Creating self-celebratory boudoir portraits with Grace
Grace is such a lovely human who I worked with over five years ago, so it felt very exciting to photograph her again, this time at my boudoir studio in South Minneapolis! While Grace knew she wanted to do another boudoir session, she wasn’t totally sure what she wanted her portraits to look like - which is super common, and more than okay! In our initial planning, she told me what she didn’t want: super dramatic portraits or sultry-feeling portraits. I always find it as helpful to know what someone doesn’t want as what they do, and I’m happy to provide as much or as little creative direction as clients want when planning out their photoshoot.
On the day of the boudoir session, I always like to start by checking in with clients and going over potential plans for the photoshoot. When Grace arrived, she shared that she still felt open to my creative guidance, and she had chosen an outfit she loved. She knew she wanted to wear a favorite pair of boxers with no top for her portraits, and she wanted her images to feel comfortable, easygoing, modern, and candid. I offered two distinct directions for her session, and she decided to do a hybrid of both.
We started the session with Grace posing in front of my silhouette panel. The clean, white backdrop accentuates Grace’s body poses and expressions, creating images that feel authentic, fluid, artistic, and sculptural. I especially love this series of figure details that celebrate Grace’s body lines, hair, and tattoos.
For the second half of her session, I photographed Grace lounging on the bed in my studio. Filled with the cozy texture of bedsheets and blankets, these portraits have such calm Sunday morning energy and capture Grace’s buoyant spirit.
A love letter to her life:
Grace was a participant in my “Dear Body” series and wrote a moving, beautiful letter to herself to accompany her portraits. You can find all of the participants from this project on my “Dear Body” page.
Grace’s letter to herself:
I keep encountering instances where I’ve not been as honest with myself as I thought. I’m writing this in the midst of a swift kick in the teeth from truth. Yet I feel calm, because I’ve survived enough hurdles similar to this one. Like my first tattoo, the Nine of Wands: I use my past to fuel my present, acknowledging what I’ve accomplished to remind myself that I will always, eventually, find peace again.
This is a new form of self-love for me. My shame used to weigh me down so I couldn’t move forward. Now, I can look behind me, and see the progress I’ve made since those mistakes happened. I can’t heal from pain I don’t allow myself to feel.
I’m working on being gentle with myself. I’m learning what peace looks like. I’m filled with gratitude as I reflect on all of this. Gratitude for my loved ones, and for my own perseverance.
This is less of a love letter to myself, and more of a love letter to my life. I accept where I am right now, and I intend to continue embracing honesty.
Self-affirming boudoir photography:
