Tammy’s Confident, Independent Outdoor Rooftop Boudoir Portraits
Tammy and I connected after a season of her life that had been difficult and challenging. She experienced a super tough year, followed by an empowering period of rebuilding different parts of her life. Now, she was in a phase of life where she felt really solid and proud of where she was after all she had experienced. I was so honored that she wanted to celebrate this proud, independant season of life with an outdoor boudoir session.
Tammy wanted pictures that would feel bold, empowered, sexy, independent, relaxed, and warm. She loved the idea of being outside in the sun and playing with light and shadows to celebrate and document this chapter of her life (read other inspiring client motivations for boudoir sessions).
Tammy lives in a beautiful condo in a part of town that she adores, with a great view and a garden on her balcony. From the start of our conversations, Tammy wanted to do her boudoir session in the rooftop common space of her condo building. She enjoys spending time there, and it is a place where she feels comfortable and at ease. I loved the idea of an urban setting, especially in contrast to some of the more nature-focused outdoor boudoir locations that other folks have chosen (like Maddie’s session in Colorado).
Location, location, location.
One of the most common questions I get about outdoor boudoir sessions is centered around location. I am often asked: What kind of place should I choose?
There have been a variety of different settings that folks I have worked with have been drawn to, and this is consistent with the polls I did on Instagram in preparation for offering outdoor boudoir sessions. My intention with outdoor boudoir is for the location to be a meaningful and unique place chosen by each client - rather than having a single “go-to” spot for outdoor boudoir. Overall the locations range from a more public outdoor setting like a park or a beach, a public but more remote location like a state park or natural area, and a more private location like Tammy’s rooftop or a friend’s private property.
With outdoor boudoir sessions, there is a very intentional planning conversation that happens in order to find the unique balance for each client between choosing a location and setting for the photoshoot they are drawn to, and one that allows for a feeling of safety and security. Being photographed in the context of boudoir is often a more vulnerable experience anyway, and knowing that there may be other people around makes establishing consent and boundaries really important, especially because people have very different levels of comfort. Thinking about taking your boudoir session outside? Read this blog post first.
How Tammy’s session unfolded
Instead of getting together at my studio to meet Tammy before her session (like I do with clients I photograph in my studio), I went to scope out the photoshoot location with her. I got to see and walk through the rooftop space, talk with her about outfit ideas, and do general planning for her session. We talked a lot about examples of pictures that she liked - she had questions about what the photos would look and feel like, so we spent time looking through example portraits on my Pinterest profile. This can be especially helpful if you are wrapping your head around which kinds of pictures you are most drawn to. During this visit, Tammy also mentioned a couple of other photoshoot location ideas that included her private balcony right off her condo’s living room (complete with a beautiful, lush plant space!!) and a shaded sitting area by the condo pool.
In comparison to some of the other outdoor boudoir sessions I have traveled for, we were able to keep more of my typical session flow with just a few slight timing tweaks since Tammy’s location was in the Twin Cities area. We started the day at my studio where she had her hair and makeup done, then drove to her condo building for her photoshoot, and still had the typical afternoon break where I edit photos and my client goes on an afternoon adventure.
We did Tammy’s portrait reveal later that evening and some of my favorites are the ones of her by the railing on her rooftop. She had this lovely vision of feeling super powerful, strong, and independent here in one of her favorite places with the sky in the background, and I think that vision really came through in her portraits. She looks confident and happy with a cool mix of relaxed and dramatic vibes in her strappy lace bra and yoga pants. I especially love the portrait of Tammy doing an epic hair flip. With her hair flying in the wind it really pulls in that outdoor energy while exuding such confidence.
Tammy, thank you for choosing to document this season of life with a self-loving boudoir session. It was a joyful experience to photograph you in one of your favorite places!