Boudoir Photography

2010-01-13T13:05:00.001-08:00

Every season of the year comes with photography marketing campaigns that correlate with the holidays at hand. Portrait photographers start marketing family portraits during the holiday seasons and the summer is jam packed with weddings, but a fairly new trend on the photo scene is the idea of boudoir photography. Although this type of portrait goes back for centuries in various forms, the idea of these types of portrait sessions have becoming increasingly more popular for brides-to-be as well as valentine's day gifts.

So what is boudoir? The term comes from a french verb (to pout) and the literal definition is a woman's private bedroom or dressing room. With a definition such as this, it seems as if the genre of photography would be open to interpretation. The boudoir movement has gained momentum as a way for women to feel beautiful and sensual in their own skin.
Boudoir photography is not nude photography! A typical session may include various stages of undress, seductive pose or even implied nude but there is a difference between a full nude photograph and tasteful boudoir.
So ladies, this season why not try something different? A talented photographer like Joe can make you feel absolutely beautiful in your own skin! Women come in all shapes and sizes, let us continue to redefine the idea of beauty.

Boudoir photography as done by Joe Peterson Photography is elegant, tasteful and an expression of a woman’s body. Whether its a gift for a special someone or just for you, Joe captures the beauty of clients looking for sexy and unique, semi nude photos of themselves. Be your own supermodel and feel sexy and gorgeous no matter what your body type.

Your Boudoir Photo Shoot - Deciding What to Wear

The first question that may leap to mind after a woman has decided to have boudoir photographs taken of herself may be: What do I wear? There are a lot of options and a lot of variety available, and picking the right outfits is essential to producing the desired final product. What's important to keep in mind is that Boudoir photography is all about you. This is about what you want, what you like, and what you want to see yourself in. Here are some suggestions that may be helpful when it comes time to select your final ensemble.
Lingerie is a very popular choice for a boudoir shoot. It is important, while trying to be as beautiful and confident as possible, that you feel beautiful and confident. Your favorite lingerie (or your significant other's favorite) is an excellent choice when preparing for a boudoir session. Corsets, bra and brief sets, and thigh-high hosiery are recommended. Be sure to bring clothing that not only makes you look good, but makes you feel good, too.
Heels are also an important consideration when it comes to dress. Just because this is boudoir (bedroom) photography doesn't necessarily mean you'll be lying down the entire time. A pair of high heels or knee-high boots will definitely have an added effect.
Beyond the realm of traditional, provocative clothing, I suggest my clients to bring the photographs "home," so to speak. The clothing of your significant other is recommended in most cases. Sometimes I encourage wearing sports jerseys to please the sports lover, specifically a men's size jersey of the favorite team. I also encourage wearing a men's dress shirt, maybe even complete with a tie for an extra touch. If your significant other doesn't fall into either of these categories, then this suggestion need only be modified. Wear a favorite shirt instead, or something that is significant between the two of you. This will help tie the gift of boudoir photography to both of you.
Something else to consider is what type of bottoms you're going to be wearing. Thongs are a classic choice, but so are panties. Depending on how little or how much you want to reveal, this choice will be totally up to you, as will all the other choices concerning your Boudoir photography session.
Nighties are also a suggested article of clothing. Nighties are versatile dress, and can be as revealing or modest as you would like. If you're not excited about the idea of lingerie and high heels, something more elegant may be the right choice for you.

The clothing that you wear during boudoir photography is very important because it will, more than many other things, affect the final outcome of your photographs. Just remember, in the end, it's all about what you want.

Before your Boudoir shoot

Brings LOTS of outfits. Remember to bring accessories, shoes, stockings, and props too! Bring more than you think you will need. It's always better to have too many things with you than to be thinking, "I wish I'd brought that!"

Wear loose clothing to the shoot. If you wear tight underwear or pants, you may have pressure lines that will show up in photos. If you are worried about messing up your hair, wear a button up shirt.

Give yourself plenty of time before and after the shoot. Make sure your entire day is free so that you are not worried about time. If you are stressed, it will show in your photos. Most shoots take about two hours, but remember to factor in driving time, the time it will take to get ready, and the time it will take after the shoot to get home and put everything away neatly as to not tip off your lover if its a surprise.

Wear what you already own! It is not necessary to go buy a whole new wardrobe for the shoot. Many times you will realize that you own plenty of sexy items already. If you really want to buy something new for the shoot, go for lingerie or a new pair of heels or a piece of jewelry.

Be who you are and don't be anything you aren't. It is not a requirement that you be nude or even partially nude if you are not comfortable. Also, make sure your hairstyle and makeup reflects who you are, just a little sexier than everyday. Don't feel you have to have your hair or makeup done in a way that is totally not you.

Feel free to bring a close friend with you and a bottle of wine. This can help you relax and create a nice warm giggle factor to your Boudoir photo shoot.

Bring your favorite music on a CD or on your iPod or iPhone.

Have a blast! No matter what flaws you think you have, remember that you are a sexy woman!

"It was amazing what embracing my femininity and letting a camera capture it did for my confidence.
Thank you Joe!"
Courtney M.

Note: Joe Peterson Photography does not post any photos without permission from the client therefore there aren't many samples.

Boudoir parties:

Joe Peterson Photography organizes Boudoir parties where a few women are gathered in a fancy hotel suite. Cheese, wine and champagne are severed and Make up and hair stylists are there for you.

While the ladies take turns taking pictures the others are getting pampered by the make up and hair stylists and socializing.

This is a fun and exciting way to get your Boudoir photography done.

Contact me for dates and pricing.

Why are Professional Photographers so expensive?

2009-09-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

In this digital age where everyone has digital cameras, scanners and home "photo printers", when people upload their photos to a local drug store website and pick them up a few hours later, we hear this all the time - How in the world do Professional Photographers charge $55 for an 8x10 when they cost just $1.50 at the drug store?
Here's why.
Simply put, you're not just paying for the actual photograph, you're paying for time and expertise. First, let's look at the actual time involved. If you don't read this entire page, at least read this first part.
For a two hour portrait session:
- one hour of travel to and from the session
- two hours of shooting
- 30 minutes of setup, preparation, talking to the client etc.
- 30 minutes to load the photos onto a computer (2 - 4 Gb of data)
- 30 minutes to back up the files on an external drive
- 3 - 4 hours of Photoshop time including cropping, contrast, color, sharpening, saving a copy for print and a copy for the internet and backing up the edited photographs
- 2 - 3 hours to talk to the client, answer questions, receive their order and payment, order their prints, receive and verify prints, package prints, schedule shipment and drop package off at Fed Ex.
- For local customers, we also print a set of all of their photos, and meet them at our studio to review the photos and place their order. Meeting and travel time averages 2 hours.
You can see how one two hour session easily turns into more than ten hours of work from start to finish. So when you see a Photographer charging a $200 session fee for a two hour photo shoot, you are not paying them $100 / hour.
For an eight hour wedding:
- I won't bore you with the details, but an eight hour wedding typically amounts to at least two to three full 40 hour work weeks worth of time. Again, if they are charging you $4,000 for an eight hour wedding, you are not paying them $500 / hour.
Now for the expertise.
Shooting professional photography is a skill, acquired through years of experience. Even though a quality camera now costs under $2,000 taking professional portraits involves much more than a nice camera.
Most Professional Photographers take years to go from buying their first decent camera to making money with their photography. In addition to learning how to use the camera itself, there is a mountain of other equipment involved, as well as numerous software programs used to edit and print photographs, run a website etc.
And let's not forget that you actually have to have people skills, be able to communicate, make people comfortable in front of the camera - and posing people to make them look their best in a photograph is a skill all by itself.
Think of it this way - the next time you pay $X to get your hair done, a pair of scissors only costs $1.50. But you gladly pay a lot more to hire a Professional.
What about the cheap studios at the mall?
Please don't compare us to the chain store studios. But if you must, consider all of the time and work that we put into our photographs, compared to what they do. Good luck getting a two hour photo shoot at a chain store. Not to mention they won't come to the beach! And of course, look at our work compared to theirs. You get what you pay for.
The truth is, most of the mall and chain store studios lose money. In fact, in 2007 Wal-Mart because of the financial drain they were putting on the company. What the chain stores bet on is that you'll come in for some quick and cheap photos, and while you're there, you'll also spend $200 on other things. They don't have to make money, they are just there to get you in the door.
Conclusion
I hope that those who have taken the time to read this page will have a better understanding of why professional photographs cost so much more than the ones that you get from your local drug store.