I thought I would take the time to talk about what you might expect to have happen from a boudoir photo session. Many people believe that it is just a couple of hours shooting and that’s it. That is completely false. There is a good deal that goes into the planning, execution and beyond the photoshoot and that is where all the excitement is to be found.
Let’s take a moment and go over some of the details of a typical shoot starting with the very first thing…
The Initial Contact
The hardest part of the whole thing: making that initial contact. This is where you officially step out of the comfort zone and begin thinking of a Boudoir shoot just for you. Wether it is via an email or by a form submission, this is how you get the process started. During this initial dialog, we will talk about when to schedule the next step…
The Meet-and-Greet
Every boudoir session that I do requires a face to face meeting. This can be done at a local coffee shop, a restaurant or even a virtual meeting online. This allows both of us the opportunity to meet one another and get a feeling if we would work well together for the shoot. There has to be good chemistry between the subject and the photographer for a shoot to go extremely well.
More importantly, this is the time to ask all of the important questions that may be on your mind. The more information you have, the more comfortable you will feel so this is definitely the time to ask about ANYTHING!!!
This is also the time that we will work together to come up with a plan for things like dates, times and location. Locations could be your home, a hotel suite, even an Air BNB rental. We will answer questions like will you have a friend with you, is this a solo shoot or a group shoot and so on. Based on that information I will work up an invoice for the session to send to you regarding the whole photoshoot.
This is also the time when we would typically discuss the various types of poses and clothing that you as the subject would be comfortable with. As always, things are subject to change as you begin to get excited for the big day, but this helps lay a foundation for ideas to begin flowing. From there is is on to…
Pre Planning
This is a personal favorite of mine. Thanks to my wife, I LOVE Pinterest for generating ideas of what to shoot. Along with the ideas from our meet and greet session, I will generate a private Pinterest board that we can both contribute to for ideas. Again, these are just suggestions for what appeals to you or what I would think would work well for you as well.
Also during this period, the invoice will officially be issued and the down payment will be due to help secure dates and reserve venues if needed. The remaining payment can be paid in one lump sum or in installments up to the day of the shoot. That way, you don’t have to break the bank for a session!
During this phase I also highly encourage either shooting me texts or messages with some combinations you have found or if you have questions on anything. An open line of communication is huge at this point in the game, especially as we approach the next phase…
Pre-Shoot Preparation
Typically, a week prior to the shoot is when you as the subject will begin working on preparing for the shoot. Haircuts, waxes, manicures and pedicures, last minute lingerie or jewelry, etc. should be taken care of this last week. That way you are ready to rock and roll. Gather everything into a duffle or small suitcase so you are ready for the next step…
The Big Day
It all comes down to this. All of the planning and stress of getting things together… what am I saying??? You have had a blast looking at ideas and gathering clothing and new lingerie, not to mention pampering yourself with freshly painted nails and such!!! This is where you may feel a bit nervous again on the onset, but trust me, that quickly melts away as we talk through the shoot.
If you had not already met, this is the time that you get to meet my assistant. If you planned for hair and makeup, they would also be onsite to make you over!!! There’s music in the background, some snacks and a little bubbly to help relax you.
Over the next hours, you will be giggling, laughing, feeling sassy and sexy as we go through various poses. Normally, I like to start with more clothing on to help you become more comfortable in front of the camera. Then we will work our way toward more intimate poses. Don’t worry, you are still in control of the situation! Your comfort still takes top priority so if something makes you uncomfortable, we will bypass that. However, stepping out of your comfort zone is always a challenge too. The decision is up to you.
Post Processing
Your work is done now and it is all in my hands. I will go through the hundreds of images and select the best of the best. These images are then fully edited to bring you the cleanest, most jaw dropping images of you that you have ever seen! This process can take time but results in so many WOW reactions! I have heard so many times, “Is that me? I can’t believe that is me!” I have no doubt that you will feel the same. I may even sneak an image to you to wet your appetite and get you excited to see the final shots during…
The Reveal
The reveal for a boudoir session is a special time for any woman. This is where you begin to feel excited and nervous at the same time.
This final step is always done face to face. That is because I want you to feel awesome about what you see and to point out what I live about the images. You will be greeted with a “Little Black Book” keepsake to remember your session that will contain something of, what I feel are the best images from the session. I will also Show you additional shots that were not in the book.
This is also the time where, after reviewing the images, you can make the determination of which images (hopefully all) you will allow me to use for additional promotional material for my work. This can be the full image, no faces, or none at all. My hope is that you see yourself in a way that makes you proud to be you and willing to share it with others!
In Conclusion
There are a lot of moving parts to a boudoir photoshoot. But, it is also one of the most empowering thing a woman can do for herself. She will see herself in a completely different light and not as the “mother of two” or “the overly shy one.” Instead, you will see yourself as sexy, sensual and ready to live life to its fullest! Take that step and see just how good it can make you feel!
Chris Fleck
Christopher Fleck Photography