PORTRAIT. “They feel beautiful and powerful”: through her photo shoots, she restores women’s confidence

“Woman, I love us.” This is the name of the photo shoots offered by the artist Salomé Savy Monceaux, based in Gindou since 2021. Sessions where women feel free and can reclaim their image.

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“Almost all women have self-confidence problems. I was the first to be concerned,” says the Lotoise, who believes she lives in a “society that imposes standards and expectations that are not always compatible with the love we should have for our bodies.” She therefore wants to help others regain self-confidence, reclaim their image and above all accept themselves as they are through her passion, photography.

“She looks at the photos when she feels sluggish”

Salomé offers a caring moment where every woman flourishes. “Before the shoot, we talk. I buy them their favorite cakes, their teas… The idea is really to make them feel good. Then, we talk about the issues. Many have suffered trauma: reflections on the weight, attacks, rapes…”, regrets the photographer. She continues: “We think about what might please them. Some only want a portrait. And sometimes, over the course of the session, they get naked.” Women feel free to do what they want. There are no rules. The session takes place, most of the time, outdoors. A choice that comes naturally. Salomé explains: “Women prefer to be outside, in the countryside. It's easier, we are more natural when we are outside than inside a traditional studio.”

“These photos allow women to look at themselves with new eyes. It's a very personal process: they come for themselves, and for no one else. It's not a miracle solution, but very often, it helps them to take the step towards self-acceptance, towards healing. It happens that some people come back to see me. They feel beautiful and powerful. She goes further: “It happens that certain maternity shoots turn into Woman, I love us. I sometimes have women who are getting older and want to reclaim their bodies. Others who have more complicated stories. Recently, a woman who had been raped came to see me. Since then, we have stayed in touch. She writes to me regularly to tell me that she looks at the photos when she feels sluggish.” This year, the thirty-year-old has done around ten “Woman, I love us” sessions. On her site, we find testimonials from different clients: “When I look at my prints, I find myself very beautiful and close to who I really am, in lightness and depth”.

An inspiring life journey

As far back as she can remember, Salomé has always held a camera in her hands. “I started very young, then I stopped. When I was 18, my mother committed suicide. I dove back into photography, I needed to immortalize beauty in everyday life. And my name is Hoop des bois: it comes from the English name “hope”, hope”, describes the artist, who also does watercolor and has written several books, including one on his quest for light after the sudden disappearance of his mother.

It was in 2021 that she launched her own business, after having been hired for several years. “I suffered a big accident. I had repeated downtime. I still have after-effects. I had to adapt my life, away from screens. So I made the choice to become independent”, says Salomé, to adapt your working time. In addition to shootings for women, she offers weddings, pregnancies, photos of couples, families, animals… “I work 100% by feeling! The projects are according to demand, I can adapt to everything as long as the current flows”, insists Salomé. She concludes: “Kindness is the key word of my work. It's a safe place, where you feel good. Each shoot is a very nice moment to experience.”