable with myself.”
Since her session, Mary says she feels even more confident and comfortable in her own skin.
“’I was that person that constantly saw all my flaws and was at times very critical of myself. Now I feel more confident and comfortable with me.”
She continued, “We all have preconceived views on what a boudoir shoot will be and honestly, it isn’t what we think it is. It felt natural. Comfortable. Honestly, you just need to experience it for yourself.”
Interested in your own boudoir session with Allebach Photography? Ready to shatter the world’s misconceptions about you – whether it’s your age, size, gender or what have you? Call 610.539.6920 or visit http://allebachphotography.com/contact/ to schedule your free consultation!