Boudoir Photography - Frequently Asked Questions
The though of a boudoir session can be scary. When talking to women about their session, I get asked all kinds of questions. So I wanted to compile a list of my 12 most frequently asked quesions to give you some insight on preparing for a boudoir session with me!
Do you share my images?
Our number 1 priority is making sure our clients are comfortable, especially with boudoir! It can be a life changing experience, but that also makes it nerve wracking! Sometimes, you are learning how to love your body and you aren't quite ready to share the images with the world, or sometimes these photos are specifically for your spouse and are not for any one else's eyes. These are all great reasons for nor sharing your photos, and it all depends on your personal preferences! If there are photos that I would like to share, I will ask your permission, and only share what you are comfortable with!
Do I have to wear lingerie?
You definitely don't have to specifically wear lingerie, it depends on your personality! There are a BUNCH of outfit ideas other than lacy little things! I have clients come in with everything from pants suits to ball gowns to cocktail dresses all the way down to the strappiest and tiniest of lingerie or even their birthday suit. What you wear and how you want your session to look is entirely up to you.
Head over to this blog about choosing outfits to see some more ideas!
Do you have payment plans?
We offer a few payment options to make sure there's something for everyone who really wants to gift this experience to themeselves! There is a booking retainer to book your shoot, which can be paid in full or split into two payments with the final payment due one week prior to your session. Print products and digital images are purchased seperately. We offer flexible pre-session payment plans so if you want more time to be able to pay off the session and your products, you can always schedule it a few months out and pay it off in payments! We also offer flexible post session payment plans if you're not entirely sure what Collection you see your finished images. Finally, we're so excited to announce that we now also accept Paypal Credit, Affirm, Klarna, and Afterpay.
Is hair and makeup included?
Hair and makeup is included in all of our boudoir shoots! I think its really important for you to feel pampered, and having your hair and makeup done is a great way to do that! Our amazing team can help you complete your look, whether that's "I just woke u like this" or Full on glam! You can bring any ideas you want for your makeup and we can try to use it for inspiration!
Do you Photoshop my images?
I do edit your images for light, exposure, and color balance. I also do a light retouching on skin to give your images that polished, magazine ready look and I will remove anything that's temporary such as bruises and acne.
However, I do NOT do any "nip/tucking" in photoshop. I think it can be damaging to have a boudoir session done, and then completely edit/alter your body shape or size. Part of the process of accepting yourself and seeing your beauty also means not photoshopping out parts of yourself you don't like i.e. arms, thighs, tummy, etc. If there are parts of yourself that you are learning to love and aren't thrilled about, that is okay! We are skilled in posing and lighting to make you look your absoulte best and bring out your inner star.
Where should I buy outfits?
There are a few places to buy outfits from and it depends on what you are getting, the style of your shoot, and your shopping budget. Here is a long list to choose from with different style, sizing and price points.
Victoria Secret, Forever21, Adore Me, Torrid, Eberjay, Hipsandcurves.com, Honey Birdette, Thistle and Spire, Shein, Shein Curve
If you are looking for something specific that you can't find, let me know and I might know where to get it!
Click HERE to see a list of our Amazon favorites.
What type of print products do you have?
We offer a variety of albums and luxuury glass boxes with prints in them! The glass and leather legacy box with the 8x10 matted prints are my favorite. I absolutely love the feel of picking up a physical print, its so surreal to see yourself like that! Like a true piece of art! Our luxury albums are also a fan favorite! "20 gorgeous pages that I flip through on my own pretty often. I think I look at them more than my husband does honestly. It's a nice reminder that my self-image has completely changed after having my boudoir shoot. As it turns out, I'm hot!!!" - Kristine on her boudoir experience.
Do you offer digitals?
Yes, absolutely! Most of our Collections include some sort of print product along with the corresponding image in digital. We also have an A La Carte list where you can choose Digital Only Collections. Your purchased digital images are delivered in a locked online gallery, available for you to download and share. Ask about our secret smartphone app for an easy and discreet way to present them to your partner.
I'm freaking out! How can I calm my nerves?
Almost every gal who walks through the door of my studio comes in at least a little nervous. It's perfectly normal! I promise the nerves don't last for long. Once you arrive, we'll get started in hair and makeup (with snacks and refreshments!) and you'll get a chance to chat with the team while getting pampered and glammed up. By the time hair and makeup are done we'll all feel like old friends and most of your nerves will already be gone. We start the shoot in your most covered up outfit, we go at your comfort level and we show you the poses down to the finger tips and facial expression as we expertly guide you through the whole experience. Expect the day to be filled with lots of laughs and genuine fun. I have a lot of clients say it feels like just hanging out with girlfriends while taking pictures and even like a girls day out.
How many outfits should I bring?
This depends on what you want, but I always say at least bring 3-5 outfits to choose from on the day. You'll get a chance to view our Collections before your session to get an idea of what Collection you think you might want. For something smaller you'll probably only need 1 or 2 looks, if you want the works then variety is key and you'll want a few more to add variety to your collection or album. Bring only what you LOVE and we'll pull your looks after hair and makeup.
Should I get to my shoot early?
You should plan on arriving about 5 or so minutes early. This will give you time to park, get your things together, and get settled in the makeup chair. We'll go through what you brought to talk about your outfits and colors. Together we'll decide what to pull and what we'll be shooting in. From there we'll make a plan for hair and makeup according to your looks and then we'll get started!
Where is your studio located?
Located on the west side of the island of Oahu in Kapolei, we shoot out of a cozy home studio located iin upper Makakilo. If you're coming from town side, we're just a short 3 minute drive up the hill from downtown Kapolei once you take the Makakilo exit.
