Melissa scheduled her solo boudoir session to celebrate her 45th birthday.
“I wanted to do the photo shoot to celebrate my 45 years. To remind myself where I have been and where I can still go,” she said.
When Melissa went through a divorce several years ago, her self-care fell by the wayside.
“As I got used to my new role as single mom, I stopped all aspect of self-care. Then, in 2020 I decided to take my life back. I got healthier, in doing so I lost close to 50 pounds,” she explained.
Now, Melissa has a whole new sense of confidence.
“I’m not done yet, but I am feeling strong in so many ways. I also began to meet new people and surround myself with people that brought out the best in me while allowing me to be my true self.”
Melissa first heard about Allebach Photography through a friend.
“I really wanted to push myself to do something I had never done,” she explained when asked what made her do the leap of faith with us.
“This was definitely something I would have never done a few years ago. I hid from cameras.”
Melissa brought her magic pants (black leather leggings), cute panties, a body suit and a red lace dress to help channel her inner goddess.
“It was more relaxed than I imagined. I felt comfortable, confident and pretty during the shoot,” she said, adding that she was totally surprised by how comfortable she felt “standing in nothing but a pair of panties with two people I just met!”
Her biggest surprise though, was her reaction to her photos.
“I felt overwhelmed but in a good way. While looking at the photos after the shoot there were, of course, ones I loved. Then, there were ones where my toughest critic came out. I saw the imperfections that still haunt me at times but I also saw the beauty and strength within me and I realized it’s ok to not love every single aspect of your body. Looking at the pictures of me laughing, the inner me came out and she’s the one that holds the beauty! I learned that you can be beautiful – flaws and all – and sometimes the flaws we see, no one else even notices.”
While Melissa thinks she’s still a work in progress she says, “I have come a long way and I’m happy I got to celebrate that!”
Celebrate where you’ve been and where you’re still to go on this journey called life. To book your own solo boudoir session with Allebach Photography, call 610.539.6920 or visit http://allebachphotography.com/contact/