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!

Why You Should Consider a Couple’s Boudoir Session

West Michigan Boudoir Couples Intimate Photography

Boudoir photography isn’t just for women! It’s also a chance to reconnect and get intimate with your partner. Just like with women’s boudoir, you don’t have to be a certain age or a specific weight to do a couple’s boudoir session. All you have to bring is the love you share (and a few outfits) and a willingness to be open and vulnerable. All love is beautiful and you should celebrate yours!

Here’s Why You Should Consider Doing a Couple’s Boudoir Photo Shoot

Feel comfortable in your skin

One of the most wonderful things about being in a loving relationship is learning to see ourselves the way our partner sees us. As a gorgeous, sexy, amazing woman. Instead of focusing on “flaws” when you look in the mirror, you can remember that you are loved and perfect just as you are! And this goes both ways! Men struggle with body issues just as much as women—they’re just less likely to talk about it.

A couple’s boudoir photography session is the perfect way to see and reconnect with your beautiful self (and your partner!) in photos that remind you how great you two are together. Enjoying the intimate and vulnerable experience of a boudoir session will create greater intimacy and joy in your relationship as well as being a great reminder of how your partner sees you and how valuable that feeling is.A boudoir session can be an opportunity for both of you to feel more comfortable and at home in the skin you’re in and learn to love yourselves a little bit more.

Couple's Boudoir Session in Grand Rapids Michigan

Celebrate a beginning

Want to celebrate the beginning of your new life together? Engagement photography isn’t the only way. A couple’s boudoir session can be a beautiful way of capturing and celebrating the intimacy and love you share and a way to mark your new beginning as newlyweds. While you probably won’t share them with all your friends and family, you’ll treasure the photos that capture a very personal and intimate and sexy side of your love for each other.

You can also use boudoir to mark other milestones in your life, like the birth of a child or a major change in your relationship. Couples choose to do boudoir photography for any number of reasons or without a reason at all. Maybe you just want some intimate photos of how much you adore one another, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that!

Capture a love that has lasted years

Love and marriage can be challenging in a variety of ways, and it’s important to be grateful for the person who has stood by your side through it all. Celebrate your love with a couple’s boudoir session and remind each other how much you appreciate one another and how glad you are to have the other person in your life.

Reconnect with one another

Whether you’re going through a difficult transition in your life or you’re starting to feel distant from one another, a couple’s boudoir session can offer you an opportunity to reconnect and re-center your relationship around one another. Maybe you’ve been through a traumatic experience and just need to remember the love that has held you both together.

Whatever your reason, boudoir photography can offer a unique chance to be vulnerable and open with one another and to rekindle the intimacy you may struggle to feel at times.

Grand Rapids Michigan Couples Boudoir Photography

Remind yourself of your sexiness

Being sexy is not limited to a specific age or weight. And there is nothing sexier to you than the person you love. Boudoir photography allows you to celebrate your physical connection and the sexual attraction that drew the two of you together at the beginning of your relationship. Seeing couples celebrate the unique ways they love one another is one of the many joys of boudoir photography.

Interested in learning more about a couples boudoir session?

Contact Me and I’ll send you all the details!

Black and White Couple's Boudoir Photo Shoot

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Beach Boudoir Photo Shoots on Lake Michigan

White Shirt Beach Boudoir Photo Shoot Lake Michigan (4)

One of the most beautiful spots in Michigan is the lake shore along Lake Michigan. The crashing blue waves, warm sand beaches and orange-pink sunsets are a stunning backdrop for any photo shoot. Here are some tips and suggestions to make the most out of your boudoir beach shoot on the lake shore.

Top 5 Tips for a Beach Boudoir Photo Shoot

TIP #1: Scout Your Location

The most important thing when planning your photo shoot is to know where you are going to take photos. Having a vision in mind for the concept and styling will help you decide on your location. Are you looking for large areas of sandy beaches? Do you want to incorporate some of the green grass that grows along the lake shore? Or maybe more of the forests and trees? Some of the eroding sand areas make for awesome backdrops that remind you of the desert. Don’t forget the amazing lighthouses and piers that dot the Michigan lake shore all the way into the Upper Peninsula!

A second important part of planning your location is knowing where you can change outfits. You can do an entire photo shoot in just one outfit, but having multiple options with different backdrops will give you more variety in your photos! If you’re not able to find a place to change outfits at your chosen location, you can also use layers to create different looks and styles. A lacy cover-up, knit sweater, white shirt or even a flowing kimono-style robe are amazing options for layering.

White Shirt Beach Boudoir Photo Shoot Lake Michigan (2)

White Shirt Beach Boudoir Photo Shoot Lake Michigan (3)

TIP #2: To Makeup or Not to Makeup?

Should you wear makeup to your photo shoot? If you’re not planning on going into the water at all, then you can wear your normal daily makeup or even go bare-faced and beautiful. If you’re planning on entering the lake for photos and want to wear makeup, I suggest waterproof makeup. Waterproof mascara and a light waterproof lip tint are beautifully natural looking. False eyelashes are also a wonderful option. Be aware if you’re taking photos in direct sunlight that overly large lashes can cast long shadows on your face!

Lake Michigan Lakeshore Boudoir Photo Shoot (6)

Lake Michigan Lakeshore Boudoir Photo Shoot (2)

TIP #3: The Best Time of Day for Beach Boudoir

What is the best time of day to do your photo shoot? Honestly it really depends on your artistic vision! Sunset photos are absolutely gorgeous on Lake Michigan because of the stunning pink-orange sunsets that set behind the blue horizon. If you’re wanting more saturated colors of the sand and bright blues in the water, you would be better off taking photos at midday with the sun high in the sky. If you want to avoid any harsh shadows and work with soft, diffused light, you’d be best to schedule early in the morning or on an overcast day where the clouds create a beautiful softbox in the sky.

Boudoir Michigan Photography at Lake Michigan (5)

Boudoir Michigan Photography at Lake Michigan (4)

TIP #4: The Best Gear to Bring

My best tip for the gear to bring on a beach boudoir shoot is to KEEP IT SIMPLE! Don’t overly pack your bags! For one thing, sand gets EVERYWHERE. It’s a huge pain to clean all of your lenses and camera bodies after a beach shoot so keep your gear to a minimum. You also don’t want to chance anything falling into the water and getting destroyed. I suggest keeping it (at most!) to a couple of lenses, a backup camera body and a speedlight or small battery operated strobe.

A reflector is also a great tool to get the light right where you want it. Reflectors are a must have for a beach shoot. The inner diffusion material is great for keeping the bright sunlight off the subject’s face and the white, silver and gold sides are perfect for bouncing light right where you need it. I mostly use the white and silver sides but the gold side can be great for emphasizing a tan or at sunset.

Sunny Beach Boudoir Photo Shoot at Lake Michigan (5)

Sunny Beach Boudoir Photo Shoot at Lake Michigan (3)

TIP #5: Bring an Assistant

My last (and best!) tip is to bring an assistant! If you’re able to have someone tag along to help you during your shoot, I highly recommend it. An assistant is so helpful for holding your reflector or hanging onto your extra gear as you get near the shore line. I’ve nearly lost a number of cameras to those unexpected waves that come up and knock you over into the water! If you’re bringing a strobe along, an assistant is a must for helping you schlep your gear through miles of hot sand and holding onto your lightstand to prevent it getting knocked over by high winds.

Sand Dunes in Michigan Boudoir Photo Shoot (4)

Did you find these 5 tips helpful? Are you going to use these tips when planning your next beach boudoir shoot? What other suggestions do you have for someone planning their beach boudoir photo shoot?

Interested in booking a beach boudoir photo shoot with me? Message me to learn more!

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Jungle Inspired Boudoir Photo Shoot

Jungle Inspired Boudoir Photography Shoot

Have you ever seen a jungle inspired boudoir photo shoot? I hadn’t ever heard of it. But I recently created a jungle wall for a set at my boudoir photography studio. I absolutely love the tropical jungle vibes I’m able to achieve. It’s a very different look from the typical studio set up or bedroom, but it adds an extra something special to a boudoir shoot.

Tie Dye Jungle Inspired Boudoir Photo Shoot (2)

So far I’ve done a jungle inspired boudoir photo shoot at least once a week since creating the wall. Each one looks so unique and unlike anything else I’ve seen in Michigan. It’s great to be able to shoot an “outdoor” type scene, because in West Michigan we’re stuck inside most of the months of the year!

Have you seen inside the studio yet? If so, which set do you like the best? Do you like the flower wall backdrop or this jungle inspired wall?