Three Years On — Joanna’s Return to the Studio

Some sessions stay with me longer than others.

Joanna’s was one of those — and even though this session happened just before Christmas, it deserved a little more space than the end-of-year rush allowed. This felt like a story worth telling properly.

I first photographed Joanna back in 2022. At the time, like many women stepping into a boudoir session for the first time, she arrived with nerves, uncertainty, and a quiet bravery that doesn’t always announce itself loudly.

Three years on, she found herself back in front of my camera again.

Not because she needed convincing.
Not because she felt pressure to “update” anything.
But because it felt like the right time.

This session came about after Joanna won a session through my 12 Days of Christmas promotion in 2024. By the time she arrived at the studio, it didn’t feel like a “prize session” at all. It felt like a woman choosing to show up for herself again — on her own terms.

Of course, there were nerves. There always are.
But they were different this time.

Familiar. Quieter.
Less about fear, more about curiosity.

Three years on, her body had changed.
Her confidence had shifted.
And the way she moved through the session had changed too.

There was less hesitation.
More trust — in me, and in herself.
More ease in the pauses between poses, where the real moments tend to live.

What I love most about sessions like this is the reminder that boudoir isn’t a one-off experience. It isn’t about capturing a “perfect version” of yourself and leaving it at that.

It’s a marker in time.

And sometimes, coming back isn’t about recreating what was —
it’s about honouring who you are now.

Joanna didn’t return to repeat her past session.
She returned to acknowledge the woman she’s become — three years on.

And that, quietly, is everything.