Sassy, classy, and BADASS-Y | Studio Session || Iowa City Boudoir Photographer

There are so many beautiful words I could use to describe this gorgeous woman, but my FAVORITE would be “vivacious”!  I have this strange ability to understand a person within the first few minutes of meeting them (or even communicating through phone/email).  And when she walked through my door, I knew we were going to have an epic time.  What I didn’t know is that she would be a repeat client because we had SO much fun shooting together.

Like many women I work with, I knew she had been through some really rough crap leading up to her session.  I do recommend doing a boudoir session to help heal from trauma, and what I hear most from women who have been going through hard times before they book their session is “screw it – I’m just going to do it”.  Please remember – fear holds us back.  This is not the case for her.  She scheduled and dove in headfirst.  That’s truly admirable!

What started as a few emails lead to beautiful photos (as you’ll see below, a mix of both of her boudoir sessions) and a pretty kick-ass friendship.  Couldn’t be more proud of this woman and her constantly working on improving herself.

Love ya, babe!!  And thank you so much for this review.  I know I’ll be seeing you again. 😉

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When I was first added to Stephanie’s VIP group by a friend, I was in love from that moment.  Her pictures are breathtaking, and Stephanie, herself, is such a wonderful, strong, impactful woman. I saw all of the pictures she posted from her sessions, and thought, “I have to do that!” So, I did.

My first session was a gift for my husband, and I was so excited, I couldn’t wait to meet Stephanie! It was a hard year. My best friend died and I had surgery on both feet, and I was just physically and mentally not where I wanted to be. Honestly, I hated myself, my body – all of it. But, I went to my session. I first met Michelle, who did my hair, and she made me feel so at ease. It was like talking to an old friend. Same with Lindsay. I remember looking in the mirror after those two completed my hair and makeup, and thought, “My God, I look beautiful!” And that thought grew even stronger when I met Stephanie. Through my whole session, I felt beautiful, sexy, strong, and empowered! A true badass. My pictures were gorgeous. And I left that day with so much confidence in myself and feeling capable of anything. So much so that I scheduled a second session for my 40th birthday.

In between my first and second session I lost about 25 pounds or so, was in a better place mentally, but still not where I loved what I saw in the mirror. But, damn. It all melted away that morning with my hair appointment. Michelle and I were like old friends, talking and laughing. When I walked in Stephanie’s house both she and Lindsay wished me a happy birthday and gave me huge hugs. We laughed and talked, and I felt so lucky. I got to spend my birthday with strong, beautiful, wonderful women who lift other women up, who fix crowns but don’t let on they did it. My session, again – so empowering. I knew what to expect this time, but it was still exhilarating, and I felt so beautiful.  It was playful and fun, and this session was all for me. And I felt great!!  The pictures were just as gorgeous as the first session, and I felt amazing. The rest of my birthday was like walking on a cloud of confidence.

My favorite part of both sessions was visiting with these women before the actual session. The bonding, laughing, joking – it was just so amazing. These women made me feel good about myself, not just with doing my hair and makeup, but for listening to me, my fears, my self-doubt, and reassuring me it was my self-perception.  It felt so great.