Boudoir Day Experience - What to Know

What to know about your boudoir day experience!

Have you heard of boudoir before?

What do you think of when you hear boudoir?

I know a lot of people have a very specific idea in their head of what boudoir is, but I want to start by saying that when you really boil it down boudoir is

WHATEVER YOU WANT IT TO BE.

But if you want a little more details, let's go over how I would describe boudoir.

I wouldn't describe boudoir as:

• just sexy pics

• photos a woman takes for her partner

• "porn" (yes I have heard people describe boudoir this way)

I WOULD describe boudoir as:

• an expression of self love

• a confidence booster

• an exploration into self and self healing

• just to name a few

So now that you have a bit better idea of what I consider boudoir to be you might be wondering...

What does a Boudoir Day Experience with Kara Cavalca look like?

Well first let's start with what happens before the shoot.

I want to make sure I've gotten to know you a bit, which is why I require all my clients to schedule a free consultation call so we can get to know each other better and dig into what you want out of your shoot.

After that I send you a booking proposal that includes your contract and deposit, and you start receiving emails with prep advice and other information before your shoot.

I offer you the opportunity to schedule another call before your shoot so we can go over any questions you may have before your shoot day, so you can arrive feeling totally prepared!

When you arrive on shoot day, if you have chosen to take advantage of the complimentary hair and makeup, we will start by settling in for your pampering with snack and a drink.

We can have wine, champagne, tea or coffee depending on your preference,

although alcohol will help a bit with the nerves if you need that haha.

You will get your hair and makeup styled by one of our talented hair and makeup artist here in Durango, most likely at my studio but every once in a while we go to their studio.

We will chat and hang out while you are all pampered up, and the hair and makeup artist will always ask you how you like your look before they finish up and head out.

After you are all done up, we will look through all the outfits you brought, along with what I have in my closet that may work for you. We will look around my home studio or wherever we have chosen to have your shoot, and determine which spaces best suit your personality. At this time we can plan out the session a little bit before we get started.

The actual session will last somewhere between 1.5-2 hours. In this time we will cover various outfits, poses, and settings. This meaning that we will change locations around the room, throughout the house, or if we're outside we will go to different locations. We will cover multiple poses in each location, I will help with all the posing so you never feel like you are responsible for posing yourself.

Overall I normally am able to fit 2-4 outfits (with variation) into each session.

Where will the session take place you ask? Well we have a few options

• You can choose to have your session at my in home studio, this is where I have my boho studio room, but I also have various other unique fun spots around the house we can use. (You can check out photos of some of my home studio spots in my Boho Chic Boudoir Studio Tour blog.) We will have access to my entire client closet and all my drink options here, as well as some of my larger props.

• You can choose to have your session at your own home, if we do this option it is best if I arrive early to scout out all the potential shooting locations in and around your home. This is a fun option if you feel more comfortable in your space, or you want to commemorate your space in your imagery as well. In this case I will bring some clothing pieces that I think might be fun to work with, and we can also look through all your clothing options since we will be in your house where I presume you keep all your clothes haha.

• You can choose to have your session outdoors, this option varies depending on time of year, what kind of outdoor location you are hoping for, and if there are any tricky travel requirements. We will do a bit more planning to figure out the logistics of whatever we decide, so we may require more than just the first consultation call before the day of the shoot so we can make sure everyone is prepared. For hair and makeup we would still meet at either my home studio or my hair and makeup artist's studio before heading out on our adventure.

• You can choose to rent an airbnb or hotel space. Keep in mind if this is an option you are interested in you will be responsible for the cost of renting whatever space we end up going with. This can be a fun option if you are traveling in from out of town because then you also have a fun place to stay the night!

The session itself is an EXPERIENCE, it is more than just a regular photoshoot. Unlike family or head shot photos, you will be going on a journey within yourself throughout this shoot. I cannot count the number of times I have had a client text me after their shoot and tell me about the emotional rollercoaster they went on throughout their shoot and how grateful they are to have had the experience.

I have had numerous clients actually ask me to wait to show them their imagery because they wanted time to absorb and work through their shoot experience first.

I love getting to know my clients, so a lot of times I know some of the stuff they're dealing with throughout their shoot (i.e. having just gone through surgery, having lost a child, having gone through a bad break up or divorce, infertility, and much more). However sometimes they don't let me know what they're going through until after their shoot when they confess to me how much I helped them deal with something they had been struggling with within themselves.

So be prepared that this can be so much more than just taking pretty photos. We are here to celebrate who you are and what you've been through. We are here to connect or reconnect with yourself, and learn more about yourself along the way. Our goal is to lift your confidence and help you see the raw, natural, true beauty within yourself and how that is reflected out to the rest of the world.

We are here to help you love yourself, so that you can go out and spread that love to others.

KEEP IN MIND

Boudoir Sessions are not easy. I mean in the physical sense. I know when looking through Boudoir images, it may appear that all the ladies are just relaxed laying on a bed or standing against a wall, but it can be a bit of a workout! Sexy poses are rarely easy or all too comfortable. I mean think about it, the most comfortable position for me is laying blobbed out on my couch in my sweat pants haha. So come ready for some back arches, stretching, and a lot of sitting and standing up straight! Stretching before your session and having advil handy for the next day is not a bad idea.