I absolutely love boudoir sessions. With all of the weddings, engagements, newborns, & families I photograph, boudoir is always the best. Why? It's so raw. And vulnerable. There's something so intimate about having someone come into the studio, strip down to their undies, and stand in front of my camera. That takes a LOT of courage. A huge "step out of my comfort zone" moment. And I think that not enough people in this world see how good and positive and self confidence building these sessions can be. A lot of people also think these sessions should only be scheduled if you're planning on gifting the photos to your future spouse. Even though I love having clients schedule sessions as a gift for someone else, I love it even more when they come into the studio and tell me that they scheduled a session as a gift for themselves. Today's blog post is going to talk allllll about this!
One of only ways we actually see our bodies is by looking straight down at our feet. I don't care who you are, that's never a flattering angle. We can also look at ourselves in mirrors and photos, but most iPhone angles aren't super flattering, either. I've been working as a portrait and boudoir photographer for years now and can photograph your best angles, regardless of your body type. You don't need to come into the studio knowing how to pose because I'll help you every step of the way. Instead of just explaining how I want you to pose, I'll actually get into the pose and show you! And if one pose doesn't work, we'll just move on and try something else! I absolutely love watching someone's face light up as I show them the back of my camera for the first time and they're able to see how truly incredible they look. The boost of confidence they get not only feeds into our session and leads to even more incredible shots, but continues to make them feel great even after they leave the studio!
One of the first questions I'm asked when planning a session with a new client always involves outfit recommendations. I don't limit the number of outfit changes my clients can bring to their session as long as we can fit them into the hour (typically we work through 3-4 in that amount of time!) but I do always recommend trying on your outfits before your session starts. You know, just to make sure everything fits right. I have tons of recommendations on where to shop for different outfits, but before you start shopping I suggest browsing Pinterest to see what style of outfit you're drawn to and what will compliment your body type best. If you need help, I'm always willing to send you recommendations and links or give you my opinion on what you're thinking about so far! Aside from choosing outfits that make you feel confident, my biggest tip is to start your session off with an outfit that covers more skin. Bring along a robe, oversized flannel, jersey, t-shirt, button down, etc. to start your session in so that you can take a few minutes to adjust to being in front of the camera in something more natural before changing into a more vulnerable outfit.
When you book a boudoir session for yourself, you're not just taking photos, but giving yourself an entire empowerment experience. Some women opt to add on getting their hair and makeup professionally done before their session (I have plenty of recommendations if you need them!) and we get to spend our session in an absolutely gorgeous studio space. I know that everyone has different tastes for what vibe they'd like their session to have, so I offer a ton of different studio spaces around the Cincinnati area that fit into all different types of aesthetics! I can send you photos of each space and you can choose the one that fits your vision best!
Setting the mood for your boudoir session starts before we ever step into the studio. You need to choose a photographer you trust (boudoir sessions are so intimate!!) and who makes you feel comfortable. Once you choose your perfect studio and outfits that help you feel your best, I recommend making a playlist that you LOVE so that we can play it during your session. I've listened to everything from country to rap to Disney while working my boudoir sessions, and I love how different all of my clients are. I always bring a speaker with me to the studio so that we can blast music and focus on having fun throughout our hour together instead of working in an uncomfortable silence. Because that wouldn't be fun now, would it? I'm a huge believer in the fact that your boudoir photos should include a balance of shots that are serious & sexy, but also shots that you're laughing and having fun in, because nothing is sexier than that, right??
You don't need to wait for a special holiday, anniversary, or occasion to come around to book a session as a gift to someone else. Actually, the majority of the time I end a session & walk out of the studio with my client, they tell me that they're so happy that they booked a boudoir session because it ended up being more of a gift to them personally than it ever will be for their boyfriend/fiancé/husband. You don't need the excuse of a gift to book a session at all. You work hard. You deserve to have an empowering, self confidence building experience for YOU. And if you decide you want to share your photos afterwards, you can, but you certainly don't have to!
Sessions with Dime & Zee Studios, LLC are filled with positivity & I make it a goal of mine to make my clients feel as comfortable & confident as possible. Boudoir photos make great gifts for significant others, but also a great gift for yourself. Your body is BEAUTIFUL and it deserves to be captured.