Today we’d like to introduce you to Traci Copeland.
Hi Traci, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story that is a long one for sure. I was raised in Minnesota and have always had a love for all things art, photography and beauty. I use to babysit as a child and would set up backdrops and flowers and take photos (with my disposable camera) of the kids I babysat, it was so exciting to be able to create those memories for people. This carried on into High School where I started to hone my photography skills in the darkroom myself, I would take film photos and develop the film, use the enlarger and dodge & burn my images to make them art.
I moved to Arizona in 1999, had a family and I carried my love of photography as a hobby up until 2009 when I had my third child, my daughter Camryn. When she was born, I really wanted to show her that I am not only just a “mom”. I wanted her to be proud of the woman I am, at the time I had a corporate job for ten years and I was ready to break free from that and pursue my passion of photography as a career.
I shot everything I could when I started, everything from families, birthday parties and weddings. I shot my first boudoir session in 2010 and that is when a switch went off, I knew that this was my passion and what I was meant to do. I started to book more boudoir sessions and started to perfect my craft, shooting under other photography studios and trying a lot of new sets, poses and gaining more knowledge with every session. Soon this was all I was shooting, as a specialty it really allowed me to focus on my skill set and perfect the experience.
In January 2020 I started my own boudoir company called “Beauty In Boudoir”, moved to a new city, state and started my journey in giving women of St. Louis “The Ultimate Boudoir Experience”! I am so happy to have made the move to Missouri and get to empower women in my studio. My daughter is now 12 and I can say she is proud of me for helping women build confidence and do what I love.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I would say it has been far from a smooth road to get where I am, but it is so worth it.
Growing up, I was raised by a single mom and I was the youngest of three girls. My mom worked three jobs to make ends meet, we were lucky to have a strong woman who did what she needed to in order for us to have what we needed. I was an observer, not only of my mom but also of my sisters. I always sort of felt like the ugly duckling. I had a really hard time with self-acceptance, loving my body and being confident in my own skin.
Having my career ultimately helped build my self-esteem, once I hit 35 I started to work on myself and learning to love the body I have knowing that this body gave me three amazing babies AND these scars are beautiful! I not only have a career that makes me feel good, my clients empower themselves and see how amazingly sexy they look, women of all shapes and sizes.
One of the best lessons I have learned is to trust yourself, your gut and always know your worth. Being a confident woman is key to teaching other women to that they too can be confident.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in boudoir and glamour photography, which allows me so much creative freedom. I am not boxed in by only offering one type of look, I have been shooting studio photography for over a decade and I use that to my advantage. I also have 15 sets for my clients to choose from, anything from Authentic pinup to classic Hollywood Glamour.
One thing that separates me from others is my adaptability, I love to change things up depending on my client’s desires. One client may want a conservative shoot with minimal skin showing and the next may want to show off her body and do an artistic nude composition. I am quick on my feet and love to create new and exciting photographs that encompass my client’s vision.
I am proud of the variety of imagery that I produce; I try to stay away from trends. I want my images to last a lifetime and for my clients to appreciate them long into the future. I also keep my session fee affordable at $399 and includes professional hair and makeup.
What does success mean to you?
Success to me means that I am lucky enough to do what I love and am passionate about while earning a living.
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@beautyinboudoir.com
- Website: www.beautyinboudoir.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/stlouisboudoirphotographer
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/beautyinboudoirllc
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/beauty-in-boudoir-st-charles
Image Credits
Profile photo taken by Jason Shadden
