Courtney Dellafiora » xocourtney.com

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows. -Audrey Hepburn

A question I get asked on a regular basis is, “What made you want to start shooting boudoir?” The short version? God put it in my heart. The long version? Here goes…

I did my very first boudoir shoot over 8 years ago for a friend. I had never done a shoot like this before, and had never even heard of “boudoir”. I was totally clueless as to how the images were supposed to look. She simply wanted some “sexy photos” for her fiance’, and I was determined to make it happen for her. It was all shot on film, with window lighting and in a tiny apartment. I made it work with what I was given at the time, and I had so-much-fun with it. To this date they are still some of my favorite shots! Something sparked inside of me that day and I had no idea what it meant or why. I enjoyed the shoot so much. I will be honest, I questioned myself for feeling so great about something I knew that some people would view as wrong. I was raised in a Christian home and I have been in church my entire life. In the back of my mind, I felt like shooting boudoir was something my family and many people I knew would definitely judge me for. In turn, I didn’t really talk about the fact that I wanted to start shooting boudoir, but I would do it for friends. As I began to fall more and more in love with boudoir photography, I also continued to get better and better at it. For many years, I was very reserved in sharing that I was shooting boudoir, when what I really wanted to do was scream it from the mountaintops. I had no idea how I was supposed to approach this calling I felt so strongly about in my heart. I knew from that very first shoot it was something that I loved doing, and I knew I was good at. It came so naturally for me to photograph women in flattering, sexy and glamorous ways that made them feel so beautiful and good about themselves. I was very comfortable in the atmosphere of shooting boudoir. I was never sure why I excelled at boudoir photography, or why it came so extremely natural to me, but I ran with it. After years of doing soul searching and trying to figure myself out, it finally hit me why I loved boudoir SO much. Because God had called me to do it.

I’ve known from day one God is the one who gave me the talent of being able to photograph women, and I am certain his hand is in it all. I believe without a shadow of a doubt God is using me to bring inspiration and confidence back into women and relationships. He has not only blessed me with this gift, but also with a heart that is SO passionate about changing the world and making people feel better about themselves. The reason I shoot boudoir is because I want every woman to realize how beautiful she is. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US struggle with our own insecurities. We always think we are not pretty enough, skinny enough, smart enough, the list goes on. In today’s negative world, there are things thrown at women DAILY that attack and tear down every inch of their confidence. It is a constant battle to have to remind yourself that you are God’s beautiful child, you are his daughter, and He created you just the way you are. You ARE beautiful.

When a woman feels confident… she radiates, she glows, she acts and reacts differently to every day life. When a woman feels good about herself, it affects not only her relationships, but also her home and family. Just think how different marriages and relationships would be if every single woman felt confident and beautiful. There would be a lot less fighting, and a lot less stress between two people. Men would be falling more and more in love with their partner instead of resenting them. When I ask men what is one of the most important qualities they look for in a woman, CONFIDENCE is one of the most popular answers. It’s such an attractive quality and it makes women ATTRACTIVE to be around. Confidence makes a woman’s whole world so much better.

I asked one of my best guy friends, Brandon, to give me his opinion on confidence and my photography. “A woman who doesn’t feel she is sexy allows her self-consciousness to inhibit her. Courtney’s portraits allow a woman to throw her inhibition to the wind and embrace her uniqueness. A woman with that countenance and confidence possesses the most attractive qualities a man can hope for.”

According to studies, men think about sex every seven seconds. In turn, men have a strong desire for sex. It’s not a bad thing. God created them that way. It’s very important that women not only understand this but respect and value how important it is that they express their sexuality with their man. It’s OKAY to be sexy! In fact, it’s a part of who you are. As a woman, God created you to be beautiful, to feel sexy. He created you to be desirable to your husband. It’s truly one of the most beautiful gifts God has given us and something that should be embraced. You can never be “too sexy” for him.

I love shooting boudoir because it is an extremely wonderful thing a woman can do for her man. The sparkle in his eyes when he sees her photos for the first time is a truly priceless moment that can hugely increase happiness in a relationship. Knowing that I am making a difference in increased intimacy in a relationship is something that makes my heart soar. There are no words that could express how much it means to me to play such a positive role between two people who love each other.

I’m a complete romantic in every sense of the word. I believe in love… true unconditional kind of love. The kind of love God shows us everyday. I believe that everyone wants to feel happy, loved, beautiful, cared for, wanted, appreciated and so on. If I can make a difference in just one person or one relationship, then every single thing I have ever done is worth it. All of the years of hard work, dedication and passion for a gift God gave me is worth it if I can inspire one woman to feel beautiful, sexy and loved.

Artistically speaking, every time you see one of my boudoir photos, you are looking into a window of who I am not only as an artist, but as a woman. I myself am very in touch with my sexuality and womanhood. I love feeling sexy and embracing that side of me that God created. The side of me that loves and embraces femininity. I love being a girl who fantasizes about romantic gestures and moments. It makes my heart so happy to be able to portray who I am through my art in other women. The feeling is indescribable to me and I am truly blessed that God not only made me a woman, but has given me the opportunity to express my sexiness through others in a positive way.

So why do I shoot boudoir? To sum it up, it’s because I want to change the world. I want to take this amazing gift God has given me and glorify him with it. I want to bring beauty and confidence back into the world. I want to make a difference with the very short time I have here on earth. I will never let God’s gift go to waste. I will never give up. I will continue to be passionate about boudoir and the impact it can have on our world. I will strive everyday to reach as many women as I possibly can to remind them they are LOVELY. Because you are.

xo
The Boudoir Vixen

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
-Sam Levenson

Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful! Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Song of Solomon 4:1

In and out of weeds and dirt.
squealing, laughing, getting hurt.
Arms held out for love and hugs.
Tiny fingers finding bugs.
Rough and tumble, sweet and shy.
Snuggling for a lullaby.
Who could name the countless joys
That come from two sweet little boys.

Children are truly such precious gifts. So innocent and sweet. So full of hope and love. They are truly a reminder of God’s love for us. I want you to meet Owen and Elliot. The funniest, smartest, cutest and most well behaved children.. ever. Truly beautiful blessings sent from God. These two little boys will make you laugh until your stomach hurts. Their cleverness will leave you amazed. And their sweet nature will make your heart melt.

I recently shot some photos of them as a Christmas surprise for their daddy. If you know me, I am obsessed with British culture. So I dressed them up like little Brits did back in day. And to make it even more perfect, their great grandmother is British. : ) I absolutely love how the outfits turned out – it couldn’t have been more perfect. Hope you enjoy these sweet photos that are so special to my heart.

Love,
CC

Brothers will be brothers. Even during photoshoots.

The photo below completely sums up Elliot’s personality. And I love it.

Seriously, beautiful children.

Owen is such a good older brother. He has a heart of gold.

 poem by: Lorayne Stevenson

It seems like just yesterday I was writing this post for 2010. I cannot believe another year has already flown by. Oh, my, goodness. Even though it went by in the blink of an eye, I can honestly say I did my absolute best to soak up every moment and live every day to the fullest. For that I am super proud. When I think back on 2011, I am truly blown away by all of God’s amazing blessings. Not only did I have the opportunity to do and see some awesome things, so many wonderful people were sent into my life.

One of my favorite things about this year was how much traveling I was blessed to to do. I visited SIX different countries in 2011!! WOW. Aruba, Peru, Jamaica, England, Italy and Mexico! Some of them were for work and some were for fun but I absolutely loved every moment of every single memory made. I was also able to travel all over the US this year which was equally fun. There is no doubt I have this little thing called a travel bug. I love it as much as I love photography. Truly obsessed with seeing as much of this beautiful planet God has given us.

I was so honored to have such INCREDIBLE clients this year from all over America. I wish I had the time to sit and write each of you a little message on this post of how blessed I am to have worked with each of you. But even if I did, there would and could never be enough of the right words to tell you how much I appreciate you. Yes you… beautiful souls. Thank you for believing in me and in return making me a better person and artist.

This year I am most grateful for what I learned and how I grew. I learned A LOT. Some of was easy and some of it was not. But I learned… and I grew. In my personal life, as a business owner and as an artist, I became a better ME. And that makes me feel good, real good… accomplished. A success in my own little world. I may not have done everything I wanted to do in 2011, but that’s okay. There is always next year. All that matters is that every year I get better and better in every aspect in my life. As long as I’m pushing forward and never giving up on my dreams, then I am on the right track.

2011 was SO good to me… God was so good to me, and is every single day of my life. I am so excited about 2012 and all that’s in store. I look forward to continuing to learn, grow and become the woman God has always intended me to be. No matter what comes my way, I will never stop striving to be a better Courtney. There is nothing and no one that can stand in my way. I will not fail. I will not let go of G0d’s promises. I will not ever give up. This is only the beginning.

THE BEST IS YET TO COME.

Read 2009’s blog post here.
Read 2010’s blog post here.

I will leave you with photos of one of my favorite rooms in my studio. My office. Every time I walk into this room, I am humbled… and reminded of how much God loves me. It’s my little room of love and inspiration and I am so grateful for every little nook and cranny.

To God be the glory for everything I am. Without HIM, I am nothing. He is my true inspiration.

Happy New Year to anyone reading this. Never give up, you are loved.

Life will never be easy. There will always be challenges. There will always be mountains to climb and oceans to cross. But remember, it is the mountains and oceans that make us better climbers and better swimmers. If there were no heartaches, there would be no strength. No one will go through life without some sort of test… or several of them. But the way you handle the challenges is what will determine the outcome of your life. Face each challenge head on, never give up. Never let go of hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Pray. Ask God for his strength and peace. God will never disappoint you or let you down. He is the one being you can always depend on forever and ever. He will never turn his back on you. He is the one who will hold your hand through your darkest moments of life. He wants to hold you tight and never let you go. But you have to let him. He is waiting there with open arms for you… ready for you to just let him love you.

Don’t let the evil side win. You are worth so much more than that. God created you and he made you beautiful. He has things planned for you that you cannot even fathom. Your future is so bright, so full of hope and love. If only you will just reach out and let him help you. Humble yourself. Let go of anger and bitterness. It’s not worth it. Let love in. Let God in.

I know Christmas is an amazingly beautiful time of year for most people. But there are so many hurting people in the world that for them, the holidays only add to their unhappiness and depression. I am writing this today to encourage anyone who might be hurting… don’t let go. There is always hope.

Merry Christmas.

From the deepest and most sincere part of my heart,
Courtney

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. -Deuteronomy 31:6

I will leave you with one of my favorite songs by the band Red. It’s called Not Alone.

Slowly fading away
You’re lost and so afraid
Where is the hope in a world so cold
Looking for a distant light
Someone who could save a life
You’re living in fear that no one will hear your cries
Can you save me now

I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won’t leave you I will catch you
When you feel like letting go
Cause your not, your not alone

Your heart is full of broken dreams
Just a fading memory
And everything’s gone but the pain carries on
Lost in the rain again
When will it ever end
The arms of relief seem so out of reach
But I, I am here

I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won’t leave you I will catch you
When you feel like letting go
Cause your not, your not alone

And I’ll be your hope when you feel like its over
And I will pick you up when your whole world shatters
And when you’re finally in my arms
Look up and see love has a face

I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won’t leave you I will catch you
When you feel like letting go
Cause you’re not, you’re not alone

And I will be your hope
And I will pick you up
And I will be your hope
And I will be your hope

Slowly fading away
Your lost and so afraid
Where is the hope in a world so cold