How to Prepare for Your Boudoir Session at Black Kat Studios

You booked your consultation, talked through your vision, picked your location, and said yes to the session. Now you're lying awake at 2am Googling "how to prepare for a boudoir shoot" and wondering if you're forgetting something important.

You're not. But just in case, here's everything you need to know from the week before to the moment we start shooting.

The Week Before

Get your nails done. Not the day before. The week of. Fresh nails photograph beautifully and you'll want them done before the nerves kick in and you start picking at them. Classic colors work great. Neutrals, deep reds, soft pinks. Avoid anything too trendy that might distract from you.

Skip the spray tan but if you must, do it early. We covered this in our What to Wear post but it bears repeating. If you want a spray tan, give it at least a full week to settle. A fresh spray tan photographs orange. A week-old spray tan photographs like a gorgeous glow. Plan accordingly.

Stay out of the sun and skip the tanning bed. Burnt skin is something I genuinely cannot work with and I won't pretend otherwise. Beyond the burn, tan lines are a real consideration. Personally I love a tan line. Not every client feels the same way, and I'm not going to edit them out. If you want an even look in your photos, stay out of the sun for at least a week before your session.

Do not wax within 24 hours of your session. This is the one nobody tells you. Fresh waxing leaves skin red, irritated, and sometimes bumpy. None of which you want showing up in your photos. If you're waxing, do it at least 24 to 48 hours before your session so your skin has time to calm down and look its best.

Read through the Boudoir Clothing Guide. If you haven't grabbed it yet, get it now. It covers exactly what to bring, what works on camera, and what to leave at home. This is not the week to wing it on wardrobe.

The Night Before

Get a good night's sleep. We know. Easier said than done when you're excited and nervous and running through seventeen different outfit combinations in your head. But sleep shows up on camera. Rested skin, bright eyes, relaxed energy. All of it makes a difference. Give yourself a real bedtime.

Lay out everything you're bringing. Lingerie, outfits, accessories, heels, robes. Get it all out the night before so you're not frantically digging through drawers the morning of. Check your clothing guide one more time and make sure you have at least three to four looks ready to go.

Skip the alcohol. A glass of wine to calm the nerves sounds like a good idea until you're puffy and dehydrated the next morning. Save the celebratory drink for after your reveal session. Trust us. You'll want to toast to something then.

The Morning Of

Eat something real. Not a handful of crackers. A real meal. You're going to be on your feet, posing, moving, laughing. It's more of a workout than you think. You need fuel. Just avoid anything that makes you feel bloated or sluggish. You know your body. Eat accordingly.

Stay hydrated but smartly. Drink water. Skip the coffee if it makes you jittery, skip the sparkling water if it makes you bloated, and skip anything that dehydrates you. Hydrated skin photographs better. It's that simple.

Do not work out the day of your session. We mean it. Posing is a workout. By the end of your session your core will have done more work than it does in a spin class. Show up fresh, not already spent. Save the Pilates for tomorrow.

Give yourself extra time to get ready and get there. Nothing derails session energy faster than rushing. Leave early, drive relaxed, arrive with a few minutes to breathe before we get started.

When You Arrive

Here's what session day actually looks like at Black Kat Studios.

You walk in and the first thing that happens is hair and makeup. Our professional makeup artist takes over and that's where the transformation starts. Not in front of the camera but in the chair. While you're getting pampered we'll sit and chat, the three of us. About the session, about your vision, about nothing in particular. It's low key on purpose.

Your music goes on. Not our music. Yours. Whatever makes you feel like yourself, whatever puts you in the right headspace. That playlist matters more than you think.

By the time makeup is done you're already in it. The nerves have usually settled somewhere between the foundation and the finishing spray.

When we start shooting we go slow. The first few frames are just us getting comfortable with each other. No pressure, no rush. The session is structured to build. By the time we're an hour in you'll wonder why you were nervous at all.

Still Have Questions?

That's what the FAQ page is for. Everything from what to expect at your reveal session to how long sessions run. It's all there.

And if you're still figuring out what to wear, the Boudoir Clothing Guide is free and covers everything.

When you're ready to talk dates, grab a spot on the consultation calendar. It's free, it's low pressure, and it's where we figure out if we're the right fit for each other.

Black Kat Studios is a fine art boudoir and glamour photography studio serving Los Angeles. Rick Feldman photographs one to two clients per week because this work is personal. Every session matters.