10 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Boudoir Photographer
Jamie Pfister, Owner/Photographer
Choosing a boudoir photographer is a decision that no woman should take lightly. After all, you are hiring and trusting a virtual stranger to take intimate portraits of you wearing little to no clothing and hopefully help you feel good about yourself in the process! However, unfortunately, we’ve heard many boudoir session horror stories over the years from women who did very little research before booking a photo shoot, and they had negative experiences as a result - everything from bad business practices (photographers “ghosting” on their clients, for example), to disappointment over the final images due to awkward posing, bad lighting, etc. (which is probably what we hear the most often), and even actual scary situations (such as inappropriate comments being made to a client throughout her boudoir shoot, which was conducted in a very unprofessional setting). Hearing about negative boudoir experiences like these not only breaks our hearts, but it makes us want to do everything we can to help prevent it from happening to more women in the future.
That is why we, The Adore Girls’ all-female photography team (Jamie Pfister, Lindsey Gregory-Caldwell, have put together 10 Important Questions to Ask Before Choosing Your Boudoir Photographer, which we believe can help you decide which boudoir photographer is the right fit for you, even if it’s not The Adore Girls. These ten questions could also potentially uncover any red flags that a less reputable boudoir photographer may be trying to hide.
Before You Interview a Boudoir Photographer
Before you even call to schedule a consultation with the photographer, we strongly encourage you to spend a good amount of time looking through their boudoir photography website. Read their About page and Blog to get a glimpse of their personality and learn about their “why.” Look for information about whether they shoot in a studio or strictly on-location (if that is important to you). Browse through their boudoir Portfolio to make sure their photography style matches the vision you have for your own boudoir photos. (We know that last tip seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people call The Adore Girls’ studio asking for certain styles of photography that we do not offer and are nowhere to be found on our website.)
Once you’ve looked through the photographer’s website and have decided that you like what you see, it’s time to set up an in-person or phone consultation, and this is where our 10 Important Questions come in!
10 Important Questions to Ask Any Potential Boudoir Photographer
1.How long have you been shooting boudoir photography, specifically?
The reason this is an important question is because boudoir photography is very different from any other type of portraiture or wedding photography. A good boudoir photographer understands that they have an important responsibility to provide their clients with a body-positive and empowering experience, in addition to beautiful photos. The more experienced a photographer is with shooting boudoir, and the more focused they are on this specific genre, the better that photographer will understand what a huge responsibility this is.
2. Are you the only boudoir photographer working for this company? If not, please tell me about your associate photographer(s) and their previous experience as a professional boudoir photographer.
*THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!* It is becoming more and more common for a photography business owner to employ associate photographers, which is actually a good thing! It’s an indication that the business is successful and busy enough to need an additional photographer (or two!) to keep up with the demand. However, PLEASE be aware that, while some photography businesses choose to employ experienced, professional photographers as their associates, others will literally hire anyone who can be trained to put their clients into pre-determined poses and then press the button to take the pictures. Both types of associate photographers may ultimately take nice photographs, but the one who is an experienced, professional photographer has the creative vision and the technical skills and knowledge necessary to be able to provide each client with a unique and personalized photo session, because they (unlike the trained picture-taker) are not limited by what poses and camera settings their boss taught them to use for every single client. Again, a boudoir session should never be about JUST taking pretty pictures of women in cookie-cutter poses. The true purpose of a boudoir session (and the main responsibility of your professional photographer) is to help bring out and capture your true, authentic, sensual self. So, PLEASE beware of photographers who say they “personally trained” their associate photographers, who actually have no prior professional photography experience.
3. Do you belong to any boudoir photography associations or organizations?
A photographer doesn’t HAVE to be a member of a boudoir association or organization in order to be a good boudoir photographer, so this certainly isn’t a make-or-break question. However, belonging to an association or organization, such as the Association of International Boudoir Photographers (AIBP), DOES indicate that the photographer cares about keeping his or her finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the boudoir photography industry, as well as staying sharp with their editing and photography skills by continuing their education and interacting with other talented boudoir photographers from around the world.
4. Have you, yourself, ever had a boudoir session?
Like the previous question, this one doesn’t necessarily determine whether one boudoir photographer is better than another. However, as mentioned above, boudoir photography is very different from other types of portrait photography because of the level of vulnerability involved. Once a photographer, male or female, has put themselves in their clients’ shoes and had a boudoir session of their own (yes, men have boudoir sessions, too!), only then can they fully understand how self-consciousness and nerves can play a roll in almost every boudoir experience, because they have experienced it themselves! Having this type of first-hand experience naturally helps any photographer become more empathetic and better equipped to help their clients deal with these same types of issues, should they arise.
5. How many Hair & Makeup Artists do you have on staff? What are your hiring requirements for your Hair & Makeup team?
It’s always better if a photographer has more than one Hair & Makeup Artist on their roster, just in case a backup is needed for your session at the last minute. (Hey, things happen.) A professional Hair & Makeup Artist should be licensed and have experience working with all different skin types, ethnicities, and ages, as well as a wide variety of hair lengths, styles, and textures.
6. How much editing will be done to my photos, and do you edit the photos yourself?
Your potential boudoir photographer should be able to tell you what their editing preferences are, and it is up to you to decide whether he or she edits too much, too little, or just enough for your taste. However, many people are unaware of the fact that some boudoir photographers outsource their editing, which is why the second part of this question is actually the most important! Photographers sometimes outsource their editing simply because they don’t have time to do it themselves, while others choose to outsource their editing because they do not enjoy the editing process or feel like someone else could do a better job. If your potential boudoir photographer tells you that they outsource, then you have every right to ask them to whom your photos will be sent for editing. After all, that’s at least one other set of eyes that will be viewing your boudoir photos! Hopefully, the photographer will tell you that they send their work to a very reputable, professional photo editor or editing company who has a solid Privacy Policy in place, rather than just to “a friend who’s good at Photoshop.”
7. Will I be able to sign a privacy agreement that states whether or not I give permission for my images to be shared on the Internet or in your studio sample albums/prints?
A reputable photographer should never share any images of their clients without the client’s expressed written consent. Period.
8. Can you please go over your pricing with me?
You’ll notice that many boudoir photographers do not have a detailed pricing page, or maybe even a pricing page at all, on their websites. Typically, that is because there are several sessions and product options available, which can seem overwhelming or confusing when listed all at once on a website. However, your potential photographer should have no problem being transparent with you about his or her pricing or with giving you some bottom-line numbers to consider BEFORE you book your session. (Tip #1: Ask what the minimum bottom-line amount you can expect to spend will be, and what their average client typically spends for a boudoir session + photos/albums?) The photographer should also clarify whether or not any images are included in the session booking fee and whether or not they offer payment plans. (Tip #2: If they do offer payment plans, be sure to find out the terms and through whom the financing will be provided.)
9. What are your average turn-around times?
All photographers are different when it comes to their workloads, schedules, and editing processes, so turn-around times often vary from photographer to photographer. It’s a good idea to ask how long you can expect to wait after your session is done to see your images, as well as how long it will take to receive your photos/album after the order is placed, especially if you need your images back by a certain date!
10. What should I expect on the day of my boudoir session?
When you ask your potential photographer what happens on the day of a photo shoot, it should be apparent in their response whether or not your feelings and overall experience are just as important to them as the photos themselves. For example, does the photographer reply by simply reciting a step-by-step itinerary of what a typical day in the studio is like, or do they also take the time to acknowledge different feelings that you may experience during the photo shoot and explain how they’ll help you throughout every step of the process?
Of all the boudoir “horror stories” we’ve heard in the past, they have all had one thing in common - each of those women booked their photographers based solely on the fact that he or she was inexpensive, and many of those women scheduled their boudoir sessions without requesting a consultation with the photographer beforehand. This is why we strongly encourage those of you who are in the process of planning a boudoir session to please do your research and interview your potential boudoir photographer first. Remember, your personal safety and overall satisfaction are worth FAR more than any amount of money you might save if you choose your boudoir photographer based on price alone!
We wish you the best of luck with finding the perfect boudoir photographer for YOU, and we hope you’ll find the 10 Important Questions provided above to be helpful with your research!
Are you ready to treat yourself to the Ultimate Boudoir Experience? Let’s do it!
Contact our office Monday - Friday, 9:00-5:00, via call to 615-336-4256
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