We recently connected with Krista Manus and have shared our conversation below.

Krista, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

This whole crazy idea started when my husband asked me why I never took “sexy pictures” for him. I often feel like I have something to prove so I started doing some research and started learning to take selfies with my DSLR.

It became this fun thing I did on a weekly or every other week basis that was also a bit of a treat for him. As I did it more and more my skills improved and I became more and more interested in this genre called boudoir.

I put a lot of effort into learning and educating myself and eventually was brave enough to ask a couple friends to model for me so I could finally give it a go on someone else. My first session ended up referring a friend, from there I ran an ad and got my next my client and the rest is history (sorta!).

I spent the next couple years doing this part time (I worked full-time in the defense industry until 2020), shooting out of Airbnbs and other rentals. I finally broke down and got what I affectionally referred to as my ‘jail cell’ studio because it was about a 10×20 white brick room with one high narrow window.

I think it was in 2017 I came across a gorgeous spot in the Barrio in Tucson that really launched my business forward. I could consistently book people without stressing about finding a location that fit the vibe I wanted. It was tough at first but a combination of more education and improved marketing really helped me take hold in the area.

Jumping ahead to 2021, I felt I had started to outgrow my space so started looking for something new where I could expand – be able to offer more to my clients and be more creative (even though I despise being pushed outside my box!). I moved to a significantly larger space where we can offer 4 ‘regular’ sets and 1-2 ‘seasonal’ options. There is now a full (150+ pc) client wardrobe, a dedicated space for hair and makeup and plenty of room for me to complain about having to still move furniture!

Krista, 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?

I actually started my ‘adult’ life as an engineer in the defense industry! By trade I’m an electrical engineer, but about ten years ago I became interested in photography. I started out photographing events that my husband participated in as well as some other running events.

My husband challenged me one evening to take “sexy pictures” for him and I took that as a challenge. I started practicing on myself (I’m VERY skilled at setting a timer on the camera and running to a spot to toss a pillow out of the way!).

I graduated from that to asking a few friends to model for me – which they graciously did – and the rest is relative history.

Today, we’ve been through 3 studios, hundreds of amazing clients and thousands and thousands of stunning images. Our current space offers multiple rooms all styled to feel like home. Our vibe is relaxed and more minimal. Boudoir is the only thing we do which is a big factor when clients choose us. They want someone who is expertly skilled in their craft and not trying to do multiple things.

We offer a fully-inclusive experience that includes your session and a selection of amazing products. Session offers are available for individuals & couples.

Our studio also has a full client wardrobe filled with lingerie options in sizes XS-6X, robes, shoes, body chains and more. We will guide you through absolutely everything you need to do for your session with pose coaching, facial expressions and just an epic amount of laughs.

I absolutely love seeing the change in our clients, from nerves walking in the door to confidence walking out. I genuinely want our clients to feel like friends but most importantly, to have that moment where they feel incredible and powerful – where we’ve shown them a different perspective of themselves.

When we show our clients their images and they get teary (good tears!) it’s like letting go of societies expectations and seeing themselves without that filter.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

It’s seeing our clients finally see what everyone else does. I’m not a big fan of championing boudoir as being ’empowering’ or ‘life-changing’ because one day or one photo session isn’t going to 180 your view of yourself. What we hope to accomplish is to give our clients an amazing day that focus is on YOU. Where they get to put aside life responsibilities and all those hats we wear during life (parent/partner/spouse/employee/employer/etc) and just have fun.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Oh my gosh, being a small business owner is entirely about resilience! I’ve been in business over 10 years and it’s always had its ups and downs. Interestingly, COVID wasn’t that big of a resilience test – we weathered that storm relatively well. The current economic situation has been more of a test. We’ve had to head back to the drawing board multiple times to keep pivoting and continue to find ways to meet our clients needs and desires.

One of the things that I think most business owners struggle with is finding their community. It can be lonely and you can end of feeling lost – especially when you start making changes that might go against the grain. I’ve been lucky enough to find a small group of other business owners who are excited to support one another and uplift each other in an effort to really raise our industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.unleashedboudoir.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/unleashedboudoir
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unleashedboudoir
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArizonaBoudoir
• Other: www.instagram.com/unleashedboudoirmen is our men’s specific instagram!

Image Credits
my photo – Tracy Kranz all the others – Unleashed Boudoir