Boudoir and Why It’s TOTALLY OKAY | Charlotte Boudoir Photography

So, I just read an article on boudoir photography where the writer clearly doesn’t like the idea of boudoir, but tried to make it seem like they did… Because of this, it has offended many many women and boudoir photographers that know better. I wanted to write from my own experience on this subject, and correct what misinformation was given on this topic.

As stated multiple times, boudoir is one of my BIGGEST booked sessions! I get more inquiries for that than anything else! Just because I don’t post often about it doesn’t mean it isn’t popular to do. I respect my clients’ wishes in regards to what to post or not to post, and always use caution when approaching this so I tend to not share things out of my clients’ respect, which actually has given me a positive name in this industry for clients coming and saying they know I’ll respect them 100%. I’ve talked before about how I did my own boudoir session before I really began photography, and although the images are beautiful, I don’t want them shared. This session was also done for myself and nobody else, so those that think you have to have someone to give these images to in order to do them are plain wrong. In fact, probably 50% of my clients do this for themselves too. It’s fun being a girl and getting dolled up for the day! It’s fun buying cute little outfits, and feeling that feminine and strong side shine through. My favorite part is when clients get to see a photo of themselves for the first time, and hearing them all scream or cheer with excitement! Why? Because most of them don’t feel like they have a sexy or bombshell side, but having a photographer that knows what poses to use and when is key to bringing that out.

To also say that only wedding photographers provide the best quality and high-end looks would be misleading as well. For example – Stacey with Simply Boudoir JUST does boudoir, and she provides some of the best quality work I’ve ever seen. She has served so many beautiful women of all shapes and sizes, and her work is absolutely flawless. If you take a look at her site, it’s obvious she is beyond gifted in this, and her clients all look relaxed, sexy, and confident.

For saying that you should go with your wedding photographer for this service, I’d strongly suggest going with a photographer you know has experience doing boudoir and someone you trust to be around. If this is something you are contemplating on doing, ask to see a boudoir portfolio if one isn’t provided online to ensure you’d get the best results from your session. If you haven’t checked mine out, you can visit it HERE.

As for scheduling, I HIGHLY highly highly HIGHLY. HIGH.LY. recommend NOT doing this just one week prior to your wedding as most photographers that take pride in their work won’t have nearly enough time to get you your images AND a Little Black Book if your heart desires. It can take several days to a week for the products to ship to begin with, let alone the ordering process beforehand. You are setting yourself up for failure if you wait this long to get this service. I always tell my brides that are interested in this or bridals that they need to have ALL sessions done at LEAST a month prior to their wedding date to ensure they get exactly what they want. And to tell girls to wait because they can try to lose five more pounds is absurd in itself. A qualified boudoir photographer knows the right poses for every body type that will show off that body in the best way possible. Plus, the love of your life is marrying YOU for YOU – NOT for your body.

To also say that you need to add extra time in because you will look stiff? That is just a sentence that is already placing doubt in the minds of clients. So. WRONG. When I host boudoir sessions, I get the music playing, we spend a few moments going over outfits, and then by the time we are ready to rock and roll, I always start out doing casual poses that won’t make clients feel awkward. I don’t know if I’ve just been blessed to have amazing girls that seem pretty down to earth and easy to pose, but I have a feeling it’s just the way you go about the session.

If you want to bring some bubbly to your session, go for it! But getting wasted is going to definitely show in your photos, so just don’t go overboard with that 😉 As for bringing a friend along, I always ask clients to consider this. I brought my best friend to my session, and it was nice because I was scared out of my mind (I am very conservative when it comes to showing skin), but I have had girls say they wish they hadn’t brought their friend along because they felt more uneasy being half naked in front of several others. I say do what you know you’re comfortable with. I’ve even had clients bring their moms, and we’ve had an absolute blast!

To also say this is a one-time-only deal irked me because it’s definitely not. I have repeat clients because they just LOVE feeling beautiful and having these images with different locations and outfits. As mentioned before, many do it just for themselves, I’ve had girls do it for their grooms, I’ve had girls do it to celebrate their pregnancy, etc. These can be done as often as you’d like!

This day is YOUR day, and you can do whatever you’d like. You can show off whatever you’d like. You can wear whatever you’d like. Clients have freedom over their sessions, and it is always a positive experience. I’m here to serve you, to bring out the laughs, to bring out the moody side, and to provide you with images I know you’ll adore. Don’t hesitate to look into this because you fear it! Any size, any shape, any age (legal age anyway lol) – everyone has fun 🙂

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