What If You Booked This for Future You?
A different way to think about boudoir photography (and why it's never “too soon”)
Every once in a while, I look at a photo of myself from a few years back and I just… feel it.
This morning it was one from the summer of 2021, right when I had moved back to San Francisco. My hair was a little blonder. I think I’d used some Sun-In. I was outside a lot those days… probably because I didn’t yet feel ready to give my photography my full attention. I was unemployed, figuring it out. A little (or a lot) lost. But I was trying, and doing my best.
And the photo stopped me. I remember how I felt back then — a bit chaotic and full of dreams but unsure how to reach them — but looking at it now, all I could think was:
She was such a cutey. I’m so proud of her.
And that got me thinking: What would it feel like to have a photo — a beautiful, intentional, vulnerable photo — of yourself at this exact point in time?
To capture not just how you looked, but how you were?
To honor the version of you who’s doing her best right now?
To tuck her safely into the archive of your life, so Future You could come back and say,
“I remember her. I love her. I’m proud of her, too.”
Boudoir isn’t just for right now. It’s a message in a bottle to future you.
There’s this idea that boudoir photography is something you do for your current self, or maybe your partner. A gift. Or even a “just because.”
Sure, it is that. But it’s also something else: A conversation with your future self.
A reminder for later, tucked into a book.
A mirror from another time.
A love letter you haven’t read yet.
Boudoir doesn’t just capture how you look — it captures your essence. The exact energy of this chapter of your life. And one day, when you're moving into a new home, you’ll find that album you haven’t opened in five years. You forgot about it. You didn’t even realize you’d need it. But suddenly, it becomes the most important thing you own. In that next house, you decide to keep it by your bed in case you ever forget who you are.
We always think we’ll remember. But memory is slippery.
It’s easy to believe we’ll never forget what this moment feels like: this body, this season, this version of us. But the truth is, we forget all the time.
That’s why I’ve written letters to my future self since high school. Once a year (or more!). They take me right back. I also print photos, just a few each year. Because we’re going to have so many images of our lives, and no way to organize them unless we’re intentional. Boudoir, in that way, is a curated moment. A still point. A deliberate marker in the timeline of who you are becoming.
That’s why I believe in making art from these images — in printing them, binding them, holding them in your hands. So they don’t get lost in the feed.
It doesn’t have to be for anyone but you.
You don’t need to be getting married. Or celebrating a milestone. Or trying to feel sexy. You can do this just because you’re here now. Because you’re in a chapter that matters, even if it doesn’t look like the ones you see on Instagram.
Maybe you're:
Single for the first time in a long time
Newly married and figuring out what that means
Pregnant, postpartum, or somewhere in between
A few years into parenting and starting to remember who you are again
Healing from something hard
Starting something new
Just… existing. And curious.
Whatever it is, this moment is already worthy of remembering. I promise, Future You will thank you for honoring it.
The album isn’t just a product. It’s a portrait of who you were.
My favorite kind of artwork to create with clients is our custom luxe albums, because they’re not just about image selection, they’re about self-representation.
With my DIY album, you can customize the details to reflect who you are right now:
Embroider your favorite flower on the cover
Choose linen, leather, or velvet in the color that feels most like you
Add a letter holder with a handwritten note to yourself
Include small inserts or details that make this feel like you in object form
Yes, these albums cost more. Because they’re not just keepsakes, they’re full reflections of who you are in this moment. Like your very own time capsule. Or a book you get to reread at different points in your life.
So if you’re on the fence…
If you’re reading this and thinking, “I don’t need this right now,” I want to gently offer a reframe:
You may not need it today. But you’ll wish you had it later.
I’ve heard it over and over from clients:
“I wish I’d done this before I had kids.”
“I wish I had photos of myself from when I was still healing.”
“I wish I had something to mark that time before everything changed.”
So maybe the timing doesn’t feel perfect. But what if you did it anyway? What if you did it for the version of you five, ten, twenty years from now? The one who might need a gentle reminder of how strong and tender she was, even when she couldn’t see it. And don’t worry, you can always do it again. Boudoir doesn’t have to be a one-time thing. You’ll evolve. Your body, your life, your outlook will evolve. And you’ll want to remember that version too.
Book It for Her
Book this for the you who doesn’t feel fully ready, but shows up anyway.
For the one who’s doing her best.
For the one who might forget, and need a reminder.
For the one who, years from now, will look back and say,
“I remember her. I love her. I’m proud of her.”
Want to create a message in a bottle for your future self?
Let’s make it happen!
Reach out to inquire about a session here.
Because you’re worth remembering.
And the best time to start is right now.