Preparing for your Boudoir Session

Preparing for your boudoir photography session
 

Your preparation can make a difference to your photographs.

We get a lot of women that just come into our studio for a boudoir session without preparing for it and leave with some great photographs.  However, the women who plan for their session ahead of time always leave with amazing photographs.  Photographs that rival what you will find in glamour and fashion magazines. 

We suggest you print this page and use it as a guide during the days prior to your session.
 

Seven days prior to your session

Plan your wardrobe, check the fit of all your outfits and examine them for condition
Begin healthy diet habits
Check your makeup kit to make sure you have everything you need
Visit your hair dresser
If you wear glasses and want a pair without lenses, visit your optometrist
Make arrangements for a friend to accompany you to your session if you desire
 

Three days prior to your session

Attend to your body hair
Get your nails done
Continue healthy diet habits
Gather your things to bring
Practice applying your makeup if you're not going to have it done professionally
 

Day of your session

Get plenty of sleep the night before to avoid puffy eyes, bags, and dark circles.
Avoid foods that stain teeth or lips (coffee, chocolate, colored candy, etc.)
Wear loose clothing that doesn't leave marks on your skin (avoid socks, elastic waistbands and cuffs, tight bras, etc.)
Wear clear deodorant (white, powdery, flaky deodorant can ruin an otherwise wonderful photo).
Pack your wardrobe
Pack your things to bring
Apply your makeup
If a friend is accompanying you to the session, pick her up
Arrive on time
HAVE FUN!
 

Wardrobe
 

For lingerie/boudoir photography, the goal is to create romance and fantasy. Lingerie sold in sets generally works well, but you can make your own sets if you like. Bare arms tend to look larger, so make sure you include a robe, shawl, or lace jacket if that's a concern. Don't mix white with dark colors, and avoid wild prints as a rule of thumb (but if you just have to have that leopard-print teddy, bring it along).

The point of glamour photography is to show off the subject's beauty and sex appeal. Depending on your style and tastes, that may mean an elegant evening dress, a hot club dress, cutoffs and a tank top, a business suit with more open buttons than you'd wear to work, a bikini, a thong and a scarf, a bed sheet ... the possibilities are endless. As a general rule if you feel beautiful and sexy in an outfit, you'll look beautiful and sexy in the photographs.

Of course, for artistic nude photography, wardrobe generally isn't and issue. We do have a number of scarves, sheer cloths and boas that can be used to provide a touch of modesty if you like, and some clients like include a favorite piece of jewelry or hair ornamentation in this type of photo, so feel free to bring something like that along if you want.

Underwear: Panty lines, bra lines, bra straps, or underwear showing through clothes can ruin an otherwise beautiful photograph. If you are comfortable without a bra, that solves many problems. If not, make sure you have at least one dark colored bra, one light colored bra, and one strapless bra. Also make sure you have at least one dark and one light pair of underpants, plus a thong if any of your outfits may show panty lines.

Jewelry: In a nutshell, don't over do it. Jewelry that steals the show is simply not flattering. Go for small earrings and simple necklaces.

Fit: Try on everything a week ahead of time to make sure it fits properly. A perfect fit always looks best, but many women's clothes come in generic sizes (S,M,L, etc.), so it's not always possible to get a perfect fit. If necessary, you can use clips and safety pins to improve the fit of slightly loose pieces. If you're full figured, a little loose generally looks better than too snug. If you're slim, a little snug (but not overly tight) tends to look better than too loose.

Condition: Even if you're purchasing new clothes, check everything over for runs, snags, and stains. Many of these can be touched up in the photos, but avoiding them is the best insurance. Also check for creases from folding, particularly in satins, and iron or steam these out, as they tend to stand out in photographs.
 

Makeup

Even if you don't normally wear makeup, it's essential for successful glamour and boudoir photography. You can have your makeup professionally done if you like, but if you choose to do your own, follow these steps:
Start with clean, dry skin
Apply a good moisturizer to prep your skin (this will make an enormous difference in the quality of the final outcome).
Apply liquid foundation with a clean sponge (don't stop at your chin; for most intimate photography your neck and upper chest will also show, and abrupt changes in skin tone will be obvious).
Use a little extra foundation to cover any zits or blemishes.
Apply a loose powder to set the foundation
Apply blush with a clean, dry sponge. Use a bit more than you would for normal day wear, but don't over do it. Apply it as you would for a special evening on the town.
Apply a final layer of powder with a soft brush to soften and blend any harsh outlines
Apply mascara and eye shadow. A bit extra eye liner will help brighten your eyes in the photos.
Use an eyebrow pencil to smooth your natural eyebrow line.
Apply lip liner and fill with a good lipstick (avoid "sparkle" or "glitter" lipsticks, since they tend to photograph poorly).
 

Hair
 

A fresh trim and style is ok, but don't go wild. This is not the time to experiment with new colors or treatments that could cause a reaction. If you have long hair it's best to leave it down since long hair provides many more options for photographs, and it can be pinned up for some photos if you like.
 

Body Hair
 

Shave (or wax) your legs, armpits, and bikini line, 3 days prior to your session to allow time for any irritation to heal.
 

Nails
 

Treat yourself to a manicure and a pedicure. A French manicure or neutral polish on neatly trimmed, medium length nails is about the classiest look you can get. Don't go wild unless wild is really your style in daily life.
 

Diet
 

If you're looking a bit puffy, it tends to be exaggerated in photographs, so drink plenty of water, avoid salty foods, and minimize your alcohol consumption for several days before the shoot.
 

Glasses
 

If you wear glasses, consider being photographed without them. If you're not comfortable with that, a pair of empty frames (without lenses) is the next best option.
 

Things to bring

Bobby pins, barrettes, hair ties, etc.
Brush and/or comb
Makeup kit
Nail polish (appropriate color to touch up chips)
Lotion (for elbows, knees, or dry hands)
Robe
Hose
Different colored bras, including a strapless bra if your wardrobe calls for it
Different colored underpants, including at least one thong
Music CDs that will help you relax during the session