The Association of International Boudoir Photographers (AIBP) has announced their inaugural edition of the AIBP Visionary Awards, a boudoir photography competition. Since 2009, AIBP has been the leading boudoir photography association, providing a community space for photographers to enhance their craft, build their business, network with colleagues and explore educational resources. Their new competition is accepting submissions from now until August 31.

The AIBP Visionary Awards are an inspirational and educational boudoir photography competition open to all who photograph boudoir, including professionals, novices, and hobbyists. AIBP believes that the challenge of competition helps photographers excel in the art of photography and in their ability to offer the highest standard of empowering boudoir experiences for their clients. All entrants have the opportunity to work toward the AIBP Artistry Excellence degree as a member of AIBP as well as take home a prize pool worth over $5000.

AIBP has intentionally set up the competition to address and remedy issues many photographers in the boudoir genre have experienced in other competitions. To eliminate any bias in judging, the competition is divided into separate categories for client (commissioned) and model/styled (non-commissioned) work. Additionally, eleven subcategories ensure that images are competing against like images. The categories include:

• Women
• Men
• Non-Binary
• Couples
• Maternity
• Editorial
• Black & White
• Outdoor
• Pin Up/Burlesque
• Fine Art Nude/Body Scapes
• AI Creations/Open

Each image entered will be evaluated based on contest judging criteria, which will determine whether it receives platinum, gold, silver, bronze, or non-merit designation. Those who enter a minimum of four images will be eligible to win Best in Category or Best in Show. Entrants also have the option to receive a personalized critique on each image entered. Photographers who earn ranked awards also earn points towards AIBP Artistry Track Degrees. The judging panel consists of highly-qualified industry experts, including Lindsay Adler, Gary Hill, Jacqueline Tobin, Andrew Hiorth, Cate Scaglione, Rhea Berkley Lewis, Hiram Trillo, and Shawn Black.

This year’s competition has garnered the support of amazing industry leading sponsors who are providing an incredible pool of prizes for winners that continues to grow. Those contributing to the prize pool include 17hats, Floricolor, Pro Prints, Lead Savage, Geekoto, Cheetah Stand, NBP Retouch Tools, Homespun Heart, LensProToGo.com, SlickPic, Sew Trendy Accessories, UAF Photo Lab, and Embrace Presets.

• Entries Open: Monday July 15th – August 31st
• Judging Period: September 9th – October 11th
• Awards Announced: Early November

Find out all about the prize packages and how to enter here. Follow AIBP on Facebook and Instagram.

The post AIBP’s Boudoir Photography Competition: The Visionary Awards appeared first on Rangefinder.

Quick replies to a inquiries is crucial to landing portrait clients — much more than you might imagine, and text and email automations make it a breeze.

When a client is sitting in the makeup chair at my boudoir photography studio before their photo session, I like to chat with them a bit and find out about their life and preferences. In the course of this conversation, I always ask a simple question, “So, what convinced you to book a photoshoot with me?”

A surprisingly common answer that I get to this question is, “I looked into several photographers and you were the one who got back to me first!”

When a client says that, it means that they didn’t book me primarily because of my photo skills. They didn’t book because I was the lowest priced or had the coolest studio. They booked because I texted them back first!

At first, I was surprised to hear this answer from my clients. But, after hearing dozens of clients tell me that they booked me because I responded first, I became attuned to the importance of responding quickly to leads. 

Answer Inquiries in Your Sleep

How can you become the photographer who responds first to leads? Obviously, it is impossible to be glued to your phone at all times and to respond to every inquiry immediately. Text and email automations are the solution. Automations allow you to respond and follow up with every single lead, even in your sleep. 

You will need a software solution to automate texts and emails, and there are many to choose from. I use a program called MarketSurge to run my photography business, and I love it. MarketSurge allows me to set up text and email automations for each step of the client journey and to view them from one simple dashboard. It allows me to set up automations that run at predetermined steps in the client journey and also lets me respond personally to questions and comments as they come in.

Using text and email automations does not mean that a robot is talking to your clients instead of you. Automations don’t mean that your business is cold and impersonal. Instead, automations will allow you to outsource the transactional parts of the photography experience to the software, while you continue to do the human parts. Automations keep your client fully informed and also free you up for what you do best — create beautiful art for your clients.

Client Text and Email Automation Checklist

Here is a checklist of the text and email automations that I recommend based on how I run my boudoir photography business (200-250 clients per year). You may need to customize this list based on your genre and market.

New Leads 

I recommend sending an initial automated text and email sequence to anyone who expresses interest in your photography services. This is how you become a first responder! These leads could come in from filling out a form on your website, texting the studio for information or by clicking on an ad.

These texts and emails are often referred to as nurture sequences because you are helping nurture leads along the path from an interested person to becoming paid clients. These texts and emails will help people to know, like, and trust you — and ultimately hire you! 

Recommended Text and Email Nurture Sequence

Immediately after an inquiry comes in, send an automated short email and text thanking them for being in touch and ask them if they would like to hop on a free phone consultation. If the client responds to this initial message, then send information about how to book the free phone consultation (I use an online calendar for scheduling phone consultations, which is also generated through MarketSurge). In this first communication, I recommend including the line: “I am a real person, and you can reply to me!!” While the initial messages are automated, your responses going forward will be from you, and the lead needs to know they aren’t chatting with a bot.

If the inquiry does not respond, send a series of 5-7 automated emails and texts within the first week. The purpose of this series is to 1) Find out their specific purpose for inquiring. Do they have a special occasion for a photoshoot? Or is this just for fun? What are they looking for in a photoshoot? 2) Encourage the lead to book a free phone consultation with you.

If the lead doesn’t book a phone consultation in the first week, continue to send occasional automated emails and texts with information and promotions. Send nurture emails 2 time per week and nurture texts 2-4 times per year.

Phone Consults

I use phone consults to go over information with potential clients and to select a date for their photo session. I recommend embedding a calendar on your website that allows leads to pick their own date and time for a phone consultation. All of this can be easily set up in MarketSurge.

Automations for Phone Consults

Immediately after a phone consultation is booked on the calendar, send an automated text and email that the phone consultation is booked. Include instructions, such as “I will be calling you from 555-5555. I look forward to chatting with you!”

Ten minutes before phone consult, send an automated phone consultation reminder via text and email: “Can’t wait to chat in 10 minutes!”

If the client doesn’t pick up, leave a voice message and send a templated email and text back that says, “So sorry we missed you! Here’s the link to reschedule your phone consultation.”

Automated Messages for Booked Clients

During the time between when a client has booked a photoshoot and when they come in for their shoot, every client needs information about getting ready for their photoshoot experience. Here are the text and email automations that I recommend sending before the photo session.

To finalize the booking, send an automated email and text with a  link to pay a session fee and sign the client contract (a client is never fully booked with my studio without paying a session fee and signing a client contract).

Immediately after booking, send an automated text and confirmation of the photo session date, time and location.

One day after booking, send automated texts and emails with detailed information that the client will need to prepare for the photo session (what to wear, what to bring, where to park and how to buy a photo collection after the shoot).

Fourteen days before the photo session, send automated texts and emails with a reminder about the photoshoot and confirmation request. Ask the client to reply YES to confirm. If you do not see their confirmation come through within 24 hours, call the client directly to confirm. Set up an auto reminder to alert you if a client has not confirmed.

The day before the photo session, send automated emails and texts with a final reminder, important information and a message that says, “We are so excited to see you tomorrow for your photo session!”

Messages for after the Photo Session

After their photoshoot, I recommend sending automated texts and emails to your clients asking for testimonials, referrals, online reviews and feedback about their experience. 

Immediately after the photoshoot, send an automated email and text saying thank you and reminding the client of next steps.

Two days after the photoshoot, send an automated email and text asking for an online review. I recommend directing your client to a page on your website with links to all the places that they can write a review of your business.

When digital images are ready, send an automated email and text with a message that the client’s digital gallery is ready and instructions on downloading.

When print products are ready, send an automated email and text that the client’s products are in the mail or ready for pick-up at the studio. If you are drop-shipping products to your clients, include the tracking number.

Here’s what I recommend:

One month after the photoshoot, send an automated email and text with a post-photoshoot questionnaire and request for feedback. Ask what the client loved and what could be improved about their experience.

Two months after the photoshoot, send an automated email and text asking for referrals. Include information about referral bonuses that you offer.

Nine to twelve months after the photoshoot, send an automated email and text asking the client if they are ready to book another photoshoot. Repeat clients are often the best clients!

After you have created these text and email automations, test everything to make sure it is working properly. Have a friend or colleague go through the sequence as if they are a brand new inquiry and give you feedback. Continue to test and tweak your automations regularly to make sure that everything is working how you want it to. 

I have found that text and email automations are the key to growing a photography business in a world where many people are glued to their phones and expect instant results. Automations will help you run your photography business like a well-oiled machine.

Liz Hansen’s Chicago Boudoir Photography Studio is a boutique studio that empowers women to feel confident in their bodies. She has appeared on NPR and TEDx, and she runs the Million Dollar Studio, where she coaches other photographers to be wildly profitable. Follow her on YouTube and Instagram.

The post Text and Email Automations for Your Photography Business appeared first on Rangefinder.

Radical self-acceptance and body liberation sound like lofty goals, but for Vancouver, Canada-based photographer Michele Mateus, these ideals are grounded in basic, earthy practices. For Mateus, embodied boudoir photography is all about creating a truly safe space, where her clients feel seen and respected while they experience being grounded in the power and grace of their bodies.

Mateus is an artist with a background in social justice and feminist theory. Her approach to celebrating her clients, facilitating the embodied boudoir photography experiences they desire, and helping them walk away with images they love, translates into an average sale of $3k. She does this all in her 300ft² home studio, and she only accepts four clients a month.

[Read: The Boudoir Photography Empowerment Movement]

Here are her practical tips for creating a safe space for embodied boudoir photography:

1. Begin with a discovery call. Mateus interviews her potential clients as much as they interview her. If they are a good fit, she books them in right away
2. Offer an optional trauma-informed questionnaire. Hers includes asking how they want to feel in their session, what their pronouns are, if they have triggers or sensitivities to light and noise, and anything they want to make her aware of. This helps clients feel that she truly cares about creating safe space for them.
3. Strong communication. Mateus sends more than 38 emails from first contact through one year after their shoot.
4. Newsletter-based marketing. Mateus’ only online ads are for newsletter sign ups. Her weekly messages offer tips and techniques from embodiment coaching. She calls this approach a “slow-burning candle.” Her emails have a 65% open rate compared to the average of 25%.

You can learn more about Michele Mateus and her photo business by listening to her recent appearance on The Portrait System Podcast and by checking out a bonus Q&A with her below. Also, don’t forget to follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

[Read: Empowerment Photography with Boudoir Confidence]

What has been your biggest breakthrough in business? 

Learning how to run an actual business — leaving shoot and burn, learning IPS (in person sales), making peace with numbers!  

Most artists have a point in their life when they knew this was meant for them. Did you have that moment? 

Yes! I knew I was meant for this the first time a client cried when she saw her photos. That is beyond powerful and reminds you that what we do is so important and can transform lives.  

How did you push past fear when building your business? 

A lot of Ben and Jerry’s! …For real though, surrounding myself with people who were doing the damn thing! I joined the Sue Bryce community around six years ago, and it was a game changer for me to see people making sustainable livings out of creating art. I’ve worked in the arts, and the starving artist mentality is a real thing. I had to shake that off and own that I have a lot of value to offer people beyond photos.  
 

Making a connection with your subject is one of the most important parts of a great portrait. How do you make lasting connections with your clients? 

I truly see them for who they are by offering them a safe space to fully embody themselves in a way that feels comfortable to them. I don’t put them through a system of poses or see them as my next sale. I seem them as humans with important stories to tell.  

For someone starting out on their photography journey what advice would you have for them? 

Get a business coach — period! It may seem like a big expense, but it will save you A LOT of time and money in the long run to get set up the right away!  
 

Do you regret any decisions you have made in your business? 

No. Everything I have done has led to who I am now and keeps me wanting to learn and grow more. Sitting in regret holds your energy down, and that is not worth it for anyone.  
 

Everyone has a favorite shoot – tell us about yours and why it’s your favorite. 

This is so hard! I have to say when I shot my aunty who was 80 at the time. She asked for one of my ‘spicy’ photoshoots, and it was so much joy for us both! After being a widow for 40 years, she met the love of her life at 80, and the shoot was inspired by that. She had a hard life, and you could often seen that in her face, but for this shoot, she came alive like I have never seen in her before. It was beyond special! 

What fellow artists in the industry do you gain the most inspiration from? 

I have taken a lot of inspiration from the legends, of course. Herb Ritts is one of my favs!

The first name that pops out to me from The Portrait System community is Felicia Reed. I have never met her, but I adore her energy and can see that she really connects deeply to her clients. She and I spoke I think once or twice on call, and she really does care about the success of others. I can’t wait to give her a hug one day!

I also have learned a lot from Kara Marie. I appreciate everything she has shared with this community and how she truly brought forward that ‘boudoir’ can mean so much more than what it is often depicted as. As someone who has always loved black-and-white photography (we had a darkroom in my home when I was growing up!) and a big film buff, I never quite knew how to translate that all to my business. When I saw her speak at The Portrait Masters I believe in 2018 or 2019 (I watched it online), I was jumping out of my chair cheering “YES, YES, YES!” That talk is what solidified for me that I could create portraits of women in my way.  

How has The Portrait System changed your life for the better?  

When I first found it around six years ago, I was in shoot-and-burn-out mode! The talks Sue Bryce did were the biggest thing for me. I felt like she was punching me in the stomach while also hugging me at the same time. I needed to hear what she said. I needed to see that there was another way to price and run a sustainable business. It helped me immensely, and I am grateful for the lessons I have received through this system.  
 

Where do you see your business in the next five years?   

Coaching, creating, and relaxing more and more! I recently took on learning embodiment coaching, which is pretty amazing. I am working that into the coaching and mentoring I offer photographers. I truly believe that the deeper the connection we have with ourselves, the deeper our work can be, and the less stress we will have when it comes to our business and our lives, and the more pleasure we can enjoy! Isn’t that what life is about anyway? 

The post Embodied Boudoir Photography: Michele Mateus Q&A appeared first on Rangefinder.

What do boudoir and motherhood photography have in common? For photographer Megan Allen, the answer is tenderness, intimacy, and power. In her Burlington, Vermont studio, Megan Marie Photographer, Megan has curated a space that feels warm, inviting, and safe, where women can open up to being vulnerable and playful. It’s an environment where they can explore intimacy and power.

Megan says, “There’s so many different parts to us. There’s a sensuality. There’s the mom. There’s the lover. I look at all these different parts of us as women, and I really want to nurture that with the studio and also with my own personal life. I help women walk that path of reclaiming their sexuality, sensuality and becoming more comfortable in their body.” 

For Megan, the key to her work is helping women feel unashamed of all the facets of their being. She knows she’s been successful when she sees them leaving her studio excited, energized, and feeling beautiful — as if a weight has been lifted off their shoulders.

Megan Allen recently joined host Nikki Closser on The Portrait System Podcast to talk about how she created her unique business that serves women with boudoir and motherhood photography. Listen to it here.

In the Q&A below, Megan shares a little more about her growth and inspiration in her business.

Megan Allen Q&A

Making a connection with your subject is one of the most important parts of a great portrait. How do you make lasting connections with your clients? 

I’ve noticed that many of the women who come into my world are either going through or have been through very similar experiences as myself. There’s an underlying understanding and connection made once my clients choose me as their photographer. It may sound funny, but it’s almost like a long-lost sisterhood that starts to form. We connect not only on the photography experience but also our life experiences. The entire experience can be very healing for women and the photos are just the icing on the cake.

Do you regret any decisions you have made in your business?

What first comes to mind is to always value yourself. Stop putting others on a pedestal and treat yourself with love and compassion. Choosing to start, let alone operate, a successful small business is no easy task; it’s not for the faint of heart, and you deserve much more credit than you often give yourself.

What fellow artists in the industry do you gain the most inspiration from?

Joyce Tenneson and Sue Bryce have always been a huge inspiration for me. I met Sue on a retreat years ago in Texas; I can vividly remember her presence as she spoke on stage. I’ll never forget it.

What is your average sale currently? 

$3,500

The post Where Motherhood Meets Boudoir: Feminine Power appeared first on Rangefinder.

Boudoir photographer Ashleigh Taylor says that boudoir is a powerful photo genre to shoot, but that “due to it’s intimate nature, it’s imperative that photographers be intentional when crafting their shoots and client experience.” Here, she answers ten of our questions on how to build a boudoir brand from the ground up, what her most challenging shoot was, takeaways from her WPPI 2023 class, and much more.

1. What is your WPPI 2023 seminar about? 

Ashleigh Taylor: My talk, “Boudoir Curious? Building A Profitable Boudoir Studio From The Ground Up”, is for the photographer who is either curious about transitioning full-time into boudoir photography or would simply like to add boudoir services to their current list of offerings. It’s important that your clients feel safe, seen and of course empowered in their body. This class will cover everything from understanding your style, your mission and your why as a boudoir photographer, to crafting an empowering client experience. I will also talk about pricing and marketing. 

2. What main takeaways will attendees leave your class with?

Ashleigh Taylor: Attendees will learn how to create an empowering client experience. They will understand how to discover their boudoir mission statement and then how to craft an aesthetic out of that mission. This will help them find their voice and their style. I’ll also share how I create desirable images in a small, minimalist space, why it’s important to embrace professional pricing and how to find your first paying boudoir clients!

3. What is trending in your genre right now?

Ashleigh Taylor: I think culture is really beginning to embrace in a mainstream way the idea of self love. With Miley Cyrus’s new song, “Flowers”, women are realizing that heck, yes the relationship I have with myself is the most important one and I will never let myself down even if romantic partners do. Why am I mentioning this? Well it’s inextricably linked to my WHY as a boudoir photographer.

[Read: Boudoir Photography Location Ideas: 12 Alternatives to a Studio]

This genre used to be all about getting women to give these photos as gifts to romantic partners, but for 12 years I have been marketing these shoots as a gift to yourself first and foremost. A boudoir shoot is about embracing your body, seeing yourself in a new way and appreciating your inherent beauty and sensuality. Hey ladies, we can buy ourselves flowers, lingerie and a beautiful boudoir portrait session, too. That’s the trend I am seeing now but I hate to call it a trend. Because loving yourself will never go out of style. 

4. What do consider to be a game-changing photographic technique or marketing tip that helped changed your business? 

Ashleigh Taylor: In 2015, I began learning Facebook Ads and in 2020 I began learning Google Ads. I employ both in my business and both have been invaluable to me. Ads allow me to scale my business and get bookings without having to be constantly doing networking meetings, handing out business cards, and hitting pavement. While I am so grateful for the relationships built through my networking, it’s nice to know that if I am busy in my studio, I can have leads coming in through ads (rather than everything slowing down because I haven’t been networking).

[Read: 4 Strategies to Promote Your Photography Business]

Ads get a bad name  in this industry and I’ve heard a lot of educators over the years brag that they’ve never had to run ads! That’s honestly great if you don’t need ads, but I don’t think photographers should be shamed for running ads either. There is so much value to getting leads from ads—and most businesses big and small rely on advertising. So why is there so much shame in using them in the photography industry? I will say, there is a learning curve to ads but if you have the patience to learn them they can pay off in dividends. 

5. What’s something that very few people know about you?

Ashleigh Taylor: I used to go to the Rocky Horror Picture Show every Saturday Night at midnight as a teen! Yes, I snuck my scandalous outfits/costumes under a coat so I could get out of the house without my parents realizing. I was a nerd—a musical theater nerd–and a weirdo who loved that Rocky Horror culture so much. I also loved hanging out and being accepted by self proclaimed outcasts and freaks. I look back at this time and laugh as I was sneaking out to fill my life with lingerie, feathers, glitter, red lipstick, corsets and fishnet stockings. All the things I still love as a boudoir photographer. I was a weird kid and I guess I was destined to be a boudoir photographer. 

6. What do you think photographers in your genre aren’t doing but should?

Ashleigh Taylor: I don’t think boudoir photographers understand how marketing is not just about the pictures you create and show but also about how you communicate the experience to potential clients. If you want clients who are looking to do this shoot for themselves, you need to educate them first (with copywriting and images) about how this shoot will transform their lives. 

[Read: What Is Boudoir? The Boudoir Photography Empowerment Movement]

7. What advice do you have to keeping one’s work fresh?

Ashleigh Taylor: Always learn new techniques and always find mentors that inspire you! No matter what level in your career you’re at, there is always something new to learn. And there is always someone to learn from. I think it’s really important to be a forever student and realize there is no point of arrival. The more we learn from others and try new techniques, the more we grow as artists. 

8. What piece of gear or gadget can you not live without?

Ashleigh Taylor: I do love my spider holster! I have had one for over 8 years and it changed my life. It saves my neck and shoulders and allows me to demo posing with free hands then quickly get my camera. 

9. What was your most challenging shoot and why? 

Ashleigh Taylor: I have recently started incorporating an optical spot into a lot of my client shoots. Even though I know what I am doing with it, my studio is so bright with natural light (even with the shades drawn) that it can be really hard to see the modeling light. The optical spot requires a lot of precision, so I do find using it to be a bit stressful when I am with clients and I can’t see the modeling light. However, I always challenge myself because the results are so killer. 

10. If not photography, what would your career be?

Ashleigh Taylor: I used to want to be a television writer and filmmaker, and sometimes I still see a great episode of TV and think, “Damn! Maybe I should have followed that path.” I have always loved storytelling, cinema and visual arts. I did work in the film and TV industry briefly after graduating film school but I quickly discerned that the culture was not for me. That is ultimately when I realized I’d rather run my own business and create portraits for people than deal with the Hollywood politics that come with screenwriting and filmmaking. I am so happy with my choice, but I suppose if I went down the ‘what if’ path, a career in film/tv would have been the alternative. 

[Editor’s Note: Ashleigh’s WPPI 2023 course, “Boudoir Curious? Building A Profitable Boudoir Studio From The Ground Up”, takes place Monday, March 6, from 10:00 a.m. -11:30 a.m. Register at wppiexpo.com.]

Ashleigh Taylor has been a full-time photographer since 2010 and is an accredited Master photographer and Mentor with The Portrait Masters. She started out photographing weddings but in 2013 opened her Boudoir & Portrait Studio in Santa Barbara. In 2016, she transitioned to shooting portraits. She currently has two courses in The Portrait Masters Store—how to book more clients using Instagram and the ins and outs of getting fully booked using Facebook Ads. 

[Read: The Boudoir Photography Empowerment Movement]

The post Ashleigh Taylor Asks, ‘Are You Boudoir Curious?’ appeared first on Rangefinder.

Boudoir photography continues to take the world by storm, with many women (and men) clamoring to have their own empowering, sensual portraits taken in lingerie, swimsuits, and other fashionable attire. If you’re just starting out or are in a bit of a creative rut and aren’t sure what to do during a boudoir photo shoot, read on for inspiring and unique boudoir photo shoot ideas from Zenfolio to help add variety to your boudoir portfolio website and gain more clients in the process.

Boudoir Photoshoot Ideas: Lighting, Exposure, and Mood

When setting up a unique boudoir photo shoot, it’s about creating that dramatic look that attractively accentuates your subject. Using the proper lighting can go a long way in bringing out the detail in your subject’s eyes. You can also use a high dynamic range and adjust the shutter speed for a more dramatic effect.

Black-and-White Boudoir

There is something incredibly elegant about black-and-white boudoir photography—it’s classic, sensual, and artistic compared to a bright color image. Vintage lingerie is a great idea to include in black-and-white boudoir photography sessions—there’s something so sensual about lace lingerie combined with fishnet stockings or garter belts. Color carries with it a lot of meaning and evokes different emotions compared to shooting in black and white where the image is devoid of that extra, often distracting information. It allows the photographer, and the viewer to focus on the tones, light, composition, and the shapes your subject’s body is making. And black and white photography carries with it a timeless element. The easiest way is to create three versions of the same image: one in color, one in monochrome, and one in a sepia tone. You can then offer your clients a choice on which they prefer. 

High Key Boudoir

High key boudoir photography is an excellent option for those not comfortable being photographed with dark shadows highlighting their facial features. High key boudoir photography softens any wrinkles or imperfections in a more flattering way than other lighting styles would have it. The resulting image (above) has less contrast, which also helps make skin appear smoother. Consider having your subject stand in front of a bright window. It’s a bonus if the sun shines through it, so you get a flare shot simultaneously. Comfort is what you want to focus on here. If you can, have the high key boudoir photography session in the subject’s home.

Low Key Boudoir Photography

Typically, low key boudoir photography entails using less harsh light sources and a more natural look. Low key photography is considered more gentle on the eyes than high key photography because it’s softer, darker, and less contrasty. With low key boudoir photography, ensure that the background has no clutter. While this style may have less light and softer tones, it can be easy to overlook the background.

Silhouettes

To get the best silhouette boudoir photography, it’s recommended to get your subjects wearing a formal dress or piece of lingerie that’s sophisticated and light. Layer with a blazer, scarf, or wrap for added warmth and attitude. Your props can play an important role in this type of shoot to set the mood and create your desired feel, so think about what you want to come across. Candles are always sexy and sensual, but if you have another idea (think: hats, aprons), go for it. Make sure you place your subject between the camera and the light source and set your exposure settings to expose for the highlights so your subject will be silhouetted by the light behind, without showing detail in the shadows.

Natural Light

The best time to take natural light boudoir photography is in the morning when the sun is high and bright. When the sun shines through a window, you’ll get a beautiful, natural glow on your subject. If you find the natural light is creating too much contrast you can use a reflector to fill in some of the shadows for a softer, more even look.

Low Light

Low light photography is perfect for boudoir photographers who want to use natural light sources or have dark settings, such as a bedroom. With low light boudoir photography, the right poses are everything. Lingerie can appear much more revealing in low light than during daylight, and because of that, you may want to let your subject know. They might have a few different attire options in mind once informed about that.

Black Light

Black light boudoir photography is a great way to get some of your best photos, and it’s easy to do. Black light is a great way to add a touch of glamour and elegance to your boudoir session. It makes everything look fuller, richer, and more beautiful than it ordinarily would be in natural light. Create a dark room by putting dark curtains over your windows. The curtains will block out the sunlight, allowing you to take amazing photos without any other light source. Set up your props in advance so you don’t have to worry about them when it’s time to go on location.

For more on inspiration and boudoir photo shoot ideas and tips (including Outdoor Boudoir in the woods, on the beach, in snow, country-themed boudoir and more), read the full Zenfolio article HERE.

Related Reading:

Advertising Boudoir Photography: 10 Ways to Promote

A Guide to Boudoir Photography Pricing and Packages

What Is Boudoir? The Boudoir Photography Empowerment Movement

The post Boudoir Photography Ideas for Your Next Photo Shoot appeared first on Rangefinder.

Opening a boudoir album created by Noël Cosgrove is like stepping into a fantasy world. It’s a world that the Calgary-based photographer has built with her own hands, creating sets that range from fanciful circus scenes to her signature rain room.

Noël ingeniously arranges as many as 10 sets at a time in her 1,400-square-foot-studio and has also taken her rain room on the road in a 16-foot cargo trailer. We asked her to get into the nuts and bolts of set building with us.

[Read: What Is Boudoir? The Boudoir Photography Empowerment Movement]

The post Noël Cosgrove on How to Build a Killer Boudoir Set appeared first on Rangefinder.

Putting together a gorgeous boudoir album is the perfect ending to any boudoir photo experience. Julia Holding of Julia Kay Boudoir shares her top 5 tips to producing, selling and upselling gorgeous albums for clients.

[Read: What Is Boudoir? The Boudoir Photography Empowerment Movement]

The post Julia Holding on How to Sell and Upsell Boudoir Albums appeared first on Rangefinder.

Your schedule is booked, your shoots are awesome, and your albums bring clients to tears. But when it comes to your finances, the struggle still feels pretty real. What gives? We asked Hamilton, Ontario–based photographer and business coach Tanya Smith to break down her boudoir photography pricing for us as her own boudoir photo business continues to flourish.

“My average sale now is a little over $5,000 per client,” she says. It wasn’t always that way. “I did what everybody does at the beginning,” she recalls, meaning she set her prices to match the competition. “I think they started at $500 or $600 for my lowest package, and everyone bought the lowest one. Then I tried to multiply the cost of my albums by three or four times. Then one person tell me I was too expensive, and I would lower my prices.”

What turned things around? “I was newly divorced, and I didn’t want to be a single mom working all the time and never seeing my kids,” she explains. Smith reviewed her costs, including not just the cost of goods like albums and overhead for space and staff, but also marketing and vacation time. Then she considered how much time she wanted to spend working.

[Read: Boudoir Photography Ideas on Style, Location, Posing & More]

“It was really eye opening,” she says, “because I realized: ‘Hey, these are my money goals. I can actually do this if I put my prices here. Yes, it’s going to be more per client and I’m getting more no’s because my prices are higher, but I don’t need as many yeses. I only want to shoot one to two times a week.” These days, she uses detailed spreadsheets to set her prices, but she says even a simple calculator can help you get started.

There’s one thing Smith doesn’t include in her calculations anymore: what the competition is charging. “I don’t know if the guy down the road is profitable or how much he’s working,” she points out. “You have to do your own numbers.”

[Read: Advertising Boudoir Photography: 10 Ways to Promote]

Smith took another important step by simplifying her pricing: “I just charge per image,” she says. “If you want these 21 images, it costs you $3,200. Would you like that in an album or digitally? If you want both, you pay that price for the album, and then the digital images are an add-on. It’s $690 for the digital images, no matter how many you choose.”

She says simplifying her pricing made it much easier for her clients to make choices. “Once I did that, everything changed,” she says. “Now, my prices start at $1,690 and go up to $4,200 or more.” Smith recommends making sure that you’re charging enough for the package that has the highest cost of goods for you, and then stepping down from there.

Charging a fee instead of just throwing the digitals in for free also gives her an upselling strategy when clients are deciding between packages. She offers to include the digitals as a gift if they buy the pricier album. On the invoice, she includes the digital fee as a -$690 discount.

One of the most important changes Smith made didn’t require a calculator. “There’s something you have to get straight in your head,” she says. “I’m a business. I want to be profitable. I’m not doing this for charity, and I’m not going to take time away from my family, my kids, and the things I like to do by shooting basically for free. So part of the work is your mindset around accepting money and charging what you’re worth. And that part is probably the most difficult part.”

Editor’s Note: Prices mentioned here are in U.S. dollars. Smith advises students to charge and implement these these boudoir photography pricing whether they are in the U.S. or Canada. “Thinking that my prices need to be adjusted to reflect the currency exchange is a type of limiting belief that my success is only because I charge in Can dollars,” she explains. “The exchange rate fluctuates, but it should not have anything to do with how you price as a photographer (or businessperson in general). If you do your full CODB, you will know what you need to charge to be profitable and to reach your income goals.

Tanya Smith is an Ambassador for The Boudoir Album and uses the brand exclusively. She has been a women’s portrait photographer since 2011. With a background in corporate banking and sales, she is constantly on the hunt for how to better run a boudoir photography business. She has been mentoring and coaching other boudoir and portrait photographers since 2017. Here’s how you can learn more about her boudoir photography pricing and other business topics to keep your brand thriving:

profitableportraits.com/courses
instagram.com/tanyalsmith.photography
facebook.com/groups/tanyasmitheducation

Aimee Baldridge is a New York-based writer who covers the art, technology and business of photography and filmmaking.  

The post Simplify Your Boudoir Photo Pricing and Increase Sales appeared first on Rangefinder.

As boudoir photography continues to gain momentum as a highly creative, and profitable, photo genre year after year, more and more photographers are either adding it to their business model or deciding to specialize in just boudoir. Either way, there’s a variety of boudoir photography ideas, tips and techniques to conquer and perfect, including posing, styling, putting clients at ease, building an experiential brand and more. Here, we bring you a compilation of some of the best coverage Rangefinder has published to help you build your boudoir photography brand—sourced from the experts themselves.

Boudoir Photography Basics: The Building Blocks to a Thriving Brand:

• The Logistics
• Business and Branding
• Creating Client Comfort
• Lighting Lessons
• Posing That Flatters
• Inclusivity

THE LOGISTICS

How to Incorporate a Bed into Your Boudoir Posing Routine
How do boudoir photographers keep creatively fresh with a key element in the studio which generally takes up a good amount of their overall space? Shawn Black says you have two options. “First, remove the bed entirely and move forward without one, which is entirely a viable option. Option two, for those of us who don’t want to spend hours with an Allen head wrench disassembling their bed, need to get creative in how we approach using this studio staple.” Shawn breaks down his boudoir photography ideas and tips here.

Boudoir Photography Location Ideas: 12 Alternatives to a Studio
How do you shoot boudoir photography if you don’t have a studio space? Sioux Falls boudoir photographer Emma Christine breaks it down for us and includes a laundry list of items to bring with you in those locations.

How to Start a Boudoir Photography Business That Stands Out
When people enter Shawn Black’s studio for a boudoir photography session, he wants them to leave feeling completely empowered by their time there. “It’s about creating that full experience that is going to be potentially life-changing for your clients” he said during his recent webinar, “How to Build a Boudoir Photography Brand That Stands Out. Boudoir sessions are not only empowering for clients; starting a boudoir photography business can also be profitable for photographers. Here’s how to begin.

BUSINESS AND BRANDING

How to Simplify Your Boudoir Photography Pricing and Increase Sales

Boudoir photographer and business coach Tanya Smith shares her tips and upselling strategies to help you get your boudoir photo brand in the black. The key, she says? Simplify your pricing: “I just charge per image,” she says. “If you want these 21 images, it costs you $3,200. Would you like that in an album or digitally? If you want both, you pay that price for the album, and then the digital images are an add-on. It’s $690 for the digital images, no matter how many you choose.” Read on for more of her examples and tips.

5 Ways to Build Momentum in Your Boudoir Business
Photographer Jasmin Jade, a military wife who moves from station to station with her family every couple of years needed to figure out a different way to gain momentum (and clients) for her boudoir studio brand, Sugar & Lace. Here are five things that helped pave the way to positive brand exposure.

Seamlessly Switching Photo Specialties Without Losing Clients
After years of being known as the “Tattooed Bride Photographer Guy,” Mike Allebach managed to switch gears—just a little bit, anyway—to now establish himself as the “Couples Boudoir Photography Guy.” Yes, it’s a thing. And yes, it’s different from regular boudoir shoots.

Everything You Need to Know to Start Your Boudoir Business
Photographers Nick Murray, Ewan and Brianna Phelan, and Brian Callaway of Callaway Gable each discuss the nitty-gritty of this seductive genre, including how they tackle prepping for client sessions, location scouting, posing perspectives, contract language and more.

Real. Sexy. Photography: The Art and Business of Boudoir
Wedding and boudoir photographer Dani Klein-Williams is known for her chic, flirty, and feminine boudoir portrait style and ability to showcase each woman’s best assets. Her timeless book by Amherst offers bulletpoint advice on planning for the session, lighting and exposure strategies, flattering posing, post-production and sale, among other topics, and supports her guiding personal philosophy that “every woman has a beauty all her own.”

Bold, Beautiful Boudoir: Finding Your Niche and Creative Voice
With more and more photographers creating boudoir photography for a wider range of clients, building a highly creative and profitable niche in the boudoir business has never been more compelling. Here, three photo studios share their secrets to boudoir success while staying true to their distinctive styles and attracting clients who share their sensibilities.

BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY IDEAS FOR CREATING CLIENT COMFORT

Getting Boudoir Photography Clients Comfortable With You and Your Camera
Many of Jess Pereira’s clients are not models, so they have never been in front of a professional camera before. “Needless to say, they are usually a rack of nerves at the thought of such a session,” she says. “That is why I place such importance on assuring them that it will be a wonderful and enjoyable experience.”

To Build a Boudoir Brand, Focus on the Experience
Shawn Black began his journey into boudoir photography by creating little black books filled with pretty pictures for brides from his wedding brand to give as gifts to their significant others. “It wasn’t until I shot my first non-bridal client that I realized I needed to do things differently,” he admits. “Seven words changed everything for me: ‘You have no idea how this feels.'”

Stripped Down Boudoir Photography
Jennifer Rozenbaum always makes a point to learn what her client feels are her best physical assets. During the shoot, only the “perfect” poses and camera angles are used to accent those favorable areas. Discussions about the client’s self-consciousness are forbidden.

LIGHTING LESSONS

3 Ways Natural Light Can Shape Your Boudoir Portraits
A self-proclaimed “natural-light worker,” Jess Pereira, of Beautifully Undressed Boudoir in the UK, loves to see natural shadows fall on the face and body. “To me, they help create mood in my images. I can use the light to highlight certain parts of the body and to shade certain parts too, making the images more thought-provoking.” Discover how Pereira works with back light, side light and full light and more to accent women’s unique and beautiful shapes.

Lindsay Adler Breaks Down How To Complement Posing with Lighting in Boudoir Photography 
Posing and lighting have to be particularly refined when it comes to boudoir photography, and that’s what Lindsay Adler focuses on in this video. It’s far too easy to shoot an unflattering photo of someone in boudoir, simply because you have to carefully consider every angle and the placement of each part of the body. Here, Adler slowly builds in the light, adjusting the posing as she goes, slightly but purposefully, to demonstrate how to create a boudoir portrait that’s simple yet classic.

BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY POSING IDEAS THAT FLATTER

Dynamics of Boudoir Photography Posing: 5 Key Elements
Whether youʼve been shooting boudoir photography for years or are just starting out in the genre, knowing how to pose your clients dynamically will produce more impactful images and result in larger sales, says Couture Black’s Shawn Black.

The Best Boudoir Posing Method That Flatters Every Female Client
When it comes to boudoir photography, Jen Rozenbaum’s motto is “size doesn’t matter.” She poses each woman—whether they are skinny, curvy, short, older, fuller-figured, etc.—in a way that makes her look amazing for her own particular body and she does it by employing her 8 Points of Posing method. “If done right, it’s foolproof.”

6 Natural Boudoir Photography Tips and Poses That Will Flatter Clients
The number one lesson Jen Fairchild, a family-at-home and intimate-portrait photographer based in Salt Lake City, has learned while shooting intimate portraits is to avoid giving any instruction that’s tied to the subject producing a specific look. “This generally leads to awkward, tense facial expressions and static energy, not unlike a deer in the headlights,” she explains. Instead, she uses 6 specific techniques to get more natural looking images.

Graceful Boudoir Photography Posing
For one client who wanted to give her fiancé a boudoir album as a gift, Jennifer James of SuperNova Boudoir came up with creative “bodyscape” posing for a unique and sensual image.

Top Tips for Posing the Feminine Form
Posing is one of the most challenging aspects of photography to master. That said, learning the ins and outs of posing women for alluring boudoir imagery can take your images to a new level and also allow your clients to connect with their personas like never before.

Hip Action: Boudoir Posing Tricks from Jen Rozenbaum
The way Jen Rozenbaum approaches boudoir photography is simple: “There are eight points of posing that make women look, and feel, their best,” she says. “Before I press the shutter, every single time, I check a woman’s head, shoulders, arms, wrists, waist, hips, knees and ankles.”

[Read: What Is Boudoir? The Boudoir Photography Empowerment Movement]

INCLUSIVITY

Teri Hofford on a Building a Body Inclusive Brand
Empowerment photographer and Body Image Expert Teri Hofford is driven to help people challenge their body image biases and beliefs. “Empowerment is not about telling people who to be; it’s about listening to who they are and helping them find confidence within that,” she says. “This is especially true for those who exist in marginalized bodies. That is why it’s so important for me to focus on empowerment photography and having a body-inclusive boudoir photography brand.”

Boon Ong’s Boudoir Photography Approach: Embrace Who Your Are
When Boon Ong decided to start up Figuratif by Boon Ong—a separate line of business that offers figurative art and intimate lifestyle photography to clients of all age, gender, body shape and sexuality—he admits it took a while to learn and come up with a business model that worked for him while maintaining a unique storytelling style.

[Read: The Boudoir Photography Empowerment Movement]

The post Boudoir Photography Ideas on Style, Location, Posing & More appeared first on Rangefinder.