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!

Beach Boudoir Photo Shoots on Lake Michigan

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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.

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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?

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Why I Photograph Boudoir

Why I Photograph Boudoir West Michigan Boudoir Photography Studio

I photograph boudoir because to me it’s the most beautiful and meaningful artistic form of photography. My mission as a boudoir photographer has always been to empower women to become more confident in themselves and to attract more positivity and affirmation into their daily lives. Empowering women by letting them take control of their own sexuality and bodies, master their sensuality, decide how they want to feel, how they want to look, and how they want to be seen, and learn to love themselves in an inclusive, judgement-free studio with a confidence-boosting experience. They should feel empowered, confident, excited, happy, beautiful in body and soul and spiritually-healed when they leave my studio. F*ck society’s standards and norms. I’m kicking the doors down and letting women free.⁠

My first boudoir experience was being photographed myself and that helped me to understand how important boudoir is. I spent a very long time hating on my body and not believing I was beautiful that stemmed from sexual abuse and a general lack of self-worth. Boudoir helped me to regain my confidence in myself and helped me begin a journey of healing and coming to love and appreciate my body rather than hating on it.

My assistant (and my mom!), Maria, was the perfect choice of boudoir photographer for me to come to understand what boudoir is all about. She was kind and complimentary throughout the entire shoot. If you’ve never met her, you don’t know how gentle she is and how cute and smiley. She’s the reason why I photograph boudoir and that atmosphere is one that I try to provide to every woman that comes into my studio, because it’s not easy to put yourself out there and be vulnerable. I want to create a safe space for every woman to come into herself and to open up and begin that journey towards self-love and confidence.

What makes you want to do a boudoir shoot? Send me an email from the Contact page, I’d love to chat with you!

Interested in learning more about a #MBPEmpower Boudoir Photo Shoot? Fill out the form below and I’ll send you all the info!

5 Myths about Boudoir Photography

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  1. Only people with excellent bodies should do it. I need to lose 10 lbs first. You don’t need to change! Love the you now. Doing a boudoir shoot will allow you to see how beautiful you ALREADY are. You don’t need to lose weight to love yourself. You just need to start now.
  2. You’ll hide what I don’t like and “photoshop” me to look beautiful. I’ll pose and light you to show you how gorgeous you already are. You don’t need to change what you look like. You just need to see yourself in a flattering pose and with flattering light that isn’t one of those terrible cell phone selfies that your friend took on a ladies’ night out that makes her look good but doesn’t flatter anybody else in the photo. Believe me, with a little professional guidance, you’ll see that you are as gorgeous as any magazine cover.
  3. It’s just sexy photos. Boudoir is about more than just taking sexy photos. You’ll definitely have those! But those are just the way to remember the experience. Boudoir photography is about teaching you to love yourself and your body. Women can often feel a sense of self-worth from their intelligence, their drive and their achievements, but it’s just as important to love who you are physically. It isn’t the only or most important part about you, but it is an important part. Ignoring or hating what you look like physically can prevent you from fully loving yourself and allowing yourself to live abundantly in joy.
  4. A boudoir shoot can only be done as a gift for a significant other. While a lot of women do a shoot as a gift for a lover and that’s a super sexy gift to give, it’s important to do it first for yourself. This is a gift for YOU. The gift of confidence, of love, of self-worth.

    I first learned about boudoir photography by doing a shoot for myself and it was the best gift I’ve ever given or received. It boosted my confidence and reminded me that my body was beautiful just how it was even at a time when I wasn’t willing to be kind to it. As women, it can be hard to not pick at all our flaws when we see so many images of how we “should” look. My boudoir shoot showed me that I was beautiful and unique and my flaws were just part of my story. It was truly the greatest and kindest gift I could ever give myself.

  5. It’s too expensive. Boudoir photography is an investment in rebuilding your self-worth. It’s about the experience of loving yourself enough to allow yourself to be pampered, to have a day celebrating who you are, and having reminders of the joy you found in loving yourself and being able to recreate the experience whenever you need a pick-me-up.

Interested in doing a boudoir photo shoot or learning more? Read the FAQs or Contact me to chat more at my studio and get all of your questions answered!

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Interested in learning more about a #MBPEmpower Boudoir Photo Shoot? Fill out the form below and I’ll send you all the info!