AlishbaZarmeen

August 31, 2018October 8, 2018 by AlishbaZarmeen

You need to lose this many pounds to book a photoshoot

ZERO.

Seriously. The answer is: You need to lose 0.00 lbs to have GREAT images of yourself.

If you find yourself saying, “I totally need to do a shoot but I need to cut down my last 5/10 lbs,”

THEN I WANT YOU TO STOP RIGHT NOW.

Do you think that the love your partner, parents, siblings, friends, family will increase or decrease based on a few extra pounds of love and life?

Nope.

They will love you just as much!

And get this — If you still feel bad about the 5/10/20lbs you feel like you need to work on, BY ALL MEANS keep working on your personal goals but keep this in mind:

After shooting 100s of women, I know EXACTLY how to shape, dress, pose, and light you to shave off what you need to for the pictures 😉 I’m not kidding! You will still look like yourself in real life when you are at your VERY BEST! So keep hitting the gym but do it because it’s a good habit and not because you think you are not ready for gorgeous photos right now.

Trust me, you are perfect right now.

And how about you do a shoot now to get in the mindset of loving yourself no matter what and another shoot when you have reached the health goal you have set up for yourself?

WOMAN! Document your journey!

Is “I’m too flabby” your next excuse?

Oh, get over it, you beautiful woman! We live in the era of body-shaping undergarments like SPANX. To let you in a secret, I use these myself from time to time when I want to get into a particularly clingy dress 😉 We can put you in a nice babydoll or lacy leotard and underneath your skin-tone matching, confidence-boosting undies! Also, I know two amazing boss ladies who handcraft AMAZINGLY SEXY shape-wear (so much better than the plain nudes of SPANX) right here in Toronto. Head over to the following two sites to find a piece you love:

Mayana Geneviere — A line of sexy black lace shape-wear perfect for a photoshoot!

Ohhh Lulu — This woman makes CUSTOM lingerie! Like TAILORED lingerie! Let your imagination run WILD!

Mayana Geneviere’s sexy lace shape-wear

I CANNOT say this enough: Wardrobe makes all the difference in the world. This is the reason I do a full hour of video/phone consultation or an in-person fitting appointment before your shoot. And this is the reason I have designed THREE E-BOOKS which you will get when you confirm your session booking with me. The right wardrobe will help me put you in the poses you love regardless of your dress size.

Go to Victoria’s Secret and have them properly measure you (I have like 5 different sizes of bras! Only recently did I finally found out my right size and I have never looked better ;)) The right bra will give you the right perks and make you feel thirsty sexy!

You can bring an entire suitcase of wardrobe if you want and we can go through creating wardrobe for you. Maybe we will mix it up with something that i have in the studio and maybe it will give you an excuse to go shopping!

Whenever I am asked: How do you pose curvy women?

My answer is always: Exactly the way I pose every other woman.

My Toronto boudoir studio is home to women like you. My job is to photograph you exactly like that woman you saw on the billboard. Your photographs will be just as good as your photographer. It is MY job to make you photogenic.

Girl, I've got you!

Let's do this already!

in Preparing for Boudoir Photography 0 comments

Toronto Boudoir Photography by Dream Boudoir Toronto | Female Photographer Alishba | Mature Boudoir 40+ women

August 14, 2018March 13, 2019 by AlishbaZarmeen

The Real Reason Why Boudoir Photography Costs This Much

When you decide to shop for a luxury item, doesn’t matter if it’s a brand new car or a piece of furniture, you always want to make sure that your investment is worth your hard earned-money. And if you’re a mom, like me, you always first think if the money you are about to spend on that beautiful lingerie set at Nordstorm can be put towards something your little ones want. The enormous amount of guilt-trip and self-lamentation that goes into should you even dare to spend a fraction of your money on yourself… all the judgemental foreign voices of “selfish,” “vain,” and “indulgent” start eating up your headspace… Isn’t it true?

It’s sad and unfortunate how much doing something rewarding, refreshing, and valuable for ourselves sends us into this unfair spiral of self-doubt and worthlessness. That we are reduced to compare pleasures necessary to nourish our souls with new shoes for our kids or getting new blinds for the house; especially when the new car will last us five years, the furniture will wear and tear, kids will outgrow their shoes, and we will eventually move to a new house with new curtains and blinds — all of the things which aren’t our “forever” investments. But the amount of energy we, the women, spend trying to justify and then find the loopholes in the arguments in favour of us spending the money on ourselves, even when it’s something as precious, timeless, and “forever” as existing in a photograph to preserve how we want to remember ourselves and be remembered — it breaks my heart how we keep talking ourselves out of it.

I want you to know that you and I are very much alike in this regard. As a mother who spends the better part of her day working non-stop, I have no problem dropping a good $50 on some ridiculous and un-educational toy my kid said she wanted but find myself thinking twice about buying a $4 mocha Frappuccino on a hot summer’s day after dropping the kid off to daycare…

I’ll be honest with you here: A Magazine-Style, Full Service Boudoir Photography experience is a luxury.

This is a want.

And it is becomes a need for the woman who feels like:

She ain’t got “it” anymore.
The confident head-turner she used to be doesn’t exist anymore.
Her youth is slipping away.
The corporate world has made her into this stone-cold, straight-faced pant-suit woman who is scared to let her hair down.
She spent all her youth changing diapers and truly has nothing to “show” for anymore.
Being “sexy” is not tasteful or classy but every time she looks at Shakira on TV or a Victoria’s Secret billboard, she dwindles into daydreaming of having the opportunity to have herself captured like that at least once in her life.

And this brings me to why I created Dream Boudoir Experience — because every woman who walks out of my studio feels like a brand new version of herself after her shoot with me. She walks a little taller, feels a little hotter, and stands a bit more confident. This is not a “photoshoot.” Photos are a mere part of the experience. This is a session which will change your life and the way you look at the woman in the mirror every morning.

Let me ask you this: What is your self-worth? What price tag would you put on your confidence? How much would you pay for a chance to feel validated in your own skin, without judgement, shame, burden, guilt, hatred, or becoming invisible? I’m sure your answer must be that “my self-worth, my confidence, my existence is PRICELESS!” And because ANY experienced, good, and qualified photographer would want you to feel ECSTATICALLY PRICELESS all the time, we would never want to skimp out on the service, the experience, the professionalism, the expertise, and the quality of products we want you to have. Let me walk you through this a bit more:

The Boudoir Experience You Deserve

When I created my boudoir photography studio in Toronto, I wanted to be the BEST photographer out there. Blame it on my full-scholarship-winning go-getter personality but I was not about to sit down, compromise, and do whatever Jane down the street with her cheap DSLR is doing. I wanted to have the best camera and lenses in the market to shoot the highest and best resolution possible. Spending 100s of hours and $1000s to learn from the best and perfect my craft was a given. I wanted to know how to create natural light if it’s dark and snowing like crazy in Toronto on your shoot day so we are not dependent on the sun — so I learned the craft and bought the most expensive and perfect studio lighting equipment available in the industry.

Sourcing and creating the best sets and scenes was always a priority. Spending a tonne of money testing different make up artists and hair stylists to find the absolute best ones to include in a team was a task I took on without questions. Instead of getting your money like Jane with DSLR, and completely leaving you on your own to find a location, wardrobe, makeup artist, hair stylist, leather crafter for your album, internationally recognized professional labs with the newest inkjet printers for superior museum quality prints, and whatnot, I actually DO ALL THE WORK FOR YOU! I want this experience to be all about you! The entire 6-hour day is designed to make you feel like you at the centre of this universe. And guess what? All of this with strawberries and whipped cream snacks!

Jane Doe, The Cheap Photographer

Remember when I asked you how much your self-worth is worth? Many photographers are either not confident in their art or are exploited because they are young and don’t realize how much time and money it goes into creating a mind-blowing creative piece of art.

The photographers who are not confident in their art are the photographers who know their photography is nowhere close to being good enough and that there is no consistency in their photos — where one session might produce great images but the next session will have terrible lighting and poses leaving you wondering how your own session will turn out and if it was all a waste of time and money. Two things happen to such side-hustle photography “businesses:” They quickly learn their craft and realize what it takes to create beautiful photographs and give excellent customer service and soon make a pricelist that’s compatible with industry standards or they soon go out of business because they simply cannot create the product a proper creative business can create.

The other photographer, who is good but charges less than a meal at The Keg, two things can happen to them: Either they give up their passion and love for photography and take up a regular 9 to 5 OR they realize that in order to keep creating the kind of photographs that win international awards and give people the opportunity to own their photos in the same quality as you would see in an art gallery, they need to properly run a business which has full customer service and best products and gear which will then reflect in their session price and print-digital packages.

Good and consistent photography comes at a cost. Learning the craft of lighting and exposure, a business that shows exemplary professionalism, legal credentials, liability insurances, reliability and dependability — all of this is reflected when the client sees their final print and digital images because the quality speaks for itself.

The Right Photographer for You

A portrait and boudoir photography experience is going to be one of the most sentimental and emotional purchases of your life. A professional, full-time photographer will know how to create flattering photos of women of all shapes, sizes, colours, and styles. Nothing but the experience of photographing constantly and consistently will equip a photographer to get the client in their most comfortable, relaxed, and confident self to create images she will forever cherish. For these reasons, you need to put real consideration into the photographer that’s right for you.

For me to create one image of you that you love, it doesn’t take the one hour of consultation, the one hour of makeup, the two hours of photography session, the one hour of review and ordering — it takes my entire lifetime of learning the craft and applying it to your needs. The value of a good artist will be demonstrated when you will look back at your pictures as recently as five years from now and will realize how thankful you are that you trusted the artist to capture a point in your life that you will never have again.

The Time Devoted

The hours that I spend with each client is the reason why every season is perfectly designed and executed to meet their needs. To capture the essence of your personality, you deserve my undivided attention and active listening. I want you to love your experience and not just the photos. I want you to know that you are with a trusted confidante and not just a photographer. I want you to feel comfortable enough to talk about your deepest desires and fears. It is not uncommon for me to meet clients who immediately divulge in how they can’t remember the last time they had sex with their partner or how empowered they feel that they have finally left an abusive relationship or the demands of workplace had left them feeling reduced to a mere piece of the puzzle and not an entirety in itself. I am not a trained counsellor but I have an open heart where I welcome all that’s upsetting you or all that you are celebrating and create images for you where you see yourself in the best light possible.

If you are thinking that I cost “this much” for merely a couple of hours of shooting time, let me tell you that those two hours are the easiest of my entire process. This is what all goes into making beautiful images in my studio:

Phone consultation before booking your session: 30 Minutes
In-person/Phone consultation after booking your session to design your shoot: 1 hour
Preparation time before you come to the studio and wrap up after the shoot: 2 hours
Photoshoot, hair and makeup, viewing and ordering session: 6 hours
Post-processing, editing, and retouching per 20 images: 12 hours
Album design/printed mats assembly and delivery: 3 hours
Quality assurance, production lab sequence, and pickup/shipping: 1-2 hours
Education and conferences: On average 3 hours per week
Studio equipment management and legal reviews: 2 hours per week

On average, I spend 20 – 32 hours on each client! My costs reflect the dedication I put towards your session. I don’t seem “that expensive” now, do I? 😉

The Reality

Jane down the street charging $100 for 50 pictures does not have $30,000 of professional cameras and studio equipment. She also probably doesn’t have the following expenses:

Liability Insurance
Camera and equipment insurance
Printing and Album
Employees
Professional Associations Memberships
Top-of-the-Line Softwares and Computers
Office Admin costs
Travel and Accommodation
Phone and electricity
Studio
Sets and props
Expos and Fairs
Education and professional classes fee
Internet and Hosting fee
Backup devices and cloud storage
And the list goes on…

So when you ask why something is so expensive, it definitely helps to consider the process it takes to produce the value. Sometimes taking a hit on quality and going to Walmart for a T-shirt might seem like a good idea when you have a paint-the-hospital charity day. But would you still compromise on quality when you are contracting someone to do your house flooring? Or when you need something as permanent as a photograph on your 30th birthday knowing that you will never be 30 again? You have to ask yourself if you would rather be disappointed or deliriously happy? Would you rather regret not doing something which you know is important for your soul or do it despite all your doubts and realize that making the credit card payment or being on my interest-free payment plan was really not as indulgent you were initially feeling?

If you can feel even 10% of the happiness, confidence, self-love, and appreciation as my other clients, and if you really feel like you need to do something to celebrate your new milestones or shed off the old skin you don’t want to be reminded of, then this session is going to be worth way more for you than even my Black Label Collection <3

Ready to Love Yourself Again?

Book Your Consultation

August 14, 2018April 22, 2019 by AlishbaZarmeen

Before/After Boudoir Transformation

Professional photoshoot direction and beautiful professional boudoir hair styling and make up on one side, just look at the absolutely glowing confidence a boudoir shoot gives these women!

My number one goal:

Enhancing your natural beauty from within.

Vancouver Boudoir Photography by Dream Boudoir Photography 40 beautiful elegant classy women female only

when you choose me for your Boudoir Photoshoot in Toronto, Vancouver, or anywhere else!

No matter what you look like,
If a you are confident, you are sexy.

Being sexy is a state of mind.

When you love yourself, that’s when you’re most beautiful.

Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius.

Let’s talk about what makes YOU feel beautiful!

Book your consultation!

in Reasons to do a boudoir shoot 1 comments

Dream Boudoir Toronto Studio — Romantic bridal boudoir Photography Female Photographer

August 14, 2018March 13, 2019 by AlishbaZarmeen

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! 😉

This stress-free, me-time is designed to make you feel comfortable and help you focus on taking care of yourself. You won’t have to think about anything else other than being present, mindful, and enjoying the serenity of self-love.

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:

Bright, airy, fresh, natural light, backlit, high-key romantic boudoir photography:

Flattering for your skin and that softness in your images.

This is ideal for bridal boudoir or birthday boudoir images.

Noir, slight grain, film style, low-key, black and white boudoir photography:

Designed to display the supermodel bombshell that you are and doing so artistically.

These make beautiful wall displays that can be a part of your or your loved one’s private art collection.

Vintage, pin-up style boudoir photography:

This is your calling if you are drawn to the fun, doll-like images from Marylin Monroe’s 1950s or if you’re a 1920s flapper dress girl.

Without all the background noise of sexism, this session style is re-purposed to make you feel empowered and sexy in a fashion style you identify with.

Natural wilderness, the beach, Hamilton’s waterfalls, Outdoor Boudoir Photography:

These are just a few examples if you are a beyond-the-four-walls girls. Due to the weather, these outdoor Toronto Boudoir Sessions are only offered in the summer months.

However, I am available to travel to virtually any part of the world you want me to capture you — how does the Bahamas sound to beat Toronto’s cold in January? 😉

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

in Featured / Reasons to do a boudoir shoot 1 comments

August 13, 2018August 20, 2018 by AlishbaZarmeen

Bridal Boudoir – The Best Wedding Gift for Your Partner!

When couples are newly-engaged, their first order is to book a wedding and engagement photography session. However, there is a rising trend of “bridal boudoir” photoshoots which has captured brides-to-be with intrigue and an excuse to not only show him/her/their partner that they lucked out 😉 but also live a bit of their sensual fantasy.

So what exactly is boudoir?

Okay, you will find the etymology of the word “boudoir” quite amusing: Well before there was Instagram, the word Boudoir was derived from the French word “Bouder” which means “to pout!” Boudoir, as it is now understood in modern language, means a woman’s bedroom or private sitting room. However, what it really implies is a safe, private space belonging to a woman to use for a private activity of her choice. For Boudoir Photography, a boudoir photoshoot is designed for women to have sensual and tastefully sexy photos taken of themselves while posing in lingerie or sensual outfits of their choice. The sub-genre of bridal boudoir specifically focuses on a bride-to-be to pose by herself in white or traditional bridal lingerie before the actual wedding. These photos are then used for the bride to keep it for herself as well as present as a private wedding gift to her partner in an album format or as an artistic canvas wall art to be put up in the couple’s married bedroom.

A professional and responsible boudoir photographers takes your privacy very seriously and will NEVER show any of your photos to anyone without your permission. After having a consultation with a boudoir photographer, you should receive a contract from the photographer detailing your wishes of how private or discrete you want the photoshoot to be. For example, as a Toronto Boudoir Photographer, I always ensure that my contracts are in compliance with the local laws and that my clients and their privacy is always protected.

Your bridal boudoir session can be done in your own bedroom at home or at a stylish hotel room. I provide the comfort, safety, and perfection of a boudoir photography studio in Toronto/GTA. I have beautiful sets that look like luxury bedrooms, bright & naturally-lit parlour-style chaise set, darker vintage backdrops, and the flexibility to turn my studio into what suits your session the best. Because I feel that when an environment is set up that is designed to represent who you are and what you love, it automatically makes it natural to capture the very best of you in your essence.

Why choose a specialized boudoir photographer instead of a wedding photographer?

While Bridal Boudoir is for women who want to give a unique and special gift to their intended on the occasion of their wedding, boudoir photography, in its essence, is for any woman, at any adult point in her life, for any reason including a gift to herself.

Just like your spa routine, you would want to go to a manicure specialist for your nails, a facial specialist for your face, and a hair stylist for a blow out, same thing applies to your photography. Every photographer masters the genre they are most in love with. For wedding photography, you need to be a pro at finding all the details and the special moments throughout the event, for commercial photography you need to have an understanding of “agency environment.” Similarly, for boudoir photography, a photographer needs to be trustworthy, sympathetic to all the aspects of womanhood, know that beauty means different things to different people, firmly believe in a woman’s right to choose how she wants to be seen, and have a consistent and clear vision of intimate photography.

I have spent a long time perfecting my craft and my formal education in human development and political science makes me uniquely fitting to be your boudoir photographer in Toronto. My GTA/Toronto boudoir photography studio is an all-female, well-equipped studio to accommodate your taste and style. I am a short drive away from a beautiful beach where we can shoot in the summer. I am also available to travel and photograph you at a location of your choice.

Tough Questions: Will he still love me tomorrow?

Yes, my lady, yes! Some reasons are comprehendible for young women, some reasons you may only understand after you turn 50 and your body changes — your reasons to celebrate your body now are going to be different than your reasons of celebrating your body then. And you will be grateful that you have documented your evolution every step of the way.

Every woman is beautiful. This is may sound like a cliché but it is as true as the sky is blue. A girl I have been friends with for the last ten years is ridiculously beautiful. We’re talking supermodel gorgeous — but she only has a few photos of herself. I talked to her about it recently and she revealed that she has never let anyone take a photo of herself. I was dumbstruck! because while everyone had TRIED to take a photo of her, she would block them and not let them do it. When I told her this, she seriously looked sad and said, “why did I do that?”

Youth and Insecurity

Why do we feel so insecure in our youth? This is one of our most powerful phases but why don’t we celebrate it? This is not the day and age when women are forced to wear garter belts and stockings. Now we have the choice to wear what we want. Not all boudoir shoots need to look like a Victoria’s Secret ad. Your shoot can be as raw and “un-made” as you like. This is all real: Frilly & girlie or rock & butch.

As much as boudoir is basically about getting undressed in a safe environment, it really is about “dressing up” to get more than a sexy bathroom selfie! You will be showing off your very best self. Your day might start off with a bath. Then you walk in for your professional hair and makeup. We get you in your sexy “lingerie” or jeans and a sexy crop top — whatever is your calling! You come in my studio for you glam shoot, you slip out of your tracks and sweats and unleash the true beauty hidden inside.

Miss C

Miss C came was looking for a female Toronto boudoir photographer when she came to me for her bridal boudoir session one year AFTER her wedding as an anniversary present — but she wasn’t sure how her husband would receive it. She wondered if his reaction would be negative or less than ecstatic. She had never gifted him anything sexual or implicit before and he hadn’t seen her as classically sexy before. Born and brought up in a religious environment, she had no experience of embracing herself beyond the modesty she was taught to exhibit at all points in life. She came in anyway and we did the shoot. She transformed into this confident runway model while she was posing for me! When she gave her husband her favourite images in a luxury grand designer album which comes in a gorgeous glass & vegan leather reveal box, she told me that her husband looked at her in a way that she had never felt he had before! She told me that it gave their relationship a new dimension and it wasn’t all about sex, it was the fact that he started to see her as a confident woman who is comfortable in her own skin which truly surprised and excited him.

What it takes to pose like a bombshell?

A drink or two? Maybe, maybe not. As an artist and an image-creator, I want you to be in your element and in your character which can’t really happen if you’re relying a bit too much on liquid courage. An expert photographer is well-equipped to guide you through flow posing that feels natural and feels good. You will ultimately feel relaxed and at ease once we get into the groove of it.

The best advice that I can give you from the experience of photographing hundreds of women is: Be yourself! Whether you are a bare-faced natural goddess or an airbrushed diva, your choice has to be right for you and your style. You can Google and Pinterest the hell out of “boudoir photography inspiration” boards but all inspiration really is this: Being mentally and emotionally motivated to do something.

The reason we fall in love

It’s simple: We want to feel something — we want to be inspired by our partner.

Ladies of the world: Be proud of your body and no longer feel ashamed when you reveal your beauty. Is boudoir nudity? I say that Boudoir is more about art than anything else. Walk through any museum and you will see that through centuries women’s beauty has been captured to be marvelled upon forever by the most celebrated artists that have ever existed in history. Take the time to find an artist whose body of work draws you in and who you think can capture you exactly the way you want to be remembered for eternity.

If you think I am that artist for you then go ahead and

schedule your free consult with me today!

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