What is a Boudoir Photoshoot?

Imagine walking onto a shoot for Victoria’s Secret Angels: You come in with your track pants and a jacket on with bare-face and a messy bun. Someone from our female-only staff, closed set walks over to you, offers to carry your coffee cup, your garment bag, and your handbag while you settle yourself in with beautiful music playing in the background to get you in the mood. This is how your perfect Toronto boudoir photography experience will begin the day of the shoot.

Once you’re settled in, your wardrobe combinations are put together according to your preferences. No more wondering on your own what to wear for your boudoir shoot. YOU DECIDE if you want a bra/jeans combo or the sexist lacey bodysuit. I will be there to help you guide and style along the way if you need any assistance. You’ll be free to use a carefully curated studio wardrobe collection as well if you so choose (consider coming in for a free fitting appointment when you book your session).

I help you accessorize your look, maybe with your personal collection which may have your grandmother’s necklace to preserve in photos forever or something you like in the studio.

You’re put into a makeup chair. You have one of Toronto’s best hair stylist and makeup artist professionals ask you about the look you want: YOU DECIDE if you want big, beach waves for your hair or a sleek blowout; if you want a barely-there Meghan Markle [link] look or if you want to go all out like Adriana Lima walking the runway [will link].

Once you love what you see in the mirror, we start with one of the four boudoir sets in the studio, designed especially for you: The Bed, The Chaise, The Royal Vintage, and The 50th Shade of Grey.

 

And we go:

LIGHTS

CAMERA

ACTION!

I will personally guide you through your best boudoir poses and style. We will dive deep in who you are as a person and how you want to see yourself and preserve that for all the time to come.

We will start with a series of classy poses, working on the philosophy of “less is more.” We will go from mostly covered to pushing the limits of your comfort zone. Most of the ladies who come to my studio think that they wouldn’t want to show “too much” mainly due to not having enough confidence in how they look — but, ten minutes into the boudoir session and they often ask me, “can we do a tasteful topless shot?!”

My answer is always, “Hell yeah!”

Wear less, do more! 😉

 

Planning Your Boudoir Photoshoot

 

When planning your boudoir photoshoot in Toronto, there are a few important things that you should know about. The tiniest details matter so much and I make sure that the studio staff takes it all into consideration during your shoot. Click here to download our beautiful and detailed Dream Shoot Planner if you already haven’t. This is your step by step exclusive guide to everything boudoir!

Choosing Your Boudoir Session Style

You are one of a kind and there is no reason why your boudoir session should also be anything less than that. Your custom-designed session will focus on what you find the most beautiful and during our phone consultation, we will explore what kind of images you are drawn to the most and would like to see yourself as. This could be:

 

 

 

 

 

You are in complete control of the setting of your shoot and the style of your images. I have four beautiful sets in the studio to choose from and I’m a short drive from the beach. Allow for a bit of travel time and we can shoot your Hamilton boudoir session at a waterfall location. This is ALL ABOUT YOU. When you book your session, you will also be given a complimentary one hour session planning consultation time with me which you can come to my studio for (we can also do a fitting appointment and see if you’d like to wear any of the studio wardrobe) or we can connect over the phone and go through your preferences. The possibilities are endless and we will explore everything that makes you happy!

 

Your bombshell inner goddess:

If this is your first time doing a boudoir shoot, your most urgent issue must be what to wear! (link) The good thing is that I’m here to help! And the BEST thing is that I have designed an exclusive what to wear for your boudoir shoot guide which also lists places you can go shopping! You will receive this beautiful e-book complimentary along with your session booking. How cool is that?

I will guide you as much or as little as you want with choosing outfits that flatter your body the most. We will accentuate your curves and minimize the things about your body you’re not crazy about.

We’ll work on creating a color palette for you based on your personal taste. From there, we will move to your dressing sense — always remember that this session is for you to SHINE so don’t be afraid if you want to try something that is totally out of your comfort zone. We are here to give you the confidence boost you so deserve!

You’re also very welcome to raid our studio closet! We have a mix of lingerie, formal wear, beautiful skirts, tops, and LOTS of jewelry and props to use for the shoot. I recommend coming in for your fitting appoint prior to the shoot so we can create a wardrobe style for you. You will also be able to view our beautiful print products and wall art samples to decide how would you eventually want to preserve you beautiful images.

 

Transform into a glamour starlet!

Professional make-up and hair styling is one of the most important parts about your boudoir photoshoot experience. It can make or break your forever images. I always, always only hire the best and top industry professionals to be a part of my hair and makeup team. This team is trained in film make-up and will create exactly the look you ask them to. All-glitter or barely-there, you are in charge of the vision and they will paint exactly that with flawless perfection.

All you have to do is cleanse your face the night before, prep it with a night-cream for perfect texture, wash with water and moisturize it the next day, and show up! It’s that easy! With a clean, prepped face, we will take care of the glamorous you! You will receive a detailed Beauty Preparation Guide with your booking to help you more in depth if you plan to take a spa day before the shoot and really treat yourself with a full beauty regimen!

For your hair, just wash and blow-dry the day or six hours before your shoot and let our artists know if you’d like sexy beachy waves or a more sleek look. They are experts and can work with all kinds of hair.

And here’s an idea! After your shoot, you will be all set and ready for a hot date! Don’t have a significant other? Go out with your girls and turn heads as you walk down the street! You will feel and look like a million bucks so let’s put it to use!

 

Flow posing, just like Flow Yoga!

As easy as 1, 2, 3, I will guide you down to your fingertips to capture you in the most sensual and flattering way you have ever been photographed! Much like a career in medicine or education, a professional photographer like me never stops investing in perfecting and polishing the craft. Which means, not only learning from the best teachers in the industry, which includes people like Annie Leibovitz, Vanity Fair Magazine’s Mark Seliger, my internship with the Walt Disney Company, and so on, I also never stop shooting! Passion and client projects alike, I have made sure that I apply all of my knowledge to easy you and direct you into the best posing and angles for you.

We’ll set the mood and bring out the expression and body language needed to make your image come alive. If, at any point, you are not comfortable with a pose, we will stop right away and try something different. Being a professional in this work of passion, you can rest assured that I have a plethora of flow posing which will feel like a light workout, but we will be able to easy find the poses that you love!

 

Preparing for Your Boudoir Session

The more prepared we get you, the better your beautiful images will turn out! We will make sure that you are not only physically ready but also in the mindset needed to celebrate the real you! Together, we will make this boudoir photography session the best photoshoot experience you’ve ever had!

Make sure you have nothing more than moisturizer on your face when you come in. Our talented makeup artists will work on enhancing your beauty.

A simple blow-dry out of shower the night before would be ideal. You don’t need to style your hair and you shouldn’t use any hair products in your hair prior to your arrival. A professional hair stylist will be on set in the studio to do it all for you!

If you like tanning, make sure you don’t do it in the days prior to your boudoir photoshoot. Avoiding lying out in the sun for at least three days prior to your shoot is a good idea to avoid tan lines. Also, you shouldn’t do spray tanning, either! It will make your skin appear orange and tan lines do not look flattering in boudoir images.

If you wax, you should make your waxing appointment at least two days before to your photo session to avoid any redness and bumps on your skin.

 

Above all, start mentally preparing yourself and avoid any negative self-talk in the days leading up to your shoot. I will send you an e-book I have designed especially for you to help you physically and mentally prepare for the session once we have your date booked and confirmed. This session is all about you and loving yourself. Embrace it and be shamelessly feminine!

 

Luxury, museum-quality EXCLUSIVE print products

When the session is over and your order is complete, you will have the following options to take home with you:

Designer Albums:

These are perfect for you to show off your boudoir photos in a discrete and personal way. You can tuck away your album on the shelf, then bring out when you or your special someone want to indulge. My studio albums are printed and produced in a state-of-the-art photography lab based in Venice, Italy. This quality is not provided by any other artisan and you will be ecstatic about this final product!

Wall Art:

Superior museum-quality canvas and wall mount prints allows you to create your own art collection. Displaying your gorgeous image, this can be a great addition to your bedroom, bathroom, or even in your significant other’s walk-in closet so whenever they shuffle their hanged clothes, they catch a glimpse of your beautiful self!

Luxury Glass Boxes and Matted and Mounted Prints:

For a private display of your favourite images yet having the option to display a gallery, you will love our luxury box options. The state-of-the-art professional photography printing lab in Italy that I am a member of has produced gorgeous boxes for me to present your ready-to-frame images into. You have the option of a Legacy Box which is a designer covered box, perfect for keepsake. Another option is our Luxury Reveal Box, presented in vegan leather base with a light glass cover where you can easy change the top image if you would like to display your beautiful images on a rotation basis. These boxes come in different sizes and different numbers of printed images giving you the freedom to choose what works best for you. These boxes allow you to individually gift an image or two to your sweetheart when they need to travel without sending the entire box.

Novelty Items:

From Christmas ornaments to calendars, I can design a one-of-a-kind novelty gift for you. Please let me know what you are interested in when we book your session and I will provide you with a custom quote for these specialized products.

 

Timing:

Once your session is scheduled, there are a few things to keep in regards to your timeline:With your hair, makeup, styling, shooting, and same-day viewing, it will take anywhere between 3 – 5 hours of total time the day of the session. This gives us enough time for you to try out all the different poses, wardrobe, and the different sets I have in studio.

Once I’ve captured your glowing, beautiful, confident self, we will take a short break. I will give you a Starbucks gift voucher down the street where you can grab lunch or you can choose to chill and relax in the studio with Netflix on the iPad. In that one hour, I will narrow down your best shots from the session and you will then get to see and order your images and products the same day!

Yes, you read that right: No need to wait for a ‘reveal’ session. It will take 2-3 weeks from when you complete your payment for your images to be retouched, processed, and delivered to you. Digital archives will be sent via download link and physical products will be available for pickup when they arrive in the studio from Italy. If picking up is not an option for you, I can also ship your order to you for a small shipping fee contribution.

Your images will be available for viewing an hour after the session. These will not be retouched images but a simple selection of the best from the session for your purchase. Retouched images of the ones you order will be ready two weeks after your payment has been made in full. This will gives me the time to carefully hand-edit and hand-retouch each images as masterfully as I can with careful attention to detail. If you’re in a rush, I can set up a rush order for you for a fee.

Your albums, wall art, folio boxes etc will take 2 – 3 weeks from when your retouched images are completed. If you have a rush deadline, let me know and I can see if I can help you out.

 

Payment Plans:

I want every woman to be able to have this experience. Which is why, I also offer payment plans to break up your order cost in easy instalments. If you are interested in this option, let me know and I will explain you all the details.

It’s time to give yourself the ultimate gift! This boudoir photography session is more than a day of pampering, relaxation, and fun — you will be creating forever memories of how you want to see yourself and how you would like to be remembered. This is something you and your partner will cherish forever. The strong sense of self-confidence this experience will give you is absolutely priceless. Right now is not the time to wait. Right now, you need to seize the day! Schedule your boudoir session today to start preparing for one of the most incredible sessions you’ll ever have.

 

Xoxo Alishba