You’re reading this because you’ve just completed your booking documents and are officially on the calendar for boudoir! Hell yes! I can’t wait to meet you in person and work together.
Going forward, I will be communicating with you almost exclusively over email. I will only text or call if there’s some sort of emergency or an issue that is time-sensitive. You are welcome to text or call but I am much more responsive over email! I’ll always put all your information in the same email thread so you don’t have to search for a bunch of different emails.
To feel the most prepared for your shoot, please read everything I send you — emails, blog posts, you name it — from top to bottom. 🙂
Now that you’re all set for a Denver boudoir session with me, here are a few things to keep in mind between now and when you come over to my little home studio:
OUTDOOR SKIN CARE:
- At the risk of sounding like a mom, make sure you remember sunscreen outdoors! The last thing you want to be when coming in for sexy photos is sunburned. Make sure to remember sunscreen for your face and body when out and about in that hot Colorado sun. Tan line removal is not included in the retouching of your images.
- …and bug spray, too! If you’re a big camper, you’ll probably already have this in your pack list. Make sure to bring bug spray when you’re in the outdoors to avoid having to deal with pesky bug bites on the day of your shoot.
OUTFITS:
- For a full session, please bring 3-5 outfits. Generally, we get through a minimum of three outfits and a maximum of four outfits in our time in the studio. An extra outfit or two can be a good thing to bring in case you’re having a hard time deciding which outfits to wear. Once you arrive, we’ll make a game plan on which outfits flow best together.
- Doing some nude and/or topless photos can also count as one of your outfits. It’s entirely up to you whether you’d like to do this; no pressure at all from me! I also have a few satin sheets (red, black, champagne/blush) for some tasteful nudes if you’d like to use that for a cover. Just let me know during your shoot!
- When your outfits arrive, cut off all tags. I recommend cutting off price tags and the garment tags sewn into the fabric before your arrive for your shoot. Sometimes you can see the garment tags through your lace items, and it’ll be easier for us to remove it before your shoot than it will be to take it out later in Photoshop!
OUTFIT INFO LINKS:
- Where to shop: This link here has my master list of where to shop for outfits.
- What to look for when shopping for your outfits: This link covers styles, fabrics, and colors that photograph the best.
- Inspiration from past clients: This link will take you to blog posts of past clients and what they’ve worn to their shoots.
- Pinterest inspiration: I also have a trusty Pinterest board here.
MANICURES AND PEDICURES:
- Don’t forget about fingers and toes. If you like treating yourself to an afternoon at the nail salon, feel free to book a spot a few days before your shoot.
- I’ve also had clients DIY their nails with press-on kits and it turned out fabulous!
WAXING AND SHAVING:
- Think about your waxing or shaving plan if that’s important to you. You know your body way better than I do, so I recommend planning to wax or shave whenever you know is best.
- Try as much as you can to avoid razor burn. If your body doesn’t love waxing and gets those little bumps afterwards (like mine!), make sure you give yourself enough time between the waxing appointment and the shoot for them to heal.
- Please only wax or shave sensitive areas if it is a part of your regular self-care routine. Sometimes your body can have an adverse reaction, and often times it won’t go away before the shoot date. If you are comfortable with waxing and have a reputable salon to go to, awesome! If this will be your first time doing a bikini wax, please save this for after your boudoir session, or far enough in advance to give any adverse reactions time to heal.
- The best timing for waxing is a few weeks before your session. A common misunderstanding about waxing is that you have to do it right before your event. Giving yourself 1-2 weeks of recovery time before your session will give your skin time to heal any bumps or ingrown hairs.
- If you need a solid recommendation for waxing studios, I’m happy to refer you! My favorite is reTREAT Beauty Bar inside Nurture off 29th and Federal. Elissa is so fast and a dream to work with!
- I generally don’t do “here’s your crotch” photos, so even if you have a few stray hairs, they (1) won’t be very visible and (2) are nothing to be ashamed of.
- Lastly, it’s the 21st century — if you’re not a fan of shaving or waxing, that’s totally fine too! It is 100% not required.
SPRAY TANS:
- If spray tans are your thing, go for it! I recommend going very light for your spray tan, and at least 1-2 days before your shoot. A little goes a long way with spray tans! The camera will interpret a very dark, heavy spray tan simply as orange, which can be difficult to fix in Photoshop. If you let your tanner know you’re doing this for a photo shoot, they should ideally give you a lighter shade.
- The best spray tan for boudoir is one that is applied on all of your skin. If you get your spray tan while wearing a bikini or something similar that leaves tan lines on your body, please know that tan line removal in your final photos is not guaranteed. Tan line removal is not generally included in what I do to your final photos in Photoshop.
- Please make sure the color does not transfer onto other surfaces before coming into the home studio.
- If you’ve never done a spray tan before or need a recommendation for a place to go, Emily at Golden Hour is my fave! She’s the owner so she’s only doing spray tans a few days a week, but anyone on her team is wonderful and will take care of you.
EXERCISE:
- Whatever your exercise routine is — keep it up before your shoot!
- To specifically prepare for your shoot in terms of exercise, yoga is key. I like to joke that your boudoir session is a blend of yoga and Pilates and boudoir all in one. We will be doing quite a few poses that include your arms over your head, arching your back, pointing your toes, etc. The more you can stretch your muscles before a shoot, the better!
PLANNING YOUR COMMUTE:
- Feel free to start planning travel time and how long it will take you to get to the home studio. My home address is 3127 West 28th Avenue, Unit 4, Denver, CO, 80211. I recommend clicking the link for my address here as opposed to typing it into Google; I’ve had a few clients end up across town as a result! I am close to the I-25 and Speer Exit, as well as the I-70 and Federal Blvd. exit. The exact cross streets are 28th Avenue and Hazel Court.
- I will have more precise information on getting to my home in the final pre-shoot email that I will send you one week before your shoot, including a photo of my building for reference.
TIMING:
- If you have booked both hair + makeup services with my team, please plan on arriving at 830a.
- If you have booked just one service, please plan on arriving at 9a.
- If you are DIY-ing your hair + makeup or having a vendor do these services offsite, please plan on arriving at 10a. This link here has some tips and advice for DIY makeup for your shoot.
- Whether you are doing hair + makeup with my glam team or taking care of it yourself, you can expect to finish your shoot around 1130a or 12p at the latest — just in time to grab lunch nearby!
MORE TIPS AND INFO:
- Lastly, check out my FAQ page. If you haven’t read over this already, I highly recommend you take a look at some of the topics in this master thread of frequently asked questions. Lots of good info in there!
And that’s all for now!
I’ll make sure to reach out about a week before your shoot to firm up final details and send over important info and last-minute tips and advice. I generally won’t email you in between that time unless something has changed about your shoot. If you don’t hear from me until this time, don’t worry! I haven’t forgotten about you. I try to schedule your final pre-shoot email to automatically send one week (give or take a day depending on whether it’s a weekend or holiday where I’ll be out of the office) before your shoot date.
If you have an questions between now and your shoot, please don’t hesitate to send me any questions! I’m always very accessible via email.
Can’t wait to see you in the home studio!
-Ash
