Maybe you have been thinking about doing a Boudoir Session for a while and now feel like it is time to finally book one, so you start looking at inspiration online, like on Pinterest and Google, and find some styles and looks that you feel is giving you the vibes that you gravitate towards. Not sure on how to put this image feel into words, you start seeking our professionals in your area who’s style you feel like has as close to that look at possible and start contacting them… now, you booked a photographer! One that you felt a connection with, someone you feel gets the style you are going for, someone you feel will do the best job… Now what?
Well, now its time to put those visions in your head into an actual plan for your photo shoot-
To Start: THINK ABOUT PROPS AND THEMES
Do you, or your partner, have any activities, hobbies, special interests, or careers that might be fun to integrate into your photo shoot fun? We talk about this a bit in our blog “You Can Wear More Than Bras & Panties”.
Here are a couple examples-
Into Harry Potter? Bring…
- Knee high cambridge socks
- Neck tie
- White button up dress shirt
...stuff like that ;]
And if you have stuff from a specific hogwarts house, bring it! (P.S. I have gorgeous ruby red capes and robes and other fun fantasy stuff to play with if you are into that!!!)
Into football? Bring...
- A jersey
- A football
- Some face paint
...stuff like this can show who’s team you are on ;]
Into painting? Bring...
- Jeans or overalls with paint marks
- Painting shirt or work-apron
- Paint brushes
...stuff like this can be super fun in so, so many ways ;]
You work as a nurse? Bring…
- A Stethoscope
- Some gloves and a mask
- A white coat
...stuff like this can show what’s really going on under the simple stuff they see everyday ;]
Of course, these are just a few random examples; I will have plenty more when we chat during your phone consult, by the way.
Just saying, don’t think you have to strictly bring only lingerie to your Boudoir Photo Shoot, its fun to incorporate stuff that expresses your personality, who you are and things you like, into your photos. Adding a little something like this into your Boudoir Session adds personalization that makes the images feel that much more real to you.
THINK ABOUT WARDROBE
- In our blog, “What To Wear For Your Session - 4 part series”, we discuss picking out your outfits
- By body type
- By your style + themes
- AND a list of 50 items that would be great to bring - Sensual In Your Closet (highly recommend checking this out!)
Wearing a color or cut that does not flatter you can really hinder the look you are trying to achieve; it is best to have a consultation with your professional photographer before your session, but the info here will definitely help you.
THINK ABOUT YOUR BEAUTY ROUTINE AND HOW YOU ARE GOING TO PAMPER YOURSELF
Try to remember that this is supposed to be a luxurious experience, so treat yo’self! Pull all the stops and take the full day to fit some pampering in. Here are some ways to pamper yourself and some beauty rituals to start adopting...
At least 1 month before your session (these are just some friendly suggestions):
- Start drinking 8 X 8 oz of water a day, minimum
Keeping your body (muscles, organs, ect.) hydrated will help with your overall health tremendously, but the best benefit is that your skin will look healthy in the photos!
- Take a multivitamin and collagen
When you get all the vitamins and minerals that you need, your body will look healthy and vibrant. Gaining a natural glow is beauty priority number 1. The collagen is good for your skin, hair, and nails, helping them to grow thick, long, and very healthy.
- Eat LOTS of fruits and vegetables
Fruits, specifically, are good for clearing up skin AND they help to curb cravings for sweets (like for candy and stuff); which actually helps clear up your acne too. Vegetables provide lots of vitamins AND fiber to keep you moving (if you know what I mean). P.S. Here is an extra food tip! 1) Taking clove oil or even eating a single clove every morning on an empty is great for clearing out bad bacteria in your gut, and 2) eating a fermented food like sauerkraut or kimchi will introduce good bacteria into your gut, both of which will help clear your skin and make you feel amazing before your photo shoot!
- Stretch out at least 1 hour per day
Doing light stretching workouts, like yoga, regularly can not only help you not become injured during the straining poses of your photo shoot but will also give you an extra boost of energy and endorphins leading up to your boudoir session, which will increase your good mood and stamina!
- Start a routine to keep your skin hydrated and clean
The dirt that accumulates on your skin can not only allow small infections in the surface of your face (zits/pimples) but can also leave your skin feeling dry or ‘ashy’, it is best to wash your face daily, but most importantly, moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!!! Right after you hop out of the tub, rub yourself down with an oil, like coconut or tea tree, THEN lather on the lotion; The oil will bring a lot of moisture into your skin, and the lotion will lock the moisture in, but freshly cleaned and hot/steamed skin will allow the moisture to be absorbed.
- Ditto for your hair
When your hair is not healthy, it can stress your hair out further to put it under a number of beauty treatments and products; dry heat and chemicals are your hair’s worst enemy! On top of the vitamins you are taking and the healthy food you are consuming, thoroughly moisturizing your hair before and after washing your hair can give it natural volume and such a glorious shine. I usually use either coconut oil or castor oil to scrub my scalp and run through my hair before my bath, then use a tiny bit of coconut oil in my hair after I get out.
- Get rid of the unwanted hair, by- waxing, shaving, laser hair removal, etc.; whatever floats your boat, so to speak
Though I am capable of editing your hairs out of the pictures, it will take me a TON more time to edit 200+ pictures vs. the time it would take for you to just shave once before coming to your session. If you absolutely need me to, I will, but I am also going to charge you a bunch more for adding all the extra work to my plate! It is just best to remove any unwanted hair BEFOREhand. Try to shave the ‘day-of’, if you can, because the hairs will start to grow back within a very short period of time and if you shave a day or more from when you will have pictures taken, there could be signs of irritated hair growth, razor burn, or ingrown hairs.
- Do some yoga
...or something else that has you doing a lot of stretching. People don’t think of a photo shoot as exhausting or even expect to feel any kind of physical exertion after their session, but EVERY. SINGLE. CLIENT. has finished their shoot and told me about how sore they are and didn’t expect to feel so tired afterwards. ALWAYS stretch before your session so you don’t pull anything during.
- Go get a massage
After all the working out you have been doing, the stretching, and, frankly, just from the stress of your daily life, you deserve a long massage! I highly recommend scheduling one for after your photo shoot.
- Take a bubble bath
Go for it! Snag your laptop and play some Netflix, light a few candles, throw in a bath bomb and relaaaax! Plus, you have all that shaving to do.
- Get a mani + pedi
One of the last things most gals think about when they are gathering everything they need for their session is “what do I do with these dirty ol’ paws?!” It’s only when you see the pictures after they are edited that the answer became painfully more clear when the up close shots come in… yikes! Should have gotten a mani and pedi before your session!!!
The day of your session:
- Make sure your face and hair are both clean for the beauty team!
Before you head over to the salon, make sure you are clean and dry! It’s not the beauty team's job to wash your hair, it’s their job to style it; they will be doing a dry styling and the most wet your hair will get is a mist. Same goes for the rest of your body, make sure you arrive clean. Hygiene is an absolute MUST for this day!!!
The day after your session:
- Your shoot wrapped up, your ordering session date to look at your images is set, you look FABULOUS and are feeling feisty! So, you throw on a drop dead gorgeous dress and go for a few drinks with some friends. But the day after your photo shoot? You are sore… Girl, go get a massage! Check out a local hot spring! Do something relaxing! I tell all of my clients that they should take their shoot day AND the day after off work because you need some down time to recover.
Here are some examples-
For Album Design
- If your images seem more “golden”, you might choose a gold cover material with gold page tip gilding and white space in between images.
- If your images selected are mostly “black and white”, you might go with a black cover material with silver page tip gilding with black page space in between images.
- If your images have more of a bright “color pop” imagery to them, probably do a loud, but not overpowering, cover material, like the ‘snake skin’ options, but try to pick a color that goes with or matches the main color-pop color so the overall feel fits together.
- If your images have more of an “earthy” feel to them, pair them with mild tones like ‘nubia brown’ leather cover material with a custom gilding and white space in between images. (You can even request eco-paper!)
FOR THINGS LIKE WALL ART
- If you plan to put a piece of wall art from your images in your bedroom, you would want to choose an image, or even multiple images, that fit the decor and overall feel of your bedroom; make sure they match.
- You should also make sure that the wall art that you would like to hang fits the area in which you are choosing to hang it. If the art is too small, it will look silly, and if the art is too big for the area, you probably wouldn’t be able to hang it at all.
- Choosing to have the art printed on a canvas or a metal print will also depend on if there is a stud to hang the wall art from, since metal is heavier than canvas.
There are a ton of design options to choose from, right down to the flypaper between the image spreads and cover, so planning out the right materials can make or break an album; it’s a good thing that your professional photographer will be there to help you every step of the way!
If you have an overall idea, theme, or feeling you are trying to achieve during your session, then we should plan your wardrobe, any desired props, and product materials around the appearance you're going for.
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