My newest adventure...Boudoir!

Boudoir Photography has always been in the back of my mind as an "ok, one day, when I'm ready, I'll try my hand at boudoir and see what happens." I finally took the plunge and what an amazing experience it was!

The planning process was somewhat hectic and I wasn't sure I would be able to pull the whole thing off - I had to find a replacement hair dresser at the last minute, I had to find a replacement VENUE at the last minute, and I wasn't sure how the whole thing was going to come together, but amazingly it all fell together perfectly and the day went better than I even hoped!

The day started out with B (her name will be kept secret until she reveals her gorgeous photos to her hubby) getting stuck in a snow drift in front of my house. I had to shovel her little car out of the snow, which was a great ice breaker - har har that's a bad joke I know. But really, that did happen. As I shovelled and she got unstuck the wonderful make-up artist Lindsay arrived, followed closely by the lovely hair dresser Kimberely. Photographing a boudoir session is a completely unique experience and it was great to have Lindsay & Kim there to share it with me, because believe me, as nervous as the girls were I was probably even more nervous than them!

I felt so honoured that these 4 girls allowed me a glimpse into their secret selves that very few had ever seen before, and not only that, but that they asked that I capture their beauty in a way that revealed them for who they really are in a photograph. What a daunting task! Each girl I photographed was absolutely beautiful in their own special way, each had features they loved and features they weren't as crazy about, but regardless it was my job to showcase the beauty that I saw and reveal how fabulous they all are! Not only that but I knew that if I failed at this job, much like a wedding, that I would ruin their first boudoir session, and lose their trust and respect - I had a lot on the line here!

To prepare for these boudoir sessions I watched countless hours of how-to videos on posing, how to communicate effectively, what works with boudoir and what doesn't, what lingerie flatters women the best, and the list goes on & on & on. I also read books, articles, blogs, and anything else I could get my hands on about boudoir, the different styles (pin-ups, glamour, vintage, etc), and decided where I wanted to be on the Boudoir/Intimate Photography spectrum.

As the girls entered my house, they were greeted by the absolutely amazing Lindsay, who's ability with make-up astounds me. She transformed these girls from the everyday women that I know them as, to the more polished versions of themselves, and they all were glowing when she was finished with them. From there some of them chose to have their hair done by the very talented Kim, and then that's when they entered my studio!

Each girl was equally as nervous about what to wear, so I helped them pick out their first outfits by suggesting the least-revealing thing they had brought with them to ease into their session. I definitely recommend bringing something that's comfortable like a cute t-shirt and undies or a prop like a jersey to help you get comfortable in front of a camera.

As we moved into more intimate apparel, I gave direction on how to pose, advised of some tips & tricks I had learned to bring out the best side of yourself, and tried to make the girls laugh (P.S. Sorry if my jokes were really bad girls!). Keeping the sessions light & saying initially "OK I know this is kind of awkward & weird but we're here to have fun!" took the elephant out of the room and allowed the girls to relax a lot more.

As the session went on we all relaxed, hair dresser, make-up artist and photographer included, and I was able to capture the true and genuine women in front of my lens. I have to say this experience was unlike any other I have had as a photographer - working with these girls was like hanging out with some gal pals and having a fun, feminine & glamorous afternoon together!

As the last girl left I have to say truly I was exhausted. It was a long but incredible day and I learned more about my abilities as a photographer in those few hours than I had in quite a while! Luckily I had very little editing to do, just making changes to the background and lighting, and so the turn-around time was quicker than I had anticipated! This has enabled me to do another boudoir marathon on Mar 23 of which there are only a few spots left open. If you're interested in your own boudoir session please contact me at kpphotoblog@gmail.com for further information!

Cheers,

Katie