Shortly after photographing my first boudoir client, I graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Creative Writing. I had plans to pursue marketing, but after many heartfelt conversations and late-night dream boards with my husband, we chose to open Angela Blake Studios in 2016.

Since then, nearly 1,500 women have allowed me to tell their stories — each with a unique background, shape, size, and age. My mission has always been to create a space where every woman feels safe, seen, celebrated, and completely herself. A place where vulnerability turns into strength, courage yields confidence and self-image becomes something positive, not painful.

Storytelling has always been my greatest joy, whether it was reading a new book or writing in order to create my own. As a child, I imagined myself becoming a writer or publisher — someone who lived their life to tell others stories. And while I wasn’t wrong about being a vessel for stories to come into this world, I found my true medium not in written form, but in photographs.

In 2011, my husband gave me my first digital camera and I began photographing everything: newborns, families, weddings. The images were beautiful, and I was truly delighted, but something felt incomplete. I quickly realized I was missing the deeper connection that I desired to have with my clients. I was missing the story-telling portion that has always been so important to me.

Then, I discovered boudoir.

I had finally found a space where photography, storytelling and connection came together for me. Each session became an intimate, powerful narrative that left me feeling alive. I got to hear my clients’ stories, witness their transformations, and be part of pivotal moments in their lives — moments of rediscovery, growth, and empowerment.