Boudoir photography is a photographic style that features intimate, sensual, romantic, and sometimes erotic images of its subjects in a photographic studio, bedroom, or private dressing room environment. It is a form of professional photography that is intimate and flattering to the curves and beauty of the clients body. Boudoir photography is characterized by the empowerment of its female subjects, who are typically the photographer's direct clients rather than being hired models. The word "boudoir" itself derives from a French word which means a woman's private salon. Boudoir shoots are usually for women, but men are also welcome to explore a different side to their personality. These shoots are meant to exude sensuality and are intimate in nature, and the subjects are often not professional models. Boudoir photography is also sometimes given as a gift with the intention of re-affirming and encouraging the romance and sensuality between partners in a long-term relationship. Increasingly, boudoir photography is seen as something that a person might do purely for their own enjoyment, for the pleasure and affirmation of seeing themselves as beautiful and sensual.