I always want to know what brought you to boudoir.  For some, it’s a gift for a lover.  But, most of our clients come to us because they have a need.  They need to feel beautiful, sexy, empowered, confident… they need to see theirselves as others see them.  They need to document this stage in their life, for whatever reason (marriage, divorce, maternity, post baby, workout gains, spice up the sexy life).  There truly is no right or wrong answer to why you need to do a boudoir session (yes, I said “need”).

When you start your search for a boudoir photographer, you likely have no idea what to look for but price is usually a main factor.  It’s extremely important for your photographer to be a good match for you, and to provide you with what you need.  It hurts my heart when I hear horror stories from clients that hired a photographer who didn’t fulfill their needs and ultimately made them feel bad about theirselves.  I want to make sure every client that we photograph is a good fit for us, and that we’re a good fit for them.  Finding out why you need a boudoir session is just as important as you knowing why we need to shoot boudoir.

In addition to finding out a photographers reason for shooting boudoir, you should also find out how often they shoot (specifically boudoir), is it just a seasonal gig (Christmas & Valentines), do they have a safe and private studio space, do they offer wardrobe options, do they focus on the client experience or is their purpose to just give you a few photo’s to share with a lover, do they have good reviews and client testimonials, do they edit, and if they do – how much do they edit, do they pose you in flattering positions, or do they spend hours photoshopping your body to the point that it’s no where near real life?  It’s also important to know if make up and hair is offered on site, is there assistance preparing for the shoot, are they available to answer your questions, is their response time quick, what type of products are offered, what is the quality of the product, are they active in boudoir communities (this may seem like a silly one, but it helps photographers grow creatively).

Look through their website images, instagram, facebook, etc.  Are you drawn to their particular style?  I personally shoot mostly moody, but often throw in a few “light and fluffy” style images – but if you want all very light and airy, I’m likely not the photographer for you.  When you look at my images, I want you to say “I wish I could do that” because you can do it and that girl in the picture can be you.  But, if you look at my pictures and say WTF is that?!  I’m not your girl.  While looking through their portfolios also look for a variety of body types, heights, ages, ethnicities, shapes, etc.

Final words of wisdom: don’t pick a photographer for anything based solely on price.  Do your research and save your money so you can hire someone who fits your needs!