Preparing for A Boudoir Session: Top Tips
Preparing for your boudoir session is a wee bit more involved than prepping for family photos. It’s an entirely unique experience, and I want to make sure you’re fully prepped to get the most out of that experience.
There are two main parts to preparing for your boudoir session: mental prep and physical prep. Both have suggested dos and don’ts, and both are incredibly important.
Mental Preparation for A Boudoir Session
1. Dig into why you want to do a boudoir session.
Whether it’s just for fun or marking a big milestone, getting in the right mindset is key! Click over to this blog for more on the top reasons to do a boudoir session.
2. Find your perfect photographer.
I obviously hope that that person is me, but whichever photographer you go with, make sure to choose someone you can feel comfortable with. If you get a single weird vibe or red flag, it’s a no. Go with someone who actually cares about boudoir, who knows what they’re doing, and who you feel safe around.
If you think we may be a good fit, you can read more about me and the studio here!
3. Daydream about the type of session you want to have.
I pose my clients head to toe, so you don’t have to stress there, but every session is unique! Let your mind wander and dream up what the perfect session for you looks and feels like.
4. Keep an open mind.
For the majority of people, this isn’t part of the usual routine, right? It’s either your first time, or it’s been a while, and you may have some notions about what a boudoir session is or isn’t. But whether you’re new or back for your tenth session, I encourage you to keep an open mind! Your boundaries and comfort are super important during your session, but in my experience, plenty of folks find themselves more comfortable than they anticipated. It’s ok to change your mind about what kind of images you want to take, or to explore a new direction!
5. Ask questions.
Ask yourself, and ask me. If anything comes up, or you’re unsure about something, I’m just an email away and happy to help. Transparency is super important to me and crucial for the best boudoir experience for you.
6. Be kind to yourself.
It’s totally normal for some thoughts to creep in in the days and weeks leading up to your session. Thoughts about your body, your mindset, the other stuff going on in your life, etc. I hope those thoughts are met with kindness! You’ve got one body, and one life, and that’s fantastic enough to be celebrated and documented as far as I’m concerned.
Physical Preparation for A Boudoir Session
1. Incorporate stretching.
Yoga, light stretching, and all kinds of gentle movement will help so freaking much. As much as I’d love to say your whole session is basically a nap, that’s not the case. Moving your body in the weeks before your session will make your session that much easier!
2. Look after your nails.
Whether you get your nails done or prefer to keep them natural, show them some love! Give them a scrub and rub some lotion into your cuticles. Your nails (and photos) will thank you.
3. Schedule hair removal.
Big disclaimer right at the top: I don’t care what you do with your body hair. Keep it, lose it, trim it. That’s none of my business. If you never, ever shave and like to keep things au natural, that is 100% allowed in the studio. If you do shave or remove hair in some other fashion, please don’t schedule that right before your session. We’re trying to avoid angry, irritated skin.
4. Hold off on tattoos and piercings.
This isn’t about whether or not you should get tattoos and/or piercings, or whether they’re “allowed,” etc. I myself have plenty of both. This is, once again, about timing. Tattoo appointments–if you have any on the horizon–should be scheduled at least 2 weeks out from your session.
If you get a tattoo the day before, it’s going to be swollen and sore. Or if you get one a few days before, it’ll start drying up and peeling. Not cute. Ditto piercings, but even longer for those, ok? They take a long, long time to get past that “oh shit I just bumped it on something and now everything is painful and red” stage.
5. Skip the spray tan.
Your spray or fake tan may look great in person, but the camera sensors are more sensitive than our eyeballs. And in photos, 99.9% of the time, spray tans look orange. They just do. And no amount of careful editing is going to bring back your natural glow.
If you absolutely must, and there’s nothing I can say to stop you (you have been warned; don’t come at me over orange photos!), apply your self-tanner early. I’m talking weeks before your session. Let things sink in and wash off a little, ok? (Plus, since I’m currently renting studio space, I don’t need to be in trouble for staining the linens orange.)
6. Limit your sun exposure.
I’m a little confused by tans because I couldn’t tan if I tried, but if you’re going to be out in the sun prior to your session, there’s a good chance you’ll pick up either a tan or a sunburn. Want to guess how difficult tan/burn lines are to edit out? I can do my best to fix things, but I really don’t like “overly Photoshopped” images, you know?
Natural skin has a natural texture, and trying to remove lines and replace things naturally will never look…perfectly natural. So! For the sake of both your images and your health, wear a good SPF leading up to your session (or keep out of the sun altogether), and try to avoid strong lines. You’ll also be way more comfortable dancing around in lingerie if you aren’t sunburnt
7. Dress in very loose clothing on the day of your session.
If you can, ditch the bra. If you can’t, make sure it’s not digging in anywhere that will leave marks. Ditto tight pants, shoes tied super tightly, etc. Wear something loose and comfortable that’s easy to change out of without messing up your hair and makeup!
8. Drink plenty of water, and eat!
If you’re dehydrated, you could end up fatigued and cranky, you could get a headache, and your skin will appear dull. There’s a bathroom in the studio, my darlings; drink as much water as you want! And don’t wait till the day before your session, either. Start now, it’s good for you.
As for food, I’m absolutely not here to tell you how to eat, what to eat, or any of that. Just this: please eat the day of your session. I know how it is. You want to look your very best, and maybe you get a little more bloated right after you eat, or your stomach sticks out a tiny bit more because it has food in it. But I promise you: “hungry” is not the way to be.
Odd Things You May Not Think About
1. Clean the soles of your feet. I know, weird, but most of us don’t often think about the soles of our feet, and yet here they are, on display! Especially for some of those good booty poses, the bottom of your feet will definitely be visible. So give them a scrub, and maybe bring a wet wipe. I promise this detail is worth paying attention to!
2. Ditch the hair ties on your wrist. Not only do they detract from the artwork that is you, but even if we notice them and remove them, they leave marks on your wrist.
3. Give your hair some time after a cut and/or colour. Ever notice that your hair takes a few days to feel like “your hair” again after a cut? If you’re planning on getting a haircut before your session, give yourself some buffer room. 5-7 days is usually plenty. As for hair dye: same deal. We all know it can sometimes take a few washes before we’re 100% confident on white fabric.
4. Don’t forget your eyebrows. If you leave them au natural, more power to you. But if you typically keep them groomed, give yourself some buffer time before your session, and give them some love!
5. Food colouring and dyes should be avoided in the days leading up to your session. Even the best tongue scraper can’t get rid of everything that candy leaves behind.
6. If you wear deodorant, go for a gel, spray, or cream (like Lume!). Ditch the cakey, white stick deodorant, as no matter how sparingly you use it, or how well you think you’ve applied it, that stuff always settles funny and doesn’t have a place in your images.
And that’s it! Those are my best tips for preparing for a boudoir session. To get in touch and book your own session with me, send me a message! I can’t wait to see you in the studio.
