As Valentine’s Day nears, many men and women are gifting their significant others with boudoir images. 

Jennifer Fortune, a photographer in Carterville, Ill. began photographing twelve years ago and found a niche for boudoir photography. She said that she most enjoyed helping women feel bold and beautiful during the entire photo shoot experience, and giving women strength through their images. 

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Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography

Photographer, Jennifer Fortune, poses for a portrait Feb. 9, 2021. Fortune specializes in boudoir photography and has been photographing for 12 years. “I know what a woman doesn’t want to see in herself and I also understand what a woman needs to see in herself,” said Fortune. “Every woman walking out of here should feel like a million bucks and when they see their photos, they’re so happy.”

“There’s nothing more vulnerable than a woman in boudoir and with that, when I’m taking their photo, I hold their self esteem in my hands, so I have to do a good job, taking their photo, making them feel gorgeous, making them feel empowered, making them feel sexy and it’s very rewarding when we’re done,” Fortune said. 

Boudoir photography is an intimate art form that features romantic and sensual images, often in a bedroom environment. 

Fortune said that she strives to make her clients feel comfortable and said  it’s all about helping women find their beauty and “making their soul shine forth.” 

Fortune also added that, while many men and women schedule boudoir sessions as a gift to their significant others, there has been a recent increase in the art form as a way to discover and express self confidence. 

“What’s beautiful now are most of my ladies that come to me are women who want to do it for themselves,” Fortune said. “They are comfortable in their skin and they want to own their body the way that it is.” 

Staff  Photographer Sophie Whitten can be reached at Swhitten@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @swittenphotography.

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