Boudoir photographer Amanda Robb helps ‘terrified’ women love their bodies – Stuff

Amanda Robb has transferred her skills from a 27-year career in counselling to being behind the camera for boudoir photography sessions, which she calls self-empowerment body love shoots. Business is booming. Robb, 50, lives in her home in South Brighton, Christchurch, which also doubles as her studio.

AMANDA ROBB:

I picked up a camera because I like to record the beauty around me.

People started offering me money for family photos, landscapes. I just laughed, and said, Are you crazy?

But I did some courses, just having fun; local photographers day courses, and some national five-day landscape courses, online courses on how to use settings.

I realised I was making as much money from part-time photography, mainly weddings, as from my work.

I quit my counselling job and three days later Covid happened, and every wedding was gone.

I had a portfolio for family photography, but I didnt get any bites for that. I posted a model call for normal women who wanted to try modelling in lingerie, and there was a demand for boudoir photography.

It took off like crazy. Its been a full-time roller-coaster since then.

You can figure out which job is more fun. Theyre both great, but I was probably a little burnt-out from being a counsellor for such a long time. And its nice to be self-employed. I can have my own schedule, work what hours I want to work, take breaks when I need them, no commute or office politics.

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The lamp is from Art by Lydia. Lydia Hawkins is a friend of Robbs who does pop art and upholstery.

I dont do that many shoots a week: They're time-consuming. Although I do sometimes travel around the country doing boudoir marathons where we shoot 10 women a weekend.

The whole house is a studio. I shoot out of my bedroom. I feel like Im camping here and the whole house is a photography backdrop.

I had a break-up in January, and I moved out of our home in Belfast. I lived in a campervan for a while. I was homeless for a little while, and then I moved in here.

I bought the house a couple of years ago, knowing if I ever needed to, Id love to live here because of the views. Im looking at it right now, across where the Avon River goes into the estuary. There's a dead end road, a bank, the water with swans.

Its such a beautiful setting, good for a photographer because its always changing: The sun rises and sets, the lights always different, and the birdlife too. And its peaceful.

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Robb says her Canon R5 camera is her baby.

Its three bedrooms but its quite small, 90m. My two children left in the last eight months: My daughter, 21, is flatting in Tauranga, and my son, 19, has joined the army.

I guess like any woman at my age and in my position, its a transition. Ive gone from a large house with six people to living alone. Im lucky I have the business to keep me busy, and lots of friends, but its a transition.

I dont meditate every day, but I sit outside and watch the sunset, have a cup of tea. Or I have friends over, a bottle of wine and watch the sunset. Thats mindfulness.

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The view of the estuary directly outside Robbs South Brighton home faces west, making it perfect for viewing sunsets. .

I used to teach mindfulness in my counselling. You get into something so deeply you see the beauty in it and thats why I wanted to start taking photos.

My clients are just normal women of all ages and sizes, all on a journey to love themselves. They come in really nervous, some are purely terrified of being in lingerie and of being in front of a camera.

First they go and get their makeup and hair done with my business partner, Melodie McColl, in Addington. And then they come here. We go through what theyve brought to wear, and look in my client wardrobe, which is full of lingerie, gowns, wings and stilettos.

She gets changed into the first outfit and then we start.

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The neon sign hangs in the third bedroom where the boudoir shoots usually begin on the chaise longue.

My counselling training probably helps a little. I completely guide them. I control the session hair, lighting, pose, facial expression because they wouldnt. Most hate cameras, and they call themselves not-photogenic.

I call the sessions self-empowerment body love shoots. Weve had women recently whove lost 40kg or 60kg, or theyve just separated from a partner and want a confidence boost. Or just turned 40 or 50 or 60. For all of those reasons people have a shoot. Its often very personal.

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Boudoir photographer Amanda Robb helps 'terrified' women love their bodies - Stuff