The Boy who has my Heart

I am many things... being a mom is the most important of titles I hold :)  On top of mom, I am also a daughter, sister, friend, aunt, nurse and wife.  I guess you could also say I am a chef, activity director, maid, chauffeur, artisan and kid at heart!

Not often do I share photos of my boy, mostly because he hides so well from the camera!  When I do have a good photo, I cherish it with all my might.  He is such a sweet child with tons of love and kisses readily available for mommy when needed.

This morning, he was more than happy to help set up my studio for a session, and was even more keen to be the subject for a few minutes!  This was a photo I managed to capture of those gorgeous eyes and sweet face....

Behind the "Little Black Dress"

fWhat the heck??  I'm sure you are thinking that after reading this subject!  The Little Black Dress is a package I have for photos, and is one I wish I could give away to every single woman in the world!  My Little Black Dress package is for boudoir photography, and I can't even begin to tell you how empowering, beautiful, self securing, and how positive of an experience it truly is.  You MUST have faith and trust in your photographer for your images to turn out.  You also want to know that your photographer knows what they are doing and even better, that they've done a boudoir photo session previously.

I have done quite a few now, and each one is different, but the way the woman feels at the end of the session when we review the photos is not different... my experience has been every woman finishes the session feeling beautiful, secure, self confident, sexy and in some cases, fierce!

I prefer to take photos that flatter each individual person, to showcase the beauty within the woman, to show who they are.  A number of photos are done without showing the client's face, and no photo will ever show anything inappropriate.  That is not what boudoir photography is about.

The entire shoot is done very delicately, slowly, without rush or pressure.  I listen to the client's wishes for how they would like to have their photos look, how they would like them to feel, and go from there.  Some sessions take 2 hours, some take more, but the time it takes is not important, it is the final results.

The session usually starts with the client feeling shy, a little insecure, and this is completely normal!  I would react the same if I were on the other side of the lens.  But after the camera starts clicking and the client gets used to how I work, my encouragement, praises and compliments, they begin to feel comfortable and it shows.  The transformation that happens during the shoot is inspiring, every single time!  By the end of the session, it is common for me to experience the client suggesting angles and shoots... and I capture these for them, as by this point, the woman is truly herself, her beautiful, sexy, confident self!

Inside or outside?

Should we do the photos inside or outside?  This is a popular question clients have!  And rightfully so!  There are pros and cons to either location.  First of all, as a client, ask your photographer if they have studio lighting.  If they don't, chances are you should play it safe and choose an outdoor location... or seek a photographer with the proper equipment.  Not all photographers own studio flash, this certainly doesn't make them less talented!  Unless the lighting is bright and there is a window offering lots of indirect light, your indoor photos will fall flat, dark and full of shadows that are far from flattering.

Outdoor locations are prefered for many reasons by some photographers.  The great outdoors offers more room for moving around, composition, fantastic lighting and a wide variety of backdrops, just to name a few.  BUT!  When the weather doesn't cooperate, you have an issue on your hands.  The cons of outdoor locations include, but not limited to, travelling to the location, weather, "background distractions"; and elements that are out of the photographer and clients hands (such as choosing a park but having it full of people).

Photos done in studio look significantly different than those done outdoors.  This is something you must take into account when making your decisions.  A good photographer can still capture beautiful shots indoors!  Studio flash is a necessity to get good, quality images.  If studio flash is not used, the images are dark, lack detail and are very flat looking.

The moral of the story is to ask your photographer lots of questions!  If you ask if they have flash, be sure to ask what type as the on camera flash isn't enough for indoor photos!  Be sure to look through your potential photographers sample of photos as well.  If you don't like what you see, move on to someone else!