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By MICHELLE LOVE | Staff Writer

PELHAM – Campus 124 in Pelham is gaining another thriving business to add to its platform.

Untold Boudoir, the sister company of the local photography company Untold Imagery, is opening a studio in the mixed-use development on Saturday, Aug. 13.

Couple Christina and Daniel Dennis began Untold Imagery back in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic threw them into unknown territory. The couple began weighing their career options with the pandemic and also factoring in spending more time with their daughter. They decided to try giving photography a whirl, taking pictures of family events, friends’ weddings and family portraits. What started as a trial run quickly blossomed into a thriving photography business.

Throughout their journey with Untold Imagery, Christina became interested in boudoir photography and pitched the idea to Daniel. After a few sessions, Christina said they fell in love with it. Now that they have a more spacious studio to conduct photo shoots, Christina said the plan is to morph Untold Imagery into Untold Boudoir full-time.

“We’ve been in the business for a while now, and through that time we’ve been able to see what we like and what we pour ourselves into,” she said. “Boudoir has been the most emotionally rewarding because you’re on a longer journey with that person. They set up their session so far in advance and we learn about what they love about their self and don’t love about their self.”

Christina and Daniel always emphasize their clients’ comfort is their top priority. They said it is not uncommon for them to have clients who suffer from a lack of self confidence in some area. At the end of the shoot, however, the response is always the same.

“I feel boudoir makes more of an impact, in my opinion,” Christina said. “I love seeing people look at their photos and after the shoot and they say, ‘I never thought I was beautiful but I see myself in a different light now.’”

Since Untold Boudoir’s beginning, Christina and Daniel have been taking photos in their home studio, which, while convenient, doesn’t offer the amount of space they would like for their vision. Christina said they kept looking at different spaces, but they knew they wanted to stay In the Pelham/Helena/Alabaster vicinity.

Daniel drove by and saw the Campus 124 advertisement looking for businesses to fill the space. Christina said she thought it would be out of their reach originally, but everything fell into place.

“Right now, we have different sets and backdrops but our current space doesn’t allow us to have them all up at once so it’s very time consuming,” Christina said. “This space will allow us to have things ready for whenever we want to use them.”

Christina also hopes to do motherhood photoshoots, which range from maternity shoots to photos of mothers with their children.

“My sister did a maternity shoot and it was so beautiful,” she said. “I really want to try and explore that avenue more with photography.”

The space will open Saturday, Aug. 13 with a special soft opening for people to come and view what Christina and Daniel have done with the studio. Christina said they’re planning on giving out gift bags to thank people for coming by, having local coffee proprietors Daysol Coffee Lab there to provide coffee samples and even a live photo shoot.

“We’ll have a model come in and we’ll do a live, public-friendly shoot with her to give people an idea of how a shoot works if they’re curious what boudoir is,” Christina said excitedly. “We’ll also have some special booking rates for anyone interested in a session.”

As a business owner, Christina said this move means everything to her and Daniel.

“I think, for me, it’s just more of a, ‘Hey, look, we’re making it!’ It’s more concrete now instead of a vision of something I’ve always wanted to do,” she said. “It shows we have had a lot support from our community and surrounding communities to where we can take this dream and make it a reality. Shooting in our home has been great, but it feels a little safe. To be booked out enough and have enough support and have people come in and say their time with us has made a change in their life, it just feels so much more permanent. We’re super thankful.”

For more information on Untold Boudoir, visit Untoldboudoir.com.