Meet Kristen Justine | Boudoir Photographer

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

Hi Kristen, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was always very creative and knew that I wanted to work for myself one day. Following someone else’s rules and schedules was never something I was very good at nor fond of much! As a former makeup artist, photoshoots used to be where I spent a lot of time, and because of that I developed an interest in photography. When I finally started learning about photography, I fell in love with it because it’s such an exciting way to express yourself and create art. It wasn’t until I discovered boudoir though that I realized immediately that this is my calling and what I’m supposed to be doing for the rest of my life.

Boudoir is about so many things! It’s about empowerment, it’s about having appreciation for your body, falling in love with yourself and acknowledging the amazing things your body has done for you and what it has gotten you through. It’s about being proud of yourself and accepting yourself and understanding that no matter what stage you are at in life, you are completely deserving of all the self-love you can possibly give yourself! It’s about documenting what a beautiful, strong, gorgeous human you are now, so you can look back at it for years to come. It’s also about letting your grandchildren know one day that you have ALWAYS been a bombshell, and making sure they never forget that!

For me personally, due to several physically and emotionally abusive relationships I have been in throughout recent years, I have struggled with certain issues relating to my mental health, which in turn caused my body to significantly change. I had to try very hard to learn to love myself again after all the physical changes and everything I was mentally going through, and it was not an easy thing by any means. When I finally was able to pretty much rewire my thought process and see myself from a very different point of view, I wanted to pass what I learned on to anyone else who was struggling with similar issues and teach them to recognize what an amazing person they are. When I discovered boudoir and realized that I could do something artistic that I loved, while also being there to support and help anyone who is going through what I went through, I knew that this is what I wanted to do forever.

I am so lucky to be able to make a career out of my passion. I am so honored that there are folks out there who trust me to help them through their journey of appreciating, accepting, and loving their bodies. Seeing the way my clients cry mid-session because of how amazing they feel, seeing the love in their eyes when they see themselves for the first time on camera, or seeing their excitement when they receive their luxury albums makes every single second of this amazing career worth it and I wouldn’t change a thing. Starting this business was the best thing I’ve ever done.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I believe what sets me apart from the others is my personality. Something every single one of my clients has complimented me on is the fact that they feel extremely comfortable around me because of how laid back I am and how I am completely non-judgmental. My clients always say their favorite thing about their session is my hype woman antics! They love how much I yell at them about how great they are doing, how I scream every time they hit a pose and kill it, and how I always make sure to step away from 100% serious and sexy, and make sure to capture the laughing and silly vibes too! The goal during my session is to have a blast, make you laugh, have you relaxed, hype you up like crazy, listen to great music while we pose, dance, and joke around, and make you see yourself from the eyes of someone else. Too often we are extremely critical of ourselves and I work very hard to get you to step away from that view of yourself and really see the beauty and charm that the rest of the world sees when we look at you.

What I want the world to know about me is that I am a strong believer in the fact that you do not need to be a certain size or a certain weight or look a certain way in order to love yourself, and even if you’re struggling now, you can absolutely turn that around! I actually developed PTSD after the way I was treated in two horrible short relationships by very insecure men, and I was treated horribly simple because of the way I looked. Their words never hurt me because I am very tough, but their actions did, and a few years after I was out of those relationships, it all hit me like a ton of bricks about what I had just gone through. I gained a lot of weight as a result of failing to cope with what happened to me. Once I was able to realize that I deserve nothing but LOVE and lots of it from myself and those I allow close to me, there was nothing that could stop me. I felt like I was on top of the world. And the important part is, I didn’t need to lose a single pound for me to realize that. All I had to do was look at myself and realize I was not being a friend to myself. It was this experience and others like it that I used for inspiration while starting this business and wanting to help others, and I make sure to remind people every day that they are worthy of loving themselves at any weight, any stage, and every single point in their lives. Whether you’re working on improving yourself and your life, or you’re content on staying right where you are, you will succeed at whatever you want a million times more if you’re doing it while loving yourself rather than coming from a place of self-hate.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m still relatively new to this side of Florida, and because of the fact that I overwork myself, I haven’t been on too many exciting adventures so far! But I do have a couple favorites places. Some of my favorite times so far have been in St. Petersburg! There seems to be a really artistic, creative, and open-minded culture there, which really resonates with me. Walking around the St. Pete Pier is one of my favorite things to do because of the incredible water views, the fun people watching, the random street musicians, the little bar near the splash pad with really good margaritas, the beautiful cityscape view with the sun in the background during golden hour, and the fact that my dog has an absolute blast every time we go. I’ve always been someone that is drawn to the water and the sun, so most of the fun things I do in my free time revolve around the beach or the water in some way. Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill in downtown Clearwater is a great place to sit literally on the beach and enjoy some really good food and drinks! Honeymoon Island dog beach is an absolutely beautiful place where I spent most of my summer. Clear blue water, an uncrowded beach that tourists haven’t exactly discovered yet from what I can tell (so shhh!), and a place where I get to meet all sorts of adorable dogs having the time of their lives playing in the water!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have the most phenomenal parents, brother, and family. There was never a point at ANY time in my life where I told them I wanted to do something and they told me I couldn’t do it. My mom and dad’s response was always “Alright what’s the plan? Let’s get started!” They’ve drilled it into my mind since I was young that I can do absolutely anything I want and achieve anything I want. They’ve supported me in everything I’ve ever done and been my biggest cheerleaders, from being at every single sports game I’ve ever played when I was little, to supporting my dreams when I moved from Cleveland to Chicago to Atlanta to Florida while trying to become a singer, a makeup artist, and finally a photographer! They’ve helped me in every way possible. They have given me so much self confidence and strength that even when there were times I was struggling or frustrated, I knew in the back of my mind that any negative thoughts I’ve had were just temporary and that I am completely capable of pushing forward and growing into a stronger person with each challenge.

I also have several best friends, Kristie and Sam, that have been incredibly supportive and amazing. They’ve always backed all my crazy ideas and have never judged me, they’ve used their resources to help me accomplish certain things, and they’ve been there when I had my weak moments and helped me work through what I was feeling.

There has never been a time in my life where I told someone close to me my goals and they doubted me. I honestly could not ask for a better support system.

Website: www.kissofboudoir.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kissofboudoir

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