faqs

+ I WOULD LOVE THIS EXPERIENCE, BUT I’M NERVOUS ABOUT MY BODY. DO YOU PHOTOSHOP?

First of all, I want you to know: You are so beautiful, even on the days you don’t feel it! The female body does not have to meet a certain standard or look any particular way in order to be gorgeous. The female form is exquisite because it IS. Including yours. As far as the level I retouch: I do skin retouching, lighting/color adjustments, and skin smoothing. I do not alter your body in any way. I believe that does more harm than good. My passion is to empower you by helping you celebrate who you ARE, not what Photoshop can make you appear to be.

+ I’M NOT SURE HOW TO SHOP FOR OUTFITS OR HOW TO BE SEXY! HELP?!

Don’t worry! Once you are officially booked I will send you over a guide that I designed to help you through the prep portion of this experience. It guides you through outfit selection as well as how to prepare for your custom boudoir experience. As far as how to be sexy, it IS within you! You don’t know it yet, but that’s where I come in! I will guide you through all of that, and know exactly how to pose people in order to make them look and feel their very best!

+ WILL MY PHOTOS BE ON THE INTERNET?

Not unless you say it’s okay! Every client I feature on my website or social media accounts has given me permission to post their images. Privacy is very important to me. If you decide you don’t want them shared, that is completely fine. If you want to give permission, I’d LOVE to share them so other women can get an idea of what the experience looks and feels like.

+ CAN I BRING A FRIEND?

Please do! I highly encourage bringing a friend to your shoot and ask about our specials for booking with friends! There are few things as fun as a Best Friend Boudie Shoot!

+ I’M NOT SURE WHAT I WANT TO ORDER YET, CAN I DECIDE WHEN I SEE MY PHOTOS?

Yes! After your shoot you will take an hour coffee/lunch break before we view your images and discuss ordering options. Once you decide on what you’d like to order, it takes about two weeks to edit the images and for your digital album to arrive in your Inbox. However, keep in mind that prepaying your custom collection before the shoot will earn you some incredible discounts ;)

+ HOW FAR IN ADVANCE SHOULD I BOOK MY SESSION?

Ideally, I recommend that women have their shoot date scheduled for about 2 months prior to needing the finished product in-hand. Also, being a one-woman show, I tend to book up very quickly and relatively far in advance. DON’T WAIT to email me! It’s never too early to get on my schedule. Your photo reveal will be the day of the your shoot, and your professionally edited digital album will be delivered to you within 2 weeks.

+ WHAT DO YOUR PACKAGES INCLUDE? HOW MUCH SHOULD I EXPECT TO SPEND?

The boudoir experience starts at $1,700. This includes the session fee of $399, professional hair & makeup, 3 different costume changes, three different “sets”, same day viewing and ordering, and a hand-curated 6x6, 5 image, faux leather album. Most women are surprised by how many pictures they fall in love with and simply can’t live without, and usually spend around $2,800. We will spend an hour shooting after which you will be released for a lunch or coffee break while I prepare the images for your viewing. After you return we will go over your photographs together and you will select your favorites.

+ THAT’S A Lot OF MONEY FOR ME. WHY IS BOUDOIR SO EXPENSIVE?

I realize that my prices are not inexpensive. Boudoir is not just about the photos... it’s about the complete experience. It’s about how you’re going to feel after your exclusive model-for-a-day experience (you’re going to feel amazing and leave with so much confidence!). Boudoir is a LUXURY service. There is a lot that goes into it behind the scenes, including training/education, the cost of professional hair & make-up, time spent editing, and let’s not forget the cost of the technology itself. It. Is. Worth it. Boudoir is an investment in YOURSELF. You are investing in art which celebrates YOU and enables you to see the truth of your own unique beauty, (something many woman spend several thousands of dollars attempting to achieve with counseling or therapy). Boudoir enables you to have the hard, concrete proof that you are incredible, exactly as you are. It is a truly life-changing experience that benefits not only yourself, but all the people around you. A confident, self-empowered woman is able to show up more fully for not just herself, but her friends and family as well. And believe me, the people around you will sit up and take notice of the change in you even if they never see your actual photographs. You will be walking with more confidence than ever before and boasting a newfound sparkle in your eyes. Your art is yours to cherish for the rest of your life, to revisit and enjoy whenever you feel you need a mood boost or reminder that you don’t need to change a thing to love and accept who you are. And what a wonderful gift and legacy to cherish and pass on! I accept cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and PayPal Credit. PayPal Credit, if you qualify, offers 0% interest if you pay it off within 6 months. If you qualify for PayPal credit, but not enough to complete your purchase, you can split your payment between PayPal Credit and one or more credit cards you already have. I recommend that you apply for PayPal Credit at least a week before your photo session so that the full amount of your available PayPal credit is available when you make your purchase. If you cannot qualify for PayPal Credit, I do offer in-house, no interest payment plans that work just like Walmart layaway. Once you’ve paid in full, you’ll receive your order in 30 days or less. I want every woman to have photos from her once in a lifetime experience so I work with you to make sure your payment plan works with your budget. Don’t forget, you get $100 credit towards any photo collection you purchase when you book online, and there is no obligation to make a purchase. So you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

+ I’M REALLY NOT COMFORTABLE WITH BEING PHOTOGRAPHED NEARLY NUDE, BUT I REALLY WANT YOU TO PHOTOGRAPH ME. IS THAT A POSSIBILITY?

YES YES YES! My specialty is photographing WOMEN–that’s in ANY level of dress or undress. Women who shy away from being photographed nude, in lingerie, etc, might be more comfortable doing a studio portrait session with an off-shoulder blouse and jeans…that’s totally fine! This would fall under the beauty portraiture style, which is also one of my favorite styles to shoot.

+ THE IMAGES ON YOUR WEBSITE ARE VERY TASTEFUL AND PRETTY, BUT WHAT IF I WANTED TO GET A LITTLE MORE….UM…RISQUE?

Get it, lady! On the scale from 1-10 on the “erotic” meter, my style is more of a 5. What you see on my website and on my social media feeds is a very accurate representation of what I offer. I will shoot an array of clothed, partially clothed, or tasteful nudes. The key for me is that I like to keep it tasteful and elegant, and my style leans more towards sensual than in-your-face provocative. If you like what you see on my website than I’m your girl! Part of what I pride myself on is being able to meet my clients where they are, as they are, and work at a level that is comfortable for the both of us. If you have something particular in mind that you feel is not represented in my portfolio, contact me and we can chat about it to see whether it will work.

+ WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?

This is probably the question I get asked most frequently. And the answer is simple: Whatever you feel beautiful in! My signature style is the “effortless” look, which, lucky for you, involves things you likely already have in your closet. A bodysuit, an oversized sweater, cropped sweatshirt and high waist panties, a robe, sleep shirt…you get the drift. Other clients opt for lingerie and I adore shooting women wearing beautiful sets. In fact, when you book your shoot I will send you a link to some inspirational Pinterest boards for you to browse. If you see something you like and want to celebrate taking this big step in self-love and empowerment by getting yourself a little something special for your big day, I’ve linked the websites to purchase with the images. Most are extremely affordable. Still, many clients choose to do a nude set during their session. In a 1 hour photo session, you will typically have time for up to 3 “looks” or outfits (yes, “nude” counts as an outfit)! Don’t stress too much about wardrobe. I could spend an entire hour shooting a client with no other wardrobe than the bed sheets and still end up with an album full of gorgeous pictures. Once you’ve completed the booking process with me, you will also receive a detailed shoot guide that will help you with preparations and wardrobe considerations.

WHAT SHOULD I DO TO PREPARE? The beauty of being an Empress Boudoir client is, all of these questions are answered in COMPLETE detail for you in the Boudoir Prep Guide which is emailed to you shortly after booking your session. This will cover exactly how you should prepare your face, body, and mind for your shoot, as well as links for wardrobe inspiration boards for your photo shoot! No question will remain unanswered. I pride myself on offering a photo shoot EXPERIENCE to my clients…so expect a very informed process that involves a lot more than just showing up to shoot and being done with it.

+ HOW MUCH CAN YOU “EDIT OUT”?

While I make the skin look it’s best, we keep the “Photoshop” action minimal. I rely on my strategic poses and angles to play down anything you are (inaccurately) considering a “problem” area, and make every body type look amazing. I WILL edit out minor blemishes/skin flaws as well as simple things like under-eye circles and small scars (IF you request the scar-removal). My main rule of thumb is, if it’s permanent, it stays. Many women ask about the retouching of stretch marks or “rolls”. While I firmly believe that your stretch marks and curves are a part of you and your story, and therefore BEAUTIFUL, I do also understand many women’s aversion to their own. My standard skin smoothing process will fade the appearance of stretch marks and even rolls, but please be sure to request more or less at your photo shoot appointment if you have a different preference. My post-processing techniques are more focused on color, contrast, skin perfecting, sharpening, etc, rather than body morphing.