I have been photographing women’s boudoir portraits for almost ten years now. Whether they were for a secret surprise for someone special in their lives, to celebrate a milestone, or for crossing off part of a Bucket List, there are things that you need to know if you are considering a boudoir photo shoot.
EVERY. SINGLE. WOMAN. IS NERVOUS.
Seriously. ALL OF THEM. What isn’t scary about showing off your underwear to a stranger and having a camera staring at you? Believe me, I get it. It’s very intimidating. Yet clients book me because they are ready and NEED to do this, despite being nervous. They put their trust in me, and I trust them to let me do my thing. You are coached through the whole process until not only does your nervousness fade, but you are having fun. Clients may arrive nervous, but they leave feeling EMPOWERED. Beautiful.
YOU NEED TO DO THIS FOR YOU FIRST
You may have the intention of making a secret album for that someone special. But you have to be doing this in some way for YOU. You need to feel comfortable with the idea of making this imagery. YOU are the one going through this amazing experience. I always work to a clients comfort level – there are ways of creating beautiful and sexy imagery without showing one ounce of skin. But if you are NOT comfortable with having ANY images of you, in any way, spousal pressure is NOT the reason to do this.
NOT ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE EXPERIENCED IN PHOTOGRAPHING BOUDOIR
No matter who you hire, look through their portfolio. Do they have various sizes and body shapes of women? Have they photographed someone with a similar shape and body type, age or ethnicity as you? If you do not have a body shape or type represented in their portfolio, that photographer might not be experienced in bringing out YOUR best. I have known many photographers that prefer to photograph only ‘model perfect’ looking women and flounder at plus sized or super curve-less shapes. An experienced photographer can have amazing results regardless of your body shape.
DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF HAIR AND MAKEUP
You may think you can handle your own makeup and hair styling, after all, you do it everyday, right? In my experience, how a woman looks everyday may be not the best for the camera. Professional hairstylists and makeup artists do their job VERY well, and know exactly how to flatter you and make a flawless application. Their goal is to enhance your features and minimize distractions and temporary skin imperfections that take the focus away from the important thing – you.
Improperly applied makeup can be distracting and take away from an otherwise beautiful image. My camera is zoomed right in, and can see EVERY detail. For this reason alone, I do not discount if a woman chooses to do her own makeup. Editing streaking, fading, crooked lines, unmatched skin tones or unblended lashes take a lot of time, and frankly, being a perfectionist, I want you to have the best. Makeup artists are experts at ‘close up.’ Hairstylists are experts at making your style last through a whole photo shoot, move with you through different poses, and still look great on camera.
If you do not like makeup or wear it? Be honest, and tell your photographer and let the makeup artist still create your no-makeup look. It will still look like you, but she will get rid of shine and use natural tones to enhance your features and the resulted images will still look like you.
TRUTH: It’s important to have one less stress and thing to deal with the day of your shoot. When you arrive at my studio, having time to relax and being pampered helps calms nerves, gets you used to your environment before the photography starts.
BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY SHOULDN’T BE CHEAP.
Boudoir photography packages can cost anywhere from $500 to over $3,000. This is way different from your wedding photography, after all there is a heck of a lot more skin showing and the poses are more purposeful. Boudoir is a lovely luxury and artform. No matter what products (albums, digital or otherwise) a photographer sells, everything they make is a one-off limited edition just for you. Your album will be around longer than your car and hopefully treasured in your old age.
When you are paying for an experience like this, you want to be guaranteed that the work will blow you away. You will be much happier with a photographer who produces a handful of mind blowing images, than one who gives 200 images that are mediocre and kick you in the ego. It’s better to invest in someone who can create absolutely stunning and flattering images that will take your breathe away and make you cry (joy) and be proud of yourself. Spend the absolute most you can afford from the best photographer you can afford. Even if it means you can only afford to buy a little, rather than end up with a lot of mediocre.
I hear ALL THE TIME from women who regret using a ‘cheaper’ photographer and end up feeling like they wasted money and it has affected their self confidence. I often will get hired due to the fact that the first photographer did not meet their expectations. I have NEVER heard someone regret spending more money to get better quality work from a photographer they love.
IMPORTANT! Ask your photographer about privacy.
If you are not comfortable having people seeing your images, ask about your photographers privacy policy and how your privacy is protected. By Canadian law, photographers need permission to put any image where you are recognizable online. Your privacy should be their top concern.
If avoiding the internet at all costs is a priority, I highly recommend you avoid proofing galleries as well – in this day and age, everything can and HAS been hacked. Request to see your proofs in person so you can choose what does or does not get displayed online.