Unpacking The shoot-planning appointment at Boudoir Studios New York
by Francesca Flansburg
“Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning”
Okay, once you’ve had your discovery call and decided to move forward, your next step is the shoot-planning appointment. to give you an inside scoop on what goes down, the bsny team shares our unique perspectives about this next step in the process.
ASIF:
“I really love in-person shoot-planning appointments for many reasons. As a client, it’s your chance to familiarize yourself with our space and your photographer, to get a feel for both the environment and the person you’re going to working with. For me, as your photographer, it’s a chance to meet and connect with you prior to the shoot and get a feel for who you are as a person. If it is something you consent to, I would love to hear a brief version of your story and the season of life you’re in that has led you to this moment of desiring to celebrate yourself through a boudoir session. What I’ve found by meeting with my clients prior to their shoot is that it helps me get a feel for their energy so that I can manage my own energy and presence to meet them where they are at. I want to get to know your personality and see how I can shift to meet you where it is comfortable for you. It is my goal to create an environment for your shoot where you feel comfortable and safe enough to relax and give yourself the permission to trust the process of this journey with me as your photographer. Trust me, I will coach you every step of the way when you are in front of my camera. However, if this is way out of your comfort zone then ample coaching and guidance to get the right pose isn’t enough on its own for you to feel safe and relaxed. That sense of awkwardness has a way of showing right through your eyes even if you are posed perfectly! This would be the biggest aspect of an in-person shoot-planning appointment that I love.
Beyond that we go over your personal boundaries when it comes to how much skin you’d like to reveal or conceal for your shoot. We talk about the vibe you’d like to capture as in how demure or risque you’d like your images to turn out. There is no judgment no matter where you land on that spectrum, only support and celebration. We will go over outfits, what looks good and what doesn’t. You will be shown our gorgeous album boxed sets and go over pricing and all the options we offer to showcase your beautiful images for yourself or your partner if you so choose. We will create a Pinterest mood board for you to gather all your ideas in one place as inspiration for your own shoot. There is plenty of information that we go over to help you have a great session. However, if you’re nervous and have never done anything like this before, which represents the majority of our clients, the biggest benefit that an in-person shoot-planning appointment offers you is a felt sense of how much we care to ensure you feel safe and comfortable throughout the journey with us. We want you to feel exactly what a recent client said to us at the end of her in-person appointment: ‘I feel good and taken care of.’ ”
Andrea:
“The shoot planning appointment! I love this appointment! I will start by saying that this appointment can be done in-person or via Zoom, but when all the stars align and we can do it in person it’s my absolute favorite. Let me explain: if you are anything like me, on the day of a big event I am so nervous…Will I know where to park? Will I know where I go to get into the building? Once I am in, what will it look like? What if I need to go to the bathroom?! Basically, I am a nervous nelly going to new places. So being able to do the shoot-planning appointment in person eliminates all that nervous ‘ new place energy’ on the day of your shoot. You come in knowing exactly what to expect and where you’re going. Aaaahh, ok, so we can breathe a little easier the day of.
So here’s what to expect at your shoot-planning appointment: you come in, take in your surroundings and now we just get to talk for a little while. This aspect is even more important and can happen regardless if we are in-person or via Zoom. This is a chance for you and I to just get to know each other a little more and talk about anything and everything that comes up. I would love to tell you I have a plan for exactly what we will talk about and what questions will be asked but it is so far from the truth. Every shoot-planning appointment is different. I truly never know exactly where the conversation will take us. You may be asking yourself, ‘What does this have to do with planning my shoot?’ It’s simple: it’s allowing us to get a sense of comfort with each other that I promise you will make shoot day way more fun and easy. But it’s also giving me a chance to hear the big story that has led you to be there in that appointment with me. Whether you’re coming in because you are at a pivotal point in your life and there is a lot of emotion behind this or you’re just coming in because you’re ready to celebrate yourself, I want to know and I want to meet you with that energy and give you the experience that you’re in search of!! Then, of course, we were going to spend time talking about the shoot itself and discovering together what your taste, comfort level, and boundaries are. I never expect my clients to come in knowing exactly what those are. Through conversation, looking at actual pictures, utilizing our shoot-planning guide and lingerie guide, we will figure it out together. By the end, you should feel confident that you know where you’re going, you know who will be taking your pictures and you know what you will actually be doing or - ‘sigh of relief’ - not be asked to do during your shoot. I will send you on your way even more excited with some clear direction for what you need to do between the end of that appointment and your shoot!”
nicki:
“I often tell our clients that we have a thorough, in-depth process and we aren’t the kind of studio where you show up on shoot day, get your pictures taken, buy your pictures, and say goodbye. Our boudoir experience is just that - an experience - and the shoot-planning appointment is the foundation of the whole experience. At this appointment, you sit with your photographer, Asif or Andrea, get to know them a bit, and they get to know you as well. It’s about building trust and co-creating the experience that fits your goals and desires. We don’t believe in a ‘one size fits all’ approach; your boudoir experience is completely customized to you. And the shoot-planning appointment is a pivotal part of that customized process.”
Teresa:
“ As a first-time client, my shoot-planning appointment was when the experience became alive for me. I am a planner by nature and have a tendency to be anxious about details, so going to the studio ahead of my session calmed my nerves and made me feel prepared and empowered long before I ever saw a camera. Having already driven to the studio, navigated the parking situation, and sat on the couch sharing stories/laughs/ dreams/tears with my photographer calmed my nerves. During the appointment, which was a little over an hour, we covered wardrobe, posing, style, and what the ‘dig deeper’ reason was for doing a session at this exact time in my life. I was given a lingerie and shoot-planning guide as well as a Pinterest board with some homework to complete before my Zoom call. This wasn’t a process that I had simply stepped into. This was a space that was built where my photographer and I could create an individualized plan for my session that would make it impactful and bursting with joy based on my vision. Boudoir is an invitation to indulge in the fullness of your beauty. Your shoot-planning appointment is the moment you sit down at the table.”
francesca:
“I found the shoot-planning appointment to be invaluable along the way toward a fulfilling boudoir experience. Not only did I have Asif’s undivided attention, but I was able to see just how private and cozy the studio space would be. It was the perfect opportunity to get a deeper feel for every aspect of session day. I also left with the tools I needed to take the next steps with confidence and a clear direction. Meeting and spending time with Asif in person made seeing him again on session day feel like hanging out with a familiar friend. For me, sensing the energy of people and places I encounter is very important - whether that sounds odd or not, it’s very real to me. And once I felt the energy at BSNY, I had a much better sense of peace and excitement about the process and about my initial decision to go ahead with a boudoir photo shoot. Once again (the first time being during our Discovery Call), Asif asked questions about what I wanted to get out of the experience, but this time we went further and included much more detail. I also loved the chance to become familiar with the changing area, where encouraging words from past clients were written sweetly on index cards. And…because I get anxious about driving to places I’m unfamiliar with. it was just very helpful to know where I was going and where to park on session day. Lastly, the shoot-planning appointment simply worked to put me more at ease in ALL aspects of the experience.”
brittany:
Brittany had a rather unique experience when prepping for her first shoot with BSNY. Although she did not have a traditional shoot-planning appointment, per se, her perspective is worth mentioning for that very reason. If you are familiar with Brittany’s story,you know that she spent quite a lot of time researching boudoir photography on her own before booking her first shoot. “Once I knew I was ten toes down, I googled so much stuff and asked questions in the lives [if you haven’t checked out our live posts in the Facebook Lounge, please tune in!]. I can’t recall all of what I did, lol, but I personally don’t think I missed anything at all.” This goes to show that despite all the benefits of the shoot-planning appointment, our photographers at BSNY can still find a way to tap into what you need and provide it on session day.
Just a few more juicy tidbits about this wonderful opportunity to meet and plan your own personal shoot with Asif or Andrea: you can certainly schedule this appointment via Zoom without losing the most essential aspects of the experience. Even though it may not be as rich or experiential as meeting in person, rest assured that if you can not make it to the studio (distance and busy schedules are real!), you will have your photographer’s focus and attention for the same amount of time to chat, ask questions, get to know each other, and generate the right plan for your beautiful boudoir experience! We will also accommodate you with virtual tours of our studio and details on how to find us/where to park (it’s a breeze). Either in person or via Zoom, you’ll also be able to review our plethora of previous photos to hone in on your style, look through our products to start thinking about how you’ll preserve and celebrate your images, get your hands on our shoot-planning and lingerie guides, and finish with a sense of satisfaction and direction that you are doing something worthwhile and important for yourself.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”