Last month was Pride Month. Here in Amsterdam, though, Pride is only just getting started. From July 25th until August 8th, my city even celebrates WorldPride. I found myself reflecting on something that has become very obvious over the past few years.
A surprisingly large part of my clients are queer.
Sapphic women. Non-binary people. Trans people. People in open relationships. Cross-dressers. Couples exploring kink. People figuring themselves out.
It wasn’t something I planned. I never sat down and thought, I’m going to build a queer photography business. And I don’t actually think people book me because I’m queer.
I think they book me because of what that has shaped.
“I felt like I didn’t have to explain myself.”
That’s probably the biggest compliment I can receive. When someone books a Swan’s Seduction session, I don’t assume anything.
I don’t assume your gender.
I don’t assume your sexuality.
I don’t assume what kind of relationship you’re in.
I don’t assume what “sexy” looks like to you. Maybe sexy to you, is lace lingerie.
Maybe it’s latex. Or it’s oversized knitwear.
Maybe it’s being completely nude. Perhaps it’s wearing three leather harnesses and platform boots taller than my camera bag.
I’m not here to decide that for you, I’m just here to photograph whatever version of yourself feels the most you.
The queerest thing about my photography isn’t that I’m bisexual and non-binary.
It’s that my work rejects the idea that there’s only one right way to be attractive.
Or feminine. Or masculine. Or dominant. Or soft. Or beautiful.
So much of mainstream photography still asks people to fit into a role. My goal has always been the opposite.
I want to create space where you can take those roles apart and rebuild them however you like.
Some of my most enthusiastic clients identify as cisgender and straight.
But they often tell me they’ve always felt at home in queer spaces. They’re tired of being told how a woman should look, pose, flirt or express herself.
That makes perfect sense.
Because queerness, to me, has never only been about who you love or how you feel. It’s also about giving yourself permission to exist outside the boxes other people built for you.
I think that’s something many more people relate to than they realise.
Whether you’re queer, questioning, straight, kinky, vanilla, somewhere in between, or simply someone who has never quite felt at home in conventional beauty standards; you are welcome here.
To celebrate WorldPride Amsterdam, everyone who books a Swan’s Seduction session between July 25th and August 8th* will receive a complimentary 20 cm x 27 cm print of their favourite image from the shoot.
Happy Pride. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
*Deposit has to be paid in this time period, the session itself can be scheduled until September 15th.
Swan's Seduction 