What Actually Happens During a Boudoir Session (Start to Finish!)
By the time most people book their boudoir session, they’ve already asked themselves a hundred questions.
→ What do I wear? What if I’m awkward? What if I don’t know what I’m doing?
And if you need to ask me questions before we move forward, you can always schedule a connection call to get your answers and feel 100% confidence with booking!
If you’re wondering what actually happens during your session, let me walk you through our day step by step so you know exactly what to expect when you walk through the doors to my studio on the day of your session!
When you arrive to my Downtown Evansville, IN boudoir studio
When you show up for your session, you’re not walking into a stuffy photoshoot.
I’ll welcome you at the door and introduce you to your hair and makeup artist. You’ll have a chance to set your bags down, get a short tour, and settle in for a minute before we get started.
Then you’ll get into the makeup chair and that first hour is one of the best parts of your whole day.
No one needs anything from you, and you get to just hang out and get pampered. (If you’re a mom, you know that alone makes the whole day worth it LOL) While you’re getting glammed up, I’ll be hanging out on the couch nearby—half answering emails, half chatting with you and our glam artist (okay… mostly chatting).
Having your hair and makeup done first gives you space to relax, ease into the experience, and set down any leftover overwhelm from the morning. It’s so nice to not have to worry about doing your own hair and makeup before your session. And it’s included in your session!
By the time your hair and makeup is done, you’re not stepping into a photoshoot with a stranger, and you’re feeling wayyy more comfortable than you did when you first walked in.
What your boudoir session actually feels like in the moment
Most people come in worried they’ll feel awkward or weird the whole time, but what usually happens is the opposite.
You’ll probably feel some butterflies as we get started (totally normal), but somewhere along the way, it stops feeling like a photoshoot and starts feeling like you’re just here, in your body, having fun. Hanging out with a friend. Being seen in a way that actually feels good.
You don’t have to “perform” or get it right (whatever that means), all you’ve gotta do is stay present and follow my direction.
Do I need to know how to pose?
A very enthusiastic no, from me! You can bring ideas if you have them, but to be completely honest… you can leave the “50 seated boudoir poses” infographics from Pinterest at home, LOL. I’ve been doing this for almost 10 years—I promise, I’ve got you covered in the posing department!
I’ll demonstrate every pose first while talking through exactly what I’m doing from head to toe. Then we’ll switch places and I’ll guide you through it step by step, making adjustments so it feels more natural to you and looks amazing.
Once we start shooting, I’ll also prompt you through your expressions. I’ll tell you what to do with your face, where to look, and of course, what to do with your hands. This means you’re never left wondering what comes next or if you look okay.
→ Just as important as the direction I’m giving you is remembering that this is a collaboration! Before we even start, I’ll remind you that I want you to be honest with me. If something feels off, too vulnerable, or just not like you, I want to know. I’ll never offended by you speaking up! This is your experience.
Whether you wanna switch poses, grab water, use the restroom, or just pause for a minute–we’re moving at your pace, not mine. You can take up space here! And I love when my clients use their voice and advocate for themselves during their session.
Once the session is over, we’re not done!
At the end of your session, we don’t just pack up and call it a day. There’s one more part of the experience that is one of my favorite parts of the day because I loooove getting to show you all your photos for the first time just an hour after your session ends.
We’ll move from our shooting space into the reveal room and you’ll see all the best photos from your session up on the TV to view.
We’ll start with a slideshow set to music so you can see everything before we start looking at them closer to choose favorites. We usually have about 100 photos to go through!
Then I’ll pull them up in similar groups and will help you choose your favorites. We’ll look at each image while deciding which you can’t live without and how you’d like to keep them. You’ll have the chance to flip through examples of the albums I offer, the prints you can order, and feel all the album material covers to choose your favorite for your album!
Once you’ve made your final decisions, we’ll seal the deal!
I’ll create an invoice and give you your final total. You’ll let me know if you’d like to pay in full or set up a custom payment plan, and will make your first payment before you head out to carry on with your afternoon!
I do my best to make the experience super easy, really special, and FUN for both of us! I want this to be something that makes you feel confident and cared for from the moment you reach out to getting to hold your album in your hands for the first time.
