Boudoir FAQ

You are considering a boudoir session. You are excited, but intimidated at the same time. There are so many thoughts flying through your head and you’re getting dizzy, going back and forth as to whether or not you should do this. But here’s the thing, if you’ve even considered it, you definitely have a good reason to do it and you should do it. The reason for the shoot? Well, that’s up to you. I don’t believe that there’s any one reason for wanting to do a boudoir shoot and I don’t want to prey on the current buzzwords that surround the genre. Sure, it can be about empowerment, body image, confidence and maybe you do want to prove that you are a hashtag girlboss, but there’s more and the reason has to be your own.

What’s important in my eyes is that you are doing it for yourself and that you come out of the experience feeling amazing and stronger than when you started. And, I say experience, because it is an experience. It’s a journey. There’s an element of self discovery that happens and it’s a pretty special thing that you can’t really grasp until you’ve done it. It’s a very moving genre of photography and having shot a multitude of genres over the years, I can honestly say that boudoir has a unique, incomparable power. I firmly believe that you need to do things that scare you because you always prevail. Boudoir is intimidating. Fuck, it’s intimidating for me too! That’s why I love it, it forces me to be creative, push limits, make images that look amazing and more importantly make you look and feel amazing. Damn, that’s a lot of pressure! But who cares, let’s get scared and become better people, better artists, better lovers of ourselves, better whatever.

So, about those boudoir FAQs! Some of this will be true to other photographers, but this article is aimed to be specific to the way that I (we) do things. Things related to photography. Things related to vision and approach. Things like social media and sharing and other businessy mumbo jumbo. Here are the things you might be wondering!

 

Where does the shoot happen?

I prefer to shoot in your home. You are most comfortable there, your stuff is there, it represents you and that is what this is all about. On occasion we need to rent a shooting space through AirBnB or something of the like, but we handle those as one-offs. I don’t need a huge amount of space or light as my style is typically a little darker and close-up.

Is a contract in place before shooting?

Most definitely. From day 1, we want to make sure that we are all on the same page in terms of expectations (both yours and mine) and have everything in writing to ensure everything is on the up and up.

Will my photos be online?

Yes. No. Wellll, here’s the deal. I do ask that we are able to post some of your images on the website and social media (mainly Instagram) because that’s how I spread the word. That’s how we share your story and give other women the tools to feel amazing about themselves too. I believe that the work being produced is extremely tasteful and important for prospective women to see. Buuuut, I know that it’s not for everyone. I know that some of you are not cool with it and that’s okie dokie! While I am truly honoured when I get to display and share the art we make together, I understand that there will be times when it needs to be kept private, whatever the reason may be. We will go over this when we sign the contract and discuss different options for sharing (partial or full rights, pending approval, etc).

How far in advance should the shoot be scheduled?

Typically, a couple of weeks will suffice. When you’re ready, I’m ready! We just need a small window to coordinate our schedules.

How long does the shoot last?

The shoot usually lasts 1-2 hours. The important thing to remember is that it’s about the experience. We don’t want to rush! The creative process can take some time to develop and I want to let that happen naturally. The shoots are normally done in the afternoon/evening depending on the time of year. Natural light coming through with window is key the look that we are going for.

What do I get? How many photos, prints, books…

Currently, I am offering a digital download of the high resolution images which give you the right to reproduction (printing your own photos) with the option of à-la-carte items such as prints, canvas gallery wraps and albums (which are excellent gifts for your partner, wink wink). Typically, you’ll receive approximately 50 smokin’ hot images.

Outfits

Most women opt to have 2-3 different outfits to give the shoot balance and variety. It is recommend that you have one that is more conservative, one 2-piece fiery outfit and a third variation that rounds out your style. I do ask that you refrain from things like men’s dress shirts, any footwear and things like sports jerseys…more on this in the next question!

 

Can I bring props?

Nope. Sorry, there are some rules! I know what you’re thinking, damnit, rules are meant to be broken! That is true and while I want the photos to be purely you, there is a vision for the feel of the photos and in order to keep that on point we need to be sticklers a little. I mean, when was the last time you wore stilettos to bed? Or, a Miami Dolphins jersey? Right. I hope that’s cool with you! I like to keep it to bare feet (or stockings) and lingerie. Read more about the vision here, you’ll see I’m not crazy.

What are other people saying?

Here’s Jesse’s blog post where you can see more of her photos and read about what she took away from the session. And, here’s Heather’s blog post (Mother of 2, BTW!) where she says: “I felt totally comfortable and was able to relax and feel confident about my body.”

Did I miss anything? Leave a note in the comments or shoot me an email via the contact form. Thanks for taking the time to read, ponder and get excited about your intimate lifestyle portraits. Let’s do this!