Boudoir Sessions at The Sanctuary

Let me first start with a profanity: HOLY FUCK THE PHOTOS THAT CAME OUT OF THIS STUDIO ARE ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. This past weekend I shot with 5 stunning clients, and WOW did my creativity & passion for boudoir get ignited…

THE STUDIO

Located in Toronto, Mint Room Studios is a collection of photography studios with different rooms & concepts.

The Sanctuary currently spotlights a “Serene Winter” setup, which is what you’ll see in the images in this blog.

As soon as I saw the space, I knew I was shooting there. The studio is a “stunning tranquil bathroom space in natural stone colours, inspired by luxury Balinese spas”. And let me tell you, I felt tranquil as HECK shooting out of here. Ceiling-high windows provided just the right amount of natural light for a romantic boudoir session.

Photographers! A few things to note when shooting out of this studio:

• Parking is scarce around here, allow yourself 15-20 minutes to find parking, and share this with your clients as well! This makes sure everyone is on time.

• The studio is on the third floor of the building, you will check in at Unit #300 with the studio reception. In the lobby, there is a plaque for easy navigation.

• If you are using the bathtub, please be aware that the temperature tends to be finicky. It takes about 20 minutes for the tub to fill up, and there is a tea kettle you can fill to boil water. When I started shooting, we would shoot a lingerie look, then once the tub was filled, my client would hop in the tub. Some clients had lukewarm water, others had freezing water - it was a luck of the draw, really. My clients were freaking TROOPERS and the images were so, so worth it. Take into account the draining of the tub as well if you have back-to-back clients! It takes about 5-10 minutes to drain.

• Remember to let your client know to bring a towel if using the bathtub.

• Washrooms are down the hall from the studio and you’ll find a washroom key hanging on the wall just outside The Sanctuary.

• For changing, there is a privacy screen available, but it’s sort of see-through! I recommend turning away and communicating with your client that you will be averting your eyes while they change.

THE IMAGES

I shot in 4 main areas of the room. In front of the tub, on the steps, in front of the curtains, and in the tub. I created variety in the images by using different angles & maneuvering around!

I was inspired by ideas of softness, tranquility, and touch. Capturing intimacy was my main goal and... I think we got it, babayyyy.

I’ve been wanting to experiment more with movement, which you’ll see in the blurry images. For this, I slow my shutter speed down and either get my subject to move, or I move my camera manually, or both! There’s something so ethereal about these blurry images… It makes you imagine the movement that caused them. Dancing, spinning, you name it - we’ll do it.

DETAILS

Another thing I love to do, and if you’re a client of mine you’ve heard me say “OK hold that pose, I’m just going to come in for a few detail shots.”, is snag DETAILS.

In this session, I aimed to get detail shots I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise - like feet dangling over the side of the tub, and a hand dripping water. Features that, when photographed, evoke emotion, in this case - serenity.

I also asked my client to hug herself in the tub and captured SUCH a beautiful detail shot - the creases and curves of a self-embrace. Droplets of water on the shoulder, water pooling around her entangled limbs… UGH, these shots give me life.

BOOK WITH ME?

I’m currently booking slots for The Sanctuary in March! Here’s the info:

• Dates: Sunday, March 12 & Sunday, March 19

• Time slots available: 10AM & 11AM

• Packages:

- Digitals Package $500: Includes a 45 minute shoot, 20 digitals, 3 Polaroids, access to boudoir Angel wings

- Album Package $800: Includes a 45 minute shoot, a 6x6 mini album with 10 images, corresponding 10 images plus 10 additional digitals, access to boudoir Angel wings

Send me a DM over on Instagram, or send me an email at: iryna@arcadiaboudoir.ca if you’d like to book! Looking forward to meeting you. 🥰

XOXO,

Irene

Booking Etiquette 101: the Do's and Don'ts of Booking Your Boudoir Session

So, you’re ready to book a boudoir session… First off - YAAAAAAAAY! Round of applause for you, what an amazing step to take in your self-love journey! 😍 In this blog I’ll be sharing a few of the do’s and don’ts of booking your very own sesh & make sure the process is as smooooth as possible.

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DO: YOUR RESEARCH

There are going to be three things you’re going to want to look for in a boudoir photographer:

#1: Do you like their style?

Take into account what exactly you’re looking for. Moody & dark? Bright & airy? Grainy & romantic? This will narrow down your pool of photographers and help you filter through what it is you like, and what you perhaps could do without.

Check out their portfolio! Editing style is important, but do you like their posing? Does it look like they’ve worked with different body types? These are all good factors to keep an eye out for.

#2: What’s your budget?

This is pretty dang important! Boudoir is an investment, but boudoir photographers also vary in pricing! Make an assessment of your budget and what will work best for you, and choose from there.

Another area of importance is what sort of payment options the photographer has AND what payment types they accept.

For example, I provide three payment options to my clients:

1. Pre-pay in full for your boudoir package at the time of booking and receive 5% off your total order, plus access to pre-payment perks

2. Pay your session fee deposit at the time of booking and pay the remainder in installments prior to your session, and get access to pre-payment perks

3. Pay your session fee deposit at the time of booking and pay the remainder on the day of your session

Types of payment I accept are e-transfer and cash. I also accept credit card payments, but there will be a 3% processing fee added to your payment.

#3: Where will the shoot take place?

Obviously, location is a very important component. If having a local-to-you photographer is important, keep this in mind! If you’re willing to travel, this may open up your horizons a bit.

Getting even more particular about location, make sure you know if you’ll be shooting in a studio, their home, etc. Do whatever feels comfortable for you! A good boudoir photographer can shoot out of anywhere, BUT should be shooting out of a place that has somewhere private to change & access to a bathroom (unless its a nature shoot, then that’s a biiiiit different lol).

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DO: ask questions

Asking questions is GREAT and I most definitely encourage it! However, I do want to give advice on how to best ask questions without overwhelming your photographer (keep reading and you’ll see what I’m trying to get at). Here are the best ways/times to ask questions:

DURING YOUR CONSULT CALL

Write down all the questions you have for your boudoir photographer prior to your consult call. One piece of advice here? Take advantage of the plethora of information I have on my website! I have a page that goes over How It Works, The Investment, and a Blog that has useful info as well. Cross-reference your questions with my website prior to our call & if you can’t find the answer, ask away. 😊

Prior to the session

If after our consult call, you have questions to ask, please use email and please think long and hard about ALL the questions you’d like to ask so I can answer them at the same time! It does get overwhelming if I have clients asking me one question here and there, especially when I have other client communication I have to tend to.

Also, please consider your photographer’s preferred method of communication. At any one time, I usually have 10-15 clients booked. It may get confusing if I have one client texting me, one client DM’ing on Instagram, etc. I prefer to streamline all communication through email - that way I don’t have to rifle through 3 different modes of communication to see what was said and when!

In the end, I do encourage asking questions, but please be mindful of the aforementioned tips on how to ask questions while at the same time being courteous of your photographer’s time & energy. ❤️

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DOn’t: ghost your photographer

Let me start this off by saying I have a lot more amazing, communicative clients than people who have ghosted me. And for that, I am SO thankful! But, unfortunately, there is a reason why I have to include this in a blog about booking etiquette.

Here’s an overview of what the booking process will look like:

Step 1: Send in your inquiry

Once you’re ready to book your session, you’ll send in an inquiry through my Book Now page. I receive your inquiry in my email, do a lil’ happy dance, and will send you a link where we can book our consult call!

Step 2: our consult call

These calls usually only take 10-15 minutes and it’s nothing crazy! I like to have these so you can get a feel for my personality, we can chat about the experience & what to expect, and discuss boudoir packages. At the end of the call we’ll put our tentative date in the calendar and I will send over your contract with instructions for payment.

Step 3: sign the contract & make payment

Once the contract is signed and payment is made, your slot is secured! WOOHOO!

In my experience, most of the ghosting happens during Steps 1 or 2, before any commitment has been made. But wait… what IS ghosting? In this case, ghosting is the practice of ending a transaction with someone by suddenly, and without explanation, withdrawing from all communication.

It makes my heart hurt. 😞 If you are no longer interested in booking a service (not just photography), then please let the service provider know! A simple “Hey, this no longer works for me, but thank you for your time.” is perfect. That way it lets us off the hook and we can use our time and energy towards other clients! I promise you, if you communicate with me to let me know you’re no longer interested, it will not offend me. ❤️

DO: MAINTAIN TIMELY COMMUNICATION

What do I mean by timely communication? If your boudoir photographer sends an email that requires action from you, please try to respond within 48 hours (barring extenuating cirumstances). This keeps the process moving and makes sure we are completing everything in a timely manner as well!

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Booking your boudoir photographer should be a straightforward, comfortable process! Take your time doing your research, make sure to ask any questions you may have, let your photographer know if you are no longer interested, and communicate in a timely fashion. 😊 Maybe we could do it together sometime? 😉

XOXO, Irene

How To Prepare For Your First Boudoir Shoot

So, you want to do a boudoir session! Maybe one of your friends has done one before… Or you’ve always wanted to, but may have been too nervous to try. Keep scrolling, and you’ll learn some tips and tricks on how to best prepare for your first boudoir shoot… You may find some very valuable information that will help you decide to take the plunge into boudoir!

#1: What To Wear

One of the most-asked questions I get from my first-time clients is: “What should I wear to my session?” The answer is simple: anything that makes you feel sexy AND comfortable.

The comfortable part is very important. There are many lingerie pieces which can be sexy… but if they’re uncomfortable - i.e. pinching you where you shouldn’t be pinched, restricting your breathing, etc., this will translate in the photos!

If you feel sexy in an oversized shirt and underwear, super! You’ll kill it. If you feel sexy in fishnets and a lingerie bodysuit, great! You’ll slay. If you feel sexy completely naked… Let’s do this, you ethereal goddess!!!

I personally REALLY love bodysuits and would 10/10 recommend wearing at least one for your session. And don’t forget a pair of heels if you’re into those too! This is a great opportunity to maybe even buy a new lingerie piece you've always wanted, but never found a reason to buy.

Wondering what colours to wear? My style of photography compliments neutral/darker colours, so I would recommend whites, burnt oranges, reds, maroons, deep greens, navies and blacks. Ultimately though, it’s all up to you.

Before your session, try on your outfits at home. If you’ve purchased new items, TRY THEM ON! The last thing you want is for your items to be the wrong size, or damaged from shipping. Oh, and rip off/cut off any tags!

Put on some music in your room (or living room, or wherever, you do you!), get dressed up, and do a 360 in the mirror. Pop that booty and look back at it, play with your hair and dance around, you are FIERCE and you KNOW it!

#2: Should I shave?

Okay. STORYTIME. Body hair is a topic very near and dear to me. As a teenager, I was taught by society, especially TV, that being hairless was the only way to exist. Being hyper-aware of my body hair as a TEENAGER was just not fun. And those lessons followed me into adulthood.

In today’s society, body hair is labelled as “embarrassing”, “unhygienic”, “unattractive”. And don’t get me started on razor commercials with women shaving already-hairless legs. Now, there has been a push in the past few years for acceptance of body hair. But the “status quo” is still hairlessness.

This year I started my boudoir photography sessions. One of my first sessions, I hadn’t shaved my armpit hair in a little while, and I was showing a client how to pose. My armpit became exposed and the first thing to come out of my mouth was “…and don’t mind my hairy armpits,” mentioning it and drawing attention to it before the client could (at least that’s what had been ingrained in me by society - armpit hair = bad). We laughed it off and continued the session without giving it much thought.

Soon after, COVID hit and I stopped shaving - because I wasn’t going to see anyone, so why does it matter? So, I let it all grow. AND IT WAS AMAZING. It’s been over 6 months now and my armpit hair is LONG AND LUSCIOUS. And my leg hair? LONG TOO. I’m more comfortable when I shave my intimates because it gets super uncomfortable for me if it gets too long. But holy moly. It’s so freeing walking around and finally being free of the mental block of “oh my gosh, if I raise my hand up to reach something, this person is going to see my body hair”, or “I can’t wear that dress unless I shave…”. Now, I low key show it off. ;)

Whatever your journey with body hair is, EMBRACE IT. To answer your question: should you shave? If you want to. But, this space is a body hair-loving space too. Remember that!

#3: Bring props!

A great way to personalize your session is to bring personal items that have meaning for you - or your partner. Do you love painting? Bring some paint and a paintbrush! Do you have a favourite piece of jewelry? Wear it and let your photographer know you’d like some details shot of it.

I’ve had a client wear their partner’s favourite sports team’s jersey. She was doing this session solely for her and her only, BUT she decided to throw in a fun twist for her partner too.

#4: Extra Tips

• Give yourself enough time before the session to get ready, pack, and head over to the studio with a few minutes to spare!

• Wear loose-fitting clothes to the studio and avoid anything that can leave an impression on your skin (i.e. tight bra, belt, etc.)

• Bring a water bottle

• If you’re wearing makeup, bring it with you in case you’d like to touch it up before or during the session

• Use clear deodorant

• For the love of all things good, please check your nail and toenail polish! Chipping nail polish does not come across the best, and I would rather you either have neatly painted nails or just bare nakey nails! No chips, pleaseeeeeee.

• Most importantly - take a deep breath, relax and have fun! Every single client that has come into one of my sessions nervous have always left saying they had a ton of fun and would do it again :)

Have any other questions about boudoir you’d like answered in a blog? Email me at iryna@arcadiaboudoir.ca and let me know!

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Irene,

Hamilton Boudoir Photographer