So 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 MoreAlmost the first question most boudoir clients ask me after they book a session is “ What do I wear?” While I send every Illuminate Boudoir client an extensive guide full of boudoir outfit ideas, here are some of my favorites to inspire you in your search for what to wear for boudoir photos.
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 MoreCome see what a real boudoir session is like (and get a peek at my new studio!)
Read MoreOften, when I first speak to women about doing a boudoir session, they share big fears with me about how the session will unfold. I get it, being in front of a camera can feel vulnerable. I think it’s completely natural to feel a little nervous and it’s a big part of my job to make sure you’re feeling comfortable before we take a single photos.
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 MoreI am so incredibly excited to introduce to you my new boudoir studio!!! If you've been following me on instagram, you've probably seen some (or a lot of) behind-the-scenes footage as I've moved in, revamped the space, and set up my dream boudoir studio.
The overall feeling of the studio is lovely - it's cozy and elegant and has beautiful light and a great feeling to it. I'm so excited to show you more, so let me take you on a little tour!
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 MoreDo you remember J's cozy, sexy boudoir portraits from a couple months back? She chose such beautiful art with her portraits - check out the video below to see her opening her finished box for the fist time!!
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 MoreMy whole philosophy about photography is embedded in creating tangible, printed art with your portraits - so in addition to taking home a usb with her portraits, she also stacked her favorite portraits into this luminous silk box.
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 MoreThe first part of designing a boudoir album is choosing which images you want to include in your album! I do this step with my clients at their Boudoir Reveal, all as a part of my same-day process. Clients come to my studio in the morning for pro hair/makeup styling and a photoshoot, take a break midday, and then come back to my office in the afternoon for a Boudoir Reveal to see all of their final images. It's amazing to see your boudoir portraits the same day as your photoshoot!
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.
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