Reclaiming the Body Through the Lens: How Two French Photographers in Toronto Turn Boudoir Into Empowerment
Chrismène Dorme – IJL – Le Métropolitain
In a world saturated with polished images and rigid beauty standards, Juliette and Fanny are choosing to go against the tide. For these two French photographers based in Toronto, boudoir photography is far more than an aesthetic experience, it is an act of self-reclamation.
Using the camera as a tool for confidence, tenderness, and, at times, healing, they have built Scandaleuse Photography into a deeply human project dedicated to helping women reconnect with themselves.
Their story began in Paris in 2009, when they met in photography school. Fifteen years later, it is on the other side of the Atlantic that they have brought their shared vision to life through a studio devoted to boudoir photography, far removed from the stereotypes that still often define the genre.
Their mission is clear: to help women embrace their sensuality and make peace with their bodies.
“We wanted to show women that they have the right to feel sexy, without it being for the male gaze,” says Fanny.
For Juliette, the work goes even deeper. “There was an element of rebellion,” she explains. “It’s about reclaiming your image, your body, and letting go of the insecurities imposed by beauty standards.”
More than a studio, Scandaleuse Photography is designed as a space for personal expression, a place where shame and negative self-perception can be challenged and dismantled. The studio regularly welcomes women who have undergone mastectomies, as well as clients from cultural or religious backgrounds where the female body remains a taboo subject.
According to Juliette, insecurities often take root early in life. “We all grow up with insecurities imposed from the outside, family, society, unrealistic standards,” she says.
“But confidence is the most important thing. When it comes back, it unlocks so many other things. Some clients have even told us they made major life decisions after their session.”
Fanny shares that perspective. “We’ve become too disconnected from our bodies,” she says. “We forget that this body carries our life, our organs, our story. Boudoir also helps us accept our natural beauty.” Juliette adds, “Our worth should never depend on standards created by others.”
While the experience can be deeply transformative, it is never improvised. Most clients arrive feeling nervous, sometimes even intimidated by the idea of posing. “Many of them have never had professional photos taken before, not even simple portraits,” says Fanny. That tension, however, tends to fade quickly, especially once hair and makeup begin, the first steps in what has become a comforting ritual.
For Juliette, communication is at the heart of the process. “We always start with a free consultation,” she explains. “People get to know us, they know they’ll be working with women, and we also share some of our own experiences.”
Clients are encouraged to bring clothing or personal objects that reflect who they are, a guitar, a favourite book, art supplies,… Creating a highly personalized experience that sets the studio apart from more traditional boudoir photography.
The photographers are also careful about who they recommend the experience to. “We don’t suggest these sessions for people whose self-esteem is still too fragile,” Juliette says. “It can be counterproductive. Part of the healing journey needs to have already happened.”
Still, Fanny believes boudoir can serve as a powerful complement to therapy.
“It can be incredibly therapeutic, but only when people feel ready,” she says.
Some of the most emotionally intense sessions involve women from environments where the relationship to the body is highly restricted. In those cases, the photographs, often kept strictly private, can become a profound way of reclaiming both the body and one’s identity as a woman.
On Saturday, January 31, Juliette and Fanny opened the doors of their Toronto studio for a day dedicated to conversations around boudoir photography.
In a warm and welcoming atmosphere, complete with coffee, tea, treats, and open dialogue, visitors were invited to explore the sets, browse albums, and ask questions freely. “We usually do consultations over video calls,” says Fanny. “This time, we wanted to create a space for in-person connection and exchange.”
The Studio continues to evolve. Recently, the team expanded with the arrival of Pascaline, a fellow French videographer who now incorporates video into the sessions, an approach that remains rare in Canada. The addition is particularly aimed at couples, offering a new way to explore intimacy and connection.
Although attitudes around body image have shifted in recent years, both photographers remain realistic about the challenges ahead. “There was a real body positivity movement a few years ago that laid important foundations,” says Juliette. “But today, with artificial intelligence and social media, it sometimes feels like we’re moving backward.”
Fanny agrees. “Our relationship with our bodies is changing, yes, but very slowly,” she says. “AI is going to become a real issue.”
In response to a world increasingly filled with artificial and unattainable images, Scandaleuse Photography stands for something radically different: an approach that is sincere, embodied, and deeply human. It is, above all, an invitation to look at oneself differently, without filters, without standards, and, most importantly, without shame.
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