Kim | Shannon Hemauer Photography

Boudoir | Shannon Hemauer Photography Carlisle, PA

In case you’ve been wondering why I haven’t posted since August 19th, it’s because I’m happy to announce I was busy getting the new Carlisle studio furnished and ready to open on September 1st. While the past three years shooting at my home have been rewarding, I’m truly in love with my new studio space. The studio is the entire third floor of the house, there is a dedicated hair/makeup station, a changing area, a coffee/tea/hot chocolate bar, and the floors are original to the 1860’s home. It’s a warm and airy space and I’m excited to see what art I’ll create there. So! Enough about that! Let’s chat about Kim. I have for a very long time wanted to photograph a ballerina, and Kim offered me that chance! Kim got married this past March and hadn’t had a chance to do a boudoir session for her now-husband before their wedding, so shortly after saying I DO, she reached out to me because she decided boudoir portraits would be a great 30th birthday present to her hubby. During the planning process for her boudoir session, somehow it came up she used to do ballet—after I stopped jumping up and down with excitement, I asked her if she’d pose for a few shots for me wearing her Pointe shoes. EEK! She said yes! Below is her client questionnaire, with of course images from her session. Please take a moment to look through and read what she wrote—you may just relate to what she said. How long have you been wanting to do a boudoir session and what made you decide now was the time to do one? I have been researching boudoir shoots for about 6 months before I booked with Shannon. I found the idea while I was planning my

Sara L. | Shannon Hemauer Photography

Shannon Hemauer Photography Contemporary Glamour Gettysburg PA Photographer

I think it’s safe for me to say I changed Sara’s world. Sara wanted to do a boudoir session as a surprise to her husband. She enjoys wearing lingerie and already owned several great pieces. She normally wears little to no makeup, so we discussed how glam she wanted her makeup for her session—I explained to her the makeup will appear darker than she thinks it should, but that’s so the camera can pick it up…think “stage makeup.” After her session, Sara emailed me worried she wasn’t going to like her portraits because of her hair and makeup—she liked the look but didn’t know if it really felt like herself, and she wanted to know what we’d do IF she didn’t like any…I told her to take a deep breathe and we’d discuss this if we needed to during the portrait reveal. I’ll admit, I was nervous for Sara to see her images because the portraits I took removed the double chin she gets sometimes in pictures. The Power of Posing struck again! I knew she looked great, but would SHE feel the same? Would she look at her portraits and think, ‘Wow. That’s me!’? Well, she LOVED them and we both let out a collective sigh of relief. I cannot wait to hear what her husband thinks of her portraits! A huge thank you to my lead stylist, Nath Mao, for a great job on Sara’s hair and makeup. Until next time, Shannon Contact me today to schedule your phone consult! Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Boudoir Gallery | Couple’s Boudoir Gallery | Before & After Gallery Pennsylvania Boudoir Photography Near Carlisle PA • Dillsburg PA • Gettysburg PA • Harrisburg PA • Hershey PA • Lancaster PA • Mechanicsburg PA • New Cumberland PA • York PA

“I BELIEVE Project” Recipient: Mary | Carlisle PA Boudoir | Shannon Hemauer Photography

Boudoir Shannon Hemauer Mary Ramirez Photographer

“I BELIEVE Project” Recipient: Mary | Carlisle PA Boudoir | Shannon Hemauer Photography As you know, Mary was my second I BELIEVE Project recipient for 2017—you can read about the first recipient, Tessa, HERE. As I’ve said before, the I BELIEVE Project is my way of giving back to the women in my community by offering a complimentary boudoir or contemporary glamour portrait session to a deserving woman who is dealing/has dealt with some sort of adversity for the chance to feel beautiful and feminine. My gift includes hair/makeup thanks to my lead stylist Nath Kreider (in PA) and stylist Rachael Lubach (when in WI), dress rental, and an album. The Project got the name of “I BELIEVE” because I believe all women should feel beautiful, and I’ve witnessed first hand what a confidence builder and transformation a boudoir or a contemporary glamour portrait session is for women. The goal of the I BELIEVE Project is to help women see themselves as beautiful, inspiring, and powerful. The recipients are asked to share at least one image from their session and to share their story with my readers, for often times, many of you can relate to their stories. So, let me tell you a bit about Mary. Mary contacted me in October 2015 inquiring about a boudoir session as a surprise to her high school sweetheart husband, Ben, but life happened for her and we never even got so far as the consult. Fast forward a year, Mary and I crossed paths at an event in Carlisle, where we struck up a conversation and we ended up becoming real-life friends over the course of 2016/2017. One day Mary casually mentioned on her Facebook wall that she was finally getting professional help with her anxiety-driven depression, and I knew at that moment I wanted her to be my second Project recipient for this year, because

The “I BELIEVE Project”: Reflecting on Past Sessions

Shannon Hemauer I BELIEVE Project 2017 Boudoir Photographer Carlisle, PA

I’m excited to share images from my latest I BELIEVE Project recipient, Mary, but because I’m waiting to complete my interview with her regarding her struggles and triumphs with her depression, I thought it would be great to take a look back at my past recipients. But first, a sneak peek from Mary’s session. The tattoo on Mary’s arm symbolizes her unborn child she never had a chance to hold in her arms. In case you are curious, the I BELIEVE Project is my way of giving back to the women in my community by offering a complimentary boudoir or contemporary glamour portrait session to a deserving woman who is dealing/has dealt with some sort of adversity for the chance to feel beautiful and feminine. My gift includes hair/makeup thanks to my lead stylist Nath Kreider (in PA) and stylist Rachael Lubach (when in WI), dress rental, and an album. The Project got the name of “I BELIEVE” because I believe all women should feel beautiful, and I’ve witnessed first hand what a confidence builder and transformation a boudoir or a contemporary glamour portrait session is for women. The goal of the I BELIEVE Project is to help women see themselves as beautiful, inspiring, and powerful. And that’s exactly what I got to do in 2014, when I did my first Project session with Holly, who was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer at the age of 34. You can read the full story HERE. In 2015, I photographed Diana, a two-time breast cancer survivor. You can read the full story HERE. As well as I photographed Victoria, who was just 27 years old when she found out she had Stage 3 breast cancer. You can read the full story HERE. In 2016 I had the honor to photograph Rylie, who was born physically male but has always identified herself as female. Read her story HERE. And this brings me up

Erika | Mechanicsburg PA Boudoir | Shannon Hemauer Photography

Contemporary Glamour Dillsburg Shannon Hemauer Photography Carlisle PA

I have been impatiently waiting for a few months to share Erika’s images because she requested I not post anything until after her wedding, which was just last Saturday! So there are two things we’re celebrating today: 1) Erika and Darren’s week-old marriage, and 2) the posting of her stunning images! Erika texted me the day before the wedding and told me she had given Darren the portraits and he had been “in shock” because he couldn’t believe she did a boudoir session as a wedding gift for him. Erika requested I keep the boudoir pictures for his eyes only, so for this blog I share some of my favorite images of Erika in the stunning green & black dress she selected for her included dress rental. I wanted to share with you her words from an out-of-the-blue email she sent me a few days after her session…keep on reading. These images are definitely going to be something I’ll look at and cherish forever (do I really have to give them to the groom?? LOL I want them for myself!) I’ve done photo shoots before, but this one was by far my favorite. Your level of customer service is unparalleled. You’ve been super responsive, you were prepared, organized, and conducted the session seamlessly. You communicated your vision clearly, while helping me achieve mine. Your professionalism absolutely sets you apart from other photographers I’ve worked with. I’ve never been so comfortable in a session and I appreciated all your direction and honesty. This experience was awesome! Thanks so much for coordinating everything! All your hard work behind the scenes and in the months leading up to the session has not gone unnoticed. It will certainly be evident in the finished product. I must admit, her words brought happy tears to my