Introduction
Welcome to Chiha Boudoir’s blog, where you can get inspired about all things boudoir photography and women’s empowerment.
My name is Gaby Chiha, and I’m the owner and photographer behind Chiha Boudoir.
I interviewed a past client of mine – Gabbie Cordova. Fun coincidence we have the same name. I wanted to hear in her own words what her boudoir experience was like. The rest of this article is in her voice.
Gabbie’s Experience, In Her Own Voice
I’m Gabbie Cordova and I did a boudoir session with Gaby Chiha. At first I was really nervous. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had been a member of a few Facebook groups and I saw a few posts in there about women who wanted to do boudoir sessions before their wedding, but weren’t 100% sure about it. I read those posts and a lot of the comments were very empowering. I was like, okay, maybe I want to do this.
I decided to do it, and I did, and it was really empowering. I was nervous at first, but Gaby made me feel super comfortable. We did it at my apartment at the time, and it was in my own bedroom, my own living room, my own balcony. And after looking at the pictures, I was like, wow. It was almost unrecognizable, but I also knew, like, that was me. Like, I did that. And I just felt so good. I felt comfortable in my own skin. Gaby made me feel super comfortable in my own skin. And it felt really good knowing that, yeah, I did that. That was me.
After Her Boudoir Photoshoot
I remember when I received my boudoir photobook, I didn’t know what to expect. Again, I knew that I had done the boudoir session and I knew that these pictures were being taken of me. I had my makeup done, my hair done. I was feeling myself, but I wasn’t sure what to expect when I actually got the physical album. I remember just looking at these pictures and just going, WOW. Oh my gosh, this is me. I was like, really, is this me? Did I really do this? And yeah, it just felt really good. It feels really good just being able to look at these pictures again and again.
I remember looking at these pictures and just not believing that it was me, but then also reminded myself that, yeah, this is me. And I just, I felt so good about myself. It was nice being able to do this for my husband, but also doing it for myself. Just to feel good in my own skin. It almost felt like I was looking at like a celebrity or model’s pictures. And I was like, no, this is me. And just looking at these poses and positions. Gaby really helped me get into the right positions and right facial expressions.
It was the morning of our wedding that I asked my sister to give him the book. I had told my sister about it and she was like, oh, that’s awesome that you did this. She gave it to him and he opened it up and a couple of pages in he quickly closed the book because I think he saw my butt! I think all his groomsmen were there and his dad and my dad. He didn’t want my father-in-law seeing this!
This boudoir photoshoot experience was really special. It was special for not just my husband. People might say, wow, that’s my wife. But it’s special for ME to look back and say, wow, that’s me. I have a baby boy now and if my children someday find my boudoir photobook, they can go, wow, that was mom. Look at mom go. Or they might go, Oh God, that was mom! So who knows?! I think either way it’s really special and really empowering. I hope that whoever ends up seeing this in the future can see that and understand that.
