FAQ
How can I calm my nerves? I’m freaking out!
Then talk to me about it! I will gladly jump on the phone with you or even meet up for a drink if that what you need! I will be there for you as much as possible throughout this whole experience <3
The day before your shoot, pamper yourself! Take a bath, face mask, pedicure, exfoliate, light some candles, etc. Take this time to treat yourself!
On the day of, before we start shooting, we will do some stretching, chit-chat, I will show you where the bathroom is, go over wardrobe, etc. this down time will help you relax more, but
The nervousness you may feel at the beginning of your session makes that moment of ‘WOW!’ when you first see your portraits all the greater! I know nerves can be hard to deal with, but nerves are part of the experience. We ensure that our friendly all-female team (and the wine we serve!) will help you feel more relaxed.
How far in advance should I book?
We book, at least, 1 month out.
If you have a special date coming up that you need your photos ready by, MAKE SURE TO TELL US, and be advised that it can take up to 1-2 weeks for your photos to be fully processed, then takes around 4-8 weeks for your product order to arrive at our studio to be wrapped. Therefore, you would need to book around 4 months BEFORE the date you need your products by.
Do you have to be fully naked?
Nope! You can be dressed to the level of YOUR comfort and I will never pressure you to show any part of yourself that you don't want to show. Please do not feel guilty about saying no when I ask if you would like to show more in your photos, I am only asking to do my job and will never pressure you to show more than you are comfortable with.
I have found there is a misconception with Boudoir photography, that it is dirty, that this type of photo shoot creates "porn". This is all wrong! Boudoir Photography is to X-rated photos -as- a burlesque club is to a strip club- there is a difference.
I think the real magic with Boudoir is the implied nudity, the hint at a treasure lying under the surface. With our sessions, we want you to feel that magic- and like with any great magic trick, you can’t give everything away!
We can provide completely nude specialized sessions, if that is what you are looking for, however, bottom line, you will never have to be naked.
Do I have to wear lingerie?
There is absolutely no obligation to wear lingerie. You can wear what you want or even not wear anything at all! We have a wide range of pose and prop options to play with, we want you to make you comfortable and feeling sexy.
Do you provide the outfits?
We have a Client Closet with extras and some items for you to wear but we do not provide a full wardrobe for your photo shoot.
We do offer a 'Buy Back' Program for those who have bought items specifically for your photo shoot with us but have no intention of wearing those items again, this provides some financial relief to our clients who are investing in outfits for their shoot and purchasing products from our Investment Menu. How does it work? We deduct the total of the items you are giving us from the product invoice; read the Terms & Conditions for the Buy Back Program here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vS5Is_f4KNWu-lTBx8-n-hGULNQc_XFGMMrKhMvYbh8bZ6jkar153dLHWyV0vh8l4Ifg_5LbA4gbtKS/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000
What should I bring to my session?
Anything that makes you feel sexy!
#1 is a pair of sexy underwear.
- Corsets & bras
- Fishnets/tights/thigh highs/stockings
- Boy shorts/fancy panties
- Garters/Garter Belts, etc.
Part of the whole experience that we provide is a style and design service. In your client packet you will receive a lingerie guide for your body type, where to shop, access to our Boudoir Closet (a wardrobe of pearls and frills for clients to play with during their session)...
Here are a few ideas on what you can bring:
- Gloves
- Short skirts
- Hot little dress
- Jewelry/Accessories
- Heels/Boots
- Hats
- Wraps/Shawls
You can even bring stuff specific that would delight your lover, like:
- Your significant other’s dress shirt
- Sports related stuff
- Work related stuff
- Military/fireman/policeman related
- Leather jacket
- etc.
I’m not a model and have never modeled before, I’m not sure I can do this.
Anyone can do this! I will guide you from your fingertips to your toes, working with you to create art with the curves of your body.
I feel fat right now, I kind of want to wait. Should I?
Short answer- No!
Here is a blog post I wrote on this very subject-
https://www.boudoirbyelise.com/blog/why-saying-i-need-to-lose-some-weight-before-i-book-a-boudoir-session-is-not-a-valid-excuse/
Regardless if you walk-in at 100% or not, you will leave feeling confident, sexy and proud of your pictures!
Can I bring someone? A friend? My fiance? boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife?
Absolutely!
- Want company during the session?
You can definitely bring someone to keep you company.
- Want to have someone join you IN your session to make it sexier?
We can definitely upgrade your package to include your partner!
- Want to bring someone to the viewing of your portraits?
The more the merrier! I have enough wine.
HOWEVER, I have some rules-
1) The person you are bringing HAS to be a positive, supportive person. There is nothing worse than having a critically judgy person in the studio when we are just trying to have fun.
2) This person is a 'guest' and must maintain being a guest and NOT try to take over the session. I am a professional and it is imperative that you trust me to do my work. Having someone who is controlling and forcing their opinion during the session will not only bring the 'vibe' down but this behavior will not allow me to do my job. Do not bring a 'Karen', so to speak, as a guest.
3) Guests are limited to 1 person and children are STRICTLY not allowed in the studio during sessions; no exceptions.
Do you photograph men?
We do not cater to men, but we do offer couples boudoir sessions if you are interested.
Where will the session be?
We primarily handle boudoir sessions in our studio, however, we are open to personalizing a session to your needs by traveling to a location of your choice.
- Where is your studio located?
The address is-
7951 Berwyn Loop
Peyton, CO 80831
(By Appointment Only!)
Our studio is about a 20-minute drive from downtown Colorado Springs.
- Where else can we photograph? For clients who would like to capture their beauty in a location they are familiar and comfortable with, or even a location that makes them feel adventurous, we are open to upgrading your session to customize it to fit your personal needs.
Compensation for customization expenses:
- Travel Expenses
- Parking Expenses
- Permit Expenses
- Accommodation Expenses
- Expenses for special materials used
- etc.
What should I do or avoid doing before my session?
Tanning-
In my opinion, tanning before-hand, best case, does not add anything to the session, worst case, can cause ugly tan lines or you could over tan and look odd during the session. It is hard not to go overboard with the tanning so my vote is to do without it all together. Better not chance it.
Spray Tanning-
It REALLY doesn't matter how good your tech is, spray tanning WILL make you look orange in your photos; cameras have a way of capturing the orange hues more intensely. Plus, spray tan rubs off on my furniture and if that happens, you will be charged for the cleaning.
Eating-
Make sure to eat breakfast before coming to your session! A boudoir session is like a workout, you will be sore after and feel faint during.
Working out the day before-
I do not recommend working out the day before or day of the session...
Reason 1)
Most Common: "I forgot to prepare for the session by working out enough ahead of time to really be ‘fit’ for the session so I tried to do a quick, hard workout the day/week before..."
Doing a quick, hard workout does NOT burn the top-layer of your fat, it burns what is touching your muscle tissue first, so while you are unable to really see the change on the surface, what you are also failing to see is that it leaves your flesh, over-all, looking a little ‘deflated’ instead of firm for the session. "Panic" workouts do not help you look small/thinner. I can do so much more with my posing, studio lighting, and editing than you will be able to with a quick 'panic' workout.
Reason 2)
This is the time you need to be relaxing, calming those nerves, having fun, and feeling sexy; You don’t want to be in pain and sore coming to your session, as a photo shoot itself is already like a workout.
What should I do before my session to prepare?
Eat Lots of fruit-
Starting, at least, a week before your session you should add a lot of fruit to your diet. It may sound crazy, but consuming tons of fruit gives skin an amazing glow.
Take Biotin-
Biotin is a supplement that helps grow skin, nails, and hair. For a long, thick, shine, and an overall healthy look, I recommend taking Biotin.
Work Out-
I suggest starting your workout routine ASAP! You should workout everyday leading up to your session (but do NOT panic workout a ton the week of your session!), but I always recommend not working out the day before or on the day of your session since your session is already like a workout.
Oil Up-
To ensure flawless skin, you should oil up as soon as you get out of the shower but before you lotion yourself down. I recommend coconut oil, but you can use tea tree, etc. Whatever you prefer. This helps lock moisture in your skin, which helps your skin look youthful and healthy for your photo shoot!
Pamper Yourself-
Do a face mask, get a pedicure, a massage, whatever pampering you can get leading up to your session to help you feel your sexiest self.
Go Shopping-
Have you tried on that lingerie set you bought in a while? How long ago was it anyway, a year ago? 8 YEARS AGO?
Just go shopping! I know I don’t fit anything in MY closet from even 5 years ago.
Buy something that not only makes you feel sexy but draws attention away from the spots you are self conscious about. Need wardrobe advice?
Let’s go shopping together!
And, of course, we also have my studio boudoir closet for us to play with!
What should I expect during my session?
Well, nerves- of course!
Getting excited giggles, probably!
- Shy Shaky Nerves
The first thing we will do is run through the itinerary for your session and put you at ease. At this point, we will bring out some wine & snacks and also go over your Pinterest board to ensure we achieve the feeling and vibe you would like for your portraits.
Wardrobe Roll Call-
We will review what you brought to wear and we will go over what we have available in the studio to see what we want to play with during your session :]
Set Check-
We will tour the studio, go over what you will wear for each set and when in the line up.
Hair/Make-Up-
We have hair & make-up included for those boss babes who wants the full treatment during their session (provided to you by Mint. Beauty Lab).
Our amazing glam team can help you complete your look, whether that’s “I just woke up like this” or full glam! You can bring in ideas or inspiration pictures for your makeup and we can try to match that look!
Pose & Smile-
We will go through a series of poses and outfit changes. I will coach you the entire time and you will have access to mirrors to make sure we are achieving the look you want.
Quick Review-
Before you leave the studio, we will do a quick view of the pictures on the back of my camera. We will review them before you leave to ensure you are happy with how you look. However, you need to keep in mind that they will look completely different after the editing process is complete. This 'Quick Review' is just to give you a glance at your works of art to ease you worried mind.
Sample Review-
We will go over a few product samples and schedule your ordering session date before you head out.
Have a sexy day!
The session is all finished and there is nothing left to do but sit back and wait for the magic to happen.
What should I expect after my session?
Before you leave at the end of your photo shoot, we will take a look at both our calendars and figure out what date will work to meet up for your ordering session to reveal your images, select which images you want, and go over products and materials. We will plan out your album and design it at this meeting, so make sure to plan to spend at least 2 hours at your ordering session.
We:
- Zap those pimples
- Erase those stretch marks
- Smooth out your skin
- Slim you down a bit (we do not and will not change your overall body size/shape)
- Make your eyes glow
- Brighten your smile
- Make the photo overall FABULOUS!
And much more!
Development process-
With the volume of sessions we process, we ask that you respect our current posted process time at the time we schedule your ordering session, which can take as long as 4 to 6 weeks.
This amount of time is estimated based on how long it takes to edit per session + estimated essential business function time + daily personal time X average number of booked sessions that I am handling at that time.
If you need a rush order-
If you need your images fast, we can waive our development time and move your images to the front of the line for a fee; we can put a rush order on your account and have your images ready in 14 days (minimum).
How long does a typical Boudoir session take to photograph?
Total Session Time: Roughly, can be a 5 to 6 hour day!
- Prep Time: Roughly, 2 hours
- Shoot Time: 2-3 hours, divided in to 25-30mins per look/outfit X 4 looks/outfit changes.
- Plus, frequent breaks.
How long until I get to review my photos?
Quick Review-
We know our clients will be anxious to see their beautiful portraits, it becomes difficult to wait for your photos to be completely finished with the editing process, so, after your session, before you head home for the day, we will do a quick review of your images on the back of my camera to ensure we got all your desired shots so you WILL see them before your ordering session.
Develop Time: 6-8 weeks-
We strive to get your portraits processed as quickly as we can so you can start enjoying them asap, however, with the amount of sessions we process, we do not guarantee that your photos will be available for up to 4-6 weeks after your session date.
Do you offer Payment Plan options?
Yes! We conveniently provide in-house payment plans!
There is a booking fee, of course, to reserve your session date/time for all the professionals on the team involved in the process, which is due in full at the time of booking, BUT we can split up the total of your bill, for the products and product collections, into separate monthly payments (as many as 12 months, as low as $200 per month) or split it into a specific number of payments; whatever works best for your budget.
We also assist you in applying for lender options, such as PayPal Credit (in no way associated and not a representative), which is our favorite option because it is so flexible and easy to apply for! It only take about 30 seconds to find out if you are approved, the let you pay it back in as much time as you need, with whatever size payments YOU want to make, but if you do pay it back within 6 months, you get INTEREST-FREE payments for that 6 months! Whoot!
Products are not included in the price of the booking fee, the booking fee ONLY covers the 'services' portion of this experience - The cost to purchase products are purchased/ordered separately from the photography services (see Colorado tax laws) and payments for products are due at the time of purchase of those products directly through the photographer OR in the built-in print shop that is incorporated in your personalized online gallery.
How much is this whole process going to run me?
Our session retainer fee is currently $400, our product collections start at $699 and our a la carte menu starts at $179. Some spend a few hundred, but most spend a few thousand because they LOVE their images so much. The total you end up spending, however, depends on you; What size album you choose, how many images you want, how many and what size canvas' and prints you want, extra service add-ons, etc. To be on the safe side, plan to spend at least $1200 (with taxes & fees) on this experience.
All products from our sessions will be available for purchase during the ordering session and additional purchases through your built-in gallery store.
Products, such as digital files (as defined by the state of Colorado), canvas prints, photo prints, etc. all have to be charged separately from the services provided (that includes the rest of the team too) due to Colorado State Tax laws; They are taxed differently and therefore need to be paid for separately so we can apply the tax to your invoice for the correct items.
Want to read more about photography services and Colorado State Tax?
GO >> https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/Digital%20Photographs%20General%20Information%20Letter%20GIL%2015-025.pdf
How do I pay?
I accept all major credit cards, paid through your invoice online, Google Pay, Paypal pay, Paypal Credit, Bank Transfers, and I even waive the 5% processing fee for any cash paid towards your total.
We also accept lender options, such as PayPal Credit; which is our FAVORITE option to work with because it is so EASY to apply for! It only takes about 30 seconds to find out if you have been approved and you can take as long as you need to pay it back to them. Plus, they give you interest free for the first 6 months! Anyway, they pay me the full amount right away, so you get your products RIGHT AWAY and can still utilize a payment plan!
Why do I have to pay for the photography service separately from my actual photos?
The way we explain this issue is to give an example:
Let's say you go to a mechanic-
You have to pay for the labor AND the parts.
The state of Colorado defines a digital file (image) as a product (just like an album and wall art is a product) and is subject to sales tax, where as your photography session is a service and is not subject to sales tax.
When you hire a photographer to photograph you, you are hiring a professional to preform a service; you are not paying for the photos when paying a session fee, you are paying for the service they are providing (aka, the labor for the session time + costs during the session). After the session, at the order appointment, when you first see your photos (the finished products), you then need to pay for which products you would like (the "parts").
To read more about Colorado Tax issues on the subject, visit-https://drive.google.com/file/d/15pcdWhfMqwmTmlh6WraLYfHyBDwsFlKZ/view?usp=sharing
Do you sell Gift Certificates or Gift Cards?
Yes!
The great thing about these is that it saves you 10% of the cost on the overall experience when you purchase a Gift Certificate up front. Gift Certificates can include the services and/or products, and there is not limit to how much you can put on a Gift Certificate.
To read the Terms & Conditions on our Gift Certs, go here:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vTjIuYrjqdyyZKk8vCVkuoFZPm-NO_BK9MmL3erI5ee7B3pSvCM6mNJtujbHR2HTU6Ry2IMO3vvu0Ey/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000
What should I do with my photos?
Ordering a high-quality, professional photo album is the absolute best (and most popular) way to showcase your stunning new portraits. Other popular ways are having mini-albums, sexy playing cards, canvas’ & prints, and more! We have a range of individual products and collections of products available in our Investment Menu for you to browse.
What will you do with my photos?
First, of course, you will receive them for your own personal use.
We may use your photos in our photography examples gallery for potential future clients to view and get a sense of my work. We may use your photos in a blog post about your experience. We may use your photos in posts/ads/printed materials to represent "Boudoir By Elise" and "Crazy Grl Art & Design, LLC".
As the photographer, I am the artist who created art using your likeness= Every picture I take is automatically a copyright, owned by Crazy Grl Art & Design, LLC. Legally, I am allowed to use all digital files at my own discretion.
However, our #1 priority is to keep your trust and make sure that all our clients are comfortable, especially with something so important such as your intimate portraits. This can be a life changing experience but it is also a nerve shaking one and we understand it is crucial to create trust between us. Sharing these photos depends on each client’s personal preference.
As a policy, we always get a signed written consent to use your images, however, we have not had a client who has not wanted to show their portraits to the world!
Will you be using my photos for your business? Where?
I take all my client’s privacy very seriously. I will never share your images online or in print without your written consent and permission.
Every image you see on this website has been approved by the woman featured in that photo.
Whether you are just keeping it for you and your significant other or have a high profile career, I commit with a signed contract to keeping your images and personal information 100% confidential.
I have built a solid foundation of trust with you first in the Boudoir Suite and would like to continue that relationship based on trust there after. Although I love to showcase much of my work, I will never pressure my clients into sharing their photos, it is your choice and I will always respect that.
The short answer- Yes, I will be using your photos (with your explicit permission).
However, I will never use anyone’s boudoir photos on my website/blog/social media/public advertisements without written permission (signed form) from the client. If you decide to not allow me to use your images, there will be no hard feelings! The images will remain private, only visible to you and whomever you share them with. And, though the photos, available in your online gallery, will be 'technically' posted online, they can only be accessed with your unique password.
If you do allow me to use your images, how you can expect them to used is as follows-
1) the images will be a low resolution with a watermark,
2) there will be an option to only allow images without your face,
3) they will be used in the following ways:
Website Images
Google Ads
Facebook Ads
Instagram Ads
Pinterest Ads
Etc.
What happens to the photo/digital files from my session?
After delivering your chosen images to you via your mobile app gallery, I maintain the digital files of your portraits for a total of 3 years to ensure you have ample time to obtain copies of your images. After that 3 year period, those original digital files are cleared from my files. We do not save the image files that you have not purchased longer than 1 year and they are subject to be deleted immediately after your ordering session.
However, your purchased files will ALWAYS be located and available in your online and personal mobile app galleries.
Why are the images NOT included in the session fee?
According to tax laws, digital files are categorized as a "product" (not a service or part of a service) and are therefore taxable; just like an album or canvas is taxable.
When you pay for a photography session, you are paying for the service the photographer is providing of photographing you- you are NOT paying for the images/products.
Professional photographers charge this way because we are legitimate businesses that have business expenses, pay taxes, and are following the tax laws. If you hire a photographer that is including the images WITH the session fee, then they are most likely a part time photography hobbyists and are probably not paying taxes or aware they are not following the law.
What is the difference between "service" packages and "product" packages?
The service packages are to pay for the service of having a professional photograph you and to cover the costs of the perks included in that service package.
The product packages are to purchase products produced by the photography service; such as the digital files (images), albums, canvas', prints, etc.
What is your cancellation policy?
SEE CANCELLATION POLICY ON YOUR SPECIFIC CONTRACT, DETAILS MAY DIFFER.
You are free to cancel your session at any time but the conditions to this are as follows:
- Your booking fee, paid when booking your session, is to reserve the date for your session- that fee is NON-REFUNDABLE. This fee will ONLY be refunded if the photographer is initiating the cancellation.
- If there is a circumstance beyond your control (act of God and nature) that causes you to be unavailable for the date/time of your session, we provide the first reschedule without any rescheduling fees (any further rescheduling will be charged $150 per date), however, if you decide you would like to cancel all together, your booking fee is NON-REFUNABLE.
I feel like your prices are a bit extreme, can you explain this to me?
When you buy a car, you don't just look at the price, right? You review how it looks, how well it was built, how well it drives, and you review it's reputation. You are reviewing the quality.
When hiring a photographer, you do the same thing. If you are hiring a high end photographer to produce high quality photos, you have to pay for that quality. Bottom line, if you want to pay cheap prices then you will receive cheap quality.
We provide a luxury experience and create amazing works of art that you will fall in love with. We have never had a client not be completely in love their images and have never been asked for a refund. Why? Because we are a full service photography business, not a photography hobbyist looking to make a quick buck. If you are hiring us, you are hiring us for our work; not our pricing. This is an investment, you are not buying a trinket.
We do an amazing job with EVERY image and are confident in the value of our services and products.
What are you doing to protect me from the SARs-COV-2 virus that causes COVID-19?
We understand that there is concern about COVID-19 and preventing the spread of it to our clients and are taking all recommended precautions by the CDC and we update our policies as they change their posted recommendations.
Currently, since there are no mask requirements where our business is located, our staff will wear a masks upon request. We will continue to take the necessary precautions to keep our staff and clients safe, by:
- sanitizing surfaces, upholstery, props, and other areas touched by each client after each session.
- keeping a distance during the session as much as reasonably possible.
- and lastly, the photographer will be wearing a mask during your session if requested to help put you at ease (as the order on masks has been removed, we are no longer requiring anyone to wear a mask unless someone in the party has requested that everyone should).
We also provide sanitizer, that may be requested to use at anytime, during your session.
Ultimately though, it is up to each individual to do their part in not bringing the virus into our studio. We require all client's to digitally sign our COVID-19 Release form before entering our studio.
Read All TERMS & CONDITIONS Here-
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTLzoIZvY7pL1q7OHrBZv6Ior2ooTNqdaQeZogvIg-151VEaKdFRLT5LM3geYEuxjdaBbEEVngiDMHf/pub
Read Our PRIVACY POLICY Here-
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQdTkrMuqYx47km7sxIBjDoxcGkuK6xsgdYqt_uL6B1JJ6cOGTAAvJwooWe_oadgHOq7NZDJI65Jac5/pub
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call or text 719-357-5263
