Over the years, I’ve figured out what you can do to make your session extra special and what you should avoid before your session.
DO
PLAN AHEAD
Nothing puts a damper on a fun and relaxing photo shoot, like feeling rushed or unprepared. No one knows you like you do, so be sure to take care of everything you need to do in order to make sure you feel your best on the day of your session!
MOISTURIZE
Supple is key for beautiful skin! Moisturize twice a day the week leading up to your shoot. On the day of your shoot, moisturize prior to your salon appointment. Don’t use tinted lotions or anything with color.
GET ACTIVE & STRETCH
While many of these poses look effortless, they don’t feel as natural. Take a few minutes on the morning of your shoot to stretch your arms, legs, hips, and especially your back. People are surprised to see how sore their muscles get after something as silly as a photo shoot, so any extra flexibility you can add by a quick yoga flow will only benefit you.
EAT A GOOD BREAKFAST
While I keep snacks on hand for your session, nothing beats a good breakfast. Your boudoir session is a full-day experience; sometimes, we don’t break for lunch until 2:00 pm, so skipping breakfast is not a good idea. If you’re worried about bloating, skip salty foods and fill up on items high in protein!
GET A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP
While Photoshop can work some magic, it can’t fix the dull, tired look in your eyes if you don’t get enough sleep the night before your session.
Don’t
GET A SPRAY TAN
I know you think that you look better with a tan…but I assure you, even if you don’t see the streaks with your naked eye, the camera will pick them up. Spray tans photograph ORANGE. Even after this warning, I get a lot of women who message me to say that they’ve been spray tanning for years, and they can’t fathom not doing so before a photo shoot. Of course, I will still photograph you, but unfortunately, my standard retouching will not account for spray tan correction, so keep that in mind.
TRY SOMETHING NEW
Please don’t try anything drastic before your session. Now is not the time to try a new hairstyle, new hair color, a chemical peel, lip filler, Botox, microblading, etc. I’m sure it might sound like a great idea at the time, but you don’t want it to be the reason you don’t love your portraits.
TALK DOWN ABOUT YOURSELF
I don’t want to hear about how you hate your hips. I want to hear about how you LOVE your legs. A great attitude will go a long way in having a fabulous and upbeat experience! HOWEVER…if you really feel the need to discuss the thing that bothers you the most about your body, just let me know. I will be extra careful to play down your “flaws,”…but I will ALSO make it my challenge to take the best damn image featuring your __, so you have a new-found appreciation for it 😉
