Information about Boudoir Sessions

Boudoirs are one of my favorite types of shoots... Why?  Because they are so very feminine and beautiful and just plain old girly fun!

I've been getting quite a lot of boudoir inquiries lately (and I've shot a ton of them recently as well)...  Since I have to keep answering the same questions over and over I figured I might as well make a FAQ blog post about it!

Q: What is a boudoir session?
Boudoir means bedroom - its basically a session that celebrates the strength and beauty of femininity in a very sensual way.  My boudoir sessions are all about "bedroom eyes" and lace and silk... Lingerie and draping fabrics are generally the attire.  Boudoir sessions can be purchased as a gift (most often a surprise gift) for a very lucky husband.

Q: Are your boudoir sessions open to the general public?
No.  This is where my mission and my heart with boudoir photography comes into play.  I believe that a woman's body is sacred and definitely the most beautiful thing on this earth - I believe that it should be wholly consecrated to please and delight the man that she has vowed her body, soul, and life to on the marriage alter.  For that reason I do not offer boudoir to unmarried women unless you are engaged and planning on using your boudoir session as a wedding gift.  Though I cannot control what my clients do with their product, it is my hope that these images would be used to bind a marriage closer together, to enhance a woman's self-esteem in the bedroom, and never used publicly but kept sacred.
Q: What locations would you use for a boudoir session?
I generally use clients' homes.  I've used hotel rooms and bed and breakfasts as well. Also, outdoors is always an amazing location of choice for a more artistic boudoir session if you can find a private enough spot.   I'll go into further detail about all these options.
               Home - If you choose to use your home there needs to be a lot of light and either a.) beautiful furniture to drape yourself over and/or use in the background or b.) lots of simplistic space (as in move furniture out of the room and pictures off the walls etc..)  I love incorporating furniture pieces and lamps and even some art pieces on the walls if  they are beautiful and not blazing bright, overwhelming, or outdated styles (unless its vintage pieces- those are my favorite). I tend to use elements like beds, pillows, chairs, couches, kitchen tables (yes I have on a few occasions- especially when its shiny), windows/window seats, blankets, hallways, stairways, etc...    I prefer to have a cream or white bedspread/comforter option on your bed but I do like taking a look at what you have. If its not too busy and matches the color aesthetic of your shoot then I'll most likely use it for part of the session.  As far as lighting - I consider myself a natural light photographer - meaning I really prefer to capitalize on window light as opposed  to lamps, external flashes, etc.. in my artistry.  This does mean that you would have to have windows pointing toward locations that you are comfortable being in lingerie around.  Upstairs rooms are often more comfortable for people... other options are to put a white sheer curtain over the window in order to block views but still let in as much light as possible.   If your home is not ideal, perhaps consider asking to "borrow" a friend's house if you are close enough to them to be comfortable asking such a question ;) ...which has been done many times by my clients, or you might want to consider one of the other options to follow.
             Hotel or Bed and Breakfast - My favorite location from this option that I have shot in is Chinaberry Hill in Tacoma.  It is a charming bed and breakfast close to downtown with antique furniture pieces and perfect decor/coloring for a boudoir shoot.  ...My least favorite location of these options I've shot in was a hotel with 80's or early 90's style bedspread/curtains, gross colorful patterned carpet, an eyesore of a radiator right under the window, and hideous wall art.  Even in that situation, the images turned out breath-taking!  I am able and willing to work with anything, but I will emphasize that the more beauty I have to work with for your location, the more variety your shoot will have.  If you plan on using a hotel, do check it out for simplistic furniture/colors/decor, and good light (plus a window in a location you don't mind being wide open) If you have a specific place in mind, contact me so I can talk with the owners or managers, let them know I'm a photographer, and find out if there is a cheaper day rate.
              Outdoor scenic location - Perhaps my very favorite... With this option, your images are more likely to look like and be inspired by a fine art painting.  They are likely to feel like more of an art piece but perhaps a little less intimate.  Unfortunately (especially in western WA) the rain and temperature will limit the days we are able to do this.  I recommend booking for a summer date if you are most interested in an outdoor boudoir shoot.  The location used will have to be as secluded as possible and I will have you keep a robe close by for just-in-case emergencies ;)

Q: What time of day would you book for?
I prefer a time of day when the sun is streaming in the windows the most. Your location and where the windows are pointing will help us decide what time. I quite often meet a client in the morning or the evening but mid-day can definitely work too so long as you are indoors. If your home is the location of the session and peeking neighbors are an issue you might find it a priority to schedule when you assume they will be at work.

Q: What do I wear and how "bare" do I have to get for these?
Silk, lace, ribbon, jewelry... all things feminine and lovely... :)  Bras and panties, corsets, and pretty much all classic lingerie items are fabulous to have on hand for boudoir sessions!  I recommend bringing a bag FULL of options for us to play with and decide which ones are going to be used in the shoot.  Also bring shoes, jewelry, and accessories.  Avoid any fluorescent colors, cheap-stripper looks, fetish items, and the likes.  ...How bare do you have to be? - honestly that is completely up to you and your comfort level.  If you aren't even comfortable in lingerie, I would be able to use a silky robe to keep you mostly covered but use an intimate boudoir style for my shooting and how I pose you. 
If you are looking to push the limits please be aware that I don't do all out "porn" style images. I aim to keep them classy, sophisticated, and artistic but still extremely sexy and smoldering. I'm comfortable with bear breasts if that is your desire for images to gift to your husband.  I'd say about 1/2 of my clients request that.  I may or may not ask you if you'd like that in your images at some point during the session.  Please let me know ahead of time.  I am also willing to do complete nudes but be aware I use more of an artist's approach for these type of images rather than a porn magazine's approach. I don't do anything "smutty" if you will.  The very best advice I have for you is to communicate with me as much as possible about your desires and comfort level for the shoot.  I would feel absolutely terrible if I suggest that you do something you are not comfortable doing, but I would also feel equally terrible if it was your desire to have a topless image for your husband and I never offered to get that for you.  Please let me know your intentions ahead of time so that I can avoid an awkward situation.

Q: I want this with all of my heart but I'm WAY too nervous!
Don't let your nerves hold you back! :)  I'm used to working with nervous clients.  Its quite typical that the first 15 minutes of a shoot (especially boudoir) have nothing but nervous images that will just get deleted.  That's 100% normal and you are not any different than my other clients!  What I do to help ease your nerves: I make an effort to get to know you before starting to shoot; I start you out in your most modest of the options chosen for your shoot to help you get comfortable and I typically will start with head-shots; I coach your posing very meticulously so be assured that you are not expected to perform... the "performance" is all on me and it is my responsibility to make sure you look amazing, not yours; I will often turn my camera around so you can peek at the LCD screen and see how breath-taking you look right now; If you don't have a stereo with a few favorite tunes available, I'll often have my ipod playing in my pocket to help you ease the nerves and just relax and enjoy yourself.  I assure you I will do everything in my power to help you be relaxed and confident because that is where your true beauty lies.  Nervousness has a tendency to mask true beauty ;)   Please note - that if you are feeling nervous and its because of moral issues as opposed to self-consciousness I encourage you from the bottom of my heart not to pursue having a boudoir shoot done.  It is my intentions for you to have a pure conscience and be drawn closer to your husband as a result of your boudoir session.

Q: But what if I feel like I'm too old or too heavy or ugly for these images to be attractive?
Every woman is gorgeous and has a bedroom bombshell tucked away inside her.  Age and weight have no affect on this in my opinion.  I use lighting, exposure, cropping, posing, and angles to flatter you.  There are different angles I prefer for different body-types and I can adjust to what flatters you most pretty quickly once I start working with you.  I even use a little bit of photoshop to help out with skin and unflattering shadows or creases... BUT - please don't expect me to use photoshop to turn you into someone you are not - who you are is beautiful and that's the point of this session!  I never use photoshop to create beauty but only to enhance it and remove any distractions.  If you are 60, no I'm not going to make you look like you are 20 but I sure am going to make you look like the babeliest 60 year old out there ;)  Its all about being confident and loving what you've got no matter what it is and that is going to make your images just amazing!  A key point to that is being completely grateful to God for what He's given you and trusting that He has made you perfect for His purpose.

Q: Do you plan on doing anything with the images?
I would hope you might be comfortable with me posting a few detail images and perhaps head-shots from your session.  Anything that is modest I might be interested in putting a sample image or two on my blog.  I don't intend to post any images of you without informing you first and having your permission for it to go online.  Like I expressed earlier, the female body is a treasure and sacred.  I do not intend to exploit it.  If you are not comfortable with anything going online then nothing will.

Q: How much is a boudoir session?
All of my portrait pricing information can be found here.  I charge the same for boudoir as I do for other portrait sessions.  If you are not able to view flash on your computer or device please email me at alicia@aliciaclifford.com and I'll be happy to get you my pricing information.  Also - please note, I do travel!  If you are not local but still interested in having me shoot your boudoir pictures, do contact me and we can work out travel arrangements.