Why is boudoir photography so expensive? (A fairy tale)
by Francesca Flansburg
One day, good friends Tatiana and Rosalie were strolling together through a rather enchanting forest. Tatiana, who had recently been contemplating doing a boudoir session, asked her friend, “Rosa, why is boudoir photography so expensive?”
“Have you not heard the Tale of Two Photo Sessions?” replied Rosalie. “About sisters Aurora and Serena who took two very different paths on their journey of self-discovery and empowerment through boudoir?”
“No, I haven’t” said Tatiana. “But what does it have to do with my question?”
“Listen,” said Rosalie. “And you will learn…”
Once upon a time,
in a quaint Upstate New York village, sisters Aurora and Serena decided to embark on a quest for a transformative adventure. Serena suggested they each do a boudoir photo session, “because this journey will require bravery and has the potential for great reward!”
“Let’s do it!” said Aurora. “How do we get started?”
The young women set out on their quest to experience the wonderful world of boudoir. Serena contacted a friend of a friend, who knew a guy… “I know just the guy who can help you two out,” said Max Lax. “My friends, Peter and Penny, run a photography business out of their home. They can take your pictures at a fraction of the cost compared to some of the other places in town.”
“But will they do a good job?” asked Aurora.
“They’ll do a fine job!” replied Lax. “They did a great job with my brother’s engagement photos. They’re just starting to venture into the realm of boudoir. Plus, since they work out of their home, they cut the cost of rent for dedicated studio space. You really won’t find a better deal.”
“Sounds perfect!” said Serena. She took the contact information for Peter and Penny and the girls went on their way. Oddly enough, Serena and Aurora thought they heard Lax laugh rather menacingly as they left. Aurora could have sworn she heard him mutter, “Suckers…” under his breath. (Bear with me here…all fairy tales need a villain, right?)
As Serena and Aurora continued on their quest, Aurora remembered a friend who had stunning images of herself displayed in her bedroom. “You know,” said Aurora, “Let’s talk with my friend, Valerie, who has actually done this before. I think she’ll have valuable insight for us.”
“Lovelies!!!” exclaimed Valerie (who exuded remarkable confidence, by the way). “Let me tell you about my friends at Boudoir Studios New York.” Valerie then explained how the team at BSNY took her on a journey through the transformative process of boudoir photography. She felt supported and valued every step of the way, had lots of fun, and walked away with the most gorgeous photos of herself she had ever seen. In the spirit of full-disclosure, Valerie mentioned that working with the team at BSNY would cost more than hiring Peter and Penny. She left them with one of her favorite quotes:
“Price is what you pay, value is what you get”
In the interest of time, I’ll just tell you that the sisters decided to go their separate ways. Serena chose to take the path of Peter and Penny, to save some money. Aurora, on the other hand, decided to take her journey with the folks at BSNY.
Serena arrived at Peter and Penny’s house on the day of her photo shoot. She walked through their kitchen and main living space to an area in the back that was separated from the rest of the house by a white sheet hanging from the ceiling. She was seated on a purple sofa, where Penny spent about half an hour applying her makeup and styling her hair. Then…it was go time.
Peter walked in with his camera and told Serena to sit on the purple sofa and smile. Serena felt her anxiety skyrocket… “But, what’s the best way for me to sit?” she asked. She felt ill-prepared and started to wonder whether or not she made the right decision.
“You’re doing fine!” Peter said. He then gave her more vague directions, placing Serena in different positions and giving her the opportunity to change her outfit once before they were through. After about an hour and a half, they were finished.
Serena left their house with a whirlwind of feelings - she was proud to have taken the brave step to do this, but slightly confused and, to be frank, she felt a little rushed. She tried to shake off the nervous feeling about seeing her pictures. She just hoped that they would portray the bravery and confidence that had inspired this quest.
Meanwhile…
Aurora began her process by meeting with expert photographers, Asif and Andrea, at the beautiful BSNY studio. She sat on the cozy tan sofa while Asif and Andrea sat across from her.
“Aurora!” said Asif, “What are you hoping to find on this brave journey of yours?”
“Well,” shared Aurora, “I really want to discover and celebrate my true beauty. I want to document this momentous time in my life by capturing my truest essence in photos that I will be able to treasure forever and ever.”
“Amazing!!!” said Asif. Andrea then talked at length with Aurora about outfits and poses, diving in deeper regarding how they could best represent their new client on photoshoot day. After over an hour, Aurora couldn’t believe how comfortable she felt with these two, as though she had made two new friends.
“You’ll come back in about a month for your session,” said Asif. “Plan to spend the entire day with us, Aurora. You will start by being pampered by our stylists before we begin taking the photos. And don’t worry about a thing! We will tell you exactly how to sit, stand, move your body, and even how to breathe so that your images turn out impeccably. We have dedicated ourselves to every aspect of this process for years. You are in good hands.”
Even before her big day, Asif and Andrea checked in with Aurora one more time for a final chat to be sure that they were prepared to give her exactly what she was looking for.
“Wow,” thought Aurora, “they are truly putting a lot of their time and effort into providing me with an experience that is personally tailored to what I need. I feel so pampered already!”
On the day of her shoot, Aurora was treated like a princess. Her magical stylist spent about two hours on her hair and makeup, making her look like a goddess. She spent the rest of the day with her photographers. Aurora had their undivided attention, with the entire studio to themselves. She was amazed at how relaxed she felt through the various outfit changes and different rooms in which she was photographed.
Aurora was also impressed by the state-of-the-art equipment and the expert use of lighting and posing. All she had to do was follow their lead and be the star of the show!
By the end of the day, Aurora was tired but absolutely elated. She had spent a whole day focused on her own self-worth and beauty in the company of caring, kind professionals. She reveled in her feelings of confidence and rejuvenation, walking out as if on a cloud. It was hard to contain her explosive excitement to see her images!
About a week later, the sisters received their final images and planned a date to get together and share them with each other.
Aurora had already met with Nicki from BSNY to review her collection of images and choose which ones to place in her exquisite photo album. When Aurora saw her images for the first time, she cried tears of joy. “Who is that gorgeous creature?” she asked.
“Why, that’s you of course!” said Nicki. “That’s how others see you and how you deserve to feel every single day.” Aurora had so many wonderful images and products from which to choose, feeling as though she just couldn’t go wrong.
Needless to say, when the sisters compared their images Serena was disappointed. Although Serena looked pretty in her pictures, her images were not as soft or professional looking as Aurora’s. She noticed flyaway hairs at the crown of her head and thought that some of her poses and facial expressions looked fake or forced. Serena had a couple of decent photos, but did not feel as though she was fully represented in them.
“I am not happy with my overall experience,” said Serena. “I should have followed Valerie’s advice and gone with you to BSNY. Now I fully understand what she meant when she talked about cost and value.”
“Well,” said Aurora, “ I would be happy to introduce you to my friends at BSNY! And you’ll even get a referral discount!”
“YES!” Serena cried. “Sign me up…I need to do this right.”
As Rosalie finished telling the story, she and Tatiana were nearing the end of their walk. Tatiana noted, “Clearly the moral of the story is that you get what you pay for…but you said this was a fairy tale. Where was the magic? Isn’t a fairy tale always supposed to include magic?”
“Well of course!” cried Rosalie. “I thought it was obvious…the magic was in Aurora’s incredible transformation, in which she was able to see herself in a whole new light! Throughout her experience, she conquered fears, uncovered hidden talents, recognized her true beauty, and became SO. MUCH. MORE…And don’t forget, at the end of her amazing quest, Aurora came away with stunning images that will last
happily ever after!
Now, while this story is a fairy tale, many real versions of stories like this have been shared with us from our clients. We’ve had plenty of “Serena’s” come to us, hoping to make right the negative boudoir experience they had with someone else. Don’t let the cost deter you from having the experience you deserve. Save up, utilize a payment plan, but don’t sell yourself short! You truly do get what you pay for and YOU are the last person you should skimp on!