1. What is a Boudoir Session?
Boudoir is a truly empowering experience. For some women it allows them to see their own beauty from a different perspective, and to build their self-esteem and confidence. For others it is the chance to celebrate their bodies at a particular time in their lives... be it pregnancy, upcoming wedding, changes in your body or just deciding that you will love yourself as you are.
2. How do you make clients comfortable before and during their session?
Communication is key to helping you feel comfortable throughout the whole process. I understand that these types of photo shoots are extremely intimate and the women who book a session are putting themselves in a pretty vulnerable state during their shoot...both physically and emotionally.
All of the initial contact is done via phone and email so that we can get to know each other a little bit and get a sense of whether we are a good fit.
There is regular email communication to help you prepare for your day in the studio. I also offer a personal shopping trip where I can help you choose outfits for your session, if you would like the extra help.
On the day of your session I will be the one gently guiding you through the posing. I show you the back of camera as we go along... you'll find that this will start to increase your confidence and you'll relax into the experience of letting go and enjoying yourself.
It is a time of vulnerability and growth. I will be by your side the whole way through the process.
3. Do clients have to bring their own outfits or do you provide them? Do I have to get naked?
Most clients bring their own outfits, this way they will be a perfect fit for their shape and they already know they feel amazing in it.
I do have a small client closet available, which includes bodysuits, t-shirts, robes, body jewelry and accessories. These are often used to add another look to your gallery on the day.
(Clients are given a nude g-string to be worn under any bodysuit for hygiene purposes. Bodysuits are washed after each use).
Nudity is a matter of choice and your comfort level, so it's is completely up to you. Some women come in not wanting to do any bare breasted or nude photos and then gain confidence during the shoot and end up doing them. There is never any pressure from me. I will always be led by your choices.
4. How much grooming are most women doing before their shoots?
This is such an extremely personal choice. It really comes down to your own preferences here. If you are a person that prefers little to no body hair, then rock that for your session. If you prefer body hair, please leave it.
These sessions are all about being empowered and comfortable in your own skin. You do you.
The only thing I gently remind clients is that I cannot remove hair when retouching after your shoot. If you don't want hair there, it is best to remove it before your session.
5. What percentage of women are doing it for themselves as opposed to doing it as a gift for a significant other?
While it used to be a real 50 / 50 mix of women doing these shoots for themselves or for a gift for their significant other, I have seen a real shift lately. More women are wanting to do it purely for themselves.
6. Once shooting begins...what happens?
Shooting starts with gentle posing, slowly allowing you to feel comfortable and confident in the instructions. During this stage I regularly show you the back of the camera so that you can start to trust in the process and see that we are capturing beautiful photos of you.
There is lots of time to talk and rest in-between photos too, which will give us a chance to get to know each other some more .
I generally find that about half an hour into the shoot, clients let out a long deep breath. This is when I know that you're really starting to relax and enjoy the experience.
Each shoot lasts approximately two hours, and there are at least two outfit changes during that time.
7. Have you ever had a client cry during a session?
Absolutely yes! Doing a shoot can be extremely confronting for some women (not all of them, of course). Sometimes there are tears of sadness after seeing themselves a certain way for so long and realising that they were so focused on criticising themselves that they lost sight of the whole, beautiful picture. Sometimes they are tears of happiness....of embracing themselves and seeing themselves in a beautiful light for the first time in a long time. Some tears come from sharing life stories and other times from laughing so much.
There is no right way to feel or act during a shoot... this is your experience and your emotions. I am there to guide you through it all.
8. Do Men Do Boudoir Sessions?
They sure do. In our industry the are commonly referred to as "Dudeoir" Sessions.
9. Are you an inclusive photographer?
Absolutely! Studio On 5th is LGBTIQA+ inclusive.
10. Every woman has areas of her body that she is conscious about. How do you work around that and will you Photoshop flaws at a clients request?
Isn't it sad that almost every woman has areas of her body that she is self-conscious about?!?
We communicate a lot as we start to plan your session. Most women will outright tell me about the areas of their body they are conscious of as soon as we start to talk.
Understanding women's bodies and how to pose them allows me to highlight their gorgeous curves while removing focus from the areas that they are worried about. Using shadows and lighting are often a perfect way to do this.
Outfits have a huge impact...not only on how we look, but also how we feel too! I was a bra fit specialist for Bras N Things and now have a really good understanding of body types and the lingerie that will accentuate it beautifully. Being fitted professionally is really important for the perfect fit too.
I am not a huge fan of retouching in Photoshop, I will happily remove blemishes and do some slight skin smoothing if necessary. This experience is all about loving yourself as you are, not as some unattainable version of yourself... I'm not about cinching in your waist or increasing your bust size. I have spent years studying posing, learning about lingerie styles, shooting shadow and light so that I can ultimately rid the need of excessive retouching.
11. Do I have to share my images online?
Absolutely not!! This choice is completely yours to make...they are your photos.
While some women are unsure about sharing publicly (Facebook, Instagram, website etc.) initially, they often change their mind after seeing how amazing their photos are. Seeing your gorgeous photos online gives other women the courage to book a session and do it for themselves too.
