invest back into yourself
your new chapter starts here
Boudoir photography is an intimate and powerful experience, whether intended as a romantic gesture for a partner, or a long-awaited gift of self-love.
Our entire lives, we give, and we give, and we give. We pour ourselves out to our partners, our families, our jobs, our homes, and our communities, and we’re expected to do it all with a smile. Boudoir sessions serve as a unique way to pause and reconnect with ourselves. For what might be the first time in a while, clients find themselves feeling pampered, sensual, and empowered.
self-love, reignited
Most of us go through life without ever seeing ourselves photographed this way. Helping my clients see themselves in a new light is such a rewarding job.
There is a moment in every session where I notice my client letting go of their stress at work or home, forgetting about the stretch marks from the baby they just had, releasing their wedding nerves or breakup woes, and shedding their insecurities. The glow my clients give off is contagious. Every single session feels so special.
a different approach
Before starting my business, I booked a boudoir session to learn about the client’s perspective. I discovered several reoccurring issues and strived to do better.
I knew I wanted to be available to all budgets, so my packages start at $199. Only 50% is due to book.
I also noted that all boudoir photographers charge for individual photos, on TOP of the session fee their client already paid. While every photographer should do their business as they see fit (and more power to them!), I can’t get on board with this. If a client has invested money in their session, their outfits, their hair, makeup, nails and whatever else, aren’t they disappointed to pay an additional $150 to keep 3 small prints? If a photographer has invested their time and skill in creating and editing gorgeous images where their client looks like a rock star, aren’t they disappointed to see them go to waste?
Except for my “Tease” sessions, boudoir clients receive digitals of all their edited images, and a print-release form that allows them to make prints and albums wherever they want, whenever they want.
I want you to have your photos, I don’t want to hoard them. This world needs less Smaugs and more Sam Gamgees.
societal pressures
Everywhere we turn, scroll, or click, impeccable-seeming women are shoved in our faces. It’s easy to make comparisons between ourselves and what we see.
But here’s what we don’t see: those women had a team of professionals do their hair and makeup. A professional set up powerful lights designed to give a flattering glow. Tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cameras, lenses, and editing softwares were used. These women are posed and shot from flattering angles. Someone spent hours whitening their teeth, eliminating wrinkles, flyaways, blemishes, body hair, cellulite- all the normal things we all have and shouldn’t be ashamed of.
These women are awesome! But you are just as awesome, and they don’t have anything you don’t have (…except maybe zero financial stress, personal chefs and nutritionists, estheticians, stylists, nannies, house keepers, plastic surgeries, personal assistants, chauffeurs, veneers, face-tuning filters, access to the best health care, sleep, in-home gyms, time to relax, etc.).
Bottom line: You are just as deserving, just as worthy, and just as beautiful. Let me prove it to you.
out of the mouths of babes
“Everything I’ve done after my boudoir session has felt a little different with my secret new empowerment tucked underneath. This experience, these photos have awakened the confidence that I’ve been missing. I think I’ll do a boudoir session every year.” — M.U.
“I haven’t even seen the photos from my boudoir session yet, but I already feel like I got so much out of this experience just from spending the day shooting. I haven’t felt that confident in years, especially recently as I go through my divorce, and this was exactly what I’ve needed. This was better than therapy.” — D.W.
“It was so affirming. I’m so hard on my body… always nitpicking. But [this] made me truly appreciate my physique. Girl, my body. I feel like I’m looking at it for the first time. It’s the most amazing feeling to see everyone seeing their bodies & loving them in a way that [we] haven’t before. What a gift. This was the best birthday gift I’ve ever given myself. It’s even cooler that [my friends] got to share in it with me.
— S. G.
"Bri did an amazing job. I want to thank her sooo much for making me feel so comfortable and making me laugh! I was so scared at first but instantly became relaxed!!" — T.K.
"You were absolutely phenomenal! I can't believe how much fun I had and you made that happen! You are most certainly a master of your craft, Bri! You made her birthday more than she could have imagined. I can't tell you how absolutely amazing those pictures are. Simply can't thank you enough."
— J.S.
"My husband loved the pictures so much, and honestly, so did I. I have never looked at pictures of myself so much before in my life!" — J.B.
"I was a bit terrified. I had no where near the level of confidence I desired, I wasn't comfortable with what I saw in the mirror, and I simply thought I wouldn't be able to give Bri the shots she wanted. I couldn't have been more wrong. This experience was one of the best in my life. Bri is a PHENOMENAL person and photographer and I wouldn't have wanted to do this with anyone else. She flushed all of my insecurities down the toilet and made me feel like I could run the world. She made this shoot everything I could have wanted and then some. I cannot recommend Bri ENOUGH to anyone. If any of you have thought about doing something like this but have been hesitating, STOP HESITATING." — M.Y.
“You ever meet someone who restores your faith in humanity? Whose inner humility somehow remains unscathed by her astounding outward beauty? Whose positivity and empathy lets her both laugh and cry with ease? Whose presence ultimately helps you rest at home in your own skin? That’s been Bri in my life- and it all started one night in January, with a frustrated and truly-fueled email I wrote to a stranger online. As both a twitterpated newly-wed and a stubbornly-resilient woman, bent on reframing her trauma and learning to love herself, I got the bright idea to do a boudoir session around Valentine’s, for both my husband and myself. So I spent hours over the course of a few days, scouring the carefully-curated feeds of St. Louis’ best boudoir photographers; I ended up bewildered by the fact that this feat of body-positivity, vulnerability, and empowerment appeared grossly out of my price range. I’d have to pay hundreds-even thousands-if I wanted full access to my own photos, after already purchasing the pricey pampering session. I had all but given up, when I found her. Brianna, the Genuine Article of both artistry and accessibility… and general bad-assery. Maybe it was the incredible, tasteful photos on her site that drew me in. But it was her integrity and true inclusivity that not only kept me obsessively scrolling and reading her story, but prompted me to send a personal email of thanks. We quickly bonded through a handful of candid messages (details like our shared enthusiasm for grammar and good roastbeef). Fast-forward to the end of April, to us finally meeting, & I found myself still fan-girling- this time in front of the skillful lens of a friend. [My] photos reflect a bit of that magic, of letting yourself really see and be seen. What a gift Bri brings to the world-with her photography and with her life. Homegirl could legitimately grace the cover of Vogue herself, but she’d rather spend her energy making OTHER women feel beautiful. Just glance through her pictures or peruse her feminist-forward, environmentally-friendly clothing boutique for a glimpse into her giving heart. Or better yet, book a session. Yesterday." —D. O.
"Your attention to detail from the very first email has been impeccable. Your genuineness shows through your written communication, which I feel is very hard to capture in our digitally-charged, fast-paced world. I could tell that you truly cared about each word you typed and that I could trust you right away. Needless to say, this genuineness and already established trust made it so easy to connect with you from the first moment we met in person. The compliments and words you spoke felt genuine and encouraging. I felt this was such a vulnerable experience to basically get almost-naked in front of somebody I just met and let them take sensual photos of me. Especially having some mental and physical insecurities. I still can't believe this was something I actually committed to, because I think even 1 month ago, it would have been way too far out of my comfort zone. I think I may have been too embarrassed or ashamed of myself to even consider it. What a true talent you have to make people feel so comfortable so quickly and effortlessly. And what a gift to the world that you are using your talent to make others feel so special and valued! I can't tell you how much my time with you built me up and made me feel incredibly beautiful (on the outside and more importantly, on the inside). I'm happy that someday I will look back on this self-exploration journey I've been on and say that you are a huge part of me becoming more comfortable and confident in my own skin.
It meant a lot to me that you took time to show me how to pose and what to do. I'm definitely a visual learner and that helped so much. It also made me feel less awkward and unsure of myself. You really made me feel like I was getting my moneys worth for our time together! One last thing I wanted to mention that I noticed about you is your inclusivity. I noticed this when looking through various boudoir sites and who I wanted to reach out to. You had different body types, colors, shapes, etc. on your website. Thank you for being inclusive. The work that you are doing for the world is incredibly important.
I don't even need to see my photos to know they are going to be incredible. I feel a bit pompous or cocky saying that, but I think you could make anyone look and feel beautiful. I'm so glad I decided to commit to this experience and so glad I found you! Thank you for being part of my self-exploration journey. Keep doing amazing work." —A.O.
"Working with Bri was an absolute dream! I purchased the session several months in advance and she was great at keeping in contact and getting everything set up. I've never done a boudoir shoot or any photoshoot so I had a lot of questions, but she never made me feel like it was too much to ask. I felt so glamorous with my hair, makeup, and nails, and it was just like the best kind of playing dress up! Bri made me feel like a model when all I had to do was copy the exact pose she did. It felt like hanging out with a friend who happens to be an amazing photographer and I was amazed at how comfortable I felt! Highly highly recommend that everyone does a boudoir shoot, especially if it's just for you!" —T.P.
"I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for this experience! I have given so much of my body over the past five years with pregnancy, birth, a c-section, and breastfeeding. I actually love the pictures that show my stomach and the evidence of me carrying my two babies (10lb babies!). The pictures really honor the power of my life-giving body. I knew that your editing would not erase but instead tell my body's story. This indulgent experience was perfect for celebrating a transition in my life as I reclaim my body for myself. It was so important to remember that my body is my body. I am thankful that you give your clients all the edited photos. When I was researching boudoir photographers, everyone else did not provide print releases. It was important for me to feel like had I ownership over my own body. Of course, my husband loves the photos too! The everyday grind of being a parent can take a toll on a marriage, but we are still the same couple that fell in love a decade ago. It has felt nice to be able so see me through my husband's eyes. I have been reminded just how beautiful he thinks I am. Beautiful enough to picture me in the lingerie he bought for me. Beautiful enough to encourage me to step infront of camera. He told me all the different reasons he likes the pictures. Beautiful parts of me that I haven't recognized. I thought I may not be as beautiful as I was in my 20s, but I just may be more beautiful! I hope you can be my photographer again, so I can keep documenting that beauty." —E.S.