Boudoir photography is all about making women feel fantastic about themselves and their bodies. Often times, though, we don’t think of women in the Orthodox Jewish community showing much skin, especially when it involves titillating photos.
So, it probably comes as a surprise that Orthodox Jewish woman Rebecca Sigala, a 26-year-old photographer, is snapping boudoir photo shoots of religious women in the Orthodox community, according to a feature in The Guardian. These photographs, of course, are intended only for their husbands.
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While dress code for the public world is conservative for Orthodox women who follow the laws of tznius (modesty), intended to avoid any power of sexual suggestion, the private sphere is completely different. Sigala feels the more religious her clients, the more freeing the sessions are, stating:
“As observant Jews, we believe our sexuality is private and sacred. And since that part of ourselves is so holy, when we express ourselves within that realm, we can connect on a higher level – not just with ourselves, but with our husbands, and with God.”
Sigala’s photographs, which you can view here, are absolutely breathtaking–not because of the aesthetic–but because the women in the photographs are empowering themselves. There’s nothing more beautiful than to see a woman feel powerful.
