Radical self-acceptance and body liberation sound like lofty goals, but for Vancouver, Canada-based photographer Michele Mateus, these ideals are grounded in basic, earthy practices. For Mateus, embodied boudoir photography is all about creating a truly safe space, where her clients feel seen and respected while they experience being grounded in the power and grace of their bodies.

Mateus is an artist with a background in social justice and feminist theory. Her approach to celebrating her clients, facilitating the embodied boudoir photography experiences they desire, and helping them walk away with images they love, translates into an average sale of $3k. She does this all in her 300ft² home studio, and she only accepts four clients a month.

[Read: The Boudoir Photography Empowerment Movement]

Here are her practical tips for creating a safe space for embodied boudoir photography:

1. Begin with a discovery call. Mateus interviews her potential clients as much as they interview her. If they are a good fit, she books them in right away
2. Offer an optional trauma-informed questionnaire. Hers includes asking how they want to feel in their session, what their pronouns are, if they have triggers or sensitivities to light and noise, and anything they want to make her aware of. This helps clients feel that she truly cares about creating safe space for them.
3. Strong communication. Mateus sends more than 38 emails from first contact through one year after their shoot.
4. Newsletter-based marketing. Mateus’ only online ads are for newsletter sign ups. Her weekly messages offer tips and techniques from embodiment coaching. She calls this approach a “slow-burning candle.” Her emails have a 65% open rate compared to the average of 25%.

You can learn more about Michele Mateus and her photo business by listening to her recent appearance on The Portrait System Podcast and by checking out a bonus Q&A with her below. Also, don’t forget to follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

[Read: Empowerment Photography with Boudoir Confidence]

What has been your biggest breakthrough in business? 

Learning how to run an actual business — leaving shoot and burn, learning IPS (in person sales), making peace with numbers!  

Most artists have a point in their life when they knew this was meant for them. Did you have that moment? 

Yes! I knew I was meant for this the first time a client cried when she saw her photos. That is beyond powerful and reminds you that what we do is so important and can transform lives.  

How did you push past fear when building your business? 

A lot of Ben and Jerry’s! …For real though, surrounding myself with people who were doing the damn thing! I joined the Sue Bryce community around six years ago, and it was a game changer for me to see people making sustainable livings out of creating art. I’ve worked in the arts, and the starving artist mentality is a real thing. I had to shake that off and own that I have a lot of value to offer people beyond photos.  
 

Making a connection with your subject is one of the most important parts of a great portrait. How do you make lasting connections with your clients? 

I truly see them for who they are by offering them a safe space to fully embody themselves in a way that feels comfortable to them. I don’t put them through a system of poses or see them as my next sale. I seem them as humans with important stories to tell.  

For someone starting out on their photography journey what advice would you have for them? 

Get a business coach — period! It may seem like a big expense, but it will save you A LOT of time and money in the long run to get set up the right away!  
 

Do you regret any decisions you have made in your business? 

No. Everything I have done has led to who I am now and keeps me wanting to learn and grow more. Sitting in regret holds your energy down, and that is not worth it for anyone.  
 

Everyone has a favorite shoot – tell us about yours and why it’s your favorite. 

This is so hard! I have to say when I shot my aunty who was 80 at the time. She asked for one of my ‘spicy’ photoshoots, and it was so much joy for us both! After being a widow for 40 years, she met the love of her life at 80, and the shoot was inspired by that. She had a hard life, and you could often seen that in her face, but for this shoot, she came alive like I have never seen in her before. It was beyond special! 

What fellow artists in the industry do you gain the most inspiration from? 

I have taken a lot of inspiration from the legends, of course. Herb Ritts is one of my favs!

The first name that pops out to me from The Portrait System community is Felicia Reed. I have never met her, but I adore her energy and can see that she really connects deeply to her clients. She and I spoke I think once or twice on call, and she really does care about the success of others. I can’t wait to give her a hug one day!

I also have learned a lot from Kara Marie. I appreciate everything she has shared with this community and how she truly brought forward that ‘boudoir’ can mean so much more than what it is often depicted as. As someone who has always loved black-and-white photography (we had a darkroom in my home when I was growing up!) and a big film buff, I never quite knew how to translate that all to my business. When I saw her speak at The Portrait Masters I believe in 2018 or 2019 (I watched it online), I was jumping out of my chair cheering “YES, YES, YES!” That talk is what solidified for me that I could create portraits of women in my way.  

How has The Portrait System changed your life for the better?  

When I first found it around six years ago, I was in shoot-and-burn-out mode! The talks Sue Bryce did were the biggest thing for me. I felt like she was punching me in the stomach while also hugging me at the same time. I needed to hear what she said. I needed to see that there was another way to price and run a sustainable business. It helped me immensely, and I am grateful for the lessons I have received through this system.  
 

Where do you see your business in the next five years?   

Coaching, creating, and relaxing more and more! I recently took on learning embodiment coaching, which is pretty amazing. I am working that into the coaching and mentoring I offer photographers. I truly believe that the deeper the connection we have with ourselves, the deeper our work can be, and the less stress we will have when it comes to our business and our lives, and the more pleasure we can enjoy! Isn’t that what life is about anyway?