What is Boudoir & Why is it important?

March 8, 2023

I thought it would amazing to do a boudoir post on International Women’s Day! I get so many questions about Boudoir and what it’s all about, so jump into it with me. It seems like most people view boudoir “as a gift for someone else” or “only something you do for a wedding gift”. I am here to tell you, it’s SOOO MUCH more than that. First and foremost, it has to be something that you are doing for yourself.

I recently gained some first hand insight into this, when I booked a boudoir shoot for my own photos! I wanted to do this for a few different reasons: to feel good in my own skin, as a gift for my husband as an early anniversary present, and so that I could see and feel it from the client perspective. I now understand how if feels for my amazing clients from that experience.

In this post, I wanted to use a collection of photos from several boudoir sessions to show different setups and styles. Here pictured, is Ms. A from the first studio I ever used for these sessions. Keep reading to see some pictures of the new studio towards the bottom of the post.

So what exactly is Boudoir? The whole point is to build your confidence, and just make you feel so freakin empowered. The original definition is a woman’s private bedroom…One deﬁnition goes on to say, ‘a beautifully decorated room used in the past by a woman for sleeping, dressing, relaxing, and entertaining’. It makes sense that boudoir photography is most commonly understood as women in various forms of undress in a bedroom.

While boudoir photography has formerly been known as a way for women to give saucy portraits to their partners, boudoir has changed… for the better. Boudoir is all about bringing out your inner beauty and letting it shine for all to see without the excess layers. It’s nothing but you and it’s one of the most empowering experiences you can have. No matter your gender identiﬁcation, boudoir can be an amazing way to connect with yourself, spark your conﬁdence, and just have fun letting lose for a session! Boudoir, by new deﬁnition, is owning your inner beauty and stepping into the truth of who you are to tap into your inner-feminine that has been begging to be released. It’s for you.

The Boho-inspired Studio in Des Moines, Iowa offers several different shoot rooms with various setups and props, includes a makeup room complete with robes and fuzzy slippers to make you super comfy while getting pampered for your session, in an old historic building. Are you convinced? I’d love to get you booked in for your very own boudoir session. Let’s connect – just send me an inquiry here!