What is a Boudoir Photo Shoot Really Like?
A boudoir session at The Adore Girls’ photography studio in Nashville, TN, is a fun and empowering photo shoot experience where one or more of our professional, female boudoir photographers will patiently coach you through a variety of sexy, yet flattering poses to create intimate portraits of you wearing either lingerie or little to no clothing, depending on your style preference and comfort level. Women typically have boudoir sessions for reasons such as wanting to create a unique gift for their significant others, to celebrate personal milestones, as part of their self-love journeys, or simply because they want to treat themselves to a fun day of pampering and enjoy the self-confidence boost that comes from this type of photo shoot! For some, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, while for many others, having a boudoir session can become somewhat of an “addiction!”
However, even our most seasoned repeat Adore Girls will tell you that when they made their very first boudoir shoot appointment, they had no idea what to expect and were nervous about what the actual photo session would be like. If you can relate and are currently preparing for your own first boudoir session, then we hope to ease some of those newbie jitters today by walking you through what to expect during a professional boudoir photo shoot at The Adore Girls’ luxury boudoir studio. (We’ve even sprinkled in a few Boudoir Pro Tips for you along the way!)
Here is What Happens During an Adore Girls Boudoir Shoot:
1. Your Arrival
OMG, this is it! The day you’ve been waiting and preparing for is FINALLY here - your very first boudoir session! Upon arrival at The Adore Girls’ studio, probably the first thing you’ll be relieved to notice is that we have plenty of off-street parking available in our own private parking lot. (Whew! Nashville problems, am I right?) You may also notice that we do not have any exterior signs with our studio’s name on it, which is done intentionally for the sake of privacy, but don’t worry! You’ll know you’re in the right place because your boudoir photographer is usually quick to open the door and greet you as soon as we see you in the parking lot.
Upon entering the studio, you’ll probably hear some music playing and maybe even smell a nice candle burning as you’re introduced to our all-female boudoir team. From there, the photographer will escort you into your dressing room where you can put down your things and begin to make yourself at home!
Boudoir Pro Tip: On the day of your appointment, we ask that you try to wear very loose-fitting clothing and preferably no bra, if possible. This is to minimize the amount of lines and indentions that certain types of clothing, like jeans, can leave on your skin. (If you’re not comfortable traveling braless, no worries! We’ll simply ask you to remove your bra and possibly change into one of our robes while you are in Hair & Makeup.) We also ask that you arrive wearing no makeup and with clean, completely dry hair. (Please do not use any hot tools or styling products on your hair before your session.)
2. Boudoir Wardrobe Selection
Your photographer will then ask to see what you brought to wear for your boudoir shoot. Some women are very decisive and bring in the exact number of outfits that are included in their boudoir sessions, but the majority of our clients want their photographer’s opinion about what to wear and will bring around 5-7 different wardrobe options. If this is the case for you, the photographer will lay out each piece and, depending on what you’ve brought, she will discuss with you which outfits will photograph best on our boudoir sets and why other items may not be the best choice.
Once you and the photographer have made your final wardrobe selection, she will carefully hang each piece and ask your permission to cut out any visible laundry tags. She might also go ahead and pull some shoe options from our Client Shoe Closet to pair with your outfits. While she is doing that, you will be shown to the restroom and asked to change into one of our robes. (If you arrived wearing something that is very loose fitting, like a dress, changing into a robe may not be necessary.)
Boudoir Pro Tip: It is EXTREMELY important that you only bring in wardrobe items that you have recently tried on and fit you well. If you feel uncomfortable in a certain outfit, your displeasure and discomfort WILL translate in your boudoir photos. Also, please be mindful of any areas of your body that you wish to highlight or minimize when choosing your boudoir wardrobe. For example, if you are extremely self-conscious about your midsection and want to ask for boudoir poses that will hide your tummy, then it is better for you to bring in wardrobe options that provide stomach coverage (such as a teddy or a button-up shirt) rather than bra & panty sets.
3. The Model Release (aka Privacy Agreement)
You will declare your privacy preference when signing our Model Release.
Before we turn you over to our professional Hair & Makeup Artist, we will go over our Model Release with you in detail. This is a physical document that every single one of our clients is asked to sign on the day of her photo session that will either give us permission to be able to share some of your boudoir images publicly (on our website, in sample boudoir albums, for marketing materials, etc.), or the Model Release can be declined and your images will remain 100% private. There is absolutely ZERO pressure from us regarding this decision, as we completely understand that not every woman is willing or able to share her boudoir images publicly. Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us, and we want all of our clients to feel safe and secure knowing that The Adore Girls will NEVER publish or share any of our clients’ boudoir photos without their expressed, written consent.
Boudoir Pro Tip: Please do not stress over the decision about whether or not to sign or decline our Model Release on the day of your photo shoot, because you are absolutely free to change your mind at any time! In fact, there is a clause in the Model Release that states that it is revocable. For example, if we post one of your boudoir photos to our Instagram account and it freaks you out, all we ask is that you submit to us in writing (such as an email) your desire to revoke your Model Release. As soon as we receive that request, we will immediately take down any images of you that we have shared publicly, no questions asked. On the other hand, if you originally decided to decline your Model Release on the day of your session, but then you later decide that you’d like to give us permission to share your gorgeous photos, we can do that, too!
4. Boudoir Hair & Makeup
Now, let the glam and pampering begin!!! We’ll ask if you’d like a water, champagne, or mimosa to sip on, and then it’s time for our talented Hair & Makeup Artist to begin working her magic! If you’ve never had someone else do your hair and makeup before and the idea of this makes you a bit nervous, please rest assured that The Adore Girls’ Hair & Makeup team consists of some of the most talented professional stylists in the Nashville area. Trust us, we are picky!
In fact, before adding a new stylist to our team, she is thoroughly interviewed about her experience with doing makeup for women of all ages and ethnicities, as well as styling various hair lengths and textures. Then, each potential new Hair & Makeup Artist is asked to demonstrate her talents by styling a member of our photography team as if she were a boudoir client. If the stylist demonstrates a high level of professionalism, knowledge, skill, and artistry, AND we feel like her personality is a good fit with our team, only then do we officially add her to The Adore Girls’ roster of professional Hair & Makeup Artists.
Boudoir Pro Tip: Your stylist will likely ask if there is any particular makeup “look” that you prefer or want her to create for your boudoir photos. Some women choose to save makeup example photos on their phones, but the majority of our clients have no clue what to ask for, which is perfectly fine, too! Our typical boudoir “look” consists of a smoky eye (complimentary false eyelashes are included), a neutral lip color, and loose curls or beachy waves, depending on your hair length and texture. When it’s all said and done, we still want you to look like YOU - just a slightly more glammed-up version of yourself. ;)
5. It’s Sexy Photo Shoot Time!
After you’ve had about an hour or so to sip on a mimosa and enjoy some pampering, the nerves you had when you first arrived at our studio will have probably settled down a bit, just in time for the main event - your boudoir photo session!
First, your photographer will give you a little spiel about our process, and because she planned out your photo shoot while you were having your hair and makeup done, the photographer will also let you know the order in which you will wear your outfits. During this time, the Hair & Makeup Artist will pack up her things and leave you to your dressing room, as she does not stay for the duration of the photo shoot.
Your photographer will explain the process before the photo shoot begins.
When you emerge from the dressing room wearing your first sexy outfit of the day, you may understandably feel those nerves kick back in a little bit, but we promise they will be gone before you know it! That’s because we truly LOVE what we do, and it shows! I mean, it’s hard to stay nervous when there’s good music pumping, you’re wearing a sexy outfit and looking gorgeous, your photographer is cutting up with you while also coaching you into some amazing boudoir poses, and almost every time she takes a photo, she looks at the back of her camera and yells, “OMG, you look so hot!” In fact, the comment we hear the most often from our first-time Adore Girls is that they had no idea a boudoir photo shoot would be So. Much. FUN!
And speaking of posing for your boudoir portraits, if you are even a little bit concerned about what types of poses your photographer will ask you to do or whether or not you’ll end up looking awkward in your boudoir photos, don’t be. For starters, your photographer will ask you questions about where you think you might fall within the “sexy spectrum” of boudoir photography to gauge your overall comfort level with certain types of poses and various levels of nudity. This is because some women want to have more modest boudoir photos that are sexy, but not necessarily sexual, while other women actually want their photos to be sexually provocative, and still other women (the majority of our clients, actually) prefer boudoir poses that fall somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. We never want to make assumptions about what types of poses or what levels of nudity our clients have in mind for their boudoir shoots, though, which is why we always ask these questions.
As for the posing process itself, The Adore Girls’ photographers are all experts at knowing which poses, lighting, and angles are going to be the most flattering for every body type, and we are very patient when it comes to coaching our clients into those poses. The first thing we’ll do is get into the pose ourselves so you can have a visual of what we have in mind. As we get ourselves into that position, we’ll describe every little aspect of what we’re doing. (“You’ll see that as I’m leaning on my right arm, I’m arching my back and bringing my left hand up into my hair, my eyes are shut, and notice my toes are pointed….”) After we’ve shown you the pose, then we’ll help you get into that same position, and we’ll repeat all the instructions we just gave you (because we don't expect you to commit all of that to memory). If, at any time, we think a certain boudoir pose looks unnatural or awkward, or if it is too difficult for you to do, then we will either tweak the pose until it works, or we might try a different pose altogether. Either way, it is our job as professional boudoir photographers to help you look your absolute BEST in your photos, and we promise not to let you down!
When it comes to facial expressions for your boudoir portraits, this is also something that you shouldn’t worry about, because we will never ask you to “look sexy” or “flirt with the camera” during your photo shoot. In fact, the facial expressions that we most commonly photograph are actually much more natural than many people realize.
Boudoir Pro Tip: As explained in our blog, “5 Boudoir Session Mistakes to Avoid,” overthinking and over-planning your shoot can cause you unnecessary stress and might even lead to disappointment, especially if you bring a “shot list” to your session and request specific recreations of other women’s boudoir photos. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you leave all the session planning to your professional boudoir photography team and just come to the appointment with an open mind, ready to have fun!
6. Image Debut Scheduling
Aaaaand….that’s a WRAP! You’ve done it! You’ve completed your very first boudoir session and you are now officially an Adore Girl!!!! How great does THAT feel?!?!?
Once you’ve finished shooting for the day, your boudoir photographer will send you back to the dressing room to get dressed and gather your things, and then you’ll meet her back at her desk to go over all the final details and schedule your Image Debut & Ordering Session appointment. The Image Debut is when you’ll come back to view your fully-edited gallery of gorgeous boudoir photos and choose which digital images and products you’d like to purchase. This appointment usually takes place approximately one to two weeks after your photo shoot, and you can expect it to take about an hour (depending on how decisive you are).
Your photographer will send you an Image Debut Confirmation email that contains a link to our current Pricing Menu for your review, but she will also ask if you have any questions about pricing or payment plans before you leave the studio that day. In addition, she’ll explain our Referral Program, which is an awesome way for your girlfriends to receive a discount off their boudoir sessions and you can earn a FREE photo shoot PLUS 10 free digital images!
At that point, if you have no further questions, then you are free to go! (You’ll probably leave our studio with your head held just a little bit higher, too!) If you signed our Model Release earlier (giving us permission to publicly share your images), then you can look forward to seeing a sneak peek image from your photo shoot posted in our private Facebook group a little bit later in the day! (We never tag our clients or use their real names to identify them.) If you were unable to sign the Model Release and chose to decline it (keeping your photos 100% private), you will still get to see a sneak peek from your session, but it will be shared directly with you via email (unless you decline that option, as well).
Boudoir Pro Tip: Since you’re going to be looking so gorgeous after your photo shoot with your hair and makeup all professionally done, why not plan ahead and schedule a Girls Night Out with friends or make dinner reservations for a date night with your significant other after your session? :)
In conclusion, you can plan on spending a total of up to 4 hours at our studio on the day of your boudoir session, depending on how many outfits you wear and if you include any Boudoir Session Add-Ons. Here is everything that is included and/or available to you on the day of your boudoir photo shoot at The Adore Girls’ studio in Nashville, TN:
Off-street parking in our private lot
Pre-session wardrobe consultation
Review of our Model Release (aka Privacy Agreement)
Complimentary beverage (optional)
Professional Hair & Makeup services (including faux lashes)
Access to our Client Shoe Closet (optional)
Five uniquely decorated boudoir sets within The Adore Girls’ studio, and one private outdoor patio set (available from May - October)
Boudoir posing instruction and coaching from your personal hype girl (aka your boudoir photographer) throughout the photo shoot
Image Debut scheduling
Review of our Pricing Menu and/or Payment Plan options
Same-day sneak peek image shared in our private Facebook group and/or via email (depending on your privacy preferences)
We hope this break-down of what an Adore Girls’ boudoir photo shoot is really like has helped you feel a little more prepared for your very first boudoir session. We truly cannot wait for you to have this amazing and FUN luxury boudoir experience! Of course, we are always happy to answer any questions you may have before your big day, so please do not hesitate to contact us.
We look forward to having YOU in the studio!
Contact our office Monday - Friday, 9:00-5:00, via call to 615-336-4256
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