The performers make the magic happen

Fatlesque performers aren't just talented, they're creating cultural change. Every single time they get on stage, they're challenging decades of messaging that says fat bodies should hide, should apologize, should take up less space.

And then they perform. Holy goddamn! They're gorgeous. They're powerful. They're sexy as hell. They're funny. They're emotional. They're everything burlesque should be, and they're doing it in fat bodies that society has told them aren't "appropriate" for the stage.

That's why I gift boudoir photography sessions to these performers. Because what they're doing matters. Because representation in performance and in photography matters. When fat folks see images of fat bodies being celebrated - not "before" pictures, not weight loss journeys, just bodies being gorgeous and powerful - it can create change.

What the photo sessions look like

When Fatlesque performers come in for our photography sessions in Seattle, they show up differently than a lot of my clients. Not better or worse - just different. They know their bodies. They know how to work angles, how to express emotion, how to move in ways that photograph beautifully.

But what I love is that even though they're performers, they're also just people. They get nervous. They have insecurities. They sometimes need reassurance. And watching them see their images, watching them realize how fucking stunning they look!! That never gets old.

These aren't just pretty pictures. They're documentation of a movement. They're proof that fat bodies deserve to be celebrated in all contexts, not just on stage but in intimate, vulnerable spaces like boudoir photography.

If you missed Fat Con this year

If you missed Fat Con or Fatlesque this year or you've never been, I hope you'll consider going next year. And if you're a fat person in Seattle who's been thinking about doing a boudoir session but you're worried you're not the "right" body type, let me be clear: you are. Yes, in the body that you have right now.

You don't have to be a performer. You don't have to be confident. You don't have to have it all figured out. You just have to show up. And I'll take care of the rest.

Until next year, Fatlesque

Thank you to everyone who makes both events happen! Thank you to the organizers, the volunteers, the performers, the attendees, everyone who shows up and creates this space. Thank you to the Fatlesque performers who trust me with their images.

And thank you to the fat liberation movement for existing, for fighting, for creating spaces where fat bodies are celebrated.

It's an honor to be part of this community. Every single time.