Wardrobe is the #1 topic I get questions about from my clients, which is logical: we’re not used to dressing for photoshoots (especially in our underwear), and it can be intimidating to decide what to wear. In this post, I’m talking all about how to choose outfits for your boudoir session + sharing my all new wardrobe guide to reference as you plan your boudoir session.
Deb is a breast cancer survivor and received a mastectomy tattoo from an organization called P.ink a number of years ago. Her history and experience with her body has been one of different feelings and stressors than most people, yet she has a deep appreciation for it and wanted boudoir portraits that would feel natural and true to her.
I had this realization that there is power in giving yourself space and time that is just for you, feeling comfortable in front of a camera, giving yourself permission to be proud of how you look, and then having this moment of loving your pictures and seeing a piece of your soul in them looking back at you.
At the time of her personal branding photoshoot, Megan was in a holistic masters program to be an integrative health coach and looking for portraits that would set the stage for her next steps.
Corrah loves pink and in our first conversations said it is “her color” and that nearly everything she owns is pink with sparkles or glitter, so she wanted to own that, and pull in some really fun, girly, glittery elements into her session.
Ready to take your boudoir session outside? Just like boudoir sessions in my studio, we will talk about the style/feeling you’d like your portraits to have, what parts of your body you love, what you really want to celebrate in this moment of life, and all the planning details that bring your session to life. In addition to the typical session planning, we will talk about location (this is where your dreaming comes in!!) and a few more key components that I have detailed in this blog post!
There really are as many motivations for boudoir sessions as there are clients I photograph, and it is always an honor to be trusted with their stories and portraits. In my years of doing boudoir I have heard so many different stories from people about why they booked a session with me. I’m sharing all about client motivations for boudoir sessions in this blog post!
Maddie and I connected just after she moved to Colorado and right away she expressed that where she is at right now feels like where she is supposed to be - that moving to Colorado almost felt like a homecoming. She loved the idea of doing an outdoor session in her new home and using it as a way to explore some new areas and document this season of her life.
I photographed Stephanie about two years ago for the first time and was psyched to hear from her again, as I always am with clients who come back for another boudoir session. She came to this session in a season of really embracing herself and feeling confident in the life she is living.
“I went in feeling unsure about doing boudoir at my age. Came out feeling confident, beautiful and proud to be 57!” These words from Cyndy bring an inner fire to my soul every time I read them. I believe a boudoir session is a powerful, amazing, celebratory experience at any age - and I am so grateful this was true for Cyndy.
On the day of “K’s” session it was raining and NE Minneapolis was experiencing a quiet spring thunderstorm. She loves the rain, so it felt perfectly atmospheric. K’s intention for the session was to create portraits first and foremost for herself to document her life at this moment in time. She wanted pictures that would feel soft, natural, comfortable, and true to her.
Rachael loved the idea of not having one super specific focus for her boudoir portraits, and instead a focus of capturing multifaceted sides of her personality. The variety of feelings she was looking to capture came through so effortlessly in her portraits and everything fit together seamlessly in a cohesive color palette and style.
When planning this session with S, we spent time talking about her life and some of what she was proud of in her work and professional sphere. She works directly with people, uplifting and encouraging them - it is difficult work that she is really passionate about, and I love that she was able to use her boudoir session as a way to almost turn that care and compassion inward, toward herself.
“C” came to my studio for a boudoir session to celebrate her 30th birthday - a gift she gave to herself. Her session had a self-celebratory theme and the power of honoring herself in this moment radiated through in her portraits. One of her first questions when she connected with me was: “Do I have to put my pictures on the internet?” This is a common question because when you look at my work you’ll see a lot of pictures of people, and it is easy to wonder: “Am I going to end up there?”
Jordan and I met at an event I photographed last year, and she came across my boudoir work before her spring wedding. I remember her initial email so clearly - it was the best! She told me she was getting married and didn’t know if there would be another time in her life when she would feel she had a great excuse to make a boudoir session happen. The idea of boudoir made her a little uncomfortable, but she wanted to put herself out there and her upcoming wedding was just the impetus she needed.
Lydia initially contacted me about simple headshots for her performance career and was open and excited when I shared how I approach them in an intentional, customized way with full personal branding sessions.
Suzanne wanted to do a boudoir session for herself to celebrate herself. She had a clear vision of portraits that were “sexy but natural,” with some really cozy and everyday vibes - like holding a coffee mug while wrapped in a sweater.
Every year Sam likes to set a specific goal and try something new - something that is a challenge or that she wants to do but is out of her usual comfort zone. In the spirit of doing something that scares her and fulfilling her bold promise to give the unfamiliar a go, she decided this was the year she would do a boudoir session. Together we planned a session that celebrated this moment in her life.
