Emily's Confident, Intentional Boudoir Session in the New Studio

I was so honored to welcome Emily for one of my first sessions in the new Illuminate Boudoir Studio. This is Emily’s second boudoir session with me. She did her first just before her wedding and wanted to return to celebrate this new season in her life.

Over the past year, Emily has been on an incredible journey of falling in love with herself and her body. She chose a boudoir session as part of a day of self-care; creating time and space to be proud of her body, to be intentionally present and to cherish herself.

The lovely photos we created together are a reminder of that empowering place.

From the beginning, Emily wanted these photos to feel strong and beautiful. She wanted to own how confident she feels in her space and her body.

Kelsey of The Hair Badassery helped Emily create a dramatic yet natural look, incorporating a subtle lilac shade into Emily’s makeup that made her eyes even more luminous and expressive. And, delivering on Emily’s request not to look too sleek or styled, Kelsey created tousled waves and volume in Emily’s hair.

Emily brought her yoga pants for her first outfit choice, her strength and fitness habits this year had been a huge factor in loving her body inside and out and she wanted to capture that element in her session.

The rest of Emily’s wardrobe was provided by Jessica at Flirt Boutique, one of my favorite local shops for stunning lingerie.

The detailed lace on Emily’s soft mauve nightgown creates such interesting texture in these photos and brings an element of soft confidence to Emily’s portraits - you can see how beautifully comfortable she is in her own skin.

One of Emily’s favorite pieces was the epic black lace bodysuit, the moment she put it on she projected a fierce strength. These are some of my favorite portraits of the session, the woman here knows exactly who she is and doesn’t apologize for herself. I’m so inspired!

The last of the Flirt pieces was this ornate, champagne bra, full of so many lovely details to round out these portraits.

Thank you for creating these bold, intentional portraits with me Emily! I’m so inspired each time I work with you.

P.S. Did you know that I also photograph weddings? Emily and her husband Phil trusted me with their natural St. Paul engagement session and their fun, non-traditional wedding at Bauhaus Brewlabs.