What happens after the sessions
I've written about Fat Con, about the Fatlesque performers, about why I gift these sessions and what they mean to me. But I haven't talked much about what happens after the photo sessions are done.
The performers get their images. Then they share them. They use them in their promotional materials. They post them on social media. They show them to their communities.
These images aren't just between me and the performer. They're out in the world, creating representation. They're showing other fat people what's possible. They're challenging the narrative that boudoir photography is only for certain body types.
That's the ripple effect I care about. Not just the session itself, but what those images do once they exist in the world.
The bigger picture: why this work matters
I became a photographer because I believe in fat liberation. I believe that fat bodies deserve to be celebrated, documented, and seen. I believe that representation in photography can actually change culture, one image at a time.
The Fatlesque performers are on the front lines of that cultural change. They're literally putting their bodies on stage and challenging anti-fatness every time.
If you've been thinking about a boudoir session
I know a lot of you reading this are fat folks who've been thinking about doing a boudoir session but haven't taken the leap yet. Maybe you're worried about not being "ready." Maybe you're nervous about how you'll look. Maybe you've internalized the message that boudoir photography isn't for bodies like yours.
Let me tell you something: boudoir photography is absolutely for bodies like yours. You don't need to lose weight. You don't need to "prepare." You don't need to be a trained performer. You just need to show up.
I've photographed dozens of fat folks in Seattle: performers and non-performers, confident people and nervous people, people who know their angles and people who've never done anything like this before. And every single session has been beautiful. Because every single body is worthy of celebration.
Until next year
Fat Con and Fatlesque will be back next year. I'll be there!
If you're in Seattle and you want to be part of this movement - whether that means attending Fat Con, booking a boudoir session, or just following along and supporting fat performers - I hope you'll join us.
The performances, the photography, the community building, the representation. It all matters.
And I'm so fucking grateful to be part of it.
The last set of images are below:
