Happy Wednesday everyone. I hope you are all having a great summer so far. I know I am. Lately it seems like I’ve been getting a lot of the same questions so I thought it would be great to make a blog post to address my most common FAQ. And because every post is better with a pic, here’s a picture of a flower from my mom’s house.

1.) Are boudoir sessions like Playboy/naked sessions?

Boudoir photo sessions are tasteful and hint at sexiness. Every person has their own idea as to what sexy is as well as what they are comfortable with. These sessions are cute, fun, sexy, flirty and even a bit sensual all while maintaining your comfort level. They are often done for gifts to the groom before/after a wedding or for events such as birthdays, Valentine’s Day, etc.

I have a session scheduled in St. Louis on Sunday, July 15. You can see my blog post about it here. You will have your hair and make-up done and spend an hour with me… ONLY ME for your privacy. Wear a cute bra/panty set or maybe your guy’s favorite ball team jersey, etc. The ideas are limitless. If you google images of boudoir sessions you’ll get pretty racy images. My style is more tasteful for sure. And you don’t have to worry about a blog/Facebook post because I will never post your pictures online. They are meant for you and your significant other only.

2.) Trash-the-Dress sessions…do you really trash the dress?

This is a yes/no answer. For the most part, no, you do not trash your dress. This type of session is meant to be in locations where you may not have wanted to take pictures on your wedding day because you were scared of maybe getting a tiny bit of dirt on your dress. Maybe you didn’t want to sit down on the grass for pics or lean up against a brick wall. Completely understandable since you want to walk down the isle in style. So a bride (or even prom girls) can book a session where they get more time in their dress and not have to worry about getting dirty. This doesn’t mean trashing the dress, it just means putting yourself in an environment that is out of place from normal wedding photos.

Now some brides have wanted to literally trash their dress. Not any brides that I have shot but I’ve seen it. I’ve seen a bride and groom have a session where they splattered paint on each other (because they both loved painting) and other brides who have hopped on the back of 4-wheelers with their grooms and rode around in the mud.

The decision is really up to you.

3.) Why don’t you do indoor photo shoots?

I’m not a huge fan of studio photography because using flash just isn’t something I enjoy. Flash, to me, is harsh and not natural. There are very few photographers out there where I actually like their studio work. I’m a natural light photographer which means I ONLY shoot outside unless it’s a wedding day. If you schedule a session with me and it happens to rain, I generally reschedule. I’ve been asked to shoot indoors and I simply do not have the setup to take studio style photos.

4.) Where do you take pictures since you don’t have a studio?

The answer is EVERYWHERE! If you have a location in mind that’s great. If not, I can give you some ideas and you can choose what you think would be best. Most clients leave the decision up to me and they trust me. I love when clients have family property (lake, barns, etc.) because the locations mean something to them. I also drive around and look for an old ally or building that has character. The locations are endless. If I have to drive more than 40 miles from Percy, IL it’s a $25 fee.

That’s it for now. If you have any other questions for me, don’t hesitate to ask!

Talk to you soon.