What Really Happens at a Calgary Boudoir Photoshoot? Behind the Scenes
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
98.5% of our clients have never done a boudoir photoshoot before and their two biggest concerns and source of worry is:
How the process will unfold and
What their final photos will actually look like
Even though we reassure every client that they’re going to love their photos and have so much fun, they often don't believe us. That's okay, because they’re always blown away by both the experience and the final results every single time.
Here’s a full behind-the-scenes look at our luxury boudoir experience from start to finish inside our Calgary boudoir studio.
What to Expect When You Arrive at Our Calgary Boudoir Studio
We recognize and applaud the courage it takes to step outside of your comfort zone.
The butterflies and nerves, we get it.
That's exactly why we’ve designed our entire boudoir photo process to be as easy and stress-free as possible. Our Calgary boudoir photography studio is a full-service, luxury experience, which means we guide you through every step and elevate every detail to a luxurious standard.
Our boudoir studio is completely private to you. A four-storey townhouse, designed entirely around boudoir with multiple photoshoot areas to create a variety of different timeless looks.
We want you to feel comfortable, relaxed and pampered so you can unleash your confidence, even if you don't believe its there yet. I know it may be hard to believe right now, but every client leaves our studio feeling empowered, more lively and as fearless as ever.
Before you even arrive for your photoshoot we do a 1:1 video consultation to go over all the details, walk you through the process, answer any questions and you get to meet your photographer. That way, when you walk through the door, you’re already seeing a familiar face.
One time, we had a client who was so nervous she was shaking during hair and makeup, but before long she felt so comfortable she was dancing around in her birthday suit.
> Read the full blog post: "Confessions Of A Boudoir Photographer: My Most Nervous Client Turns To Ice"
Professional Hair & Makeup
At our Calgary studio, every boudoir photoshoot starts with professional hair and makeup. We want you to feel pampered and celebrated so, sit back, relax and let someone else take care of you, for once.
Our makeup style is a soft glam look that doesn’t drown you out with dark and heavy makeup. We still want it to look like you, just the best possible, elevated version. We want your eyes to pop and your features to be accentuated. Our goal is to enhance your beauty, not turn you into someone else.
Our hair and makeup experts are the highest sought out artists in Calgary. They have a thorough knowledge of photo makeup and a keen eye for colours and what will match beautifully with your skin tone. They'll ask you about your preferences and can always tweak things once you've seen your final look.
Hair and makeup usually takes about 1–1.5 hours, which gives you time to get comfortable in the studio, chat with us, sip your champagne and let some of those initial nerves disappear. By the time you see the finished look in the mirror, the energy has usually completely shifted.
This is where the transformation starts, but its not where it ends or even completely shines. The biggest change happens once you get in front of the camera and realize you can actually do this and its fun!
Choosing What to Wear for Your Boudoir Photoshoot
Choosing your outfits is another part of the process you do not have to figure out on your own.
Before your photoshoot we chat about your vision, outfit ideas and you get access to our client lingerie guide, boudoir preparation guide and where to shop for lingerie. We don’t want this part to stress you out so we’re always available via text to help you up until your photoshoot date with whatever you need.
Grab your free boudoir lingerie guide HERE
Lingerie terms
The top 8 best lingerie types for boudoir
What to avoid
The best lingerie for each body type
What to do about tricky areas
When you arrive at our private boudoir studio, we go through your outfits together. We offer expert styling advice if you need it and choose what we’re going to photograph that day. Then we pour you a champagne mimosa or your favourite mocktail, so you’re all set for your celebrity glam session.
Once you arrive, we go through everything you brought and help decide what will photograph best, what fits properly, which colours work well together and which outfits will give you the most variety of looks. Plus every client gets access to our red bottom studio shoe collection.
For more ideas, see our full guide on what to wear for your boudoir photoshoot.
How We Guide You Through Every Boudoir Pose: What Happens While We’re Actually Shooting
Almost none of our clients walk into the studio knowing how to pose and you’re not expected to. It’s hard to know what little adjustments and movements to make when you can’t even see yourself. Plus, poses often need to be slightly exaggerated for the camera, so what a pose feels like can be completely different from how it actually looks.
A lot of people feel uncomfortable or awkward in front of a camera, which is why you may believe you’re “not photogenic”, but most of the time, you just haven’t had the proper direction.
We guide you through every single pose from start to finish, posing you from head to toe.
There’s no awkward “What do I do now?” moment because we’re directing you the entire time.
We also adjust every pose based on your body, comfort level, outfit, the set we’re shooting in and the overall look we’re creating. We’re not just putting every client into the exact same poses and hoping for the best. Sometimes the smallest adjustments make the biggest difference. Shifting your hip, changing the angle of your shoulder, relaxing your fingers or moving your chin slightly can completely change the final photo.
There’s a lot more laughing than most people expect. Some poses feel completely ridiculous while you’re doing them — then you see the final image and suddenly it all makes sense.
That’s why you don’t need modelling experience, confidence in front of the camera or a secret talent for posing. Just follow our direction, we’ll take care of the rest and together we’ll create some of the most gorgeous boudoir portraits you’ve ever seen of yourself.
Inside Our Calgary Boudoir Studio: Different Sets & Looks
One of our favourite things about our Calgary boudoir studio is how completely different your photos can look without ever leaving the building. Each area has its own style, lighting and personality, giving you a final gallery with a ton of variety.
We have everything from bright and romantic to dark and dramatic, editorial-inspired looks and specialty sets, so your photos can have completely different moods throughout your session.
We want your final gallery to feel like an entire collection of different moods and styles, while still feeling completely like you.
Warning: most of our clients tell us that the hardest part of their boudoir experience is choosing their final photos because they end up falling in love with all of them.
Bright & Airy:
Our signature white bedroom is bright with soft natural light and minimal distractions for a timeless aesthetic feel.
Dark & Dramatic:
Our silhouette suite, moody mirror and black screen sets are perfect for creating a more dramatic, sultry and moody vibe.
Editorial:
Our vintage Hollywood glam vanity set gives an editorial and classic vintage boudoir feel.
Wet Sets:
Our bathtub and glass raindrop shower sets can be photographed wet or dry and are so much fun in creating
Outdoor Boudoir Sets:
Yes, we have a private rooftop and offer both winter and summer boudoir sets.
Calgary weather can't control us.
Our Summer Rooftop (Available May -to- Oct.)
Rustic chic and luxury resort vibes to your boudoir photos. Feel like a summer Goddess with the lush palm trees and rustic outdoor bathtub to the dramatic hanging wisteria ceiling. It feels like a private resort hidden above the city and creates the most iconic, but still timeless photos.
Our Winter Wonderland (Available Nov. -to- Apr.) gives cozy snow globe vibes with our heated igloo and snowy outdoor views.
Think soft blankets, fur layers, candles, twinkle lights and winter views with the Calgary skyline outside. Cinematic winter boudoir photos that you simply can’t recreate anywhere else.
After the Boudoir Photoshoot
Once the photoshoot is finished, the experience isn’t over yet. We still have your photo reveal where you get to see all your gorgeous boudoir portraits.
We carefully go through your images and hand-edit every final photo so your skin still looks like skin, your features still look like you and the finished photos feel polished without looking fake. We don’t just slap on a preset or use lazy filters, so this process takes extra time.
1–2 weeks after your photoshoot, you finally get to see your finished boudoir photos and choose your favourites. Some clients choose to enjoy their photos in a printed heirloom album, some prefer digital images but most select a combination of both.
For many clients, this is one of the most emotional parts of the entire experience. You’ve already lived the photoshoot, but seeing yourself in your final photos is completely different.
See how clients react to seeing their boudoir photos for the very first time. ↓
Screams, cries and gasps are very typical reactions.
What Clients Usually Tell Us Afterwards
One of the things we hear after every boudoir photoshoot is, “I can’t believe that’s me.”
Clients often worry that they won't love how they look in their final photos because they won’t know how to pose or they’ll feel awkward. Then, they see their images and suddenly all of those nerves and worries are irrelevant.
We also hear “I wish I had done this sooner” all the time.
For some clients, the biggest surprise is how much fun the actual photoshoot was. For others, it’s seeing themselves in a completely different way than they’re used to. Confident, powerful, soft, glamorous or all of the above.
The beautiful boudoir photos matter, of course, but watching someone walk out of the studio feeling completely different than when they walked in is one of our favourite parts.
Nervous About Booking a Boudoir Photoshoot?
Being nervous is completely normal. You don’t need to know how to pose, be comfortable in front of a camera or even arrive with confidence. That’s what boudoir is for.
From your consultation to hair and makeup, outfit planning, guided posing and the final image reveal, we'll walk you through every step so you’re never left wondering what to do.
Most clients are surprised by how quickly their nerves disappear once we get started. What usually begins with “I’m so nervous” turns into laughing, relaxing and realizing this experience is way more fun than you ever expected.
You can do this too!
You don’t have to wait until you feel more confident, lose weight, buy the perfect lingerie or become a different version of yourself first. You can show up exactly as you are. We’ll take care of the rest.
Ready to See What Your Boudoir Photoshoot Could Look Like?
If you’ve been thinking about booking a boudoir photoshoot in Calgary, but still have questions...
Start with a complimentary 1:1 consultation. We’ll walk you through the experience, answer your questions and help you decide if boudoir is right for you. No pressure, no awkward sales pitch.
