The Week Before Your Boudoir Photo Shoot: How to Prepare

Wondering the best way to prepare for your upcoming boudoir photo shoot?

Here are my top tips for preparing the week before your shoot:

7 days before your shoot: Drink plenty of water and gently stretch out your muscles.

Stretch, hydrate, and moisturize! Drinking plenty of water helps make your muscles more flexible, and it is going to reduce bloating and even plump and clear up your skin. It can even help you feel less tired! Under-eye bags? We don’t know her!

A boudoir session is a serious workout! I know it doesn’t seem that way, but holding the poses can really engage muscles that you don’t use very often! This can lead to sore and achy muscles the day after your shoot. The best way to avoid this is by starting to stretch prior to your session (a month before would be even better!) and drinking tons of water! The sooner you start these practices, and the longer you use them prior to your session, the better you will feel after! It doesn’t hurt to run yourself a nice, hot bubble bath after your session too!

Please AVOID trying any new skincare products or changing your skincare routine at this time. If you have a skin reaction, it will likely not have time to heal before your session.

5 days before: Get your roots touched up and wax (if you do).

Got roots? Now is the time to get those touched up! Five days before your session is a great time for a color refresh, but I don’t suggest trying a whole new hairstyle or wildly different color than you are used to.

What about “hair down there”? Natural is totally fine, shaving or waxing is also perfectly acceptable. However, trying something new in sensitive areas can sometimes cause a reaction like ingrown hairs, rashes, or red rash bumps. I suggest doing whatever you normally do! If waxing, 5 or so days before your shoot is normally ideal to reduce any prevailing redness or bumps.

2 days before: Get a fresh manicure (at a salon or diy) and shave and moisturize.

When you are thinking about your nails for your photo shoot- don’t think too hard! Sometimes simple and clean is the best! However, if you want your personality to shine, make sure you will love whatever color you choose 5 or even 15 years down the road! Natural nails are perfectly fine for your shoot, as long as they are well-maintained and clean. For colored nails, I suggest soft, neutral, or jewel tone colors.

If you prefer to shave, do so the night before your session to calm down any inflammation and make sure to moisturize your skin.

The day before: Layout and pack your outfits and accessories. Also, get plenty of rest!

It’s the day before and we’re so excited to have you in the studio! You’ve been planning out your outfits for weeks and now is the time to get them together. Layout each outfit separately so you can make sure you have all the pieces. Don’t forget the jewelry or accessories like stockings and shoes. If anything needs to be steamed or ironed, now is the time to do that. If you would like a copy of our packing list, visit our What to Wear blog post: https://michelleburroughs.com/what-to-wear-to-your-boudoir-photo-shoot/

Lastly, get plenty of rest the night before your shoot and wear loose fitting clothing to your session to prevent lines on your skin. Drinking lots of water helps with this too. Now get ready to have some fun!

New Flower Wall for the Boudoir Studio

Flower Wall Spring Lingerie Photo Shoot (2)

I absolutely adore the Spring in Michigan when flowers finally start to pop out of the ground and bloom into beautiful colors completely erasing any memory of Winter and the snow. I’ve had the makings of this gorgeous flower wall around forever, but recently cabin fever hit me hard during the Michigan Winter and I just had to make something to remind me that Spring is right around the corner.

  • Spring Flower Wall Lingerie Photo Shoot (4)
  • Spring Flower Wall Lingerie Photo Shoot (1)
  • Spring Flower Wall Lingerie Photo Shoot (3)
  • Flower Wall Spring Inspired Boudoir with Roses

Measuring a bit larger than 4 ft x 6 ft this flower wall took a LOT of flowers. Each individually hand-placed onto the backing. I did add a few extra rose garlands for interest and depth, but it took a lot of time and the help of my amazing assistant, Maria, to get everything in place. But the end result is well-worth the time and effort it took. I love the soft but bold colors and delicate look of the boudoir photos I’ve taken so far using it as a backdrop.

Some of the cool effects you can see in these photos are from differently shaped prisms I’ve collected over the years. Prisms are a great way to add fun miniature rainbows or even reflections and blurred special effects into your photography.

Want to be photographed on this gorgeous flower wall? Shoot me an email at hello@michelleburroughs.com or use the form on my Contact page.

Kim – Love who You are on the Outside

glamorous boudoir photo

If you are looking for a confidence boost, to feel more empowered, and to love who you are on the outside, Michelle is the photographer for you!! My experience with her was amazing!!

I have never felt beautiful. I am a confident woman, who has always succeeded in accomplishing my goals, but never loved who I am on the outside. Michelle brought out that beauty. I can truly see myself in a different way and am now more confident as a presence in any room.

I was nervous when I came in, as I am sure everyone is. I never imagined doing anything like this. Michelle’s “bedside” manner helped rid me of my nerves rather quickly. She has such a calming presence and her humor just brings out the smiles so they do not look fake and posed. I would recommend this experience to any woman I know!! The results were so artistic, feminine, classy, and beautiful!! I felt very empowered to make decisions, ask questions, and give ideas! Thank you, Michelle!!!

  • Love Who You Are - Silhouette
  • love who you are - boudoir photo

Corinn – Empowering to feel comfortable in my own skin

Intimate Boudoir Photo Shoot in Grand Rapids
How did you feel before your photo shoot?
A bit nervous but excited!
And after?
Confident and so sexy! Even though I arrived a little nervous my nerves were quickly calmed.
It was so empowering to be able to feel comfortable in my own skin and see these photos that show confidence and curves!!
What was your favorite thing about your shoot?
 The instant connection I felt with Michelle, she made everything fun!
How did you feel when seeing your photographs for the first time?
I was honestly shocked! They looked so beautiful. Before the shoot I wasn’t sure I’d be able to look at the photos without picking myself apart, instead it made me feel so much more confident in myself. It was hard to only pick out the ones I did since I loved them all so much!

White Sheets Boudoir Photography Session
White Sheets Boudoir Photo Shoot in Grand Rapids
White Sheets Boudoir Photo Shoot
White Sheets Boudoir Photography Shoot

What is your best memory from your photo shoot day?
Listening to Michelle talk about building a community of empowered and confident woman!! It’s a beautiful thing to see woman building up other woman!
Our mission is to empower women through photography. What does “empowerment” mean to you?
Empowerment to me means feeling proud to be you! Unapologetically yourself <3
What would you tell other women considering a boudoir photo shoot?
Do it! Even if you’re nervous just jump in, with Michelle behind the camera you won’t be disappointed!

The Love Language of Touch for Your Boudoir Experience

Grand Rapids Michigan Boudoir Photography Studio | The Complete Boudoir Experience

Touch, taste, smell, feel. From walking into the studio, being pampered with hair and makeup, having a drink or eating chocolates, and getting into your lingerie – everything about the boudoir experience is tactile. Lingerie is made to entice: by sight, by touch, by feel. The color, the fit, the lace, the satin. Every piece of it is a sensual and tactile experience.

Throughout a boudoir photo shoot, you’re having fun, laughing and letting all of the nervousness fade away as excitement takes its place. You’re admiring, enjoying and loving on your own body. Feeling your hair and skin, playing with your lingerie or gripping fresh clean sheets and thick fur rugs. Relaxing and falling into the moment while creating beautiful photographs that you should be able to hold and touch and admire.

The end result, the remembrance of your experience needs to be as tactile as the boudoir experience itself. I offer albums with luxurious linen and acrylic and thick gorgeous pages to flip through, fun viewfinders to play with and laugh about, glossy metal wall art to hang on your walls and admire every time you walk past. The more time you spend touching something the more you fall in love with it. Don’t be afraid to fall in love with yourself and your sense of touch.

Email me today to learn more about a life-changing boudoir experience.