THE BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE

The following describes the basic process of a photoshoot so you have some idea of what to expect on the day you come to have your pictures created. Obviously there are differences depending on which package you choose or whether you go for a custom set of services. You can find all these on the pricing page by clicking on the link above. However, this describes a general Boudoir style photoshoot.

THE BOUDOIR PHOTOSHOOT - ARRIVAL
On arrival we do not hurry you or expect you to jump straight into shooting. Instead you are offered a hot drink (tea/coffee) and a chance to unwind and discuss any aspects of what we are going to shoot. During this period you can take a look at the costumes in our vintage wardrobe and take a tour of the studio to see in more detail what sets are available and what we will be using. Also during this period you will be shown examples of presentation options for your pictures so you can make a final decision on what kind of end product you want to end up with. During this time you will never be rushed. We think it's very important you can feel at ease, confident and comfortable before we start to do anything. We would normally expect this period to last around 15 minutes but of course there are no hard and fast rules. We feel if someone is nervous better to spend longer putting them at ease than rushing blindly ahead.

Looking through our selection of vintage and classic costumes

YOUR BOUDOIR MAKEOVER

Make-up in action!

This is the point at which the shoot starts properly. At this point we will have decided which order of costumes and sets we will be shooting in and you go into make-up. Application of make-up for photography is quite different to application of street make-up. However, we realize some people may not like having someone else do their make-up. Equally others may just want to sit back and have it all done for them. In this case Tracy provides the level of service you require. If you really want to do it all yourself she will keep an eye on what you are doing and assist / advise you if you are going astray. In general unless you already have some make-up experience other then just day to day application we would NOT recommend you do it yourself - but at the end of the day it is up to you. We provide only the simplest level of hair styling. Hair is perhaps one of the most defining features of a person and so styling too far from your normal look while fun may not always be appropriate. However, we can put your hair in rollers for more volume and a more authentic vintage look... Again it is your choice. Typically make-up and hair will take 20-60 minutes depending on how elaborate the make-up is and whether any hair styling needs to be done. NOTE: if you require very elaborate hair styling an additional stylist may be brought in adding cost and possibly additional time.

Natasha as she came through the door
and then after make-up

All the pictures on this page (apart from the two studio ones below) have been taken with a cheap consumer snapshot camera (a Panasonic FX9). We did this rather then setting up proper lights etc. so that you could be sure that we weren't using trickery to embellish what we do. Many of you will be familiar with the Panasonic or similar small consumer digital cameras so will be able to judge the reality of the situation from the pictures here. The picture to the left shows before and after make-up and is no exception to this. There has been no retouch done on any of these pictures (apart from the studio ones below) and things are as they were. Next see how this make-up behaves under the studio lights!

THE BOUDOIR PHOTO SESSION

Once you are happy in your costume and make-up the actual photography can begin. Normally Henry will take a number of pictures the quantity of which will vary depending on what Boudoir photoshoot package you have chosen and what you are trying to achieve. Henry is not a "motor drive fiend"... he tries to balance searching for the best pictures with providing a reasonable number of variations. However, you won't end up with 1000's of pictures all of which look very similar like individual frames from a movie. Poses and lighting will be subtly changed and modified while searching for perfection in any given set up. Typically you will end up with 30-70 pictures per set when using digital. On film you will generally end up with 10 to 20 pictures per set. These numbers can vary depending on the situation and the intended end product. In between shooting sets and costume changes your make-up may need alteration or repair which is handled as needed. Henry will guide you through posing if you do not naturally find poses you want to do and will suggest different ways of standing and props to ensure you do not end up in a "what do I do now" situation. In addition vintage and modern posing books are available in the studio in case you feel you want to try something different or have an idea for a pose but are not 100% sure how to make it work.

Natasha in the studio - note her make-up looks great under the studio lights both in colour and in black and white in this digital photograph this time taken using our studio gear. A bigger version of this photo can be found on our gallery page.

BREAKS

If the Boudoir package you have chosen requires a long shoot then a 10 minute break may be necessary occasionally. These are up to you to control and again we feel it is vitally important you are comfortable rather than being remorselessly driven.

END OF SESSION

At Studio Boudoir, we do not limit your experience by time no matter what Boudoir photoshoot package you choose to purchase. When we have enough pictures to achieve what you have paid for we will inform you. At this stage if you feel you would like a few more photos in a different costume you can choose to continue. Likewise if you feel you would like the session to end sooner, before we mention you have enough pictures - you can express this. We will simply advise you as to the fact that you may not have enough pictures and how much longer is needed. You can choose to ignore this if you wish. Basically time is not an issue - although we maintain a 5 hour maximum, within this we are completely flexible as to time. This is a key feature of Studio Boudoir photoshoots. The quality of the end results are of key importance to us and removing the stress of worrying about time we find goes a long way to achieving better images and satisfaction all round!

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOUR PHOTOSHOOT

Henry shoots only in RAW format when using digital. This means you cannot walk away with a disc as some lower end studios offer. RAW format is like a digital negative and needs to be software 'processed' into a format you can view. At this stage adjustments are made for colour, contrast and dynamic range. With film the film stock needs to be processed in the traditional way and then scanned. Both the digital and film paths at this stage end up with low resolution pictures which are loaded into our exclusive online proofing software. This usually occurs with 3 or 4 days of the shoot for digital and within 2 weeks for film. You are then given a username and password where you can view the proofs and rate / sort them into the pictures you would like professionally finished.

You may take as long as you like over doing this. If you find you like more pictures than your shoot has included for free then you can always optionally purchase additional ones at cost.

Once you have made your selections you let Henry know and they are professionally finished and printed for you (or presented whichever way you chose). Typically this part of the process can take a further 2 weeks but it depends on the details of what you are having done.

Beyond that, your photos are stored by us safely using multiple back up systems and remain available online indefinitely (we never remove them unless you ask us to) so you can go back any time and order more or revisit them etc. as you please. We do not however, allow you to use the private area as free website space so if abuse of the facility occurs we may remove the pictures or limit access. However, even in that situation we will keep the originals forever offline securely stored for you at Studio Boudoir!