So, you're here to find a little more information about boudoir photography You see the word being used alot and you've thought about it, but you are "totally not a sexy person" and it would be "so weird". Well, let me tell you that EVERYONE thinks about that before they decide to book. Most of my clients who come in to the studio for boudoir are doing it for a wedding gift for their husband or fiancé, but I can tell you that isn't the REAL reason and after the session everyone, legit, everyone, realizes the REAL reason they wanted to do it was for them.

I'M NERVOUS, WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO GET OUT OF THIS?

Its something that is definitely out of the normal comfort zone. You know the whole getting in your skivvies for a stranger to take photos of you in provocative positions, to be completely real, thats what we are doing. But MY JOB is not just to take gorgeous photos of you in your lingerie and favorite undies, its to make you feel comfortable in your skin. It's not a necessity as a boudoir photographer to have a background in counseling, but what makes my boudoir so different than others is that I actually have a masters degree in (school) counseling and alot of my business model for my wedding and boudoir photography comes from the Person Centered Approach in which the goal is to be genuine and authentic with all your clients to create an open and trusting atmosphere to illicit real work. Transferring to boudoir, I try to be more like a friend during the session and encouraging my clients with their self image and I highlight what they love about themselves and I pose my clients in flattering poses for their body type. Not all body types are the same and therefore some poses have to be adjusted so that you are comfortable. I've had plus size ladies, like Paige below, who come in and are rockstars, just emitting confidence and sexiness; but thats not the case with most people. It takes some building up to do it. Also, I've done boudoir for my hubby so I can empathize with that whole uncomfortable feeling; especially because I'm over 200lbs and super dooper uncomfortable with my body. But after I saw the images, I felt like a different person, more confident and feeling not so "mom bod". It was amazing.

With the exception of grace (seen further below) none of my clients that come in for their sessions are models. I sometimes have models come in to pose for me so I can use the images on my website. Like I stated before, I'm so confidential and private I don't even like asking my clients if they are okay with using the images online because I don't want to make them uncomfortable -- so it's easier if they offer it or I find others to model for me. Paige, above, actually paid for the session and loved her images so much she WANTED me to share them online to show other potential ladies that you don't have to be a size 0 to look sexy as hell in your photos. Typically, 95% of my clients start every session with the same line "I'm a little nervous this is SO not me but I'm excited about it" and they leave with the same thing too, "thank you so much that wasn't what I thought it would be!" or "omg I feel so good about myself I can't thank you enough!". You see, boudoir isn't just the "sexy little photos", its also about that confidence to get out of your comfort zone and be someone you didn't know you were or could be.

WILL THESE BE PRIVATE?

With the exception of grace (seen below) none of my clients that come in for their sessions are models. Like I stated before, I'm so confidential and private I don't even like asking my clients if they are okay with using the images online because I don't want to make them uncomfortable -- so it's easier if they offer it or I find others to model for me. So yes, they will be completely private and the contract I have you sign at the end of the session includes an entire paragraph on the confidentiality of your images.

WHAT TO EXPECT

So, you've read through and find yourself thinking about booking a boudoir session, so what can I expect when I come to the studio? Well, my studio is a private, third floor open floor space with natural lighting located in Hunt Valley Maryland. It's styled specifically for boudoir photography with a kick ass bronze bed and other moody elements. I'm not a light and airy photographer, I want the lighting to create more of an emotional image and in order to do that you have to embrace and LOVE the shadows! You can look through my work and see that is definitely a common theme! You'll come to the studio, walk in, and I'll say "hey hey!" lol; but the first thing you'll see is that my studio has more of an "at home" feel. My desk is actually a large dining table, and I really wanted to have photos on the wall as if you were in a house. I thought that the best way to get my clients to feel comfortable was to make them feel like they are just going to hang out with a friend!

Then, I'll ask that you take out the outfits you brought and we will talk about them. Tell me why you brought them, which is your favorite and which is the most comfortable. You'll start with the most comfortable one. After talking about the outfits, the "scenes" (meaning we will start taking photos on the bed, then the chaise lounge I have, then standing etc) with each outfit you will go change into your first one in my studio's bathroom. Its not huge, but it has a mirror and its private.

After that, you can expect that there is music playing, not sexy music hahaha just typical music you'd hear on the radio to help calm the silence in between shots! From there, I'll actually pose you for all of your shots; feel free to pose yourself, but typically you aren't familiar with the poses I'm putting you in and I'm doing so only to flatter your body in the images. I'll ask you about your insecurities and attributes and try to focus the session around those when giving poses and directions. If you've ever had a friend do a session with you, they'll tell you I say "YAAAAS" alot and "OMG THIS IS AMAZING" because I genuinely get excited when I get a killer shot!!

HOW DO I BOOK?

It's easy, you can choose the package you want (I offer three packages) all online and book through my online booking system. There is a deposit that you have to pay but that amount is deducted from your total cost. If you have questions or maybe want to talk about your insecurities and need some help deciding if doing a session is something you really want, you can totally email or call me. I don't mind talking on the phone to you about what to expect, because you'll likely feel more comfortable after talking on the phone discussing your reasons behind the session!

Like I said, I offer three collections, all three collections include all of your high resolution edited images from the session all delivered electronically. Some photographers charge a "sitting fee" in which you pay for the photos to be taken, but then you have to purchase the images or prints following the session at a higher price. I'm not an IPS (in person sales) photographer, I am more of a shoot and share, where I charge everything up front and you receive all your images with the session, all of them. The number associated with the "amount of images" is only there as a reference to a MINIMUM amount. But if you look at the sample gallery on my site, Grace, you'll see in a 1 hour time period you will get a TON of images. I also offer a boudoir book with two of the collections. I use a private professional printing company that I order all my boudoir books through. Shipping speeds are much faster because its a professional lab and therefore I ca receive your book back in as little as 3 days from when you select the images for it!! SO if you are a procrastinator (oh, like me!) then you can still get your shots in time for whatever purpose the book is for if you are gifting it. I have alot of clients who book me for their wedding gift for their fiancé and I have alot of anniversary gifts as well!

I hope this post was a little more motivational and helpful if you were or are thinking about a boudoir session. Check out the gallery below to view some work I've done that I'm able to hare publicly!!

<3

Lisa