We recently had the chance to connect with Julia Cuddy and have shared our conversation below.
Julia, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Right now, I’m being called to go all in on boudoir photography. I stopped photographing weddings in October of 2025 to fully trust my gut and follow the work that lights me up the most. I used to be scared to let go of something steady, something I’ve been doing for 13 years, but fear isn’t bad. It’s usually the sign you’re stepping into something bigger. So instead of fighting it, I let the fear push me forward.
Boudoir has always been my ‘yes.’ It’s where I feel the most connected, the most creative, and the most myself. Stepping fully into being a full time boudoir photographer, empowering women in my studio, has taken confidence and grit, but it’s the best decision I’ve made!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Julia, the boudoir photographer behind Julia Cuddy Photography here in downtown Clarkston. I create moody, intimate images that feel equal parts soft and powerful! I actually discovered boudoir during a girls’ weekend back in 2020, and it came into my life at a time when I was struggling with my own body image. Seeing what a little support and vulnerability did for that group of women changed everything for me.
After years in weddings, I followed my gut and committed fully to boudoir, and now I’m focused on creating elevated, empowering sessions for women all over Metro Detroit who want to feel seen, celebrated, and a little dangerous in the best way!
What makes my work special is the experience. It’s personal, emotional, and genuinely fun. I’m your hype woman, your calm guide, and the person who shows you the version of yourself you forgot you could be.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My mom. I am very fortunate in the way that I grew up with supportive parents who believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. Growing up my mom always told me I had an eye for photography even when I was too young to know what tha meant. I always had a camera in my hand.
What made her influence so special wasn’t just the encouragement, it was the environment she created. My mom never criticized her own body in front of me, never made me feel ‘less than,’ even though I was a chubby kid. Even when it came to my jobs growing up, she always told me to follow my heart. I consistently had unconditional acceptance. She gave me the safety to grow, pivot, fail, try again (so many times) and to trust my creative instincts. I know how lucky I am to have had that kind of foundation, and it’s a huge part of why I do the work I do now.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
One of the defining wounds of my life has been the feeling of not fully belonging in female friendships. Growing up, I always craved that deep sisterhood but I kept finding myself in friendships that were surface level and honestly a little toxic.
The first time I photographed that group of women during their girls’ weekend in 2020, I felt like I’d been dropped into the kind of friendship circle I’d wanted my whole life. The laughter, the trust, the way they hyped each other… it was definitely healing in a way I didn’t expect.
And just to circle it back around to work, every boudoir session gives me a piece of that sisterhood I used to search so hard for. It’s not just about taking intimate photos it’s about connection and kinship. It is women seeing each other clearly, celebrating each other, and creating this little pocket of trust together. I get to build the kind of energy I used to long for, one session and one woman at a time. And that feels like the most unexpected and beautiful way to heal.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Honestly? Yes. For better or for worse! I used to really struggle with how much of my personal life to post online / what to post / how often to post but the truth is the more people get to know the real person behind a brand the better. If I am craving connection I am sure other people are too! So yes, I am boudoir photographer but people also know I have a growing garden (it’s chaotic), they know about my pets and my partner. They know I love Harry Styles. They know I get insecure walking in public. The list goes on. One of the greatest compliments is meeting someone and them saying they already feel like we’re friends.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people talk about my character over my talent. I hope that there are stories told about how I made them feel, how my laugh filled a room whether they wanted it to or not, and I hope there is a lot of “cheers to that” scenarios. My legacy is in how I’ve made you feel above all else.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.juliacuddy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliacuddyphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliacuddyphoto/
- Other: Women Only Private Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliacuddyboudoir/
Image Credits
Amber Marie Photo & Julia Cuddy
