The Art of Boudoir Shoot Prep

The best boudoir photography experience happens when you come prepared to rock your shoot! Whether you’re a brand new boudie girl or a seasoned shoot veteran, you might have certain preferences, themes, ideas, etc. you’ll want the Alli Murphy Photography team to help execute. Here’s a guide to help you plan for a phenomenal shoot.

Before the shoot:

1. Pick Outfits

Your boudoir shoot should reflect your overall style and/or shoot theme - it’s all about showing YOU in your best light. It’s a good idea to start by browsing some shoot inspo. If you’re not already a member of our VIP Facebook group, join now to see what other recent boudie girls chose for theirs, or to ask others for outfit opinions and suggestions. You can also check out our social media pages and other internet resources to get ideas for your sexy shoot. Most importantly, check out our guide: Boudoir Outfits for All Bodies and What to Wear for Your Boudoir Shoot.

2. Practice Posing

It’s natural to worry about your posing capabilities if you’ve never done a photoshoot before, but there isn’t a single client who has walked through our door and not absolutely KILLED their shoot. We’ve been doing this a long time and we guide you every step of the way, through a variety of tried and true poses that accentuate all of your best faces and features. But it doesn’t hurt to practice those poses you like in inspo photos - because when you can physically feel the pose and fine tune it you’ll know how to move and place your body when you’re actually shooting. Even though a lot of the photos will highlight your rockin’ bod, your facial expressions are important too. Practice in the mirror - you’ll be surprised at the difference in subtle mouth or eyebrow movements. Take note of what expressions you love and don’t love so you can recreate them or remind yourself not to do them. A slightly open mouth, a sly smirk, a chin tilted up slightly - work your angles and show emotion in your eyes (as Tyra Banks would say, “It’s all about the smize”).

3. Primp

When you look your best, you feel your best, and you deserve to feel amazing! Life gets busy and it’s easy to overlook the little details but they do show in your photos. Get your self-care on by having your hair cut and/or colored, get a mani/pedi...anything that will help you feel like you’re living your best life! Spray tans produce tan lines (hard to correct in editing) so skip that unless you’re willing to go fully nude during the spraying. If you get fillers or botox, make sure you do it a few weeks in advance to allow for bruising or swelling to subside.

4. Pump yourself up.

This is so important. YOU. ARE. BEAUTIFUL. You are confident. You are sexy. You are amazing. Keep saying it to yourself and BELIEVE IT, because it’s true. We all have insecurities, but it’s 100% possible to leave them at the door. Ask any of our past boudie girls and they’ll tell you that the shoot atmosphere is nothing but fun and chill. The Alli Murphy Photography team is full of women of all sizes and shapes and we have all been in your shoes for our own boudoir shoots!

5. Pat yourself on the back.

Boudoir is an intimate experience, and opening yourself up and exposing your emotional and physical self like that can be scary. Seriously, give yourself a pat on the back and major kudos for having the courage and motivation to even book a shoot. Sometimes it takes seeing yourself through someone else’s eyes, in a different light, to really change how you feel about yourself. Regardless of why you choose to do a boudoir shoot, or who you do it for, there is no doubt that the experience will change your perspective. Self-love is so important. Rest assured that you will walk out of our studio with a new love and appreciation for all that you are.

If you’ve just been browsing and haven’t booked yet, what are you waiting for? Fill out this form for information about pricing, packages, products, and exciting themes for our Long Island or Las Vegas boudoir photography shoots!