We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Celeste Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Celeste below.

Celeste, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

I kind of fell into this specialty. I had a friend ask me to take some “sexy” photos of her so that she could make a book for her husband as a birthday gift. We met up at her house and took lots of photos. I had no clue of what I was doing, but did it anyway. Her husband loved the photos and that was the end of that. A few years later I was starting to build my wedding photography business and was working my booth at a wedding fair when a woman came by and asked me about boudoir. She told me that she had a wedding photographer but didn’t want him to photograph her boudoir because she wanted a female photographer. I had no boudoir images to show because I only did one. So I told her that, yes, I photograph boudoir, but that I didn’t have any images there at the fair because they were private, but that we could have an in person viewing of images. I was just winging it. You know what they say…”fake it until you make it!” Well, I didn’t hear back from her immediately, but she did end up reaching out months later, and by that time I had intentionally started building my portfolio of images of women of color of different sizes. I took this approach because I didn’t see a lot of women that looked like me in these types of photos, and I wanted women of different body types. Not what we typically see in marketing. When we eventually met up in person I showed her the images, and she booked right there at Shake Shack. That’s where we met, and that was the beginning of my journey. The day of her session came and she had her makeup artist come and do her hair and makeup. We did a very long session, and she said something to me that I never forgot, and that was how empowered she felt doing the session. She said she felt beautiful and capable of doing anything. I realized then that this type of session was life changing. I know it sounds cliché, but it really is. I’ve seen women come in one way and leave with a pep in their step.

Celeste, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

If I could say anything about what I’m most proud of, it’s the fact that women feel comfortable being vulnerable with me. A lot of women come to me because they see something in my photos that resonates with them. They see women who look like them captured in a beautiful way. They see that they can do it too. They trust me to help capture them beautifully and they trust me with their story. I work with a lot of women who don’t always love every part of themselves and a lot of that comes from trauma, and/or what society’s beauty standards. I meet them as they are. I listen to them, and I cheer them on through the whole process.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Be yourself. When I first started out I wanted to be like others that I saw in my field. I thought by doing that, that it would make me more likeable, but I realized…real quick, that I can only be the best Celeste that I can be. I have adhd so I tend to be all over the place. I don’t know if I’m coming or going sometimes. People say I’m funny, and I do like to joke and laugh and have fun with my people so I do the same with my clients. Plus, being my true self helps me attract my type of client. People who get me and want this experience.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Having a unique client experience has really helped me a lot. Providing hair and makeup, and having my stylist stay and assist has really stepped up my boudoir experience game. The clients love having someone help them with outfits, posing, fix hair that has fallen out of place, and being an extra cheerleader during the session. They feel pampered and somewhat of a celebrity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://celestepatriceboudoir.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celestepatriceboudoir/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/celestepatriceboudoir

Image Credits
Headshot: Myesha Tamu Boudoir/Virginia Beach VA