Classic Black + White Boudoir | Austin Boudoir Studio

It’s no secret that BLACK + WHITE is my baby. Processing boudoir images in black and white makes my heart sing and feels like the way it’s meant to be. Doesn’t it?

Miss M, here, was such a lovely client to work with. Much like the others, she was nervous, but trusting, and super excited to see the finished product.

"This experience was a B.L.A.S.T. I knew this was going to be fun but I didn't expect to love it as much as I did (clearly...I purchased round 2 within minutes!)." -Miss M

"A true professional and perfectionist in every way. Every piece was planned out from the prep to the shoot to the reveal; I cant tell you how impressive the details were. Cannot thank you enough for making this whole process so unbelievable and personalized!"

She was NOT kidding when she said she booked round 2 within minutes. During her photo reveal she said… “Would it be weird of me to get my next one scheduled right now???”. Obviously not. ;) Looking forward to working with her again as round 2 ALWAYS blows round 1 out of the water….and….like….how is that even going to be possible?! I have a feeling it’s going to blow both of our minds and I cannot wait!

Thank you, Miss M for trusting me with the process, with your kind words during and after, and for booking round 2 with me (is it TIME yet!?!?! Omg. HURRY!).

xx

Photography: Kara Marie Boudoir

Hair and makeup: Mayhem Boutique Salon

The ease of a KMB Boudoir Experience | Austin Boudoir Studio

Ahhhh the boudoir experience::: a source of mad anxiety from the time of considering the session to showing up to the studio. It doesn't matter how much I preach about how EASY it's about to be for a woman, the idea of stripping down in front of a stranger's camera is stressful...and...well...terrifying. 

Let me try one more time to emphasize the ease for any of you who may be nervous about this. If the oodles of rave reviews aren't enough for you, I'll add one more and explain the process along the way. Miss M was insanely nervous. Like....REALLY REALLY nervous. One of the more nervous women to walk into my studio. 

Her close friend and roommate actually had a boudoir experience with me last year, and Miss M came with her to her photo reveal and was blown away. Even with her friend's promise of a super easy and FUN experience, she was uneasy about how she would photograph. 

Months and months later, she finally worked up the courage to book, though her shoulders were tensed up to her ears and her voice was shaking a bit as we talked through the session on her shoot day. 

About 10 minutes into the shoot, she began to calm down, and by the end of it, I had to many incredible images of her that even I was STOKED for her finished product. 

So, what's it like?? What *exactly* goes on during a session? 

First and foremost, by the time you walk through the doors, you've already received so much information from me that there really isn't anything left to wonder about. You know how long we'll be together, how many outfits we'll be photographing you in, how long hair and makeup takes, and that I'll be giving you guidance along the way. 

We go through your outfits together and I'll offer you a beverage while you're slipping into your robe. My makeup artist chats with you about how much fun you're about to have (She should know, she's done it 6 times!!), and calms your nerves. 

When it's shoot time, I give you another run down of the process, how it's actually fun and silly and not at all a "sensual" experience. We'll be chatting along the way. I'll encourage you the whole time. I'll be mindful of your "insecurities" and play up your favorite features. I'll direct EVERY SINGLE POSE. Every limb. Your hair. Your face. All of it. All you need to do is copy me. 

Time will FLY. It ALWAYS done. If I don't make a very conscious effort to check on the time, I would shoot all day. It's fun for me, it's fun for you, and it's over before you know it. You'll already want to do it again (and probably will...they always do ;) )

Miss M agrees:

"I'm so happy that I treated myself to this experience! I spent months worrying about choosing the right outfit, planning, and wondering if I made the right decision to be semi-naked in front of a camera; all of my stress was for nothing!"

"I felt informed every step of the way and the entire process leading up to the shoot (booking, communication, what to expect) was so easy. The shoot itself was even easier!"

" I felt welcomed and comfortable from the moment I got to the studio. Between talking, posing, and outfit changes, I didn't even have a chance to worry if I looked "pretty enough" or "thin enough." I was able to submerge myself in a judgment-free zone and really take in how I felt in my body in those moments"

"I left feeling proud that I did something that I had wanted, but been afraid to do, for so long!"

She sat through her photo reveal slideshow in stunned silence...along side her friend and roommate who had been in a year before. When it was over, she breathed a deep breath of relief, and did a little clap.  The photos, of course, turned out incredible. Turns out I really *do* know what I'm doing. Tee hee. 

ALL of my clients are nervous, some more than others...but they all have that self-doubt that all of my clients are models and naturally good in front of the camera and that they will be the very first person that I cannot photograph.  Yes, the women on my website look modelesque...they do. But very few of them are actually comfortable in front of a camera. Not many of them would describe themselves as photogenic and sexy. Yet every single one of them looks that way. 

I got you, girrrrrrlll! Promise. You will laugh at how nervous you were and will most definitely want to do it again...knowing that if your photos turned out THIS good when you were terrified....they will be even better the second round when you know what to expect. 

Trust me. 

Ready to bite the bullet? Let's chat dahhling!

Straight out of a magazine: Miss W | Austin Boudoir Studio

If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen little peeks of this blonde bombshell and her killer boudoir shoot. She showed up with her friend, a bottle of champagne, and a kick ass attitude, and left with a really incredible set of images just for her own damn self. 

Miss W Said:

"It feels damn good to do something for yourself! I turned 31 on Monday and thought 'Hey, you are't getting any younger!' Every day I thank my lucky starts for all the greatness I have in my life.  I loved how comfortable and beautiful everyone made me feel throughout the whole process!"

“ If you’re a girl out there contemplating a boudoir shoot....DOOOO IT!!! Kara is AMAZING!”

— Miss W

"I love not only feeling sexy and confident but also LOOKING fuckin sexy!"

When she first contacted me about a photo shoot, her email signature was followed by a quote. If you know me or follow me at all, you know that I'm a quote girl. SO...I knew we were a match made in boudoir photographer/client heaven before I even met her. It said:

“I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.”

— E.B. White

Hellllooooo, RED! Amiright!? Yasss. 

This set. This set with the classy red lingerie, chanel pearls, red bottoms, and fur coat just SCREAMED magazine ad to me! Miss W seriously rocked it! I'm thrilled with our finished product. 

Hell yes to rocking a boudoir shoot. Hell yes to doing so for YOU. Hell YESSSS to feeling even better about yourself after you're done. I love these kinds of stories. 

Thank you Miss W for your badassness ;)

Makeup credit: Kendall of Mayhem Beauty

WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU DID SOMETHING TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL LIKE A GODDESS? LET'S CHAT, DAHHLING!

The Boudoir Photo Reveal | Austin Boudoir Studio

The Kara Marie Boudoir experience is just that, an experience. Because these boudoir photos are so incredibly important (let's face it, they are!), we want to make sure that you are getting the most out of the occasion.  This means viewing your photos in a unique way. 

I wanted to give you a little look into my photo reveal process. This is how my clients see their images for the first time...barring any long distance circumstances. 

The photo reveal. 

When we are getting you all packed up after your photo shoot, we will get you scheduled for your photo reveal session. This is anywhere from 1-3 weeks from your photo session date (depending on the time of year) and generally takes about an hour. THIS WAY, there is no GUESSING when you will get to see them all. You won't be wondering how long it will take before I show you. It takes a little anxious edge off, I promise. 

On the day of your reveal appointment, you come in to the studio, have some chocolates and champagne (duh! No photo shootin' going on TODAY. Indulge.), and watch as I reveal 15 or so of my favorite favorite favorite images from your boudoir shoot in a pretty little slideshow. You will love them and ooh and ahh over them. You will likely say "Wait. Is that ME!? That's ME!" about a dozen times. 

But wait! There's MORE! (Said in my best infomercial voice.) Then I take you one-by-one through each retouched image...generally about 60 of them. I show them all to you and we do some more oohing and ahhing. 

A sample screen of a full collection (from yesterday's blog post! If you haven't, go check it out!)

At this point we've already discussed what you foresee your finished product to be, whether that is a fine art album to keep on your coffee table, a little black book to keep in your nightstand, gorgeous acrylic wall art, or even digital files.  Nonetheless, I show you all of the options so you know what kind of awesomeness we can create for you with your images. 

We then go BACK through each image, one by one, and you give me a simple "YES" or "NO". There will be FAR more YES's than NO's, I assure you. The "NO" images will be removed from the "pile", and the "yes" images will be saved to a more pleasantly plump pile.  Together, we can eliminate any images that are too similar to make sure that you've got a diverse album. I will give you recommendations on images that would make for exquisite wall art. 

You make your final selections with my help, and then we get RIGHT to work with designing your finished product. 

And that is how it's done. 

The photo reveal is such an incredible experience for Kara Marie Boudoir clients and we often find that women are more nervous about this appointment than their actual shoot, and ALWAYS over-the-moon happy with their images. 

You can see a little of our photo reveal process in action in our promo video, too! 

And if you're coming in from out of town for your boudoir experience, like many women do, we can still offer up the photo reveal experience via online screen-sharing! Ohhh the power of technology! Here's a quick pic that my studio manager captured during our last long-distance photo reveal! I love the beaming look on my client's face as she watched her boudoir video!!

READY FOR YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE? THOUGHT SO. LET'S CHAT!