Turning 40 already gives you a reason to reflect.
For Chris, it meant even more.
After breast cancer and a double mastectomy, she wanted to celebrate being here. She wanted to honor her body, her life, and the version of herself standing on the other side of everything she had been through.
“I turned 40 this year and after breast cancer and a double mastectomy, I really wanted to celebrate life & myself, with a sexy, dark, witchy photoshoot.”
That sentence says almost everything about why this session mattered.
This was not about trying to look younger. It was not about becoming someone different. It was about seeing herself as sexy, powerful, creative, and fully alive in the body she has now.
A Session That Felt Like Her
Chris came to Allebach Photography with a clear vision. She had gathered inspiration and knew she wanted something dark, moody, sexy, and witchy.
She brought black lace and several outfits, and we built the session around the atmosphere she had imagined.
Her favorite part was moving through the different sets and wardrobe changes. Each setup gave her another way to express a different side of herself.
That mattered because this was never meant to be a generic boudoir session.
It was hers.
Celebrating a Body With a Story
After a major medical experience, your relationship with your body might change in ways other people never see.
Chris did not go into detail about that part of her journey, and we do not want to put words in her mouth.
What she did tell us was clear. After breast cancer and a double mastectomy, she wanted to celebrate life and herself.
There is something powerful about choosing to be photographed after your body has carried you through something huge.
You are not asking the camera to erase your history.
You are choosing to see yourself in a new moment.
For Chris, that moment looked like black lace, dramatic sets, confidence, sensuality, and a little witchy energy.
A Little Nervous, Then Completely Into It
Before the session, Chris felt “a little nervous but excited.”
That feeling makes sense. Even when you know you want the experience, stepping in front of a camera in lingerie still asks you to be vulnerable.
Once the session started, the nerves gave way to fun.
“Amazing. It was so fun!”
That shift is one of our favorite parts of photographing boudoir. The session starts with anticipation. Then you get into the rhythm of it. You change outfits. You move through different sets. You see the ideas start coming together.
Chris had chosen us because of “the work and vibes of Mike & Erika,” and by the end of the day, she was fully immersed in the experience.
Seeing Herself Differently
When Chris saw her images for the first time, her response was simple.
She was “shocked by how cool they looked.”
That reaction says a lot.
She had arrived with inspiration in her head. Then she saw herself inside the vision she had been hoping to create.
When it came time to choose artwork, she picked the images where she felt sexiest.
Not the ones anyone else would have chosen.
The ones that made her feel something when she looked at herself.
Turning 40 on Her Own Terms
Milestone birthdays have a way of making you look at where you have been and where you are now.
For Chris, 40 came after breast cancer and a double mastectomy.
She chose to mark it with photographs that felt dark, sensual, playful, and entirely her own.
And based on the response, she was not the only one impressed.
“My friends are demanding calendars of me haha.”
When we asked what advice she would give someone thinking about booking a boudoir session, she kept it simple.
“Just do it. You won’t regret it.”
Chris did not book because everything in life had been easy.
She booked because life was worth celebrating.
And sometimes that is the strongest reason of all.
Your Story Is Worth Celebrating
You do not need to wait until you feel more confident, more comfortable, or more like the version of yourself you think you should be.
If you have lived through something that changed you, reached a milestone you never want to forget, or simply feel ready to celebrate yourself as you are right now, this is your reason.
Come create something that feels like you.
Book your boudoir experience at Allebach Photography and let us photograph this version of you.
Schedule a call here to get started: https://meetme.so/allebachphone
