According to the Oxford English dictionary, the meaning of word, Boudoir is described as: a woman’s small private room – but here on this page it means much much more. So I’m going to tell you a little bit about Hayley and how I came to photograph her at this time in her life.
She married Gareth when they were 18. Their relationship is one of two soulmates, deepened by the tough times as well as the happy times. They’ve got three gorgeous kids, lead hectic lives and are finishing off a house renovation while still living there.
Hayley came to me wanting to do something a little different with a portrait photoshoot, something quite out of her comfort zone for their next wedding anniversary, and for it to be a total surprise for Gareth. She’d recently turned 40, looks amazing (I hope she realises this) but most importantly has reached a place in her life where she’s confident about her achievements, her relationships, her own strength and where she wants to be.
Her home is her safe place, the life blood of this family, and at the bottom of the garden lies the most magnificent ancient woodland which belongs to them. She tells me it’s one of the main reasons they bought the house and nearly broke into cartwheels when she first saw it – I can see why! So it seemed only fitting that we explored the wonders and connections of their lives there, laughing throughout the day at the secrecy of what we were doing, and how he might think that “those wild boars have broken in again and tramped down the undergrowth in the woods.”