WHAT TO EXPECT
Contact/Schedule
You've looked us up and checked us out, now you're wondering what to do next. We have multiple ways available for you to contact us with questions and scheduling a Boudoir Experience. You can call or text 2565662329, email info@joeshuttphotography.com, or go to our contact page here. We do prefer to have at least one phone call or FaceTime call before the shoot.
Reserve Your Date
Once you are ready to schedule an experience, you'll need to make a NON REFUNDABLE deposit and sign a contract to secure your date which will go toward the session fee. The rest of the session fee is due before or upon arrival at the studio the day of your shoot. The session includes hair, makeup, two to four outfits and about two and a half to three hours of shooting time. We will also send out a short questionnaire that helps us to get to know you, why your doing your shoot, what it is you want to get out of the shoot, and what kind of photos you would like to do (clothes, lingerie, implied, topless, nude, etc...)
The Experience
Upon arriving at the studio, we will welcome you and show you around for a few minutes so you can see the studio setup. We will have you lay out your outfits in the changing area before your makeup starts so we can began to plan out the shoot. We have a variety of drinks and coffee for you to enjoy while you relax, listen to music and get pampered. During this time (about an hour) we will talk and get to know each other better. We'll review your questionnaire and make sure we're on the same page and go over a few posing tips before we begin. I like to ease into the shoot with some simple, yet effective poses with more conservative looks. This helps to ease any nervousness that you may have and once you see those first incredible photos, you'll go from being nervous to being excited for the rest of the shoot!
As the shoot progresses, we'll work toward the more revealing looks that you as the client would want to do. During the shoot, I'll suggest poses that I see that I think would look good, but it's your decision as the client to do them. You are not required or forced to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. You can say "no" to any suggestions and it's left at that and we move on to the next pose. We generally start in a living room setting and then transition to a bedroom setup in the house studio. From there we move to the warehouse loft space and finish up with silhouettes if you choose to do those. (See studio space setup here)
The Review
It usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to have your photos edited and ready for a review of the files and purchasing packages. We can schedule this meeting date after completion of the shoot.
Upon ordering your package, allow 3-6 weeks for delivery. Albums can be slightly even more delayed right now due to the supply chain and worker shortages. If this is a gift, you'll want to schedule your shoot to allow plenty of time for the orders to be fulfilled and deliveries to be made. We can either hand deliver the purchased items to you or we can have them shipped directly to you.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ'S)
Who is Boudoir for?
Boudoir is for any woman over 18 to any age. It's a photography genre that is designed to empower women to feel sexy, beautiful, and confident in their own skin, no matter height, weight, skin color, or shape. My personal gallery has images of women from age 24 to over 50 years old.
Why Should I Schedule a Boudoir Experience?
There are several reasons to book a Boudoir Experience. First and foremost, you should do it for yourself! Most of my clients want to do this for someone else, but the self confidence gained from going through this beautiful experience is just amazing to watch. Being able to play a small part in helping women see themselves in a healthy beautiful way is the single biggest reward to me as a photographer.
Boudoir also does make for a great wedding, Valentine's Day, birthday, and anniversary gift. It's great for someone who has gone through a body transformation and wants to document and showcase that change. Boudoir is also great therapy for women who have been divorced or just came out of relationships where they feel extremely devalued. These are just a few examples, but the list goes on and on. We treat every client unique because every woman has a unique story in this thing called life.
What if I never modeled before?
That's perfect! Boudoir is for the everyday woman. Although I have worked with some models over the years, the majority of my shoots have been with non-models. I will guide you every step of the way through the posing while keeping the process simple. Once you see the photos you'll feel like you're a pro!
Do I have to get naked?
The answer is NO you don't. The shoot can be as conservative or revealing as you like. The way the shoot works is YOU make the decision of how riskay you want your photos to be and we will take that and make amazing images that you will love. In truth, sometimes less is more in some of these poses. You don't have to be naked to have beautiful sexy photos.
Will you post my images on your website?
I would LOVE to post your images and celebrate your beauty, however, you will receive a photo release form after the review where you can decide if you want them to be public or not. There are a few release options which include full, selective, and anonymous, but you can opt to keep the images private. It's completely your decision.
What kind of outfits should I wear for the shoot?
We would love to help you with your wardrobe selection! We actually encourage the collaboration and have a list of suggestions we can provide. Sometimes something that looks good in person, may not translate well to an image and vise versa. We like to be a part of this process to help create the best images possible. You are more than welcome to contact us anytime during your purchasing process to help alleviate stress.
Can I bring my Husband/Significant other?
Yes, I encourage that! I think it's great and sometimes we can throw them into a few couples shots!
Can I bring a friend?
Absolutely! I don't mind if you bring a friend, but I do request that it just be one individual. This is just due to helping the flow of the shoot. If there are too many people at the shoot, it can be, one, intimidating to the client, and two, distracting to a point where the shoot goes a lot longer than expected.
Do you do couples boudoir?
I do and I encourage it! I love working with couples and setting up beautiful romantic poses. We have a kitchen setup in the studio that is amazing for these shoots and if interested, inquire about our "Titanic" themed shoot where we recreate the famous Jack and Rose scene where he is drawing her. It's a favorite!
Do you travel to other locations?
I will travel to do boudoir sessions upon request. It may incur an additional cost depending on the location.
Will you meet clients before a shoot?
If you are on the fence about doing a shoot and would like to schedule a meeting in a public place to ask questions and get to know us better, we would love to do that! We do prefer nice coffee shops.
How much does it cost?
The non-refundable deposit goes to pay for the makeup and photo session which is a total of $400. This is due at the time of the shoot. The packages are purchased separately at the review and start at $200 and go to $2000. We offer discounts if you purchase the packages in advance.
Feel free to contact us with any additional questions!
THE STUDIO
This is a ONE OF A KIND EXPERIENCE! We have a beautiful studio setup just outside the Huntsville, AL area. This allows us creative freedom that ensures a very unique experience with variety for our clients. We have 16+ acres of beautiful forest that is very private and setup like something you would see if you stayed in Gatlinburg. We use a 750sqft house for the main studio and have an 860soft metal building setup as a second studio (Studio 2). The House Studio has beautiful large windows in the living room, a kitchen area great for couples shoots, and a bedroom that produces some amazing sexy, moody photos.
Studio 2 has an Urban Warehouse style loft that gives a completely different look from the House Studio settings. I currently have two backdrop setups that can be used for boudoir, but one of my favorites is a black backdrop that I have setup for doing silhouette style photos. These images are amazing and create beautiful wall art for clients. We're really proud of our setup and it creates a really nice variety of photos to choose from when you purchase your packages.
Photoshoot Prep Recommendations
We have several recommendations that we suggest in preparation for your shoot:
- Start using lotion three days prior to your shoot. This helps your skin glisten and look healthy.
- Don't drink alcohol the night before. This can create dehydration and dark circles under the eyes. It can also cause red blotchiness on the face and skin.
- Perform stretches the week leading up to your shoot. You will be sore the day after your shoot. The stretching will help minimize this.
- Drink plenty of water leading up to the shoot. The shoot can be tiring and this helps with staying hydrated and preventing fatigue.
