Have you felt overwhelmed, and unsure of where to start when preparing for your boudoir photo session? Wonder no more! Below is a huge collection of do’s, don’ts, and tips to ensure you have a successful shoot and amazing images.
Create a Pinterest Board
One of the first things that you may want to do when you are preparing for your boudoir session is to make a pin board with approx 20-25 boudoir images that you love. I ask clients to do this, so that I can get a chance to see your vision for your shoot. This is for inspiration only – my goal is to deliver a set of images that are YOUR STYLE and this will help me to see what that is. When you make your board, you can invite me to be a collaborator on your board by adding my email info@angelawoolridge.com and clicking the invite button on that particular board. Make sure that you make the board name YOUR name so that I can distinguish it from all the other ladies boudoir boards that I get added to.
Location
While most of my sessions take place in my studio, some ladies prefer to have a session in the comfort of their own home(for an extra fee) where they have all of their wardrobe and shoes at their fingertips. The studio is great, but if you have an amazing home and want to have your images in your own surroundings, my make up artist and I can come to you. I am happy to discuss this with you at the time of booking.
Tips for your wardrobe
*Don’t bring items you don’t love. If you really don’t like the outfit, you probably won’t like the photos of you in it. Leave those at home!
*Lingerie is NOT necessary. And complete lingerie sets aren’t a must either. Do not be afraid to get creative. Go ahead and pair up some fish net stockings with a cute t or cropped sweater. A fabulous bra can be paired with a long flowing skirt. Your fav snug tank top could be modeled without panties. It is not necessary to go out and get a profuse amount of new things unless you just wanted and needed to pamper yourself. 😉
*Items that are a solid color and structured look good on camera, as well as items with texture, and that are snug fitting(but not too tight).
*Thigh highs should be 1-2 sizes TOO BIG according to the size chart on the package. The last thing you want is thigh muffin top, which often results if you buy the size that the package suggests for you. And also note that full fish net hose look amazing with a pair of same color panties, and are a better choice for larger legs or short legs.
*Large breasts need SUPPORT, SUPPORT, SUPPORT. You will want underwire in your items unless your girls are small and perky!
*Neon colors and small or busy patterns don’t photograph the best, so avoid them.
*Babydoll lingerie is not your friend in a boudoir session, unless it’s very sheer and you can see your body through it. My goal is always to show off and accentuate your curves and a babydoll will give the illusion of a square instead of an hourglass. Leave the flowy nighties at home.
*Have your outfits planned along with any accessories. I will go through them with you while you are in hair and make up to choose which will be best. We will have time for 1 outfit for every 30 minutes of your session. If you are feeling timid, you may want to start your session with a sexy, curve hugging dress for a few minutes of beauty head shots; so that you can get comfortable before you start taking your clothes off!
*Try to have variety in your outfits. Rather than bringing in 4 sets of bras and panties; bring in something with texture or sheer lace, something sporty or casual, perhaps your favorite Calvin Kleins.
*Underwear is not the only thing that works for a boudoir shoot. Think about a white button down shirt, a lovely scarf, or a tight fitting tank top.
*Ensure that everything is free of wrinkles, and that you have cut off the sales tags and the inner tags on any sheer items.
*Remember that your birthday suit fits perfectly and it’s free. So the white sheets are a perfect “outfit”. Also fine art nudes can be breathtaking – the perfect adornment for your bedroom walls!
Tips for your body type
All women are beautiful, but I do get questions about what to wear for a specific body type. Here are a few things that may help with those queries.
*Curvy body – My favorite item for curves is a bodysuit. You can get one that is t-shirt material, or you can get one that is lace lingerie. Bodysuits with built in bras are AHmazing! Corsets are great to accentuate a gal’s hourglass shape. You don’t want to wear loose fitting items that hide your shape. It should hug you but not cut off your circulation.
*Mommy tummy – If you never lost that baby bulge, or you hate your c-section scars, a pair of high waist panties will be your friend. Don’t think granny panties. They should be high cut in the hip to make your legs look longer, along with going high up your belly closer to your belly button. The high waist panty is very in fashion at the moment so they are everywhere online. Trust me, they are awesome in a shoot if you are not in love with your midsection.
*Flat booty – I am going to get amazing shots of your behind, but certain panties will be better than others. Cheeky panties are helpful because they show off the underside of the cheeks; and a wide band thong will make a booty look fuller.
*Tiny breasts – Demi bras and push up bras are fabulous enhancers. You can also opt for those silicone “chicken cutlets”, but make sure that your bras fit you properly without any additional stuffing.
*Lean/no curves – A regular bra and panty set will work great. A body suit that is thong in the back can add to the illusion of curves on your back side. An a waist cincher or corset can add to the hour glass illusion.
*Short legs – Avoid thigh highs that cut your leg off at the mid thigh. Nude shoes will always make your legs look longer. Choose shoes with a thin heel. Avoid ankle straps or a square toe on your shoes.
Large breasts – Support and structure is important. If you have gone through one or several pregnancies, you will want to make sure that you have underwire and support for the girls. Outfits without a supportive bra may leave you sagging a bit. Leave the comfy bralettes at home, and only bring in properly fitting supportive items to accentuate your gorgeous cleavage.
Do’s and Don’ts when preparing for your boudoir photography session
Don’t:
Get a spray tan. Spray tans tend to look oompah loompah orange on camera, and they are often splotchy resulting in a need for many extra hours or editing which could result in extra charges if you want those problems removed. Also a spray tan can cause costly stains on furniture at the studio. Please avoid these problems. Fair skin is beautiful; and I can always “warm” up the image afterwards to give you a healthy glow without the spray tan!
Wax the day before your session. If you plan to get hair removal or any form of waxing, make sure that you do it 4 or more days ahead of your session to let any redness subside. The same applies for any chemical peels or facial treatments.
Don’t dump your entire lingerie drawer into a bag to bring to your session. Try to make sure you have a few outfits that are planned, fit you appropriately and lend themselves to the vision in your head.
Don’t bring in outfits that are too small. Skin bulges will detract from your natural beauty, so make sure that your outfits are the correct size for you.
Don’t do any tanning bed tanning within 3 days of your session. Redness in your skin from recent sessions at the tanning bed will show up on camera. So stop hitting the tanning salon at least 3 days ahead of your session.
Don’t arrive with soaking wet hair. You should arrive with clean dry hair and a clean moisturized face. It may seem odd to leave the house without make up on, but doing so will ensure the best results for your makeup application.
Don’t wear tight clothing to your shoot. If you wear tight fitting tops, and a tight waist band on your pants, you will have a ton of unattractive lines on your skin that will need to be removed in post production editing.
Don’t experiment with a new hair color right before your session
Don’t wait until the last minute if you need to shop for new lingerie.
Don’t bring in low or chunky heels. 3-4 inch heels will make your legs look longer and leaner, and you won’t be asked to dance in them – although that might be fun to photograph!
Don’t use tinted moisturizers on your skin.
Don’t drink the night before your session. A hangover isn’t photogenic!
Don’t show up to the studio drunk or drugged. Drinking will cause you to have redness in your eyes that will not be removed during editing. And you don’t want to look zoned out in your images. You really won’t need the courage in a bottle. Once you arrive and meet us; you’ll quickly realize that this is a lot more fun and a lot easier than anticipated.
Don’t get cupping treatments from a massage therapist one to two weeks ahead of your session, depending on how long it takes for your bruises to fade. This also applies to rough sex that includes bites and bindings or whip marks. An odd bruise can be removed, but 8-20 large intentional bruises would require a reschedule of your shoot.
Don’t stress. Your nerves are normal, but a session with us will be easier than you expect because we have been doing this for years and we know exactly how to pose you to flatter you and we promise you’ll have fun while we are shooting your session!
Do’s
Drink lots of extra water leading up to your boudoir photo session to ensure that your skin looks hydrated and glowy.
Cut the inner laundry and size tags off of all your items that are see through lace or sheer fabric. And of course, remove the sales tags too.
Wear sunscreen if you will be in the sun in the weeks leading up to the session, so that you don’t have bathing suit or jog bra tan lines that don’t match your lingerie lines.
Get a manicure and pedicure 24 hours before your session. Your hands will be in most of your images, and you will want them to look great. And you deserve to be pampered anyway!
Get your roots of your hair color touched up.
Have a good idea of your vision for your session and what you want your images to convey: sweet, romantic, light, airy, soft , edgy, sultry, dark, moody, sensual.
Save a few images of hair and makeup on your Phone, so that you can show the makeup artist images of how you envision your final look to be. A smoky eye can mean different things to different people, so having a conversation with your artist over images you like will ensure that you get exactly what you are hoping for.
Do bring in more than one pair of stockings in case you get a snag. Consider full hose instead of thigh highs if you have larger or shorter legs. Fish net hose with the large diamonds paired with a pair of underwear are amazing.
Consider doing yoga or stretching the weeks leading up to your session. You will be glad you got more flexible when it’s go time!
Do shave your legs and armpits the night before the session.
Do get your beauty sleep. I cannot fix tired in Photoshop.
Do use lots of lotion to hydrate your skin; so that you will look supple and dewy rather that cracked and dry.
Now that you know some of the do’s and don’ts, you may be ready to begin shopping for your session. If you are need of some new outfits, check out my post here to find some of my favorite places to shop! I can’t wait to see what you bring in for your supermodel experience!
If you haven’t booked your session yet, what are you waiting for?!! Contact Us Here to get your very own private intimate portrait session!
