We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Serena Strelow. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Serena below.

Alright, Serena thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Life is full of twists & turns; but God has always had me in the palm of his hand. When I started my small photography business a few years ago (August 2020), I didn’t know what would lie ahead of me. I fell in love with boudoir photography about halfway through my first year, but not in the traditional sense. I personally had a horrible experience when booking my own boudoir photoshoot with another photographer. To make a long story short, she made me feel so inferior. She even called me too “vanilla”… I left feeling smaller and gnarled up inside – I thought this sort of photoshoot was supposed to be uplifting & empowering? I was devastated… Until I realized I could do something about it. I started shooting boudoir myself, and made it my sole purpose to never have any woman leave the studio the same way I did – wounded.

Fast forward a few years.

I remember it distinctly that I was on a prayer walk with the Lord, and He simply placed two words on my heart that I would later wrestle with… Those two words were Christian Boudoir. I thought “What? How could those two words even appear next to each other?” I mulled over this concept for months, until I finally took the leap on March 4th, 2024. I took a huge risk and started offering Christian Boudoir sessions. I put on TikTok my intentions for these type of sessions, which was: 1) Pray over you before we begin your photoshoot, 2) Listen to worship music (or clean music) while we shoot, and finally, 3) Closing reflections to send you on your way.

Well, little did I know that it would GO VIRAL. I am currently at half a million views and STILL COUNTING. And might I say, most of the feedback I received was positive. I was floored – and still am to this day.

Since March, I have booked a few Christian Boudoir sessions, and they have been so much better than I could have ever hoped for. One client opened up to me about her body dysmorphia, and how she had always wanted to do a boudoir photoshoot. But, she didn’t know how to go about it. I watched her BLOOM throughout her session, and it was honestly the most beautiful thing I have seen in a while.

That’s when I knew God was walking with me in this mission. God pushed me to take the risk of being ridiculed, made fun of, questioned, and put down, so that I could honor him & bring him into a previously known as “Godless” space.

Serena, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have always been a little photographer at heart! I was always that friend way back in grade school carrying my point and shoot camera and asking people to say “cheese!”. I didn’t realize it was something I wanted to do until a few years ago. In all honesty, at first, I just wanted to make some extra cash to pay for my wedding. I thought “this has always been something I enjoy, might as well learn more about it and create a small side biz. So, I headed over to Best Buy and bought my first camera. I was so nervous but so excited to make an investment in myself! I started off shooting families, newborns, seniors, pretty much every niche of photography you can think of! I enjoyed it, but realized I needed to specialize a bit more and dig a little deeper. That’s when I had the bad experience of booking a boudoir photoshoot for myself, and I left feeling so disgusted.

I started on my boudoir photography journey shortly after and I fell in LOVE with the craft. Everything about it is so beautiful. Selfishly, my favorite part of shooting a boudoir session is seeing the look on these ladies faces when I turn over the camera to show them what they look like on my screen… absolute PERFECTION! There’s really nothing that beats the view of a smiling woman loving up on herself again…

Along with boudoir, I also shoot maternity, engagement, events (such as gender reveal parties), and I just started dabbling in some wedding photography as well!

What potential clients can expect from me is a lot of energy; anyone who knows me in real life would concur that I don’t stop wiggling. It’s a blessing & and curse, honestly. But with that, they can also confide in me. I want to be your best friend for the day. So, I’ll lend you an ear to listen, and a shoulder to cry on…

Lastly, I am a very spiritual woman. God is my number one inspiration: my boss. He is the owner & operator of my photography business; I am just the manager who implements what He has to offer.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Followers are not everything on social media; it’s the value that you bring to your audience that matters. One thing that I have learned on social media is that you have to find a pocket in the market and expand it. I found a need in my photography niche and ran with it. My example is Christian Boudoir. This is a need for those women who feel like they can’t honor God in the traditional Boudoir setting, or feel uncomfortable in general with the concept. I bring a new light to the genre! You can too in your own business! Think about the pain points in your niche… how can you help? Once you answer this question, content will start flowing! It’s not always going to be easy, and let’s face it, some videos/ posts may flop, but that’s okay. Learn from it. Analyze, and pivot.

One final note on social media. Don’t let the rude people get you down. Have you ever looked up to somebody was doing nothing or putting other people down? I would guess probably not. So, be yourself & stop caring about what people may think of you. This life is too short to not do the things that bring you joy! Just post the dang thing. You deserve abundance, and social media can give it to you.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to create art that captures raw beauty while maintaining faithful integrity. I envision a space of comfort and elegance for every single woman, in every walk of life, by adding God back into the equation, listening to what her wants and needs are, and having a fulfilling experience side by side.

Every woman deserves to feel radiant in the skin she’s in, and is worthy of being enough, just the way she is. Right now. Every stretch mark, every “imperfection” is flawless & polished in God’s eyes. God makes no mistakes. So why on EARTH would you be anything other than perfect? This is my mission for all to see.

Contact Info:

• Website: (Serena Marie Photography) https://www.serenamariephotographymn.com
• Instagram: @serenamariephoto
• Facebook: (Serena Marie Photography) https://www.facebook.com/serenamariephotographyy
• Other: Pinterest:
  serenamariephotographyy

  https://pin.it/6SLErGAAO

Image Credits

Serena Marie Photography