Preparing For Your Boudoir Photoshoot
“I absolutely loved the shoot. The whole experience from start to finish was relaxed and fun. I would highly recommend anyone to do it. It is the ultimate confidence boost. The quality of the pictures were amazing.”
HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR SHOOT
Once you’ve decided on a boudoir style photoshoot, you should start planning ahead.
Spend a little time to really think about the style of pictures you’d like. Maybe spend a little time searching Pinterest and gather ideas together on your own board. (Let us see your ideas of course. It’s a genuine collaboration to ensure you get what you want)
What clothes will you be bringing?
Do they fit or do you need to purchase some more?
How would you like your hair and make-up to look?
BEFORE THE SHOOT ITSELF
• If your hair is coloured, it’s a good idea to have this done relatively close to the shoot, to avoid dark roots or re-growth.
• We prefer no fake tan but if your are considering tan then try and keep it subtle. Please don’t worry about pal skin. In fact, pale skin is far easier to photograph.
• If you have your nails done professionally, again make sure they have been done recently, to avoid regrowth or damage. If not, a smart dark coloured nail varnish is a great option, and better than bare nails.
• Close to the shoot, avoid wearing clothing or accessories which will leave marks, such as socks, watches or tight straps
• Shave or wax legs and armpits and any other body hair that you don’t want to be seen
• If your ears are pierced, it’s a good idea to have something in them – even a small stud.
ON THE DAY OF THE SHOOT
• Please don’t wash your hair on the morning of the shoot – freshly washed hair is much harder to style. The day before is fine.
• Try not to put any products on your hair, or straighten it, as this will affect how long the stye lasts
• Bring clip-in hair extensions if you wish (real ones are best) and we can incorporate them into the style.
• Please arrive without make-up on. I know this is the hardest thing to do for so many so if you really really need makeup, tell us and we’ll allow time so that we can take it off when you arrive.
AND FINALLY…
Don’t worry about scars, cellulite. blotches, bruises, stretch marks, rough skin or any other body blemishes. We all have them (even super models) and they can all be removed by photoshop retouching.
You’ll never see anything you don’t want to in the final images – I can even edit out tattoos if you’d like me to.
To say Emma was incredible is an understatement A pure joy to photograph. We loved Emma’s olive skin and amazingly big hair. Every stylist will say they love ‘big’ hair, especially for boudoir. Emma was also so easy to direct and willing to try out whatever we suggested. This entire session took about 4 hours including hair and make-up. The main room we used was the elderflower suite which is one of the most popular 4 poster suites in Hazlewood Castle. We also used our own private studio, built in the courtyard of Hazlewood for some of these shots as well. Emma loved the pictures from her session so much she ended up purchasing a package which included a folio box of prints and an amazing Madison Bou book of images guaranteed to last 99 years.
BOUDOIR TIPS – WAXING AND SPRAY TANS
Tip : Pluck it and wax it early! Avoid Spray Tans!
Boudoir Tips – We get asked so often in the run up to a boudoir style photoshoot about waxing and tanning. Do we recommend it and when should you do it?
OK, firstly, if you have a set routine, stick to it. A Boudoir photoshoot is something you should feel as comfortable as possible doing.
If it’s not normally part of your routine then waxing should be done at least a week ahead of your session in case you develop any reaction. Shaving is normally fine as well but keep in mind that rash under the arms is difficult to photoshop.
A much bigger issue when considering your preparation for a boudoir photoshoot is self tanning. Doing it yourself is something we never recommend. We’ve lost count of the times clients come to us with uneven, un-natural self tans. Palms and soles a complete mess. The colour, an odd shade of orange which is difficult if not impossible to fix in photoshop.
Perhaps you hate feeling ‘pale’ and prefer the sun kissed look and that’s fine but please try to resist the urge to add bottle tan yourself. I promise you, your natural skin tone is always better for your boudoir session. ALWAYS.
Did I say that clearly enough? Please don’t D.I.Y …. It’s so much easier to add ‘tan’ in photoshop than try and correct an odd shade of orange.
A light complexion will photograph perfectly well. In fact, it normally looks so much better than a light skin tone that’s been spray tanned.
Of course, if you’re lucky to have had a recent holiday and come back with that all over golden tan from the beach, then that’s just fine. Your skin will not look like a fake shade of orange, but a darker shade of your skin tone. Just be sure not to burn. Blotchy red isn’t a good look.
Natural skin is honestly the most beautiful skin for boudoir sessions.
That said, a little sun-kissed tan can give your skin a nice glow in photos and make it appear more smooth. It can also help you feel more comfortable with your body because it somewhat “hides” cellulite and stretch marks. We should all love our bodies and embrace our imperfections but sometimes that’s easier said than done and you just need a little self-tanner to feel more confident.
If you really need a tan then please, try getting a spray-tan done by a professional a few days before your boudoir shoot. A booth is fine too but can sometimes leave you streaky and a little off-colored. A professional can do a little “body-contouring” to accentuate the features you love and downplay the ones you don’t. (Emma’s tan, pictured, is an example of a nice even skin tone that looks great on pictures. )
In short…. freshly moisturised, clean exfoliated skin after lots of sleep and lots of water… This is the perfect skin for a boudoir photoshoot.
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After a Boudoir session with Madison Bou, you will be able to get pictures that will last for a lifetime.
All of our products are printed with archival quality inks and papers, so your albums and prints will last and not fade as they would if you were to print images from the High Street or most online printing companies.
Our Dreambook 4k Printed on the state-of-the-art Canon DreamLabo 5000 with a fortified seven-dye ink.