Meet Krisleen Jones | Boudoir Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Krisleen Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Krisleen, what do you attribute your success to?

I come from a place of understanding that all women have self love issues. Whether it is from society, childhood, or an abusive partner, we are all damaged to a certain extent. Then we get caught up in our day-to-day routines, household tasks, taking care of the kids and managing our careers. Over time, our lives get away from us and we never seem to leave time for ourselves. It seems as if we are making excuses for our own self-neglect.

The factor that has helped my brand become successful is a shared experience. I empathize with women, and understand the all too common feeling of low self esteem and issues with self love.

I can relate to this feeling, as I have experienced many of the same problems in my life. I was in an abusive relationship in the past, and I gave everyone in my life space to heal, but left no room for myself. The relationship I had with myself was based entirely on negative thoughts. It’s hard to admit, but I did not truly love myself. The realization was devastating: my self confidence and sense of self worth were so low that I literally felt worthless.

Sometime after leaving the harmful situation I was in, and attempting to recover, a friend of mine took some photos of me. During that photoshoot I noticed that for the first time in a long time, I felt like a beautiful Goddess. The experience reminded me that I was beautiful, and that all of the negative things said about me— even the harsh words I told myself— were not true. I had just experienced something powerful. The sense of empowerment that I felt has become a very important aspect of what I do, and it was something I wanted to share with my loved ones.

I decided to create a Goddess Experience where every woman can feel special; a place they can see themselves as the beautiful women they truly are. There is no cookie cutter size or shape that a woman should be. We are all beautiful in our uniqueness, despite our past trauma or negative sense of self; and helping every woman realize this is my goal. Self love is the pinnacle of my brand, and without my own experience, my brand wouldn’t be as successful as it is today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career consists of creating an amazing, one of a kind experience through photography that clients can take home to memorialize their experiences. My work consists mainly of boudoir, but one aspect that sets my brand apart from others in the boudoir industry is the vintage/retro theme I am drawn to. I’ve always had a personal connection to the 40s and 50s style, because my grandparents lived through these times. My grandmother was a factory worker and my grandfather built airplanes for a big airplane manufacturer. He worked during WWII in the Pacific Theater and collected pictures of the nose-art. I loved looking at the tiny photos of the old warbirds, and that’s where my obsession with all things vintage started. The clothes, the hair, the shoes, the cabled stockings: I just couldn’t get enough! Years later, David, my husband, encouraged me to embrace the pin-up style myself. In fact, our wedding was “hotrod” themed. We asked all of the guests to dress up in the vintage pin-up style, and we even had a car show in the parking lot.

When I started taking pictures, it began with friends who wanted to play dress-up. Over time, it evolved into boudoir, because in the vintage era, sensuality was only just starting to get explored. I’ve branched out a lot more as my portfolio has grown, and I have embraced more modern looks as well; however, pin-up photography will always have a special place in my heart.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had someone from out of town visit, I would love to take them all over the beautiful state of Colorado! I love National Parks, and we have some beautiful ones here. Rocky Mountain National Park is one of my favorites. We would probably stop in Denver on our way and pick up some Banh Mi sandwiches at the Vinh Xuong Bakery 2. We may have to spend the night in Estes Park,  because it is a little bit of a drive from Colorado Springs, but totally worth it! If the time of the year is right, you get to go to sleep to the sound of the elk bugling. On our way home, we’d probably go to McGucken Hardware in Boulder. It may sound like an average hardware store, but it is so much more! I think everyone should go there at least once. If we time it right, we would stop at the Miner’s Alley Playhouse in Golden and watch a live play. This is a tiny gem of a theater and is worth the experience.

Back in the Springs, I think that Garden of the Gods is a definite must. After checking out the rocks, we’d head over to Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs. These places are fun little towns with adorable storefronts. If my friend likes BBQ, then Front Range BBQ is a perfect stop!

Of course, no trip to Colorado is complete without sampling roasted green chile. We put it on everything here, from pizza to sushi. If my guest was here in the fall, we could enjoy the Green Chile Festival in Pueblo. There are chile roasting drums that spin the chile over open flame, and the smell is amazing. We’d have the “Fuhgeddaboudit:” an Italian sausage sandwich with roasted green chile for dinner, and then some grape ice cream for dessert.

Another fun day might start with breakfast at King Chef in downtown Colorado Springs, and then a scavenger hunt to explore the downtown area. I’ve used a phone app that sets up scavenger hunts for a few people or a bigger group, and it takes you to many major landmarks. It’s a great tool to help explore big areas and make a game out of it.

Finally, we’d take a drive up highway 24 to see all of the beautiful scenery, maybe we’d stop at the Wolf Sanctuary or go to Cripple Creek. On the way back, we would stop at the Starbucks in Woodland Park and sit on their amazing patio with something warm to drink.

There are so many things to do in beautiful Colorado. It is hard to narrow it down, but these travel plans are some of the things I enjoy doing the most, and I would love to share them with my friends.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m lucky enough to have several people in my life that deserve credit for helping my business become what it is today. To start, my husband David has always encouraged me to be myself and to embrace my uniqueness. Along with David, I am grateful for my son. When I left my first marriage, he was a teenager; what we have been through together has made us stronger and more determined to achieve our goals. He has always believed in me, even when my self confidence wavered, and I am so proud of the person that he has become. Plus, his wife has been the daughter I never had, and she has supported me through my photography journey every step of the way.

Website: https://photographybykrisleen.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photography_by_krisleen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhotographybyKrisleen

Image Credits
Photographer: Krisleen Jones Photographer of Image of Krisleen: Kathryne Johnson