The 4 Pillars of Believe in Boudoir

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." – Vincent van Gogh

The Inspiration

Crystal Stokes, a wedding photographer, ignited the initial inspiration in the founder, in 2016, during a surprising coffee meeting. Read more below...

The Mentor

Brett Florens, a renowned fashion and wedding photographer, in 2018, paved the way for the founder's success and coined the name "Believe in Boudoir." Read more below...

The Artist

Yuliya Panchenko, a boudoir photographer, founded "Believe in Boudoir", in 2020, and created boudoir educational programs. Read more below...

The Engine

Eliar Tabrizi, a retired military soldier, in 2020, strategized a five-year plan to transform "Believe in Boudoir" into an expanding platform. Read more below...

ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS

Clear Goals and Vision
Continuous Learning
Guidance and Mentorship
Inspiration
Self-Motivation
Hard Work
Persistence
Creativity
Sacrifice

The Birth of Believe in Boudoir

The Mentor

"Believe in Boudoir" was born in 2019 as a slideshow presentation, with the guidance of Yuliya Panchenko's mentor, Brett Florens. Brett had recommended a presentation spot for Yuliya at the Professional Imaging Expo in Amsterdam, Netherlands. After months of mentorship and preparation, the time came to name the presentation, and Brett suggested "Believe in Boudoir"—a simple, catchy title. However, before the expo could take place, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, leading to the event's cancellation. The presentation, once filled with promise, was tucked away into an archive, seemingly forgotten.

A few months later, Yuliya's studio faced a financial crisis. With all bookings canceled, quarantine in place, and the economic downturn in full swing, the business came to a standstill, leaving Yuliya and her husband, Eliar Tabrizi, in dire straits. Eliar had just enrolled in film school and was without a job, relying on the photography studio as their primary income. The family faced the loss of both cars and nearly their home. It was a critical turning point, and action was necessary. In that moment of desperation, "Believe in Boudoir" was pulled from the archives, offering a glimmer of hope in the midst of their struggle. Once again, Yuliya turned to her mentor for guidance on online education. To really understand the story, we need to go back to 10 years ago...

5 Years of Confusion

Yuliya and Eliar married in 2010 when Yuliya was a graduate student pursuing her master’s degree in hospitality and tourism management, while Eliar was an undergraduate student and soldier working toward his bachelor's in political science. After graduation, Yuliya moved to El Paso, Texas, a desert-like military town with no tourism industry to speak of, abruptly ending her eight-year career in hospitality and tourism.

Determined to stay productive, Yuliya enrolled in art school, nurturing her lifelong interest in drawing the female form. However, knowing they would soon move again due to Eliar’s military orders, she realized she needed a business that could travel with her. Many companies refused to hire military wives for this very reason, so Yuliya decided to create her own opportunity. The closest business she could start immediately, which aligned with her artistic passion, was photography.

During a vacation in California, Yuliya bought her first crop-sensor camera, a Nikon 7000, and began experimenting with self-portrait boudoir photography, blending her art skills with her new tool. However, judgment from friends and family made the journey difficult. Seeking to refine her craft, she enrolled at the Crealdé School of Art in Florida, temporarily living away from Eliar to focus fully on mastering the fundamentals of photography.

In the meantime, Yuliya photographed everything she could, without settling on a specific niche. From 2014 to 2016, after the birth of her son, Yuliya found herself primarily focused on newborn photography, often capturing tender moments with her own child. Though she occasionally took on wedding gigs, her attention during this period was devoted almost exclusively to her son.

From 2013 to 2015, Yuliya's creativity, focus, and passion for photography began to fade as she struggled to improve creatively and financially.

2010 - Engaged

2010 - Got Married

2011 - Learning Art

2012 - Bought 1st Camera

2012 - Interest in Boudoir

2013 - Learning Photography

2014 - Got Pregnant

2015 - Gave Birth

2015 - Stay Home Mom

The Inspiration

Crystal Stokes

During one of Yuliya's lowest points, she often spoke about one photographer whose work she admired deeply and aspired to surpass: Crystal Stokes. Yuliya dreamed of capturing wedding images with the same dramatic black-and-white, high-contrast style that Crystal had mastered. At that time, Yuliya was determined for every detail of her photography business—her skill level, website, and even the fonts she used—to match Crystal's. Since she couldn’t afford a website designer, she asked Eliar to learn how to build a website and replicate Crystal's exactly. Recognizing Yuliya’s obsession with Crystal’s photography and personality, and noticing her fading passion for photography, Eliar secretly reached out to Crystal Stokes, hoping to rekindle Yuliya's inspiration. He arranged a surprise meeting, and after a three-hour drive to Charlotte, NC, they sat down at a charming French café. As Yuliya sat unaware, Crystal Stokes tapped her on the shoulder from behind. When Yuliya turned around, she experienced one of the happiest and most shocking moments of her life—seeing her favorite photographer standing right there in the same coffee shop. After a few hours of asking Crystal "how" questions about her journey, Yuliya left the meeting fully inspired, ready to restart her wedding photography business with renewed passion and determination.

Website

Yuliya's Photo by Crystal

Macro Lens, Extreme Close-up

Here’s a refined version of your text: This close-up portrait, taken by Crystal Stokes at the end of their meeting, inspired Yuliya to develop her own unique style. Although Crystal no longer practices photography for personal reasons, her legacy lives on through Believe in Boudoir. She left a lasting impact on Yuliya’s work in two significant ways. First, Yuliya’s bodyscape nude art was shaped by this portrait, while her black-and-white dramatic boudoir styles were directly influenced by Crystal’s wedding photography. Second, Crystal taught Yuliya the power of inspiration, which became evident four years later when Yuliya began sharing her knowledge on YouTube and building this platform. This was the first and last time Yuliya met with Crystal Stokes, but the 2 hours long meeting left a lasting impact on the boudoir photography industry.

Instagram

Yuliya Panchenko's portrait by Crystal Stokes

4 Years of Learning

The newly inspired Yuliya Panchenko realized she had lost her passion for photography, not because she no longer enjoyed it, but because she hadn’t yet mastered her craft and had grown tired of taking the same types of photos. She knew it was time to elevate her skills—learning how to use artificial light, pose clients effectively, master new tools and software, and build a sustainable business. Determined to grow, Yuliya began attending major photography expos like Photo Expo Plus, IMAGING USA, and WPPI. At NYC's Photo Expo Plus (now no longer in operation), she met Chase Jarvis, the founder of CreativeLive, one of the leading educational platforms for photographers. This encounter led Yuliya to CreativeLive, where she expanded her knowledge through online courses. She learned from renowned photographers such as Sue Bryce, Lindsay Adler, Scott Robert Lim, and Brett Florens. However, she focused particularly on the "High Fashion Wedding Photography" course, aiming to create a new wedding portfolio with high-end fashion imagery to attract clients who appreciate the world of fashion.

By the end of 2017, after building a high-fashion wedding portfolio and business in a small military town, Yuliya was shining like a star. However, sudden orders meant Eliar would be gone for three years, and the family had to move closer to relatives in Florida since he wouldn’t be there. After relocating to Orlando and renting a studio for the first time, Yuliya quickly realized she was a small fish in a sea of sharks—she knew nothing about studio photography and didn’t have a single client. But a quote from Brett Florens in a CreativeLive course kept her motivated: "If you market yourself to the industry, you will last much longer in business than if you market yourself to clients." It was time to rebuild from scratch, this time for the industry.

In 2018, Eliar reached out to Brett Florens and proposed the idea of mentoring Yuliya Panchenko. Initially, Yuliya was intimidated and convinced that Brett wouldn't respond to a small, local photographer who had faced business struggles, so she hesitated to contact him directly. However, to her surprise, Brett responded and was happy to mentor her for 12 months. Within that year, Yuliya elevated her skills, built a brand-new portfolio, won 11 awards in prestigious photography competitions, became an Elinchrom ambassador, and was one of the speakers at the upcoming Professional Imaging Photo Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 2020. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic struck, and Yuliya faced yet another downturn, marking the third time her career faced significant challenges.

Yuliya and Chase Jarvis

Yuliya met Chase Jarvis and discovered the CreativeLive online educational platform, where she began to broaden and deepen her knowledge.

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High Fashion Wedding Photography

Yuliya diligently followed the High Fashion Photography course on CreativeLive to build her portfolio.

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Yuliya's New Portfolio

Yuliya built a fashion-inspired wedding portfolio by reshooting real clients' weddings for free, investing both time and money, and experimenting with flash photography techniques.

2018 - Yuliya and Brett Florens

Yuliya hired Brett Florens as her mentor to elevate her skills and reach a new level of professionalism, aiming to become a recognized photographer in the industry.

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BTS of Portfolio Building

From 2018 to 2019, Brett encouraged Yuliya to take on major projects that pushed her out of her comfort zone and beyond her regional location, collaborating with renowned brands and high-profile models.

Awards & Recognition

After a year of mentorship and project work, Yuliya submitted her photography to competitions for the first time, earning 11 awards from PPA, WPPI, and SLR Lounge combined.

4 Years of Hard Work

The Artist and The Engine

Looking back to the founding of Believe in Boudoir in 2020, Eliar and Yuliya dedicated the next four years to transforming a simple presentation into a course, then expanding it into a bundle, and finally growing it into the world’s largest boudoir and nude photography educational platform. Their journey of personal growth and relentless hard work involved seven days a week of learning, teaching, and developing. Both Yuliya and Eliar had to master various crafts to create the most engaging, fun, and informative educational experience for their members. Throughout these four years, Yuliya consistently learned new techniques, prepared educational content, and connected with students globally. Eliar, on the other hand, handled the website, technical aspects, marketing, content creation, and editing, serving as the driving force behind the platform, ensuring it ran smoothly and continuously improved.