Helen’s natural, dreamy, self-loving boudoir session

Back early in the summer, I had a vision for a boudoir session that I really wanted to do! I pictured a boudoir session on a South Minneapolis beach at sunrise. I wanted to create pictures that would feel organic and romantic; I imagined the client stepping into the water in a relaxed, grounded way and taking in the beautiful scenery.

And then! Wild Isles, this amazing local, women-owned swimsuit company, was willing to provide a couple of looks for my dream session! Helen reached out and was super psyched about the idea of doing this complete vision -- location, outfits, and timing already planned out -- and creating some incredibly dreamy boudoir portraits together. 

Helen shared with me that she really wanted to do a boudoir session just for herself. She was ready to create portraits that felt true to herself, self-loving, and natural. She also shared that she feels really connected to water and nature and was really excited to do her boudoir session outdoors!

Helen’s boudoir session

We decided to meet early in the morning (just a little before sunrise, coffee in hand!) at Longfellow Beach, which is alongside the river in South Minneapolis. Wild Isles provided two swimsuits, and we decided to begin the session with a high-waisted black suit. I’d brought along a black lace robe from my studio wardrobe, and Helen was drawn to it right away! Together, the swimsuit and robe felt so confident and romantic -- it’s a really lovely pairing. 

I love the pictures that show the river in the background! They feel so calm. Helen has such a beautiful, deep connection with water, and so these pictures of her stepping into the water feel so authentic to her. 

Helen next wore a really beautiful red swimsuit from Wild Isles. The red color of the suit made the red in Helen’s tattoos pop in such a cool way! Helen also loves clouds and the way the sun plays with them, and there was this amazing moment where the clouds were breaking open and the light was coming through. It felt super artsy and dramatic! I love how confident and joyful these pictures feel.

We ended the session with a sundress look that Helen brought along. It was really cool timing -- the light was just beginning to come over the trees and break into dawn. I love how these pictures feel really reflective of Helen’s everyday life, style, and personality!

Helen, it was such a joy to bring this dream boudoir session to life with you! Thank you for all of the energy, connection to nature, and excitement you brought to this session. I am totally in love with how these pictures turned out -- I’m so grateful we got to work together!