How Do You know If You’re Ready for a Boudoir Session?
Wondering if you’re ready for a boudoir session?
It’s a question I hear a lot. And the truth is, if you've never gotten naked in front of cheering strangers before, leaping into a boudoir session can sound super intimidating!
Maybe you’re not fully confident in your body yet, or are nervous about finding a photographer you can trust.
It’s completely understandable, too. There’s a lot of societal stigma around embracing your sensuality, and no one wants to take the sexiest photos in the world only to suddenly get judgmental texts from your mother and a meeting with HR! But don’t let those fears get in your way.
Our photo studio is a safe and supportive environment that can be as private as you need it to be, which gives you the freedom to explore and express your authentic innermost desires.
Even more importantly, boudoir has a remarkable ability to make you feel beautiful, powerful, and confident in ways that transcend conventional beauty standards. Your photos will teach you to see yourself in an entirely new light by highlighting stunning features you didn’t even know you had, and re-framing your perceived flaws as entirely beautiful. you can embrace your unique features, curves, and edges, fostering a deeper sense of self-acceptance and confidence.
So if you’ve been fantasizing about a spicy photoshoot, you probably are getting close to being ready to do one!
To help you decide, today I’m sharing 4 ways to know if you’re ready for your first boudoir experience.
This way you can focus on feeling confident and powerful in your own skin – without having to worry about going into an uncomfortably sensual environment you weren’t prepared for.
(And if you’re not ready yet, you’ll know what you need to do to get there!)
Let’s dig in.
4 Ways You Know You're Ready for a Boudoir Session
Only you can say for sure whether you’re ready for a boudoir photoshoot. Like I said before, if you’ve been fantasizing about it lately, you’re probably in a good place to start looking at photographers, at the very least. You may even find that the insecurities that have been holding you back look stunning in your dream photographer’s portfolio.
To help you decide, here are a few tell-tale signs that show you're more than ready to take the leap and get professional boudoir images.
Readiness Sign #1: You’re Doing It For Yourself
Has someone suggested you try doing a photoshoot like this ?
It’s super fun to spoil a partner with sexy images, and we love a cheerleader! But at the end of the day, even if you’re making someone special an unforgettable gift, your photos are a gift for you.
When I first started taking sexy photos of myself, I was so excited and nervous to surprise my partner with them! They were obsessed with the photos, and I was obsessed with the look on their face when they saw them for the first time. It was such a memorable moment for both of us. And now, years later, guess who is pulling out the photos more often to indulge in a sneaky peek? It’s me, and I’m still obsessed with myself!
Which is crazy to think, because when I started out this journey, I just wanted to feel more confident and desirable in my own skin. I had days where I really struggled with my self confidence. Sometimes I didn’t even want to go outside because I was so insecure about my own perceived “flaws”.
But now when I wake up to thoughts of not being good enough, I stroll into my bathroom and brush my teeth while staring at a beautiful framed photo of my own immaculate ass – and that’s way more convincing than the self-help mantras I’ve read online.
So ask yourself: are you doing these photos for you? You can do them for a partner too, of course. But you shouldn’t feel that you are you being pressured into doing a photoshoot that you wouldn’t be comfortable with.
You can even try imagining an alternative reality. If your partner didn’t exist, is this still something you would think about? Given the circumstances (and putting your partner’s feeling’s aside), would you say you’re ready?
When it comes to taking spicy photos of yourself, always prioritize your own comfort, well being and pleasure first.
Readiness Sign #2: You’re Dying To Indulge Your Sensual Side
You may not feel it now, but noticing what you’ve been craving can help you understand if you’re ready to do a boudoir shoot.
So if you’ve been day dreaming about your photoshoot but also nervous about expressing your sensuality on camera, it can be hard to admit that you might still be carrying shame around your own pleasure.
We all experience shame around our sexualities from time to time. And especially as women we often need the world to see us as the professional who does her job well, or the mother who is there for her family; we try so hard to distance ourselves from sexual objectification that we dismiss our personal sensual pleasure in the process.
A client of mine, we’ll call her Maya, came in for a photo shoot to spice up her love life. She loved feeling desirable, but she often felt like the girl who was just “cute” and not “sexy”. She wanted to know that she was capable of being the seductress, and not just the girl next door. Once she saw her photos she was floored! She said now that her inner seductress had been released, her husband better be prepared!
Here are a few ways to push past internalized sex-stigma:
First, start to notice and acknowledge negative feelings and beliefs about sex, or your own particular sensual desires.
Next, challenge those beliefs and feelings. Do you know where your shame comes from? Maybe there are cultural, religious, or personal influences from your past that impact your perspective now. Or maybe your drawn to a taboo fantasies that bring you guilt and embarrassment. Remember that sexuality is a normal healthy part of being a human. We all have our “things,” and that there’s nothing feminist or progressive about shaming yourself for your own sensuality. We are over the days when women weren’t allowed to have pleasure!
Then the fun part, find ways to give into temptation!Take baby steps that you’re comfortable with. Try sharing a fantasy with a partner or friend you know you can trust. Normalize your feelings and desires by having open conversations with the people who are closest to you.
Finally, remember that it’s challenging to unlearn deeply ingrained beliefs. You may feel embarrassed or uncomfortable as you get started in your exploration, so before you embark on something new, ask your partner to support you after each new moment of fun with words of affirmation, a grounding conversation, or another activity that will help you to regulate your nervous system and emotions.
Chances are that this journey will unlock new levels of happiness in your life, and none of the anxieties you have will come to fruition. It’s always a good idea to assess the risks or something you want to explore, and to create boundaries that will keep you feeling safe and excited on your path to self-discovery.
Readiness Sign #3: You’re ready for a perspective shift
Other decisions don’t necessarily fall in your lap like magic, it’s more of an “all roads lead to yes” situation.
If you’ve tried buying all the trendy cosmetics, the body-positive mantras, the procedures and the therapy — and still it isn’t enough, that could be because you simply need solid evidence that shifts your perspective. And a boudoir photoshoot does exactly that.
For example:
My client Bella had a long self-love journey. She was doing all of the right things to work on herself, but there were insecurities that kept getting in her way. She even almost cancelled her photoshoot over them! But when we talked it over, she considered the possibility that this photoshoot could change how she saw herself forever. And that’s exactly what happened.
“I was nervous [and the Earthly Venus team] made me so comfortable and helped me pose. Insecurities I had I was able to see in a different beautiful light.”
Seeing your body as art truly teaches you to see your body differently.
Readiness Sign #4: You know your boundaries!
Knowing your boundaries before embarking on a boudoir shoot is crucial.
First and foremost, your experience should empowering and positive, not uncomfortable or violating in any way. Boudoir photography is an intimate form of self-expression, and understanding your limits allows you to fully enjoy the process and feel safe throughout. Any photographer worth hiring should believe and prioritize this too.
Setting boundaries also helps you stay true to yourself and your intentions for the session. Boudoir photography is about celebrating your unique beauty and confidence, and it should reflect your authentic self. By knowing what you are comfortable with, you can ensure that the poses, outfits, and overall vibe of the session align with your personal values and self-image. This helps your unique personality to shine through in the photos, making them an even more meaningful representation of who you are.
Plus, when you feel secure in your boundaries, you can focus on the fun and empowering aspects of the session, resulting in more natural and confident photographs.
Think about what you are comfortable with, what you absolutely want to do in your photos, and what you absolutely do not want to do in your photos. Communicate these boundaries with your photographer before your photoshoot (and if they ask you about your boundaries while planning your session, that’s a good sign). Your photoshoot is a collaborative environment where your needs and preferences should be respected!
In essence, understanding and communicating your boundaries is a form of self-care. It’s about honoring your comfort level and ensuring that your boudoir session is a positive and affirming experience. Whether it's deciding on the level of nudity you are comfortable with, the type of poses you want to try, or the overall mood of the session, having clear boundaries helps create a safe space where you can express yourself freely and confidently.
Standing in between you and your dream photoshoot: Self-doubt
Often times, the biggest enemy between us and our dream boudoir shoot is ourselves.
I’ve heard a lot of variations of the following from clients.
I need to lose weight first.
I want to get a cosmetic procedure done before my photoshoot.
I would have loved to do this back when I was young and hot.
I just don’t look as good as those other women.
I have body type of a melting candle! (this is a real quote)
Tell me, does this sound like you?
But here’s the thing: we all look at ourselves will all too critical eyes. Behind nearly every photo in my portfolio is a baddie who at one point wasn’t sure if they were hot enough to pull it off. Whether you know it or not, your body is. beautiful and worth loving exactly as it is now!
That doesn’t mean you can’t reach your goals or alter your body in whatever way you want — we love decorating ourselves just as much as you do! And we believe you deserve to see the beauty in yourself at every stage of your life.
Overcoming Financial Obstacles
We’ve already covered common obstacles in this post, but you likely will have some challenges that are unique to your situation, resources, and budget.
The good news is, there are a lot of ways to make a boudoir experience more financially accessible.
So here are some options my clients take advantage of to make their boudoir photos more affordable:
Consider Affordable Options: Not every boudoir offering is super expensive. Some clients spend just a few hundred dollars on images, while others may pay several thousands. It always depends on your budget and needs. Options such as smaller single albums or digitals are often more affordable than larger packages.
Schedule in Advance to Give Yourself Time to Save: Some clients book their sessions up to 6 months in advance for various reasons. One way to make your session more affordable is to give yourself enough time to properly budget for it. You can contact us and book your session out so that you know it’s on the calendar when you’ll be ready.
Earn Print Credit Through Referrals: For every friend who signs up for a photo session with Earthly Venus after you, you’ll get a $100 credit to spend on your boudoir photos, and they’ll get a $100 credit too!
Sign Up for Afterpay: You can use Afterpay at your ordering appointment to receive your images right away while paying for them in installments up to 12 months.
Use an In-House Payment Plans: Our in-house payment plans also let you pay for your images over time, and may be better for you depending on your budget and needs.
If you find that yourself stressing about the finances, remember that you won’t have to make any purchasing decisions until your ordering appointment, which is after your boudoir shoot. It’s ok to not know exactly which package is ready for you yet, and when you got to that stage in your journey, we’ll be there to help you choose a package and payment option that works best for you and your budget.
Bonus! Extra ways to get ready for Your Boudoir Session:
Get Excited for Your Photoshoot
Prep for Your Session Like a Pro
That’s a wrap!
I hope this post has helped clarify whether or not you’re ready to book a boudoir photo shoot yet.
If you're feeling nervous, remember that this is a normal feeling! You might feel like you’re not yet ready, but our team is here to support you and make sure you feel confident, excited, and comfortable every step of the way. You’ll be killing it in front of our cameras before you know it, and you’ll be shocked at how easy it is.
Have a question about something?
I’m here to help. Reach out here, or send me a DM on Instagram, Facebook, or Tiktok, where I’m always sharing content to keep you feeling like your confident, sexy self.
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