Bringing out the best in a real woman starts with letting her know what to expect and taking the performance pressure off of her. Most women who approach me for a shoot have similar concerns and hesitations. Make sure to address each of them by keeping it light with a sense of humor, validating her feelings, and letting her know what to expect. The most common doubts I hear are: “I DON’T KNOW HOW TO POSE.” I usually respond to this hesitation with a laugh and say, “Good! Let’s not do that.” I explain how I’ll coach her by giving her simple directions, like “toss your hair.” I also reassure her that I will always demonstrate what I have in mind first. I make sure
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How I Built a Boudoir Portfolio for Less than $100
Like most wedding photographers I’m always looking for new ways to keep a steady income during the off-season. I’ve been especially inspired lately by the boudoir photographers in our community and realized it’s a genre that I really want to pursue. Unfortunately, building a boudoir portfolio is a daunting task. After delaying the process for a while, a few weeks ago I finally put my foot down and decided I was going to build my boudoir portfolio in one day for under $100. I did. Here’s what I learned in the process. Getting the Team – I found a group of three local photographers that were also interested in expanding or building their boudoir portfolio. Having a group of other photographers not only helped with
Boudoir Photography for the Conservative Client
**In honor of Cupid, this blog post is the third and final post in our February series on Boudoir photography. See more posts on Boudoir photography…** Boudoir photography is definitely a very intimate form of photography. The majority of my female clients do not want me to share their intimate photos with the world. In fact, I’ve specifically had women make it very clear that they want their photos for their husbands eyes only. So what do you do when you can’t show your awesome work in order to gain new clients?! First ask yourself as a photographer why you want to offer these sessions. Then use the passion you have about boudoir photography in your marketing. I love these sessions for so many different
6 Tips for Hosting Effective and Profitable Boudoir Mini-Sessions
**In honor of Cupid, this blog post is the second in our February series on Boudoir photography. See more posts on Boudoir photography…** A typical boudoir day for me consists of anywhere from seven to twelve clients coming into my studio in one day. While powering through sessions might not work for everyone, with some practice you can effectively have profitable and fun boudoir sessions! Here are a few tips for having an effective and profitable marathon boudoir session. It all starts in the marketing. In order to be able to book several clients in one day, you have to be able to get several clients to sign up. The best way to do this is to create a special that limits the number of
Tips for Getting Started in Boudoir Photography
I receive tons of emails from enthusiastic photographers who are catching boudoir fever and would love to know how to get started! Here’s a perfect example: “I am just starting out as a photographer and would love to do Boudoir. There are so many things I need to do and learn, and I am working to raise the money needed for equipment, sets, and marketing. I’m not sure what to do first or how to really get started!” Here is my best advice for a helpful approach in getting started, how to prioritize your investments, create a smoking hot portfolio, and get that first boudoir client! KEEPING A PLAYFUL AND INTELLIGENT APPROACH As a boudoir photographer and as a woman, I live by the following
How to Use Boudoir Studio Lighting
The biggest concern I hear from people who have never worked with studio lights, even if they own them, is that they are intimidated to use them. Although natural light can work beautifully in studio, knowing how to use studio lights will set you apart from other photographers, especially with the increasing boudoir market. With boudoir photography becoming as popular as it is, whether you are shooting at your house, your client’s home or in a hotel room this is now technically your studio for the day. We cannot always depend on natural light to be consistent as sometimes our clients are only available for evening appointments and as we all know the weather cannot be controlled. The two recipes shown above are very simple
Mutual Networking for Boudoir Photography
Just like weddings, if you want to get in on the business of boudoir photography you are going to have to find a way get potential clients. When I first started boudoir photography I naturally just advertised to my brides. But with only an average of 30 brides a year I was barely able to get enough clients to make my venture worthwhile, especially when being a bride doesn’t automatically make you a candidate for a boudoir session. So I had to ask myself “if I was looking to get boudoir images done of myself, where would I look?” The answer came pretty easily…go to where a woman would go to prepare for her boudoir sessions! So my next stop was the local lingerie boutique.
Top Ten Ways to Increase Boudoir Sales
1. Make it Meaningful Keep in mind that you aren’t just taking pictures — you are creating how your client wants to be remembered… and the more you nail that, the more she’ll love it, the more she’ll value it, and the more she’ll want to pay for it. Customize each shoot so that it is unique and full of personal details and emotional elements that will be meaningful to her. You can start during the first phone call by asking questions like “What do you love about yourself, your body? What do you think is sexy? What are some of your favorite things that make you happy? What does your husband love about you?” etc. and use all of those personal details to create
Pictage Podcast – Carlos Baez
This episode of the Pictage Podcast features Miami photographer Carlos Baez Carlos Baez – fashion, wedding, and nudeoir photographer of 25 years – talks to Sara about the topics of nudeoir and artistic inspiration. Highlights include… How he came to build his style of nudeoir. His view on the difference and similarities between general portraiture and his trademarked nudeoir portraits. He reflects on his first nudeoir session. Establishing trust with clients. Being a man shooting nudes. Finding your own nudeoir vocabulary. His inspirations from great photographers. The importance of listening and reading your clients. Building your vision and building trust. TruePhotoTalk.com his new blog for artistic inspiration and discussion. Powered by Podbean.com You can see Carlos speak about nudeoir, specifically making a body of work,
Top 10 Essential Things to Do on a Boudoir Shoot
1. Have champagne and chocolate on hand. The champagne marks the shoot as a celebration and an event. It’s a toast to sexiness and relaxes everyone. Chocolate is definitely a girl’s best friend and an excellent mood elevator, but more importantly, it’s the sugar rush needed after a few wardrobe changes and extreme posing… Hey, boudoir is hard work! 2. Limit wardrobe changes. Outfits are fun, and variety is the name of the game! However, wardrobe changes can quickly get out of hand. Make sure your client gets enough time to “vibe” in each one. A nice selection of wardrobe changes can be simple: just a thong and heels, a fantasy element, lingerie, or some dress up. Just remember: 5 different black bustiers is not