Photographing Inner Beauty: Boudoir by Yvonne Denault

By Cassie Tweten
Contributing Writer

Yvonne Denault believes that every woman is beautiful. Everyone is a bit unsure of themselves at times, but Denault knows that inside of even the shyest wallflower is a confident woman waiting to blossom. This belief inspires Denault on a daily basis as the owner and operator of Boudoir by Yvonne Denault Photography in Fargo.

Denault, a graphic design and marketing instructor, had practiced photography as a hobby, but didn’t originally intend to become the first photographer in North Dakota to specialize in providing boudoir and pinup photography.

At first, Denault took family and children’s portraits. She realized she had a talent for photography and began working professionally on a limited basis. It wasn’t until a friend contacted Denault about taking some boudoir-style images to send to her husband stationed overseas that the photographer realized she had a real interest in the style.

Denault cites the woman’s reaction to the photo session as the initial inspiration for this project. “I saw what happened with the first woman that I photographed. She looked at the photos and she felt good about what she saw.”

Word of mouth spread and other women started contacting Denault about boudoir sessions. Last summer, she founded her photography business.

“It isn’t just about what you see physically,” Denault explains. “It’s a whole emotional process. I am trying to photograph women as themselves—just dressed in lingerie.”

Always aspiring to perfect her craft, Denault traveled to San Diego last February to participate in a boudoir photography seminar. At the seminar, she decided that in order to fully understand the process, she needed to experience the other side of the camera.

“I wasn’t feeling empowered. I wasn’t feeling confident. I wasn’t feeling sexy,” she explains. She says remembering how she felt at the time helps her relate to the feelings of her clients. “This is a part of the healing process.” Looking at the prints from the shoot gave Denault a confidence boost. For Denault, confronting feelings about her body was a big step towards becoming a happier person.

She says her goal is to give other women the contentment of “being completely out there without being judged.” So far, she’s received a very positive response from clients and other visitors to her photography studio and website, Boudoir.YvonneDenault.com. “Women are floating out of the studio [after sessions] because they feel so good! That makes me feel good.”

Denault stresses that although the photographs are sexy, even risqué by conservative North Dakota standards, they are tasteful and sophisticated. Denault will not photograph nudity or anything that could be considered in any way pornographic.

“Women are to be respected,” Denault affirms. “Not just by men, but by themselves and each other.” In keeping with this affirmation, Denault tries to be as honest in her work as possible. She doesn’t photoshop the images to make her clients seem thinner or airbrush them to remove scars or birthmarks. “You don’t have to wait until you are the perfect size or look a certain way. The idea is to capture who you are and realize that you are beautiful at this moment.”

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If You Go

What: Pinup at the Plains
Where: Plains Art Museum
When: Thurs, Dec 9, 8pm
Info: 701.373.5770