Comfort and security are tied as my #1 priority when I conduct my boudoir shoots. After that, it’s privacy; some of my subjects want photographs to indulge in themselves, or to mesmerize a suitor, or to confidently share publicly as a statement to the world. And that’s a choice that belongs to the women posing across from me on the other side of the lens.
It is an honor to work with New Scotland Spirits on its “Whiskey Women Too” (#WW✌️) campaign. Although the company is adopting the age-old, tried-and-true marketing adage that “beauty sells,” this initiative is more than that….
The most important takeaway from #WW✌️ is that the women I photograph are, themselves, art. And just as every piece of artwork an artist creates has a story behind it, so too do the women who trust me to capture the intimate moments wherein they’re simultaneously at their most vulnerable AND their most powerful.
The I get to help my subjects share their stories is an honor. As women, we are authors and artists who utilize our bodies as canvases to express our desires, our histories, our identities. Whether applying makeup in the mirror or throwing on old jeans, women know they’ll be under the microscope all day. I say: bring it. Show me to the telescope!
My boudoir photoshoots are tasteful, classy, elegant, artistic, and—of course—erotic… because there’s no shame in declaring possession over our own aesthetics. Nothing about the scars and tattoos, the curves and contours, or the urges and interests my photographs reveal in any way undermine who we are as mothers, managers, leaders, athletes, professionals, workers… and, in some cases, whiskey drinkers!
I got involved with Jesse and Rosemary because I want people to look at this series and say of its subjects “Wow. She is BEAUTIFUL.” And then when they read the stories behind each picture, they discover the woman beyond just what they see. The narrative of the text and the glow of the photos compel the audience to view our photos, our bodies, our beauty with respect.
Working with New Scotland Spirits has been a blast. I love integrating the bottles, enhancing our photos with sexy or playful poses that accentuate this salient point: like bodies, every bottle is a piece of art with a story behind it! How it was made and why… the way the smell, taste, and color reflect the agricultural origin of the grain, the influence of the charred white oak barrel, the journey to the glass.
That’s the essence of #WomenWhiskeyToo. It’s a celebration of our stories, of our bodies, and of a product we love and share. I want the viewer to be enamored and aroused, to admire and adore, to be thrilled and mesmerized. Like whiskey, my photos will warm you……..
I’m an entrepreneur myself, and the support New Scotland Spirits has shown my fellow woman-owned business is further proof that these guys it: community is the #1 product that any company should be slingin’.
34-year-old Jackie Gibbons
55-year-old Rosemary McHugh
34-year-old Chelsea Kline
40-year-old Jessica Baird
41-year-old Rebecca Smolen-Miller