To guide the style and direction for her session, I asked Dylan about her favorite things about herself. She told me she loved her sense of humor, she loved her work as a theatrical stage manager, she loved her “dark Scorpio side” and she loved the moments where she felt more grounded, more calm. Most important to her in these photos was creating a sense of connection, of being vulnerable and present in the moment.
Read MoreRachel wanted to see herself the way she felt. We all go through times when we feel really good about ourselves, and visually documenting that confidence can be a powerful reminder on days when we doubt ourselves, or just need that memory of being really happy and alive in your body and mind.
Read MoreWhen I first met Emily Rose, she told me she had been drawn to Illuminate Boudoir because my work didn’t feel manufactured or overly stylized. “I’m not a pin-up girl,” she said during our first conversation. She was drawn to the idea of celebrating herself with photography, but couldn't find the right photographer to capture her vision. So when we met, there was an instant synergy in capturing boudoir photos that were elegant and organic, that celebrated Emily Rose as she is.
Read MoreWhen I first met M, she told me that she hadn’t been professionally photographed in years. She had been following along with Illuminate Boudoir and was excited to create some portraits that were empowering, elegant and intimate.
Read MoreFrom the beginning, Carly wanted her portraits to feel classic, fresh and elegant; blending a sense of lightness with more sensual elements for a session that was truly her.
Read MoreAutumn had been thinking about a boudoir session for a long time, so when body positivity and self-love became a big theme in her life this year she decided to schedule a session with me! Autumn wanted her portraits to feel romantic, feminine and strong and I loved that combination.
Read MoreSo many of my boudoir sessions start with one reason, and then develop a much greater meaning.
Elisabeth planned a session with me this past November, she wanted to create a wonderful gift for her partner at the holidays.
As we chatted about the boudoir experience, she became excited to put herself a little out of her comfort zone and to see herself a little differently - to see herself the way her partner sees her.
Read MoreOne of the things that I love about working in Minneapolis is collaborating and working with our multi-talented community of creative people. Cora is a henna artist, she’d worked with a number of clients getting hennaed before boudoir sessions and it sparked her interest.
So she joined me for one of the first sessions in the new studio
Korissa’s photos have a secret. And a sweet story.
I met Korissa when she was searching for a photographer for her wedding, she was inspired by the idea of doing a bridal boudoir session as a really romantic gift for her fiance. She and I planned a soft, artsy session for the early spring. So I wasn’t sure what was up when she reached out in the late-fall…
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreStacy’s boudoir session was a surprise to her. Instead of hearing from Stacy, it was her husband who first contacted me to tell me about his amazing wife. “I think my wife would love to do a boudoir session, and she deserves it,” he said. “I don’t even care if she shows me the pictures, if she does, great, but I want her to be able to celebrate herself.”
Read MoreDanielle got married last fall, and wanted to create some romantic bridal boudoir portraits to gift her fiance on the morning of their wedding. She was looking for portraits that would be romantic and elegant and sexy; documenting an exciting and meaningful moment in her own life while also creating an intimate gift to share with her partner.
Read More"When I look at my beautiful album, not only do I see a beautiful woman, I think of one of the best weekends of my life. I recommend the experience, and Alyssa to all my friends, and proudly show of my album to pretty much everyone."
Read MoreEmily planned this incredible session as a celebration of herself; at the time of her session, she was a few months out from getting married and wanted to honor and document her current chapter of life.
I remember in one of my first phone calls with her when we were talking about her session, she said something that changed the way I approach bridal boudoir portraits. She said that being engaged to her partner made her excited to be married and proud of her partnership, and also made her proud of herself as an independent woman.
Read MoreJ and I met last year at a wedding fair - she is getting married and wanted to do a bridal boudoir session to celebrate herself, and to share her portraits with her fiance as a wedding gift.
J wanted her portraits to feel pretty and stunning, and she brought a great variety of outfits to showcase different sides of her personality: cozy cotton layers feel relaxed, lace bra/underwear sets brought in a pretty and elegant vibe, a patterned corset feels epic, and a white detailed set feels airy and bridal.
Read MoreBria is an amazing woman - a social justice advocate, woman-changing-the-world kind of person, she spends her days empowering and lifting up others and needed some self-care and an opportunity to celebrate herself at this moment in time. I always love working with women to create empowering boudoir portraits - especially when they are planning a session as a gift for themselves!
Read MoreK wanted her pictures to feel confident and sexy and relaxed - she was so excited to incorporate her wedding dress into some pictures, so we planned a series of images inspired by how she felt getting ready on her wedding day.
Read MoreSara is a beautiful person, inside and out. As we were planning how she wanted to be photographed for her boudoir session, she wanted her portraits to feel natural and beautiful, sweet and romantic and soft. We had a beautiful morning in the studio with lots of laughter and a little prosecco, and I'm so excited to show you the resulting images!
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