We recently connected with Jeff Carpenter and have shared our conversation below.
Jeff, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Everyone has crazy stuff happen to them, but often small business owners and creatives, artists and others who are doing something off the beaten path are often hit with things (positive or negative) that are so out there, so unpredictable and unexpected. Can you share a crazy story from your journey?
My most touching story involved a woman who contacted me shortly before the end of quarantine 2020 to book a boudoir session as soon as we were able to resume sessions. She had her session in July 2020, which was especially fun because she brought her mom with her. She loved her experience so much that she booked another session for September 2020.
After her second session, she ordered an album. When it arrived, I asked her to come to the studio to pick it up because I always like to ensure it looks perfect before my clients take it home. She opened the album, started flipping through the pages, and smiled—but then I noticed tears rolling down her face.
When she finished, she closed the album, looked up at me, and said she had a confession to make. She then told me that I had saved her life. She had been on the brink of suicide when she saw my advertisement on Facebook during quarantine, and something inside her told her she needed to do this session.
I immediately gave her a hug. It’s a moment that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Jeff, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Jeff Carpenter. I am a boudoir photographer and I love what I do. It was at a wedding in 2018 that I saw a groom open up a gift from the bride. It was a boudoir album. I didn’t know what that was at the time, and asked the photographer what it was. And I thought that it was something only female photographers did for the bride. Well, I stumbled upon a Michael Sasser and found out that men can do boudoir without being a creep. So I pursued it with my first workshop in January 2019. Where I met many awesome photographers. Including two female photographers who reached out to me to help me gain portfolio material. Because they loved my images I took at the workshop. And it all started from there. So I have brides who hire me to do a boudoir session, and I also do wedding videography, so I am able to record the groom’s reaction at the same time.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
After finding out the true reality of what boudoir was all about, I make it a mission to change men & women’s view of how they see themselves. Because we all see ourselves and imperfect, and it takes a toll on our self-esteem.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I have had many negative messages and people who reach out to me saying that they think I am a pervert, or I am a despicable human being. But they are people who have no idea what I do and believe that I am doing this kind of photography for the sole pleasure of it. And that can’t be further from the truth. Many of my client’s cry seeing the back of the camera, because they see a different side of who they are. This is my mission.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.boudoirbyjeff.com
- Instagram: boudoirbyjeff
- Facebook: boudoirbyjeff
