The Ultimate Guide to Making Your First Boudoir Session a Success! (For Your Clients And For YOU!)

Are you ready to start building your boudoir portfolio, or maybe bring in your very first 💲paying boudoir clients💲? (You go, girl!!)

Take it from a woman who’s been around this block a time or two (or 10), there are a few small (but super thoughtful and important!) details you can implement in your boudoir sessions to not only make your clients feel oh-so-beautiful but also ensure that you leave the experience feeling amazing too!

So, this got me thinking. If I could hop in my time-traveling Delorean and gun it to 85, what would I tell myself if I was just starting out to make sure my very first boudoir shoots went off without a hitch?

Which leads me to….

The Ultimate Guide to Making Your First Boudoir Session a Success! 

#1 – Build A Diverse Portfolio…

This is HUGE. People will fall in love with your photos when they can see themselves in your images. Whether they are a five-time world champion bodybuilder or a full-figured mama of three, your clients deserve to feel beautiful, and they want to know that you can make them feel that way. Prove that you’re the right boudoir photographer for them by having photos in your portfolio that they can relate to.

If your portfolio is feeling a little bit one-size-fits-all, it might be time to have a model call to spice it up! A model call is a great way to drum up business, grow your following on social media, and show more diversity in your photos. 

Not sure how to set up a model call? No worries, Boo, I got you. My Model Call Guide will walk you through the process step by step. 

#2 – Have Your Models Sign The Release Form Before The Shoot…

If you plan to share the photos from your boudoir shoot in any capacity (which should be your goal if you’re building your portfolio), your models will need to sign a release form. I find 9 times out of 10 they are more likely to sign it if I have them do it before the actual shoot. 

My best advice? Send your models the release form along with their contract. That way, you can get all the paperwork and logistics out of the way beforehand, so on session day, the focus can be all about your beautiful client and her shoot!

#3 – YOU Make The Decisions…

Boudoir is already a BIG decision for a lot of women. Your client has done her research, found a photographer she felt connected with, and possibly overcame a lot of self-doubts to get to this point. So let’s help her out and leave the rest of the decisions to a professional (that’s you).

You’re in charge of the backdrops, poses, props, inspiration, and even the playlist for your client’s shoot!

🚨Possible Unpopular Opinion Alert:🚨 Yep, I pick the playlist for my boudoir photoshoots, and I don’t (usually) take personal requests. I mean, this isn’t MTV’s TRL. 🤣

I play music that hypes me up because when I’m feeling confident and having fun, I know my clients are going pick up on that energy and feel the same way. 

#4- Last But Not Least, Have Fun And Enjoy Your Session…

Listen, your client is about to get (almost) completely naked in front of you. There’s a good chance she’s feeling a little bit nervous! So this isn’t the time for you to get nervous too. 

Your client will feed off of your energy. If you’re feeling confident, so will she!  Dance around, blast Lizzo at full volume, do whatever it takes to create an awesome time for you because that’s what’s going to make this an experience of a lifetime for your client too. 

If your client looks at you at the end of her session and says, “Wow! I didn’t expect this to be so fun!” you did something right.

For even more expert advice and guidance on posing, editing, marketing, pricing, and building a successful boudoir business, I totally suggest joining The Vault! 

For only $17/month, you get a literal encyclopedia of boudoir knowledge and a complete toolkit for getting your new boudoir business up and running, including:

• a walk through example of a pricing guide
• where to shop for lingerie for your clients
• a questionnaire to send your clients (copy/paste template!)
• a video of my top-selling poses
• a BTS video of me posing a client

Plus so much more!

Join The Vault for just $17/month!!