Whenever Ashley Benson takes a photo her goal is to highlight her models’ beauty.
Benson has a passion for photographing women of all ages and backgrounds in ways that empower them and make them feel beautiful. Over the last several months she has seen great success, launching Black Amethyst Boudoir where she sets up boudoir-style photo shoots with dozens of South Cariboo women.
“I really want to get as many people as I can doing this because you all deserve to feel beautiful and reach that place of self-acceptance,” Benson, 26, said. “I’ve been there and (growing up) I was always trying to look like those Facebook girls. They always looked so good with their filters and I thought I was never going to look like that but you can and you do (already).”
Boudoir is a form of photography where the subject, typically women, pose for photos in dresses, lingerie, sexy outfits or even nothing at all. For Benson, the experience is all about accepting your body and celebrating it in a positive way.
She first started dabbling in photography when she was 12 but really got into it after graduating high school. Benson said her early subjects were her family and that she experimented with fine art photography in college.
“Photography is just my creative outlet. I’ve always been passionate about photography so when I first started modelling that’s when I got obsessed with doing all these weird themes,” Benson said. “I was trying to hit every genre to see if I would like it and then I nailed my first boudoir shoot.”
As a young mother and photographer, Benson said she has had her fair share of body image issues. When she started experimenting with boudoir, both as a model and a photographer, she found herself able to accept her flaws.
It wasn’t until she had a client burst into tears after seeing her picture that Benson realized she could have that same impact on other women. She added there is almost a “spiritual component” to her photography in that way.
“When you finally see your beauty for the first time with your own eyes, suddenly your whole world changes,” Benson said. “It’s just a friendly reminder you’re strong, courageous and still hot, don’t think you’re not, because you are.”
One of Benson’s models and clients was Lac La Hache mother of two Jennifer Tanner. She said she met Benson two years ago when Benson was still working as an esthetician. When she later launched Black Amethyst, Tanner decided to model for a shoot in January.
“I figured ‘you know what I’m going to be 50 pretty soon and I’ve never done anything like this before’. It was really out of my comfort zone,” Tanner, 49, said. “It was solely for myself, it wasn’t for anybody else.”
Tanner said going in she was nervous as she has never worn any kind of lingerie before for anybody. Despite being “pretty much naked” in front of someone who wasn’t her family or a partner, she said Benson was able to make her feel comfortable. Indeed she soon found herself laughing as she did a variety of poses for Benson.
Afterward, when she looked at the final photos, Tanner said they gave her a whole new perspective on herself.
“She made me look sexy AF, she made me feel super good about myself and I was amazed that I can look sensual if I get out of my own head,” Tanner said. “I’ve always been self-conscious about my body, especially after having kids, gaining weight and getting stretch marks. She believes and sees that we are all beautiful, inside and out, and deserve acceptance.”
Benson said she strives to give her clients the best experience possible. Included in the photoshoot fees is free hair and makeup, a goodie bag and a glass of champagne. After the shoot, she said her clients can buy an album of their photos or individual prints.
In the future, Benson said she plans to submit a show to Parkside Gallery to showcase her photography. She encourages anyone interested in potentially modelling to reach out at Black Amethyst Boudoir on Facebook or by emailing blackamethystphotography@outlook.com.
Tanner said other South Cariboo women should reach out to Benson if they’re having challenges accepting themselves.
“She has this amazing ability to see the inner goddess of the people she photographs and she helped me see myself in a new light,” Tanner said. “I left her sessions with a renewed sense of self-confidence.”
patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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