Ashley's Self-Loving, Lighthearted, Captivating Boudoir Session

It’s hard to know exactly how Ashley and I came to know each other, but I’m SO glad that we did! Ashley and I both attended St. Olaf College and she knew my sibling, Kaelie. Ashley also attended a wedding that I photographed a couple of years ago. When we met, we hit it off immediately -- Ashley is so easy to talk to and just delightful to spend time with!  

During our first time talking, Ashely said that she’d never heard of boudoir photography until she came across my website and found herself “captivated” (which warmed my heart SO much!). Ashely told me that she loved all of the self-love, inner light, and body acceptance themes in my boudoir photography and felt it was a really fitting time in her life to have a boudoir session. Ashley had really focused on taking care of herself in the past year. She said that she now wanted to be able to celebrate her own inner light and “do something kind and amazing” for herself. She told me, “This is not just something sexy for my partner, this is my choice, this is my gift for me” -- how amazing is that?! Ashley also told me that she wanted to be able to look back at this time in 50 years and see these pictures from this time in her life. A boudoir session can be such a powerful, deep way of capturing a person’s self-love and strength, and I was so pumped to get to document this time with Ashley! 

Ashley’s Style + Personality 

One of Ashely’s big priorities for her boudoir session was for her personality to come through in her pictures. She said her style is, laughing and happy, but still sexy; playful, lighthearted, and joyful. I love that she knew herself so well that she could totally explain to me the look that she was going for! Ashley also loved the idea of some soft and romantic, “Sunday morning”/calm vibes mixed into her playful, light aesthetic. 

What I found really captivating about Ashley’s pictures is that while we focused on creating a light and relaxed feeling, you can still see this compelling sense of depth and energy in them. She looks so calm, confident, and content in herself! I think this really speaks to the growth Ashely has had over the past year; her inner power and strength just shines through in her photos. 

Ashley’s Outfits

Ashely came to her boudoir session with really fun outfits! She got some pieces from Flirt Boutique (one of my very favorite local lingerie shops) like this black silk nightie with lace side panels, which felt really feminine, curvy, and unique. She also found a black lingerie set with a high-waisted bottom and gold detailing. The set felt super elegant and glamorous while simultaneously feeling really effortless and cool due to its clean waistline. 

I also loved the black cotton set in Ashley’s very first photos; it really brings that calm and relaxed vibe. Ashley also layered the black cotton set with a white top for a few pictures, and all of a sudden the outfit’s vibe transformed into something really soft and warm! This was such a great example of a simple cotton set being able to carry off two different aesthetics based on the way Ashely styled it. 

Ashley, you brought so much personality, self-love, and strength to your boudoir session! Thank you for trusting me to photograph this chapter in your life. Your pictures radiate the inner light you have and I am so, so grateful that our paths crossed! It was a true joy to work with you.