Step 02 of 04

Prep

Everything you need before your session day. Tap a section below to jump straight to what you need.

Visual guides
Visual Prep Guides

Tap any guide to load it full size. These exist to stop the overthinking spiral before it starts.

Tap a guide
Power pose
Power pose
Client closet
Client closet
Glasses
Glasses
Nails
Nails
Hair and makeup
Hair + makeup
Get fitted
Get fitted
Nerves are normal. These guides exist for one reason... to stop the spiral.
Power pose guide
Right before you walk in... 60 seconds.
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Visual prep guide
If your stomach does that flip the morning of... do this once. Then walk in.
Tip... do it in your car if you want.
Outfit inspiration
What to Wear Guide

Tap any outfit guide to load it large. Use these as visual cues... color, texture, mood. We decide the final looks together in studio.

Outfit guide 1
Use this as a shortcut... color, texture, mood.
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Outfit guide
Pack options that match what you see here. We choose together in studio.
Tip... if you are torn between two, bring both.
Tap an outfit
Pack options. We style it together.
Non-negotiable rules
Hard Stops & What to Avoid

These directly affect how your images come out. A few of them cannot be fixed once the session happens.

Hard Stop — 14 Days Before
No spray tan, self-tanner, or bronzing of any kind
Zero spray tans. Zero self-tanner. Zero bronzing lotion, tanning drops, or gradual tanners. Not the night before. Not two weeks before. Nothing within 14 full days of your session date.
Why it matters: Artificial color reads completely differently under studio lighting. The result is uneven skin tone that cannot be corrected in editing.
Hard Stop — 4 Weeks Before
No tanning beds
Four full weeks minimum before your session. Not three and a half. Four. If you have been in a tanning bed within the last month, text [YOUR_NAME] now.
Why it matters: Tanning bed color fades unevenly and creates contrast lines between covered and uncovered skin that are visible under studio lighting.
Pack This First
A Nude or Black Thong Is Not Optional
This is the most commonly forgotten item and the one that limits sessions the most. A nude or black thong is the base layer for the majority of poses we shoot.
Bring as base layers
  • Nude thong matching your skin tone
  • Black thong as backup
  • No underwire bras unless a statement piece
Do not arrive wearing
  • Tight underwear or bra — marks take 30–45 min to fade on camera
  • Tight waistbands or elastics of any kind
  • Tight jeans — same issue, same reason
Night before checklist
  • Pack your outfits, accessories, and shoes so your morning is calm
  • Moisturize with something you have used before — no new skincare
  • Eat a normal dinner
  • Charge your phone and set your alarm with time to spare
  • Lay out what you are wearing to arrive
Morning of — avoid
  • Heavy oils or lotion — reads shiny under studio lights
  • Tight clothing — waistbands leave marks that take time to fade
  • A bra — arrive without one if at all possible
  • Skipping breakfast — you will be on your feet for hours
  • New skincare — surprise breakouts the morning of are not fun
What to expect
Your Session Day

Here is exactly how the day flows from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave. No surprises. No guessing. Just knowing.

9:50
AM
Arrive & Come In
Park behind the building and walk up the brick alleyway to the front entrance. Please do not arrive before 9:50... if you are early, wait in your car. You will come right in at 9:50.
Step 04 has your full parking plan
10:00
AM
Hair & Makeup with Emily
You sit in the chair, have a drink, and settle in while Emily handles your hair and makeup. This part is intentionally unhurried. Hair and makeup typically takes 60 to 90 minutes depending on your look.
Included in every session
~11:30
AM
Your Session Begins
Every pose is fully directed. You will never be left standing there wondering what to do with your hands. We move through your looks together, one at a time, and I coach you through every frame.
You are guided start to finish
After
Wrap Up & What Comes Next
Once we wrap, you get dressed, gather your things, and head out. Your images come next... here is exactly how that works.
Viewing your images
Your Image Reveal
A note on image reveals: We are gradually transitioning away from same-day in-studio reveals as the default. If you signed up during a same-day offer, that option will be honored and offered to you as planned. For everyone else, your images are delivered as a private online gallery within [YOUR_DELIVERY_TIMELINE] days. If you have questions about which applies to you, just text [YOUR_NAME].
  • Delivery ... your private gallery arrives within [YOUR_DELIVERY_TIMELINE] days of your session date.
  • Viewing window ... you have 5 days to review, step away, come back, and finalize your choices.
  • Protected ... images are logo-watermarked until your selections are confirmed.
  • More to choose from ... because there is more editing time, you often receive a larger selection.
  • Polaroids ... you leave session day with 2 complimentary polaroid images.
In the weeks before your session
Flexibility & Mobility Prep

The poses we shoot require your body to move. The more comfortable and flexible you are when you arrive, the more poses are available and the more natural everything looks on camera.

You do not need to be a yoga instructor. You need your hips, spine, and shoulders to have enough range of motion so that when I ask you to arch your back or extend your leg, your body can do it without fighting you. Start these two weeks before your session.
01
Cat-Cow Spine Stretch
Daily — 2 minutes
On hands and knees, alternate between arching your spine toward the ceiling and dropping your belly toward the floor. Move with your breath.
Why: A flexible spine makes a back arch look effortless instead of strained. The single most useful stretch before a boudoir session.
02
Hip Flexor Lunge Stretch
Daily — 90 seconds each side
Step one foot forward into a lunge with your back knee on the floor. Shift your weight forward until you feel a stretch through the front of the back hip.
Why: Tight hip flexors make floor poses and kneeling positions uncomfortable. Loose hips mean more variety in what we can shoot.
03
Seated Butterfly Stretch
Daily — 2 minutes
Sit with the soles of your feet pressed together, knees falling out to the sides. Hold your feet and gently fold forward from your hips.
Why: Inner thigh and hip flexibility directly affects how natural your leg positioning looks in seated and lying-down poses.
04
Shoulder and Chest Opener
Daily — 60 seconds
Clasp hands behind your back with arms straight. Squeeze shoulder blades together, lift your chest, and gently lift your arms away from your body.
Why: Open shoulders and a lifted chest change how you carry yourself in front of the camera. The difference between closed-off and confident.
05
Lying Spinal Twist
Daily — 60 seconds each side
Lie on your back with knees bent. Let both knees fall slowly to one side while you extend the opposite arm out. Breathe and hold, then switch.
Why: Spinal rotation is used constantly in boudoir posing to create length and shape in the body.
06
Standing Forward Fold
Daily — 60 to 90 seconds
Stand with feet hip-width apart and slowly fold forward from your hips. Let your head hang completely. Bend your knees slightly if needed.
Why: Full-body release and hamstring flexibility. Reduces stiffness that shows up in the shoulders and neck during shooting.
Consistency beats intensity. Five minutes every day for two weeks does far more than one long stretch session the night before. Put it on with your favorite show, breathe into each position, and never push into pain. The goal is ease, not athleticism. Show up loose and the camera does the rest.
What you need at your session
Required & Recommended Items

Required items are non-negotiable. Recommended items expand what we can create together.

Required
A nude or black thong (at least one of each)
The base layer for the majority of what we shoot. Most commonly forgotten item. Most limiting when missing.
Required
Flexibility practiced beforehand
Do the six stretches above in the weeks before your session. Your body needs to be able to move.
Recommended
Your own personal pieces
A man’s button-down. A silk slip. An oversized sweater. Anything that feels like YOU. These often create the most meaningful images of the entire session.
Recommended
Heels in a neutral color
Optional but they elongate the leg beautifully. A nude or black pair works for everything. Barefoot is beautiful too.

Already past one of these? Text [YOUR_NAME] at [YOUR_PHONE_FORMATTED] before your session. Most things are workable when she knows ahead of time.