Outdoor boudoir in the winter at a cozy cabin in Northern Minnesota
L is someone who loves nature and loves the winter, so when I offered winter outdoor boudoir sessions last year, L was immediately interested!
How does outdoor boudoir work in the winter?
I started offering outdoor winter boudoir sessions last year after numerous clients expressed interest in the concept. Admittedly, at first I was worried about how to keep clients from getting frostbite or shivering in their underwear outside, but after doing some research I created a safe and straightforward plan that led to some truly magical outdoor winter sessions!
Last February, I rented a cozy, A-frame cabin located on a gorgeous private property in Northern Minnesota. The cabin itself had a cozy fireplace, a kitchenette, a sauna on the deck, and a wall of floor to ceiling windows casting such lovely light. Situated in a spacious forest clearing, the cabin felt intimate and secluded, allowing clients to take all their pictures outside or to do a combination of indoor and outdoor portraits. While some clients found it helpful to bring along some warm snow boots or hand warmers to stay comfortable during breaks in the session, this setting created a lot of safety and flexibility while capturing the raw beauty of winter!
L’s grounded, self-celebratory photoshoot
L approached her winter boudoir session with a clear vision: she wanted her portraits to feel authentic. She saw her session as a powerful way to show up as and for herself, to capture who she is in this season of life, and to appreciate her physical body. She wanted to celebrate the crickles in her eyes and the shape of her body, and she specifically asked me not to photoshop away any perceived imperfections (an intention I really resonate with – here's more info about my approach to editing/retouching, if you're curious). Creating body-positive boudoir photography that celebrates your natural radiance inside and out is a core value of mine, so L’s vision and my brand values aligned beautifully. L also wanted her portraits to express a balance of masculine and feminine energy and to capture her openness, strength, and joy in a non-performative way,
In line with her vision, L kept her boudoir wardrobe simple. She started the session wearing a black bra and underwear set, which she paired in some portraits with a favorite white t-shirt. For the second half of the session, L opted for a series of fine art and implied nude portraits.
After the session, L shared such moving words about her experience:
“The photos have me feeling really tender toward myself. As I approach 42 years old, I found myself having hard feelings about my softening chin line and facial wrinkles, and, even though I know those hard feelings stem from how little society values older women, I struggled to shake them. The experience of the photoshoot, and the photos I'm left with, make it a lot easier to see myself as a whole, flawed, sacred, beautiful, and worthy human, and I'm excited to move deeper into aging with this empowering and lovely experience.”
Outdoor boudoir portraits in northern Minnesota
L started her session with a meditation to connect with her body and her intentions for the session. She walked down one of the paths leading to the cabin and found a spot on the ground to sit while I stayed a ways back to give her some privacy. With her permission, I took a few portraits to capture this moment. While there was little snow on the ground, the silvery quality of the light, the tall bare trees, and the dusting of frost on the ground give these portraits a strong sense of winter.
After her meditation, L and I explored a few other spots around the property with beautiful pockets of trees and sunlight. To wrap up her session, I ran the sauna and photographed L entering and warming up in the sauna. The hot steam of the sauna cast stunning shadows, illuminating the lines of L’s body. Taking in the sensory experience of the sauna, L once again appeared so present to her body and grounded in self-appreciation. Bookending her session with another moment of embodied self-love felt so powerful and fitting.
