We recently connected with Gina Collins and have shared our conversation below.

Gina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I don’t remember a moment in time where I thought “I would love to have a creative job”. I wasn’t exposed to many creative “career” options as a child of the 90’s that was deemed “successful” by others. It was a matter of do you want to do go to school for business or healthcare? There weren’t many photographers, artists, or trade jobs at Career Day. My mom was the closest role model I had when it came to a “unique” career choice. My mom was a RN, but she also became a licensed massage therapist and opened up her own business where I grew up. I remember watching her prepare and build this business with so much pride and joy, there had to have been a moment for me where I felt- “I want that” because it has never left my mind and its what pushes me often. From an early age I had an entrepreneur spirit. I tried any and every business idea I could come up with, even better if it was something I could make. I made it through high school and when it came time to choose volleyball/college or something else, I chose there latter and went to Aveda to become an Esthetician. From there, I realized what passion I had for art within beauty. To create something by hand that also ultimately makes other people feel great about themselves as well was an amazing feeling, AND I could make it a career??? Yes, please! As years passed and I grew within the space that was both business and art, I expanded my mind to other avenues while still staying within the handmade health and beauty aspect. I learned lessons, I tried other businesses, and I had experienced heartache in the midst but I ultimately knew I needed to stay within something that was a creative outlet that could also provide for my family. That was the secret ingredient to a life fulfilled for me- freedom and creative purpose. So I looped back into Photography, something I dabbled with during high school and following that I really enjoyed. Here I am two years later, still creating amazing art while educating others that Photography while different, is still art.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

While in High School, I took Photography as an elective. I learned film, art history, and your basic shooting structures when it comes to takin a good photo. My freshman year of highschool, I met my birth dad who turned out to be a photographer as well and had a portrait photography business. He was the one who gifted me my first camera, a Canon Rebel. I didn’t take Photography seriously as a business until recently after reaching a fork in the road about where I wanted this to take me. I decided right before Covid happened, that I wanted to go all in when it came to Photography. I wanted to learn from the best, create the ultimate experience, and create something amazing and not easily replicated. It took me the first year of photographing everything from families too branding to make the decision that Boudoir is where I felt most at home and where I felt I had the most impact with people. Since making that decision later last year, I have dedicated all of my time into learning this style of photography while also creating a safe space for my clients to truly and fully allow themselves to release all of trauma they might hold surrounding body image or experiences. By allowing this process to happen, it results in beautifully unique and authentic images tailored to the clients personality and needs. That is what makes our studio space different, the process and time we take to truly get to know the clients we have to their core and what makes them who they are. While I am all for female empowerment and let’s show all the confidence, it’s not always about that and sometimes you can’t fully get there with one session. You have to have understanding that most of the time, it takes peeling back the layers of body dysmorphia, mental abuse, and/or physical trauma to really get down to the root of why they need to FEEL the empowerment and how we can instill even the slightest bit of change in their mindset when they leave the studio. When I started to do boudoir, you could ask me why did I chose this and I would have said “to empower women” without really understanding what exactly that is. If you ask me now why did I choose boudoir photography as a career, I would have to say because there is greater purpose and opportunity to reshape someones agreements about themselves through the experience that is a boudoir session. It gives me no greater fulfillment than when I can can physically see a client just release and start to understand what makes them beautiful and unique. Then to accept that unique does not mean flawed. Once they see their images for the first time and I am sitting there with them watching them just be in shock that they could be and look something other than what they believe others have told them about themselves.. that is what it is about. That is what makes me the most proud to own a Boudoir Photography business. I am here to create art that speaks for peoples journey by capturing and immortalizing these delicate moments in time they will forever cherish. Our body will never be the same as it is right now, nor will our mind. To wait for either to change because of the fear you are not in a socially acceptable mold is preventing you from getting to know yourself and appreciating what your body has gotten you through.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

From experience, I believe that non-creatives have a learning curve when it comes to accepting that there are successful careers that can come from it. I have come across a lot of non-creatives with closed minds that have voiced opinions that if you don’t go to college, you can’t be successful and I think people forget that art exist in about 80% if not more of our lives and a lot of the guilty pleasures they enjoy, are indeed a creative who made a career doing it.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I feel like the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the freedom to be able to just move and groove with what ever inspires us. It was never stimulating or fulfilling sitting at a desk, making money for someone else at a pay rate that takes years to go up. Being a creative and also having a business as as creative leaves me with a “sky’s the limit” opportunity to create whatever reality I would like to live in. The flexibility of that brings me a lot of joy and excitement that pushes me to continue to create something better each and every session I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.raxonleighphoto.com
• Instagram: @rogueboudoirtx and @fauxhausstudios

Image Credits
Hair Stylist: Brittiny Palazzo Makeup Artist: Ayleen Guajardo