Gwen Mathews is a reporter with Community News Service, part of the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program.
Hillary Dubie knew she wanted to be a photographer when she was 9 years old. The Winooski resident’s dream came to life after high school, after she graduated from a program at the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Massachusetts in 2010.
After spending time photographing cruise ship weddings in the Virgin Islands and later working in Seattle, Dubie landed back in her home state for good in 2014. Since then she has made a name for herself locally, winning Seven Days’ best photographer award for the last five years in a row.
Her style of photography changed slightly after having her daughter in 2015. She felt challenged in her postpartum body and struggled with her self image.
A new approach to photography, she realized, could help her reframe her self image: She decided to take nude self-portraits. And it helped her more than she anticipated.
“I thought, this is what I needed, I reconnected with myself. I felt back in my body and strong,” she said. “And I realized that others needed this, others could benefit from this”
She spoke with other parents and found she wasn’t alone dealing with a negative body image postpartum. So she decided to offer boudoir photoshoots to help others with their journey to body liberation.
The term boudoir comes from French and means a ladies’ dressing room or a place to pout. As a style of photography, it encompasses intimate shots of subjects in sensual stages of undress, typically women.
Dubie started by doing boudoir shoots for friends. It soon blossomed into a passion project, and by 2022 she decided to transition her photography business to 90% boudoir photoshoots, she said.
Her sessions aim to help people no matter how they identify have an affirming and safe experience.
“There are so many reasons why people do sessions,” she said. “It’s so personal to each person, and opening up that communication before they are even in the studio helps build trust. Consent is important throughout the entire process. I don’t want anyone coming in here scared that their images will get out somewhere. They need to feel secure.”
She said she looks to maintain that sense of safety throughout the session by checking in with her clients and encouraging them to bring a friend along if they’d like.
Dubie said shifting her focus to boudoir photography has also helped her feel more creatively fulfilled. Her clients’ wardrobe and prop choices contribute to her inspiration.
“It empowers me knowing that I am working with so many people from different areas of life,” she said. “It is really something new every day, which is what I need. Seeing what people bring is my favorite part. What you bring in shapes the entire vibe of the session. I have to be creative and think on my feet when people bring in such unique clothing and props.”
One memorable client brought along a host of “Star Wars” gear.
Some people might have preconceived ideas about boudoir shoots only involving thin women, but Dubie said she works with clients of all body types and genders.
“I want to see fat bodies,” she said. “When people find me, they say that seeing plus-sized women on my website made them more comfortable reaching out to me. I want people to see bodies like theirs represented.”
That mantra means she pays particular attention to tailoring each shoot, she said. She compared posing a 23-year-old yogi versus a 40-year-old mom: “It is not going to be the same pose, and it shouldn’t be. Both are going to be strong and beautiful, but they are going to look completely different.”
Her passion for inclusivity is apparent through her client closet, which has over 100 pieces of clothing with sizes ranging from XS to 6X for customers to try out — a range that’s hard to come by, she said.
“I wish there were more local options. I had a client who could not find anything in her size and was so discouraged that she almost canceled her session,” she said. “If you go into a store that is just lingerie and there is nothing in your size, you think that you are the problem.”
Reversing that way of thinking — and the misconceptions about boudoir — is what it’s all about for Dubie.
“It is important for people to know that boudoir is for everybody,” she said. “There is no one-size-fits-all experience.”
