What Happens at a Boudoir Reveal Session at Black Kat Studios
The reveal is the moment you see yourself the way I saw you during your session. Here is exactly what happens at a Black Kat Studios boudoir reveal so there are no surprises going in.
If you have never done a boudoir session before the reveal is probably the part you are most curious about. Maybe a little nervous about. You have heard stories. A photographer shows you your images and then the pressure starts. Packages you did not know about. Prices you were not expecting. A moment that should feel celebratory starts to feel like a car dealership.
That is not what happens here. Let me walk you through exactly what a Black Kat Studios reveal looks like so there are no surprises.
It Starts Before the Reveal
By the time we sit down to look at your images together you already know what to expect. During your consultation we talked about the packages, what is included at each level, and what feels right for where you are. You did not walk into your session blind and you are not walking into your reveal blind either.
That matters. The reveal is not the moment I introduce pricing for the first time. It is the moment you get to see what we created together and choose your favorites. That is a completely different emotional experience.
How the Reveal Works
We meet on Google Meet. You are at home, comfortable, in your own space. I show you your edited images one at a time.
Some images may still be in progress at this stage so you can see the full potential of the shot and decide whether you want it included in your package. I will tell you which ones those are so you know exactly what you are looking at.
I let you sit with your favorites first. What stops you. What makes you catch your breath. What you keep coming back to. Those are your images.
I may share which ones are my favorites and why. Not to steer you toward anything but because I genuinely care about the work and I want you to know what I see when I look at it. You can take that or leave it. The decisions are yours.
Selecting Your Images
Based on our pre-session consultation you already have an idea of which package feels right for you. Once you have identified your favorites we match them to that package. Each package has a specific image count and we work within that to make sure you get the images that matter most to you.
If you fall in love with more images than your package includes you always have the option to add images or adjust your package. That decision is entirely yours. I am a photographer, not a salesman. My job at the reveal is to make sure you walk away with exactly what you want, nothing more and nothing less.
The Balance and Your Order
Once you have made your selections we tally what is owed based on your choices. You pay the remaining balance and I place your order.
Your wall art is produced by the best metal print lab in the country and typically arrives within a week. Your album is handcrafted by artisans and takes four to six weeks. It is worth every day of that wait. I have seen the quality firsthand and I would not offer anything less.
Everything comes to me first. I do a quality check on all of it before it goes to you. Once it passes we get it to your door or you can pick it up locally, whatever works best for you. Your digital gallery stays active for 30 days so make sure you download your images within that window. After 30 days the gallery closes and the files are not kept indefinitely so don't let that deadline sneak up on you.
What I Want You to Know Going In
The reveal is one of my favorite parts of this entire process. It is the moment you see yourself the way I saw you during your session. The way the people who love you see you. And almost every time there is a moment, sometimes subtle, sometimes not, where something shifts for a woman looking at her own images.
That moment is why I do this work.
I am not going to rush it. I am not going to pressure you. I am not going to make you feel like you have to decide anything before you are ready. You came this far. You showed up. You were extraordinary in front of that camera. The reveal is just the part where you get to see it for yourself.
Ready to Get Started?
The reveal is the last step. Before we get there we have a consultation, a session, and a lot of extraordinary images to create together.
If you are ready to take the first step book your complimentary consultation at blackkatstudios.com/schedule or text me directly at 909-234-2711.
Rick Black Kat Studios Los Angeles
Boudoir Photography for Fitness Women in Los Angeles: You Earned That Body. Every Woman Has.
Every woman who walks into a boudoir session has earned something. This post is for the fitness women — CrossFit, Pilates, pole, aerial, yoga — who have put in the work and are ready to see what the camera sees when it looks at them.
Every woman who walks into a boudoir session has earned something. Maybe it is years of hard work in the gym. Maybe it is surviving something that would have broken most people. Maybe it is simply the courage it took to show up. Whatever it is, it is worth celebrating and that is what we do here.
This post speaks specifically to women who are into fitness. Not because fitness women are more deserving of a beautiful session than anyone else. But because they have a specific experience in front of the camera that I want to speak to directly. If that is not you, keep reading anyway. Everything in here about confidence, about being seen, about celebrating what you have built applies to every woman regardless of whether she has ever set foot in a gym.
You Already Know Your Body
One of the things that makes fitness women genuinely different to photograph is body awareness.
Most women who have never done any kind of training spend the first part of a session getting comfortable in their body on camera. Learning where their limbs are. Learning what feels natural versus what looks good. That process takes time and that is completely okay because we have time.
Fitness women are different. You already live in your body intentionally. You know what your shoulders feel like when they are back. You know the difference between engaged and relaxed. You have spent hours in a mirror or under the eye of a coach learning what your body looks like in motion. That awareness translates directly to the camera.
You get comfortable faster. You hold poses longer. You move with an ease that feels completely natural in front of the camera.
And you are not ashamed of what you have built. You earned it. You want to show it.
What Your Discipline Does for Your Images
Not all fitness bodies are the same and I mean that as a genuine observation not a comparison.
CrossFit women tend to be cut. Defined muscle, visible strength, a physicality that photographs with a boldness that is completely its own thing. The images have a power to them that is undeniable.
Pilates and barre women tend toward something more elongated and elegant. The posture, the line, the way the body extends. There is a grace in those images that comes directly from the discipline.
Pole and aerial women are something else entirely. You have a command over your body that is rare. You understand how to hold a position, how to create a line, how to make something look effortless that is actually incredibly demanding. You also have a muscular elegance that is unique to your training. Those sessions produce images that look like nothing else.
Yoga women bring a stillness and a presence that translates into images with a different quality of intimacy. There is a groundedness in the way you hold yourself that shows up on camera.
I notice these differences because I pay attention. Your discipline is part of your story and I want the images to tell it.
Kris: Pole Fitness Competitor @kris_onapole
Kris is a competitive pole fitness athlete and our session together was unlike any other I have done.
We shot at a pole fitness studio and from the first setup it was clear this was going to be a collaboration not a direction. After every series of images Kris would come look at what we had created together and make a decision. That one needs another try, I can do that better. Or yes, I nailed that, let's move on.
That is the competitive athlete in her. The same perfectionism that makes her exceptional at her sport showed up in front of the camera. She was not satisfied with good. She wanted the images to reflect exactly what she knew she was capable of and she was right to demand that.
The results speak for themselves. When someone brings that level of intention to a session the images have an edge that cannot be manufactured.
Suki: Mom, Admin Professional, Barber, 4am Gym Regular@sukifitness19
Suki gets up at 4am to go to the gym before her work day starts. Then she goes to her admin job. Then when that day is done she goes to a salon where she cuts hair because it is one of her passions.
I am going to let that sink in for a second.
This is a woman who has decided that somewhere in all of that she is going to carve out time for herself. For her body. For something that is entirely hers before the rest of the world needs a piece of her.
When Suki walked into our session she brought that same energy. No hesitation, no self consciousness, no warm up period. She was present from the first frame. She took direction not as instruction but as invitation and what came back was pure collaboration. She was an absolute blast to work with.
The 4am alarm is not just a fitness fact. It is a character statement. It says I show up for myself even when no one is watching. That shows up in front of the camera in ways that cannot be faked.
The Session Experience
Every Black Kat Studios session includes a professional makeup artist on set for the entire session. Not just for your pre-session prep. She is there from your first frame to your last, part of your creative team throughout.
Sessions take place at curated Los Angeles locations. No home studios for new clients. You will always know exactly where you are going before you arrive.
And every session starts with a complimentary consultation. We talk before anything else happens. You tell me what you are looking for, what would make you feel most comfortable, and what you want to walk away with. No pressure, no commitment, no money changes hands at that stage.
I shoot one to two clients a week. Every session gets my full attention. I want to love the work I create for you and I want you to feel completely comfortable with me. That's why every session starts with a conversation where we figure out if we're the right fit for each other.
A Note for Every Woman
I want to be clear about something.
This post is not saying you need to be a fitness woman to book a session with me. Every woman who walks into my studio deserves to see herself celebrated and I mean every woman. Different bodies, different backgrounds, different relationships with fitness and with their own reflection. Every single one of them has something worth photographing and I have never met a woman who didn't.
If you work out six days a week this post is for you. If you have never set foot in a gym this post is also for you. Whatever you have done with your life, whatever you have survived, whatever you have built or are still building — that is worth celebrating too.
The camera doesn't lie. And what it sees when it looks at you is almost never what you see when you look in the mirror.
Ready to celebrate what you've built?
Book your complimentary consultation at blackkatstudios.com/schedule or text me directly at 909-234-2711.
Rick Black Kat Studios Los Angeles
How Much Does Boudoir Photography Cost in Los Angeles - And Why Most Photographers Won't Just Tell You
Most boudoir photographers in Los Angeles won't tell you their prices until they have your email address. I used to do the same thing. It ground on me every day. So I stopped. Here's exactly what boudoir photography costs in Los Angeles, what you actually get at each price point, and what to watch out for before you book anyone.
If you just spent twenty minutes clicking through boudoir photographer websites in Los Angeles trying to find a price and ended up with nothing but contact forms, you're not alone. It's one of the most frustrating things about this industry and it's completely intentional.
Most photographers hide their pricing because they want your email address first. Once they have it they can send you a carefully crafted sequence of messages designed to justify whatever number they eventually reveal. Some use the lack of transparency to bait you in with a low session fee and then upsell you at the reveal when you're emotionally invested in your images and least likely to walk away.
I was guilty of this early on. I used the same playbook. And it ground on me every single day because I hate it when companies do that to me. I don't want to harass people into doing business with me. That's not who I am and it was never who I wanted to be as a photographer. So I stopped.
Now I just tell you what things cost. If it fits your budget and the work resonates with you, we talk. If it doesn't, no hard feelings and no follow up emails.
What Boudoir Photography Actually Costs in Los Angeles
The range is enormous and that's not an accident. Here's an honest breakdown of what you'll find in this market.
Budget tier — $150 to $500
At this price point you're typically getting a newer photographer building their portfolio, a home studio or basic rental space, minimal or no hair and makeup, and a small number of lightly edited digital files. There's nothing wrong with this if you understand what you're getting. The experience will be limited and the images will reflect that. Some photographers at this level do excellent work. Most are still learning.
Watch out for contest funnels at this price point. A free or deeply discounted session sounds great until you realize the photographer makes their money at the reveal by pressuring you into packages you weren't expecting. The session was never really free.
Mid range — $500 to $1,500
This is where most of the Los Angeles boudoir market lives. You'll find more experienced photographers, better locations, and more polished editing. Hair and makeup may or may not be included , read the fine print carefully. Digital files are usually included but physical products like albums and prints are almost always extra and priced separately at the reveal.
Watch out for vague package descriptions, hidden product pricing, and photographers who won't give you a straight answer about total cost until you're sitting in front of your images.
Premium tier — $1,500 and up
At this level you should expect a fully curated experience. Professional hair and makeup included, premium locations, extensive editing, and a photographer who does this as their primary craft not a side hustle. The images will show the difference. So will the experience.
What Black Kat Studios Costs — No Contact Form Required
I'll just tell you.
The session fee is $895. That includes a professional makeup artist on set for your entire session, not just your pre-session prep. She's there from your first frame to your last. It includes a curated Los Angeles location, wardrobe coaching throughout, and a complimentary consultation before we ever book a date.
$500 of that session fee applies toward any package you choose at your reveal.
Packages start at $1,300 for the Digital Collection — 25 fully edited images delivered to a private gallery. From there packages range up to $15,000 for the Full Dream Team experience which includes a wardrobe stylist, female posing coach, five 24x36 metal prints, and magazine level retouching on 30 images.
Everything is listed on the pricing page with no hidden fees, no surprise upsells, and no pressure at the reveal. You decide what you want to own after you see your images. I'll be there to answer questions. That's it.
Why Cheap Sessions Often Cost More
A $200 boudoir session sounds like a deal until you factor in what's missing. No professional makeup artist means you're doing your own makeup for the most important photos of yourself you'll ever take. No experienced posing guidance means more images you don't love. Lower quality editing means images that look fine on a phone screen and fall apart when you try to print them.
The other thing nobody talks about is the photo mill problem. Some studios in Los Angeles book four, five, six clients a day. Your session is a slot on a schedule. The photographer is thinking about the client before you and the one after you while you're standing in front of their camera. You feel it. It shows in the images.
I shoot one to two clients a week. Every session gets my full attention. That's a choice I made deliberately because I got into this work because I love it and I intend to keep loving it.
What to Ask Before You Book Anyone
Regardless of who you book ask these questions:
Is hair and makeup included or extra and what exactly does that cover?
What's the total cost if I want digital files and prints? Get a real number not a range.
How many clients do you book per day or per week?
Can I see your full pricing before I give you my contact information?
If a photographer won't answer those questions clearly before you book that tells you everything you need to know about how they'll treat you after. Because if they won't be straight with you before they have your money, they definitely won't be straight with you when you're sitting at your reveal session emotionally attached to your images and they're ready to hit you with packages you never saw coming.
One More Thing
If you'd like occasional updates from me you're welcome to sign up for my email list. I'll be honest with you — if I forget to send anything for a month or two don't hate me. Life happens. When I do send something it'll be worth opening. Maybe a seasonal styled session I'm excited about, maybe a rare sale, maybe nothing for three months and then something great. No weekly newsletters, no aggressive follow up sequences, no inbox flooding. Just occasional real communication from a real person when I actually have something worth saying.
You can sign up below. Or don't. Either way I'm not going to chase you.
One Last Thing
I don't want any of this to come across as throwing shade. There are a lot of genuinely talented boudoir photographers in Los Angeles. If you reach out and we're not the right fit for each other, or the timing isn't right, or my pricing isn't where you need it to be right now, please go book a session with someone else. Seriously. This experience is worth having regardless of who you do it with. I just want you to go in with your eyes open so you get what you're actually paying for.
The Consultation Is Free and There's No Catch
Every Black Kat Studios session starts with a complimentary consultation. We talk about what you're looking for, what would make you feel most comfortable, and whether this feels like the right fit for both of us. No pressure, no commitment, no money changes hands at that stage.
If it feels right we move forward. If it doesn't that's okay too.
Book your consultation at blackkatstudios.com/schedule or text me directly at 909-234-2711.
Rick Black Kat Studios Los Angeles
What Every Woman Should Know Before Her Boudoir Session
There is a conversation I wish every woman could have before she books a boudoir session with anyone. Not just with me. With any photographer. Because what happens in that room matters. How you feel matters.
There is a conversation I wish every woman could have before she books a boudoir session with anyone. Not just with me. With any photographer.
Because what happens in that room matters. How you feel matters. And you deserve to walk in knowing exactly what a professional boudoir experience should look and feel like.
The Fear Nobody Talks About
Most women who inquire about a boudoir session carry two fears they rarely say out loud.
The first is vulnerability. Being seen in an intimate context by someone you do not know. The exposure. The risk of feeling foolish or uncomfortable in a private moment.
The second is quieter and often more painful. It is the fear of being judged. Of standing in front of a camera and having every insecurity you have ever had about your body confirmed by the expression on someone's face or the hesitation before they speak.
I want to address both of those fears directly because they are legitimate and because you deserve an honest answer.
What I Actually See
Every woman I have ever worked with has something absolutely stunning and unique to her. That is not a line. That is just what I have learned to be true after years behind the lens.
My job is not to photograph you despite how you look. My job is to find what makes you extraordinary and lean into it so hard that when you see your images you wonder why you spent so long being afraid of the camera.
And in every single session without exception there is always a wow moment. Always.
The Sacred Space
A boudoir session is not a photo shoot. It is something closer to a sacred space where a woman's vulnerability is honored rather than exploited.
I know what vulnerability feels like from the inside. Life has taught me that in ways I did not ask for and would not wish on anyone. What it gave me in return is a certain empathy. An understanding of what it means to be seen when you are not sure you are ready to be seen.
That understanding is in the room with us during every session. It shapes how I speak, how I direct and how I handle the moments when a woman needs a second to breathe before she is ready to continue.
Peeling Away the Armor
Every session begins the same way. You arrive, we talk, and when it is time to shoot you are wearing something comfortable and completely covered. A large button down shirt. An oversized jersey. Something that feels like you just grabbed it out of your own closet.
The first 10 to 15 minutes might feel a little awkward. That is completely normal and I will tell you that upfront so you do not spend those minutes wondering if something is wrong. It is not. It is just two people finding their rhythm.
After that everything flows. Every single time.
The armor comes off gradually. Not just the oversized shirt. The self consciousness. The inner critic. The years of telling yourself you are not quite ready for something like this.
By the end of the session most women cannot believe how fast it went or how natural it felt. That awkward first 15 minutes feels like it happened to someone else entirely.
What a Professional Boudoir Session Should Always Include
A consultation before you book anything. Not a form. A real conversation where you get to ask every question you have and decide if this feels right before any money changes hands.
A professional environment. Every Black Kat Studios session takes place at a third party professional studio with security camera coverage throughout. You will always know exactly where you are going before you arrive.
Complete transparency about what the session involves. No surprises. No pressure. No moment where you feel like something is being asked of you that was not discussed upfront.
The right to bring a friend. If having someone in your corner makes the difference between showing up and not showing up then bring her. Just make sure she is your biggest cheerleader. This is your moment and the energy in the room matters. A supportive hype woman is always welcome. A skeptic is not.
The right to stop at any time. A professional photographer will never make you feel like you owe them anything. If something feels wrong you say so and it stops. Full stop.
Your images belong to you. Nothing gets shared anywhere without your explicit written consent. Ever.
The Elephant in the Room
I am a male photographer who shoots boudoir. I know that gives some women pause and I respect that completely.
What I can tell you is this. The women who were most hesitant about working with a male photographer are often the ones who walk out most surprised by how safe and seen they felt. Not because I did something extraordinary. Because I built this entire studio around earning that trust one session at a time.
Every session takes place at a professional third party studio with security camera coverage. You will never be in an unfamiliar space alone with someone you just met. Professional hair and makeup is available if you want it. And if you would feel more comfortable bringing a friend she is always welcome.
If you have questions before you book, about the space, the process, who will be there, anything at all, ask me. I would rather answer ten questions upfront than have you walk in with a single doubt in your mind.
What I Want You to Remember
If you take nothing else from this post take this.
Relax. Shine. Be you. Who you really are.
Not the version of you that has spent years picking apart every flaw in every mirror. Not the version that is waiting to feel ready. The actual you. Right now. Exactly as you are.
That is the woman I want to photograph. That is the woman whose images will stop you cold when you see them for the first time.
That is always who was there. You just needed someone to show you.
If this resonates and you are ready to start the conversation, schedule your free consultation today. Or call or text me directly at 909-234-2711. I answer.
Behind the Scenes Boudoir Photography Session | Black Kat Studios Los Angeles
Olya took the train from Los Angeles to Upland, then an Uber to my studio. When she walked through the door I understood immediately why she made the trip.
What a Boudoir Session Looks Like From the Other Side of the Lens
Full length fine art boudoir portrait by Rick Feldman at Black Kat Studios Upland CA. Crystal chandelier, deep navy wall, confident open pose.
Olya took the train from Los Angeles to Upland, then an Uber to my studio. When she walked through the door I understood immediately why she made the trip.
She is from Eastern Europe, has the kind of blue eyes that stop you mid-sentence, and carried herself with a quiet confidence that made my job significantly easier. Some clients arrive nervous and need time to settle in. Olya arrived ready.
Why Behind the Scenes Matters
Finished boudoir images show you the result. They show you the light, the pose, the moment we decided to freeze in time. What they cannot show you is everything that happened between those moments.
The behind the scenes video below shows you what a real session at Black Kat Studios actually looks like. The movement between setups. The energy in the room. The way a session flows when a woman is genuinely comfortable and present.
I share BTS footage because I know that for many women considering a boudoir session the biggest unknown is not whether the images will be beautiful. It is what the experience will actually feel like. Will it be awkward? Will I know what to do? Will I feel safe?
Watch the video and you will have your answer.
The Journey to the Session
There is something I appreciate about a client who makes a real effort to get there. Olya took the train from LA, grabbed an Uber, and showed up ready to work. That kind of intentionality about the experience before it even begins tells you something about who a person is.
It also sets a tone. When someone has made a deliberate choice to be there — not just booked something convenient — the session has a different energy. There is investment in the room on both sides of the camera.
Boudoir portrait by Rick Feldman at Black Kat Studios Upland CA. Crystal chandelier, deep navy background, natural confident expression.
What the Camera Sees
Olya's blue eyes are the kind of thing that make a photographer's job both easy and impossible. Easy because the camera finds them immediately. Impossible because you want every single frame to be the one that captures them perfectly.
We shot at my private studio in Upland. Natural light, my setup, the environment I know best. The result is exactly what a Black Kat Studios boudoir session should be — intimate, personal, and completely her.
Black and white fine art boudoir portrait by Rick Feldman at Black Kat Studios Upland CA. Dark dramatic background, leather sofa, direct gaze.
Your Session Does Not Have to Look Like Hers
Every woman who walks through the door brings something different. A different story, a different energy, a different version of herself she wants to document.
Olya's session looks like Olya. Yours will look like you. That is the point.
Ready to make the trip? Schedule your free consultation and let's talk about creating something extraordinary. 909-234-2711
Fine art boudoir portrait by Rick Feldman at Black Kat Studios Upland CA. Navy background, white shirt, intimate seated pose.
Why Every Woman Deserves a Boudoir Session
I have heard every reason why not. I am not the right size. I am not confident enough. I would not know what to do. After years of photographing women in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire I know this — the women who walk in with the most reasons why not are almost always the ones who walk out the most transformed.
Why Every Woman Deserves a Boudoir Session
I have heard every reason why not.
I am not the right size. I am not confident enough. I would not know what to do. I am not the kind of woman who does something like this.
I have heard them all and I understand every single one of them. What I also know after years of photographing women in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire is that the women who walk in with the most reasons why not are almost always the ones who walk out the most transformed.
Not because I did something magical behind the lens. Because the camera has a way of showing you what the people who love you already see every single day.
What a Boudoir Session Actually Is
It is not a glamour shoot for models. It is not something reserved for a certain body type, a certain age, or a certain relationship status. It is not about creating images to show other people.
A boudoir session is a private, personal experience designed to show you yourself at your best. Full stop.
At Black Kat Studios every session begins with a real conversation. Not a form, not a questionnaire, but an actual conversation about who you are, what you want to walk away with, and what would make you feel most like yourself in front of the camera. From there I handle everything. The lighting, the posing, the direction. You just have to show up.
Los Angeles Is the Perfect City for This
There is something about this city that makes women ready for this experience. Los Angeles is full of women who have built something. A career, a family, a version of themselves they worked incredibly hard for. And most of them have never stopped long enough to celebrate who they have become.
I shoot at my private studio in Upland and at premium locations throughout Los Angeles. Wherever we shoot the goal is the same. Images that feel intentional, personal, and absolutely unmistakably you.
LA Roof Top Session
The Part That Surprises Everyone
When you see your images for the first time something shifts. Almost without exception clients are stunned. Not because the photos do not look like them but because they genuinely had no idea they looked that good.
That is not Photoshop. That is what happens when you put a woman in a safe, creative environment with someone who knows exactly how to capture her at her best.
The women who are most hesitant going in are often the ones who cry at their reveal. Not from embarrassment. From recognition.
You Do Not Need a Reason
You do not need a milestone, a special occasion, or a partner to gift them to. You do not need to have lost the weight or hit some arbitrary version of ready.
You just need to decide that you deserve to see yourself the way the people who love you already do.
That is enough of a reason.
Ready to start the conversation? Schedule your free consultation and let's talk about creating something extraordinary together. 909-234-2711
Helmut Newton and the Photographer Who Cannot Look Away | Black Kat Studios Los Angeles
There are photographers whose work you study and photographers whose work stops you cold. Helmut Newton stopped me cold.
Helmut Newton and the Photographer Who Cannot Look Away
There are photographers whose work you study and photographers whose work stops you cold. Helmut Newton stopped me cold.
I came to his work the way most photographers do — through the images themselves before I knew anything about the man behind them. Hard light cutting across a woman's face. Deep shadow pooling in architectural space. Subjects who looked like they owned every room they were ever photographed in.
I did not know what to call what I was seeing. I just knew I could not stop looking.
The Light
Newton's lighting is what gets me first every time. Bold, hard, unforgiving and completely intentional. He was not interested in flattering light that smoothed everything out and made everyone look comfortable. He wanted light that revealed. Light that created structure. Light that said something.
There is a minimalism to how he used light that I find endlessly compelling. He was not filling shadows to make the image easier to look at. He was letting the shadows do the work. The contrast between what he lit and what he left dark is where the tension lives in his images and tension is what makes a photograph worth looking at twice.
That philosophy is deeply embedded in how I shoot. I am not trying to create images that are easy. I am trying to create images that are true.
The Subjects
Newton's women are never victims of the camera. They are never passive. They look directly into the lens with an expression that makes very clear who is actually in control of the situation.
I have read the debates about his work. The conversations about the male gaze, about power, about what it means for a man to photograph women the way he did. I understand those conversations.
What I always come back to is the subjects themselves. They look powerful. They look confident. They look like women who knew exactly what they were doing and chose to be there. That reads differently to me than images where the subject looks like something is being taken from them.
Whether that was Newton's intention or the women's own presence asserting itself through the lens I cannot say. Probably both. But the result is images that have lasted decades and still feel modern because confidence does not age.
The Commercial Work
Newton shot for Vogue, for Yves Saint Laurent, for every major fashion house of his era. And somehow none of it feels like advertising. It feels like art that happened to be paid for.
That is the standard I hold myself to. Every session I shoot is commissioned. Someone is paying me to create something. But the images I am most proud of are the ones where you cannot tell. Where the result feels inevitable rather than manufactured. Where the subject and the light and the moment came together into something that would exist whether anyone was paying for it or not.
Newton understood that commercial work and fine art are not opposites. They are the same thing when you refuse to lower your standards for either one.
What He Left Behind
Helmut Newton died in 2004 but his visual vocabulary is everywhere. The hard light. The strong female subject. The architectural use of space. The refusal to be soft when sharp serves better.
Photographers working today whether they know his name or not are working in a language he helped create.
I know his name. I know his work. And I am grateful for both.
The Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin preserves his archive and continues to exhibit his work. If you have never spent time with his images properly visit helmut-newton-foundation.org and give yourself an hour. It is worth it.
If bold light, strong contrast and images that do not apologize for themselves sound like what you are looking for, let's talk. Schedule your free consultation and let's create something that lasts. 909-234-2711
Helmut Newton inspired photos taken by Rick Feldman at Black Kat Studios
Helmut Newton inspired fine art glamour portrait by Rick Feldman at Black Kat Studios Los Angeles
Hard light fine art portrait session by Rick Feldman at Black Kat Studios inspired by Helmut Newton
Black and white fine art glamour photography by Rick Feldman at Black Kat Studios Los Angeles
Pole Fitness Photography Los Angeles | Black Kat Studios
Pole Fitness: More Than Just a Dance
Pole fitness has gained immense popularity in recent years, not only as a form of exercise but also as a means of self-expression and empowerment. This physically demanding and mentally challenging activity offers numerous benefits that can enhance your overall well-being.
What Happens When Strength Becomes Art
I have photographed a lot of women. Models, executives, athletes, dancers, new mothers, women celebrating milestones and women who just needed to see themselves clearly for the first time.
Pole fitness women are something else entirely.
There is a particular kind of confidence that comes from building something with your body over time. Not the passive confidence of being told you look good. The earned confidence of training for months, mastering something genuinely difficult, and discovering what your body is actually capable of.
That confidence photographs differently. And it is extraordinary to witness.
Kris
These images feature Kris, a pole instructor and 2024 IPSF PoleSport Professional Masters champion who has been competing and training since 2018. The strength and precision you see in these images did not come from a camera trick. It came from six years of work.
When you spend months and years developing strength, flexibility and artistry at that level the camera does not have to manufacture anything. It just has to be in the right place at the right time.
That is my job.
Follow her journey at @kris_onapole on Instagram.
One creative decision defined this entire session. Every image was backlit. No front fill, no traditional studio lighting. Just light behind the subject and shadow in front.
It was an artistic experiment and it paid off. Backlighting strips everything back to what matters most — shape, line, form and strength. There is nowhere to hide and nothing to distract. Just the body doing what it has trained for years to do, rendered in light and shadow.
It is one of my favorite sessions because it proved something I already believed. The most interesting images come from making a committed creative choice and following it all the way through.
Why Pole Fitness Women Are Natural Photography Subjects
Pole fitness requires the same things great photography requires , body awareness, intentionality, control, and a willingness to be fully present in the moment.
Women who train at pole fitness understand their bodies in a way that most people do not. They know their lines. They know their angles. They know how to hold a position with purpose rather than just falling into it.
That translates directly to extraordinary images.
It also means that a pole fitness session often goes deeper than the pole itself. The confidence you have built in the studio does not stay in the studio. It shows up in every frame , in the way you hold yourself, the way you occupy space, the way you look directly into a lens without flinching.
Documenting What You Have Built
Fitness changes. Bodies change. The version of you that can do what you can do right now will not exist forever in exactly this form.
That is not a sad thought. It is actually the most compelling reason to document it.
The images we create together are not just photographs of what your body looks like. They are a record of what you built, what it cost you, and who you became in the process. That deserves to be on a wall not just on an Instagram story.
What a Pole Fitness Session Looks Like
Sessions can be photographed at your pole studio. Many studio owners are happy to open their space for a private shoot so it is worth asking. You could even organize a shoot for your entire studio and make it a day ,a group experience where every woman walks away with images that celebrate what she has built. We can also work at select premium locations throughout Southern California depending on your vision. If you have a space in mind I will work with it. If you need suggestions I have options.
Professional hair and makeup is available as an add-on and is worth considering. The combination of the physicality of pole fitness with a polished finished look creates images that sit right at the intersection of athlete and fine art subject.
No experience in front of a camera needed. You already know how to perform. I will handle the rest.
Ready to document what you have built? Schedule your free consultation and let's talk about creating something extraordinary. 909-234-2711
Glamour Photography with a Burlesque Performer | Black Kat Studios Los Angeles
Behind the Scenes Glamour Photo Session with Cherry Gwendolyn at Black Kat Studios Upland CA by Rick Feldman Photography.
What Happens When a Showgirl Walks Into Your Studio
Some sessions surprise you.
The moment Cherie Gwendolyn walked through the door I knew this was going to be one of those sessions.
Cherie
Cherie is a Los Angeles showgirl, pinup performer and burlesque artist who has performed alongside Hailee Steinfeld, Chris Brown, Don Toliver, Anderson Paak and more. She is the kind of performer who has spent years learning exactly what her body can do and exactly how to use it in front of an audience.
What I did not fully anticipate was how completely that translates to the camera.
Follow her at @cherie.gwendolyn on Instagram.
Want to see the session in action? Watch the behind the scenes below.
Dancers Are a Different Experience
I have said before that the women who are most hesitant going in are often the ones who walk out the most transformed. Cherie was the opposite of hesitant. She walked in professional, warm, ready and completely at ease.
Performers know their bodies. They understand line, angle, expression and presence in a way that takes most people years to develop. Cherie did not need to be taught how to pose. She needed to be pointed in a direction and given the creative freedom to inhabit it.
What that means for a photographer is that you stop directing and start collaborating. The session becomes a conversation rather than an instruction. That is when the most interesting work happens.
When Glamour Becomes Vintage Glamour
Some sessions have a direction before you ever pick up a camera. This was one of them.
Cherie is a burlesque performer. That means the old Hollywood sensibility, the deliberate femininity, the theatrical confidence — that is not a style she puts on. It is who she is. The moment she walked in it was clear that this was never going to be a standard glamour shoot. It was always going to be vintage. It was always going to be cinematic. It was always going to have that pin-up edge.
I did not redirect the session. I just followed where she was already going.
The result is images that feel like they belong in a different era while still being completely, unmistakably her.
What This Session Taught Me
Shooting Cherie reminded me why I love this work. When a woman walks in already comfortable in her skin, already fluent in her own beauty, the camera becomes almost secondary. You are not creating confidence. You are just documenting it.
The result is images that feel effortless even though they are not. Every frame has intention behind it. Every pose tells you something about who she is.
That is what separates a great session from a good one. Not the equipment, not the location, not even the lighting. The person in front of the lens.
Glamour and Vintage Boudoir Photography in Los Angeles
If you are a performer, dancer, burlesque artist or entertainer who has been thinking about creating images that document who you are at this point in your career, I would love to talk.
Sessions are available at my private studio in Upland and at select premium locations throughout Los Angeles and Southern California. Professional hair and makeup available as an add-on.
No session brief required. Just show up and let's see what we make together.
Ready to start the conversation? Schedule your free consultation and let's talk about your vision. 909-234-2711
Glamour Photo Session with Cherry Gwendolyn at Black Kat Studios Upland CA by Rick Feldman Photography.