ST. GEORGE — From indoor photoshoots with fluffy black angel wings to outdoor motorcycle shoots against a fiery sunset, this boudoir company is focused on restoring confidence while uniting women.
“Boudoir photography is unique in its ability to help people embrace their body,” Southern Utah Boudoir owner Stephanie Dutson said. “A lot of people are not happy with a multitude of things about their body, and boudoir photography focuses on the things that you like and enhances those. We want to bring out the natural beauty and help see yourself from another perspective.”
Dutson said her boudoir career all started when she discovered “Hot Mom Summer” — an online photoshoot event looking for models. She attended as a bikini model at Fire Lake Reservoir and found herself helping the photographer and poser with the shoot. Inspired by the experience and the industry as a whole, she began to coordinate photoshoots and perform other administrative duties for the company.
“I had been a stay-at-home mom for a few years,” she said. “And I was like, oh my gosh, the opportunity to get out of the house and interact with adults on a regular basis and get paid for it was amazing.”
Her duties shifted from administration to studio lighting and backdrops, then onto posing models for photoshoots. After years of working with the company, the owners decided to place the business up for sale. When they asked if she’d be interested in purchasing the business, she was flattered and excitedly accepted the offer.
“I love the photography aspect of it,” Dutson said. “I love how empowering and wonderful and amazing boudoir photography is. But my drive behind accepting her offer was because of the community they were building. I really feel like that’s needed here.”
Dutson said she often hears how hard it is for people to make friends or “find their tribe.” She’s building a community of friendship by offering monthly ladies’ nights, which include everything from movie and game activities to creating individual vision boards. All events are free to the public and are co-hosted with CirqueFit Southern Utah.
“The best part about it for me is when people walk in and they don’t know other people and they leave here exchanging numbers,” she said. “That’s the purpose – so people can meet other people, and if they never come back here again but they made a friend, that’s success.”
Dutson said body dysmorphia, an issue regardless of gender, is why Southern Utah Boudoir offers indoor and outdoor boudoir photoshoots for women and men. Their goal is to offer the total experience, which begins with a 30-60-minute consultation that allows clients to ask questions, visit the studio and determine goals they hope to accomplish.
One week prior to the photoshoot, clients come in for a lingerie fitting, which allows Dutson to plan backdrops and other important details. Full makeup and hair services are provided along with a client closet that features a variety of outfits and lingerie. Clients can also bring their own outfits and props.
“It’s goal-driven,” she said. “My personal goal is that everybody leaves here emotional. I want that for them. I want this to be an experience that lifts them enough that they feel it walking out the door before they’ve ever seen the final product.”
Dutson’s role is to design and direct, which includes posing models and making sure their outfits and hair are on point. Making clients feel comfortable and beautiful is her favorite part of the job. Two photographers — one male and one female — are available to choose from, each of which has their own individual style.
“Nobody is as hard on you as you are,” Dutson said. “Especially women. We look at ourselves and tend to focus on the flaws that we see, so being in an environment where somebody is telling you all the amazing things they see, and helping you to pose to accentuate those amazing things, it’s fantastic and I love being able to provide that for people.”
After edits are completed, clients return for a photo reveal and pick the package of their choice. Packages vary from 18 photos with a calendar and digital edits to books, metal wall art and more.
While 90% of people who come in generally say the shoot is for their significant other, Dutson said once they spend hours in the studio getting pampered and being built up, they get to see how amazing and beautiful they are and realize it’s actually a gift for themselves.
Not all shoots require subjects to be “exposed,” and she said it’s more about the client feeling comfortable and beautiful than what is on or not on their body.
“We’ve done photoshoots with people fully clothed,” she said. “Flannel shirts or jerseys and pants. If that’s what you feel comfortable in, what you feel beautiful in, then we want to work with that.”
Southern Utah Boudoir is focused on creating a safe and secure atmosphere. And for Dutson, it’s about much more than just the photo results. She cares about what’s going on in her clients’ lives beyond the studio and loves creating lasting friendships.
For more information on Southern Utah Boudoir, visit their website or find them on Instagram. To join their private women-only Facebook group for friendship and body positivity, click here. Contact them directly at 509-990-5260.
Photo Gallery
A boudoir photo session is taken by Southern Utah Boudoir in St. George, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Stephanie Dutson, St. George News
A boudoir photo session is taken by Southern Utah Boudoir in St. George, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Stephanie Dutson, St. George News
A boudoir photo session is taken by Southern Utah Boudoir in St. George, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Stephanie Dutson, St. George News
Southern Utah Boudoir owner Stephanie Dutson stands inside her studio in St. George, Utah, July 18, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Southern Utah Boudoir owner Stephanie Dutson sits inside her studio in St. George, Utah, July 18, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Women gather together to make vision boards at a Southern Utah Boudoir ladies' night in St. George, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Stephanie Dutson, St. George News
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