A boudoir experience honouring ten women affected by breast cancer
This October, for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re doing something close to our hearts. We’re inviting ten women who have been affected by breast cancer to be photographed — gently, privately, and with real care — in a project we’re calling Marks of Strength.
It isn’t about scars, or before-and-afters, or being brave for the camera. It’s about being seen — properly, kindly, and on your own terms — by people who will treat you with dignity from the first hello to the last photograph.
And every booking fee from the project goes to [Maggie’s Swansea], who provide free practical and emotional support to anyone living with cancer.
Who Marks of Strength is for
If breast cancer has touched your life — whether you were diagnosed recently, are partway through treatment, are finding your feet in recovery, or it was years ago now — there may be a place here for you.
You don’t need to feel ready. You don’t need to feel confident, or “strong,” or like you’ve made peace with any of it. Most of the women who come to us haven’t. You’re welcome exactly as you are today.
Whatever this season looks like — surgery, reconstruction, treatment that’s changed how you feel in your own skin, hair that’s growing back or hasn’t yet — you’ll be met with warmth, never judgement.
What the experience is like
Marks of Strength follows the same calm, guided approach as everything we do, with extra care taken at every step.
- You come to our private studio near Swansea. No crowds, no waiting rooms, no rush.
- You’re always in control. You decide your level of coverage and exactly what is and isn’t photographed. Nothing happens that you haven’t chosen.
- It’s fully guided. Rhian is with you throughout and demonstrates every pose for you to follow, so you’re never left wondering what to do.
- We work at your pace. If you’re tired, we pause. If you need a moment, we take one. There’s no clock in the room.
- Hair and make-up are included — and if you’d like to be photographed with a headscarf, a wig, or simply as you are, that’s your choice and it’s a beautiful one either way.
- You see your photographs the same day, together, with a cup of tea — never sent home to wonder.
However you arrive, our hope is that you leave feeling a little more like yourself again.
Why we’re doing it with Maggie’s Swansea
[Maggie’s] centres sit beside NHS hospitals and offer free support — a place to talk, to ask questions, to simply be — for anyone affected by cancer, and for the people who love them.
Every booking fee from Marks of Strength will be donated to [Maggie’s Swansea], so that taking part becomes a small act of support for the next person walking through their doors.
The booking fee for the project is £100, and 100% of it goes directly to Maggie’s Swansea.
How to take part
There are ten places, and we’d love one of them to be yours — or perhaps someone you love comes to mind as you read this.
- Booking fee: £100 — donated in full to Maggie’s Swansea
- What’s included: A Fully guided experience, hair & make-up, same-day viewing Plus We will gift you a £250 gift certificate to go towards any purchase
- When: October / November
Taking part starts with a gentle, no-pressure conversation — there’s nothing to prove and no commitment to anything beyond a chat.
[Register your interest] and we’ll be in touch quietly and kindly, at your pace.
Your privacy, always
We know this is personal. You choose what’s kept just for you and what, if anything, is ever shared — and nothing is used publicly without your clear permission. Some women take part purely for themselves, and that is more than reason enough.
If you have any question at all before you decide, please just ask — you’ll find more in [our FAQ], or you can simply message us.
[Register your interest] — we’d be honoured to hear from you.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to show my scars or have my mastectomy photographed? Not at all. You are completely in control of your level of coverage and exactly what is photographed. Some women choose to include their scars, some don’t — both are honoured here, and neither is expected.
What if I’ve lost my hair, or it’s growing back? That’s completely welcome. You can be photographed with a headscarf, a wig, or exactly as you are — whatever feels most like you on the day.
What does it cost, and where does the money go? The booking fee is £100, and it’s donated in full to Maggie’s Swansea, who provide free support for anyone affected by cancer.
Who can take part? Any woman affected by breast cancer — in treatment, in recovery, or years on. You don’t need to feel ready or confident; you’re welcome exactly as you are.
Will my photographs be shared anywhere? Only ever with your clear permission. You decide what stays private and what, if anything, is shared. Many women take part just for themselves.