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Choosing a Photographer: Why I'm Not For Everyone (And Why That's the Point)

Saturday, February 14, 2026 | By: Amber Holmes Studio

Let's get something out of the way right now: I'm not for everyone.

And honestly? That's exactly how it should be.

If you're looking for a boudoir photographer in Virginia Beach who's going to hand you a catalog of "approved poses," tell you what to wear from their closet, and make you feel like just another appointment on the books: I'm not your girl.

But if you've spent years feeling like your body wasn't enough, like you didn't fit some bullshit standard someone else decided, and you're finally ready to see yourself differently? Then we need to talk.

This Isn't About Me Being Picky: It's About You Getting What You Need

Here's the thing about specialization that nobody talks about: when a photographer narrows their focus, they get really damn good at one thing.

I don't shoot weddings. I don't do family portraits. I don't photograph products or corporate headshots.

I do boudoir. Fine art boudoir, specifically. And I've poured everything I've learned: from my own painful journey with self-esteem to years of refining my craft: into creating an experience that actually transforms how women see themselves.

 

That focus means I understand the lighting that makes your curves look like art. I know how to pose you so you feel powerful instead of awkward. I've studied the psychology of what happens when a woman finally stops apologizing for taking up space.

But it also means if you're not ready for that level of raw honesty and vulnerability, we're probably not a match. And that's okay.

My Story: From Bullied Kid to Boudoir Photographer

I grew up getting bullied. A lot. The kind of relentless, soul-crushing comments about how I looked that burrow deep and set up shop in your brain for years.

For most of my life, I had zero self-esteem. I avoided mirrors. I wore baggy clothes. I made myself as small and invisible as possible because I genuinely believed I wasn't worth looking at.

It wasn't until the last few years that something shifted. I started doing the work: therapy, self-reflection, all of it. And then I did my own boudoir session.

That session changed everything.

Seeing myself through a lens that wasn't filtered through shame or someone else's cruelty? Seeing my body as art instead of something to apologize for? It cracked me wide open in the best possible way.

 

That's why I do this work. Not because I think I'm perfect or have it all figured out, but because I know what it's like to feel like you'll never be enough. And I know what it feels like on the other side of that.

What Makes Virginia Beach Boudoir Photography Different Here

If you're searching for boudoir photography Virginia Beach or a Virginia Beach boudoir photographer, you'll find a lot of options. Some studios will dress you up in their wardrobe. Some will hand you a champagne glass and call it "glamorous."

That's not what happens here.

At Amber Holmes Studio, I guide you through styling: but you bring the clothes. The pieces that make you feel like yourself. The ones you've been saving or the ones that feel like home on your skin.

Why? Because this isn't about me dressing you up like a doll. It's about you showing up as you are and discovering that you are already enough.

 

I don't have a studio wardrobe collecting dust. I have a process that helps you figure out what to wear based on who you are, what makes you feel powerful, and what story you want to tell.

Does that take more work on your end? Yeah. But it's also what makes your images yours.

Who This Experience Is For (And Who It's Not)

Let's be blunt.

If you're looking for a boudoir photographer who will blow smoke up your ass and tell you you're perfect without actually seeing you, I'm not it.

If you want someone who's going to tiptoe around your insecurities without addressing them or helping you work through them, keep scrolling.

And if you're the type who looks down on other women, judges people for their size or their tattoos or their scars, we're absolutely not going to vibe.

But.

If you've never felt at home in your body and you're ready to try? If you've been made to feel "less than" because of how you look or what size you wear? If you want a space where you can be messy and real and unfiltered without someone clutching their pearls?

Then yeah. We're going to get along just fine.

This work isn't for the faint of heart. It's not a quick ego boost. It's an intentional, sometimes uncomfortable, always transformative process that requires you to show up: really show up: for yourself.

What "Safe" Actually Means

I see a lot of photographers use the word "safe" to describe their studios. And I get it. But let me tell you what safe means here.

Safe means you can curse if you need to. Safe means if you cry during your session, I'm not going to freak out: I'm going to hand you a tissue and keep going. Safe means your body is welcome exactly as it is, no disclaimers required.

 

Safe also means I'm not going to let you hide. If you start spiraling into negative self-talk or shrinking yourself down, I'm going to gently call you out on it. Not because I'm mean, but because you deserve better than the voice in your head that's been lying to you for years.

That's the kind of safe I'm interested in creating. Not performative. Not shallow. Real.

The Images You'll Actually Get

My aesthetic is moody. Warm. Dramatic shadows and intentional light. I'm not interested in making you look like someone else or filtering you into oblivion.

I want to capture you: your presence, your power, the way you take up space when you finally stop apologizing for it.

The images from your session will reflect that. They're not going to look like everyone else's boudoir photos because you're not everyone else.

And that's the entire point.

Why Not Being For Everyone Is Actually the Best Thing

Here's what I've learned: when you try to be everything to everyone, you end up being nothing to anyone.

By being clear about who I am, what I offer, and who this experience is for, I attract the right people. Women who are ready. Women who want to do the work. Women who aren't afraid of a little vulnerability.

And that makes every single session better. For you, and for me.

You're not looking for just any photographer. You're looking for the right photographer. The one who gets it. The one who's been where you are and knows how to help you get where you're going.

If that sounds like what you need, let's make it happen.

SEND ME A MESSAGE AND LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOUR SESSION COULD LOOK LIKE. NO PRESSURE. JUST TWO PEOPLE FIGURING OUT IF THIS IS THE RIGHT FIT.

Because boudoir photography in Virginia Beach should be more than just pretty pictures. It should change something in you.

And if you're ready for that? I'm ready for you.

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