E22 Empowering Women Through Boudoir Photography with Devin Helen 📸💋

Pollen: For Creative Entrepreneurs with Diana Davis

A healthy relationship with yourself comes from accepting and loving our bodies. It takes looking at yourself in the mirror or taking photos and wholly loving every part you see. The experience of boudoir photography has helped women embrace body confidence, sexuality, and inner beauty. It allows women to see themselves in a raw, transformative way.

In this episode of The Pollen Podcast, Devin of Devin Helen Boudoir joins and shares her journey in empowering women through her craft. She imparts her experiences being a boudoir photographer, including the challenges of breaking the stigma around her work and surviving the pandemic. Devin encourages us to embrace this one life we have, and live well and fully in the body we are given.

Listen to this episode and be empowered by Devin’s story and craft!

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🔥 Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode:

1. Understand how boudoir photography can reconnect you to your body confidence, sexuality, and inner beauty.
2. Debunk the stigmas and stereotypes surrounding boudoir photoshoots.
3. Learn how boudoir photography empowers women of all ages and walks of life.

📘 Resources

• Achieve the life, career, and clients you’ve always wanted (and fully deserve!). Join the waitlist for Camp Clarity!
• Join the waitlist for the ASCEND Mastermind, a four-month immersive mastermind for entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their next mountain. ⛰️
• Want to have one-on-one coaching support from Diana? Check out the brand new Voxer Coaching Container.
• Attract your dream clients with my free masterclass!
• Access other courses from Diana Davis Creative.
• Connect with me: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
• Learn more about Devin and her work through her website or you can request to see her work on her private Instagram.
• Book your boudoir photography session with Devin here!
• Read Her Stories through the Devin Helen Boudoir blog.
• You can also connect with Devin through her personal Instagram.

🎧 Episode Highlights [04:57] Getting to Know Devin

• Devin is a full-time boudoir photographer based in Bozeman, Montana.
• She aims to make women feel strong and empowered in their bodies through photography.

Diana: “The purpose of [Devin’s] photography is not for the private enjoyment of a romantic partner, but rather for each woman to view herself in a real, raw, and transformative way.”

• Devin loves moving her body in her work as a fitness instructor at Zephyr Cycling Studio.
• She also loves camping, mountaineering, and traveling with his husband, Mark.
• They have been married for 10 years and have two dogs: Santiago and Thor.

[07:24] Devin’s Childhood

• Devin’s father worked in the Navy and was deployed to different places.
• Her family moved a lot and she did not have a lot of friends growing up.
• Devin describes herself as a self-sustaining child.
• Even as a child, she felt strongly and gets defensive over women.

[10:09] Devin’s Journey to Photography Business

• Devin shares she never excelled in one thing as a child. She explored, did a lot of things, and gave it her 150%.
• She has always been intrigued by magazines' layouts, images, and fonts.
• She pursued graphic design at Montana State University and got a small business minor because she always felt like she should also learn about businesses.
• Devin was also very interested in photography and explored the craft.
• Throughout her college and for years after that, Devin worked with wedding photographers before deciding to get design agency experience.

[16:16] Getting into Boudoir Photography

• Working in a design agency allowed her to wear multiple hats.
• Her first encounter with boudoir photography was beautiful, artistic, and classy.
• She decided to get one as a wedding gift for her husband and remembered feeling safe, powerful, and strong throughout the process.

Devin: “And it doesn't matter how many kids you've had, or what surgeries you've had, or scars or like health things that you've gone through. I just think every woman deserves to feel awesome. And even deserves to like work through emotions that come with the whole process.”

• Devin tried taking boudoir photos upon being encouraged by her sister-in-law.

[29:10] Expanding the Boudoir Photography Business

• Devin’s boudoir photography is mainly outdoor, which isn’t the norm.
• She keeps her boudoir photography on Instagram private to create a safe space and build camaraderie among women.
• She currently advertises her work on her website to reach more people.
• Her business thrives on word of mouth wherein she announces her next location and her clients respond and refer her to people.

[34:53] Breaking the Stigma Around Boudoir Photography

• Devin wants people to know that boudoir photography is to empower women and not merely for the enjoyment of men.
• Boudoir photography can also inspire women to see how their bodies have changed and look back on how empowered they felt throughout the process.
• Women from different age ranges and walks of life can have boudoir photography.

[38:16] Surviving the COVID-19 Pandemic.

• Devin’s business quadrupled despite the pandemic.
• She had to be flexible and reschedule many of her shoots during the early pandemic, but things still worked out.

[41:06] Religion and Boudoir Photography

• One of the challenges in Devin’s work as a boudoir photographer is dealing with the prejudice around it, especially with her husband’s work as a youth pastor.
• Mark has always been supportive of her, especially in efforts to empower women.
• He even came up with Her Stories, a photo series that shares stories of why women booked their boudoir shoot and how it impacted them.
• Still, Devin does her best to not cause harm or miscommunication, especially among middle school and high school moms who are involved in the church.
• Visit Devin’s blog for the Her Stories series.

[44:25] Empowering Women Through Boudoir Photography

• Boudoir photography isn’t necessarily red room, crazy leather, and whips; rather, it’s about being in your body and yourself.
• Part of her work is also debunking these stigmas and stereotypes.
• Every woman needs empowerment.

Devin: “...Many facets of a Christian woman, that demographic of women, need a lot of empowerment. [They] really need to feel beautiful in their body and feel like they’re not just serving all the time or not just a mom. Every single woman deserved to be able to feel and not be made to feel small because of their feelings.”

[48:04] What’s Next for Devin Helen Boudoir?

• Boudoir photography can be highly emotional and taxing.
• Her work is about supporting women along their journey, not counseling.
• She is currently exploring design agency work, particularly branding photography.
• She also wants to target the older generation of women from 45 to 65 years old. Devin does this through a friend who offers retreats to that audience.
• Devin currently goes on retreats where she offers boudoir photography on the side.

About Devin

Devin Helen Archilla is the founder of Devin Helen Boudoir. She is passionate about holding space for her clients and capturing their unique presence individually & wholeheartedly through boudoir photography. Through her craft, Devin aims to make women feel empowered and strong with their bodies.

Outside photography, Devin spends her time camping with her husband, hiking, teaching fitness classes, running in the mountains with her dogs: Thor & Santiago, sharing good food with good people, driving dirt roads, traveling, and inhaling protein shakes.

Learn more about Devin and her work through her website or request to see her work on her babes-only private Instagram. Connect with Devin through her personal Instagram.

Enjoyed this Podcast on Women's Empowerment?

Empowerment comes from within. Boudoir photography is more than just a photoshoot; it’s an empowering experience that can reconnect you to your body confidence, sexuality, and inner beauty. When all is said and done, what matters most is that you emerge from this experience realizing that you are brave and empowered.

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