Corinne's Story
When my boyfriend left for Afghanistan I was devastated. I really missed him and, although I was writing to him every day, it just didn´t feel the same. I had sent him some pictures of me in letters but I wanted to send him something really special that he could keep with him over there. I came across the Mighty Aphrodite website and liked the fact that the shots were classy but erotic at the same time. I booked a session then and there.
I was fine all the way up to the day of the shoot but when I was sitting in the hairdressers that morning preparing for the session the nerves hit me. But what did I have to worry about? I had preened myself to within an inch of my life. No hair had been left un-waxed. Not a spot of my body had been left unscrutinized. But I was terrified. Doubts filled my head as I sped along the motorway to the studio. What if I look fat? What if they are weirdos? What if they make me take off all my clothes?
But despite the fears I managed to summon the courage to knock on the studio door. And I´m glad I did. As soon as Zena answered the door she immediately made me feel relaxed. She showed me through to the studio and introduced me to Leigh. All I kept thinking to myself was "Oh, God you´re going to see me in my underwear in a second... how embarrassing." But I soon got over that as Leigh reassured me with his professionalism and great sense of humour. We discussed what kind of shoot I was going to have and decided that I would start in my underwear and, if I felt comfortable, I would take off a little at a time and go as far as I wanted to. "Ok, but no way can I see myself getting naked - no matter how nice they are!" I thought to myself as I changed in the lovely bathroom upstairs.
I walked out of the bathroom in suspenders, heels and underwear but instead of feeling mortified or nervous I got a massive buzz.
As the shoot went on I felt sexier and more confident. It was such a brilliant feeling and one that I NEVER thought I would have. I felt brave enough to take of my bra, then my knickers and finally to go completely nude. And even though I was starkers in front of Zena and Leigh, it didn´t feel as though I was. Going topless on the beach is more nerve wracking for me!
When we had finished the shoot I felt on top of the world. I was full of confidence and felt proud of my body. I mentally told myself off then and there for every time I had looked in the mirror and wished I was thinner or had a smaller bum, bigger boobs or more toned.
The whole feeling was a complete shock to me because it had felt that I had given myself a gift rather than my boyfriend!
I couldn´t wait to send the pictures to my man in Afghan and I emailed him through the finished pictures. He called me almost immediately and was thrilled with them. He said he had wanted to show all of his friends because he was so proud of me. (Which, I quickly told him not to do!). I then sent him a little pocket-size booklet of the pictures so that he could take me with him wherever he was.
The whole experience was amazing and one I will never forget. I will treasure the pictures forever.
My advice to anyone deliberating about whether to do it or not would be to just go for it. It´s much more than a photo shoot, it actually changes the way you´ll look at your body forever.
