We had the good fortune of connecting with Allison Feenberg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Allison, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Helping people and social justice have always been diving forces for me, ever since I was 9 years old collecting cans from neighbors to raise money for environmental causes. After giving birth to my oldest son, I was floored at the lack of respect, support, and celebration women receive for all that we do. My birth experience, which took place in our home, radically changed my perception of ALL women. We are so incredibly powerful and literally capable of bringing life onto the planet, but sadly many of us have become blinded to that truth through the various societal messages and structures we encounter constantly.

I talk on the phone with multiple women every day on the phone, and I will tell you- we all have the same thoughts and fears. They all look different for each person, but at their core, they’re the same. We critique our bodies, we beat up on ourselves, we compare ourselves to others, we blame ourselves – this list goes on and on. It’s really rare that we are able to take a substantial and concrete action that slaps back against all of that. It’s even more rare that we do it without downplaying or apologizing for it. It’s a totally safe environment for a woman to tap into her power, feel free and beautiful and seen and know that she deserves it.

And I believe that the effects don’t end with feeling beautiful in your body. It’s getting freedom from the self focused negativity. Every bit of self focused negativity that falls away is energy that can be directed towards things that matter to that person – their family, activities, causes or endeavors they care about, etc. It’s newfound confidence that can be channeled into dynamics and relationships.

A boudoir session may at first seem like a fun, different thing to do- and it is! But if the intention is there, and if the situation is right, it can also be an incredibly transformative experience. This all has a definite impact on how we live, and how we show up for the people, challenges, and opportunities in our lives.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have always worked freelance, and I worked in commercial casting for 10+ years. Once I had my first child, I took a step back so I could have that time with my son. I had always done photography on the side, but didn’t have the confidence to pursue it full-time, and really didn’t even know how from a business standpoint.

Once the pandemic hit, I saw the direction that things were going for commercial casting for the foreseeable future, and I knew that I needed to pivot.

When checks began to come through for Covid relief, my husband and I decided that it would be the right thing to take that money and invest in new equipment and a business course with mentorship. It was really scary, and I couldn’t have done it without my husband’s faith and support. We had a two year old, and the world was in total chaos. It felt like a huge gamble.

The journey has been so many things! Owning my own business and putting my work into the world has forced me to face some of my biggest mental blocks. My first was the fear that I wouldn’t be able to serve my clients to the degree I wanted. As I mentioned, I believe women are so magnificent, and I really believe every woman deserves to see that in herself, and I want to be able to show that to the women I work with. I had to trust in my intent and in my work that my clients would receive what they were looking for. Luckily, they have!

After getting over that first challenge, in the beginning it was easy to get discouraged because the product I’m offering is is so personal. I really put my heart and soul into it. So when bookings are slow, instead of being afraid that people aren’t willing to invest in my work, I have learned that I need to reevaluate the business side of my work. People who succeed in business are those who keep trying and trying and trying. Keep putting themselves out there. Not just the creative side, but reevaluating and making changes with the marketing, the operations, and the client experience.

I chose the name Reclamation Boudoir because I want to support women in taking back ownership of their bodies and their perception of their bodies. I know from personal experience how limiting and draining the negative perception of my body had been in my life. The increase in confidence and energy that I have experienced since walking thru my own journey with my body has impacted my life in such a huge way. Reclamation Boudoir is about reminding women how magnificent they are, even if they’ve never felt it before.

Growing my photography business has given me so much experience that I can now channel into other avenues of empowering women to work thru confidence and body image challenges. This is so exciting for me because every woman may not be in the space where they want to or feel they are able to do a boudoir session, but there are still other ways to actively address this issue for women! While a boudoir session is kind of the holy grail for feeling sexy, I’m about to make so many additional offerings available, all of which I have used in my own journey of accepting my body and gaining confidence.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Wow this is a hard question!!! This city has EVERYTHING to offer! I also have 2 young children so my finger is not on the pulse of where to go anymore lol.

For a beach day, I’d definitely go to Malibu. I’d take them to eat at the end of the Malibu Pier at Malibu Farm for lunch after spending some time at the beach and go for dinner at Taverna Tony. I’d take them on a trail ride at Will Roger’s State Park with Jigsaw Farms. Their instructors are amazing and there’s nothing like a view of the ocean and mountains on horseback.

For some tasty Indian in a beautiful setting, I’d take us to Cobi in Santa Monica.

If we were going downtown, I’d go to the Last Bookstore, and grab some cupcakes from Big Man Bakes to take home. This question is not my strong suit anymore lol.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, an has been an incredible support, and gave me the confidence to push forward when investing in my business with our finances and my time felt incredibly scary. My mentors who I am FOREVER grateful are boudoir photographer and bad ass business owner Jenn Bruno Smith, who gave me the confidence and support to get up and running, and the vision to grow beyond what I ever even thought possible. She has changed my life and my family’s life and I will never run out of gratitude for her.

Website: www.reclamationboudoir.com

Instagram: instagram.com/reclamationboudoir

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReclamationBoudoirLosAngeles

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/reclamation-boudoir-santa-monica-5?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4hc8QGzYG3xX0ROPG1gEOA

Other: Pinterest https://ar.pinterest.com/ReclamationBoudoir/ Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@reclamationboudoir

Image Credits
all credit is Reclamation Boudoir

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.