From One Boudoir Studio to Another

Every boudoir studio I’ve ever had has met its end at the three year mark.

I always enter a space with the intention that I will be there forever. But sometimes, life has other plans.

When I first viewed the space with my realtor he asked me for a five year lease. The space was on the ground floor and would need a lot of work to make it a private space for my clients. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the brick walls and the beautiful light.

At the time I was doing everything I could to come home to Austin and (at the time) I just couldn’t bring myself to put ink on paper. I told him I would sleep on it, and get back to him in the morning.

My husband and I had originally planned to be in Bryan College Station for 2 years max while he finished grad school. 2.5 years later we were looking at houses and permanent studios with our realtor and I remember sitting in my car wondering how I got here. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore Bryan Texas. It’s where my Aggie husband was born and raised and if it wasn’t for this adorable little town I would not have met my wonderful partner but I belong in Austin Texas. I grew up in Rollingwood. My parents were married in Zilker Park. My mom owned a collectibles shop on West 6th. I longed for days spent at Barton Springs and long nights with my husband at Mohawk. I really, really missed Whole Foods.

Pulling out of the parking lot and onto a busy road I immediately got in a head on collision with another woman. No one was hurt, it was no one’s fault, sometimes the universe intervenes and throws you a curve ball. I totaled my car and walked away with a concussion and a pretty nasty bruise on my leg. Thankfully the other driver walked away without a scratch.

A few days later I was due to be in New York for work. The next few days included my husband begging me not to go, and me packing thinking I could handle it. I had photoshoots, classes, and hangouts with other boudoir photographers planned and I wasn’t about to miss it. Now more than ever, I needed to get out of town.

I suprisingingly made it through all of my boudoir sessions, my scheduled classes, and when I was in an uber headed over to hang out with some other boudoir photographers (who were an hour from where I was staying) the nausea from my concussion finally hit me. I walked into the room and immediately took off my bra, happy to be around 20 other people that wouldn’t bat an eye. In fact, everyone else was mostly or fully nude, so me discarding a painful part of my wardrobe was more than welcomed. I ordered some food to combat the nausea and went upstairs to grab some shots of my sweet friend in the shower for his wife before promptly leaving to return to my bed an hour away.

During this time my husband had sent me a Zillow listing for a cute little 2/1 in sweet sweet Austin, Texas saying ‘wouldn’t this be the perfect little studio?’ It was a dream. Dream location, dream lighting, it was like a little dollhouse.

I’m not sure if it was the concussion itself or my near death experience but that long taxi ride home consisted of me texting and calling my realtor and putting in an offer on that little house which was promptly accepted.

I’ll save you from all the boring details but obviously, we moved to Austin and found another home in walking distance of my boudoir studio, and the rest is for another blog post.

But then something really serendipitous happened.

I met the most wonderful woman who had a long term lease on the studio directly above the one I was looking to sign a lease on originally in downtown Bryan. It was meant to be. We came to an agreement and viola, things were working out.

My boudoir studio in Bryan Texas has been so much more than just a studio to me. It was a safe haven for myself and my clients. It was a place to share laughter, tears and create art. Most importantly, it allowed me to be home. I will always be thankful for these walls and cherish every single photograph I took within them.

If you’re reading this and you’re in Houston or Bryan or College station thinking this is the end of our boudoir dreams together, it’s not! I have already found another boudoir studio (of course!) and I’m so excited to share it with you all. I hope to be there for years to come.

But just remember, when something horrible happens, something magic is sure to follow. ✨