March 9, 2021in Boudoir-photography0by rhealewis

Tips for Getting the Most out of Your Boudoir Experience and How to Prepare

OK. So you’ve booked your shoot, and are wondering what do I do now to get ready? Every woman asks that, and it can be a little nerve wracking. There are so many emotions leading up to your boudoir shoot, and that’s OK. I am here for you every step of the way!

I have put together a list of guidelines and suggestions here to ease your mind and get you mentally and physically prepared to get the most out of your boudoir experience.

Ready, set, GO!

You will arrive at your session with no makeup and a clean, bare face and clean and dry hair down loose.

#1 Personal Grooming

By planning for and taking time for you with personal grooming, you will feel and look your best on the day of your shoot.

Hair Preparation – If you need a haircut or highlights, please be sure to schedule these in advance of your shoot by a week or so.
Brow and Bikini Area Grooming – Our lingerie outfits are intended to show all of you, so please pay close attention to these details and have them taken care of to your liking at least one week prior, so that your skin is not irritated or reddened the day of your shoot.
Fingernails and Toenails – Yes please pay attention to these too! They will be showing so please be sure to have them look nice the day of your session. You can choose a color for your nails, but most women opt to go for a natural look.
Spray Tan – It’s Florida, so many women have tans or like to get spray tans. I usually suggest not to do this so that you skin tone is uniform throughout your body and there are no tan lines. However, as long as it looks natural and not orangey it’s OK with me. Please, please, please do not get a sunburn prior to our shoot! Lol!
Skin Moisture and Hydration – Moisture is key to glowing skin! Hopefully, you’re doing this every morning and every night. Whether you do or don’t, moisturize the night before AND morning of your shoot. Also, try to drink plenty of water the day before and day of your shoot. Moisturized, hydrated skin is smoother and fills out fine lines and plumps up the skin, PLUS it keeps it that dewy look.

#2 Beauty Sleep

I always recommend a restful long night’s sleep for a few days and the night before your session. “Beauty sleep” is a real actual thing. Beauty sleep helps keep us feel and look young, it is a natural fountain of youth. By making sure you get 8-9 hours of sleep in just a few weeks you will see an amazing transformation. You will get fewer wrinkles, glowing complexion, brighter less puffy eyes, healthier hair and a more happy and healthy appearance.

#3 “Boudoir Yoga”

Let’s face it, this will be a workout, so mentally prepare yourself. You’ll be arching and stretching and getting into all sorts of positions you don’t normally get into. But don’t worry, I’ll be doing them with you and guiding you every step of the way! I often refer to it as “Boudoir Yoga”, and if I can do it you can do it. My only suggestion to you is to not go overboard with your own exercising the day before your shoot so that you are not too sore before we even begin. Stretching is good, just no serious exercising before the session. Because you will be sore afterward anyway!

#4 Do bring sentimental items

If you are doing this shoot for your significant other then it’s always a great idea to bring something that is important to him/her. Whether it’s his team’s jersey, his dress shirt, a tie, or the special jewelry he has given you, he will LOVE those pictures because he will know you were thinking of him during the session.

#5 Don’t forget the accessories, heels and jewelry

If you have shoes, boots, jewelry or any other accessory you would like to include to personalize your portraits, bring those too. I always love to include as much of your personality in the portraits as possible.

#6 Tattoos

We love tattoos. And if you do too, then we’ll highlight them. If you’d like to cover them up, we can do that too. However, you feel your best, and how it represents who you are now, is what we will showcase and celebrate.

#6 Put together a Pinterest Board

Another fun way to prepare is to make a Pinterest board with some beautiful imagery from my website or others that inspires you and excites you for our shoot together. We call them inspiration boards and it can be so fun to put yourself in the shoes of the beautiful imagery you see. Save those images and send them to us in advance of your session so that we can both be inspired and that we can collaborate and custom design the session of your dreams.

#7 Let us know ahead of time what you are uncomfortable with

Last but NOT least, make sure we know what parts of your body that you’d like to highlight and which parts you’d rather hide. If you have scars or tattoos that you are not comfortable with, then we will choose outfits and posing techniques that will provide camouflage. If you feel insecure about your ears, then we’ll make sure when you move around that your ears aren’t showing, this sort of thing. In the same vein, if there are aspects of your body, you’d like me to highlight, let me know that too! If you tell us that your significant other loves your back dimples, then we can make sure to showcase that in some of your shots. However, you feel your best, and how it represents who you are now, is what we will showcase and celebrate.

We also welcome you to ask us any questions you may have. At Rhea Lewis Photography Studio, we are here for you every step of the way. So, if you find yourself questioning something or would like to clarify something, reach out to us. We want you to embrace this life-changing photo shoot and not let anything stand in your way. We are here to reassure you in any way we can, woman to woman.

Are you ready to feel beautiful?

March 2, 2021in Boudoir-photography, Palm Beach Boudoir Photographer, Palm Beach Boudoir Photogrpahy0by rhealewis

Why Boudoir Photography?

All photos shown in this BLOG post are of me!

photo credit: Tamara Knight Photography

I did not seek out boudoir photography. In fact, quite the opposite. I was an award-winning portrait photographer with over 10 years’ experience when boudoir found me. One of my brides asked me to photograph a boudoir session for her and I said yes. After 10 years of photographing all genres of photography, I figured I could do this one too. How different could this be from a regular portrait session? Well, other than the client will be next to naked in front of me and very nervous. From the first moment of my first capture, I felt something very special inside me as an artist and as a woman. It was like I was watching a flower bloom and I was there to document the metamorphosis. Almost a surreal experience. There she was looking nervous and scared, and there I was encouraging her, guiding her, and helping her feel relaxed, free, sensual, and beautiful. It felt so natural and easy.

The images were breathtaking, so feminine and lovely. When I showed her the back of the camera, she couldn’t believe her eyes. “Who is that? Is that really me?” She welled up with tears and so did I. “That’s you” I said, “And you are incredibly beautiful”. From then on it was pure magic and I can tell you for sure that when she left from our session, I don’t think her feet were touching the ground. She looked different to me. Her posture was better. She walked differently, she talked differently. She could look at you straight in the eye. She looked like she knew she was beautiful and could finally say that about herself. She looked like a woman full of confidence and owning her beauty. She was transformed. As she left, I thought, “I did that”. “I did that with my art”, and I don’t think my feet were touching the ground either!

When I realized that, with my photography, I could truly help women believe in their beauty and see themselves differently. To see themselves as “beautiful”, and to rebuild their self-esteem and confidence, it was a game changer. Because it no longer was about creating a pretty picture. It was about so much more. I had found my true calling as an artist…by accident.

why me?

I know, first-hand, that women are super critical of themselves. That when we look in the mirror, we are looking for flaws. And that all those insecurities rise to the surface when you shed your clothes and it’s just you, vulnerable you. I get that.

I am that too. In fact, I grew up with very low self-esteem. I grew up in a large family and being a middle child with a weight problem I felt invisible. I didn’t get the attention, my pretty, thin, older sister got. Nobody really looked at me, they looked right through me like I wasn’t even there. My older sister barely acknowledged me, and my mother constantly compared me to her. “If I could just lose the weight” she used to say. To me, this meant, I was unworthy of her love as I was, and most certainly unworthy of my own love for myself. I share this family portrait because it truly represents how I felt growing up. This portrait was a large portrait that hung prominently in our home for many years. You can see that I am out of focus in the front. My mother selected this particular portrait, I am sure the professional photographer had a selection to choose from. She picked the one with me in front, big and blurry. I look completely out of place, like a last-minute addition, and somewhat invisible. Family portraits are meant to foster a sense of belonging and the love of family. Unfortunately, this one had the opposite effect on me.

The Transformation

It took me until after I left my childhood house as an adult (23) and on my own that I lost the weight. When men started to look at me, I thought they were looking at someone else. I kept looking behind me! It took me a long time to believe what I was seeing in the mirror. I kept seeing the ugly fat girl, unworthy of a second look. It was a slow process, but I got there. Finally, able to feel “beautiful”. Finally, being called “beautiful”. It was a long time before I could accept a compliment and not brush it off. It was a long time before I felt “beautiful”. I learned that the word “beautiful’ is a real trigger for me and how it makes me feel about myself. It has been a long journey of self-acceptance and self-love. And quite frankly, I still do struggle with this from time to time. Those negative thoughts do occasionally seep into my head and play those old tapes of unworthiness and self-doubt. Looking in the mirror and saying out loud that I am “beautiful” is still difficult for me at times. But what I have learned over the years, is that beauty comes from within. It isn’t up to anyone else to determine your value, your worth, or whether you are beautiful. It is totally and completely up to you.

I have come to realize that there is power in beauty and beauty in power. I have learned just how incredibly resilient women are, and that I am. We can overcome many obstacles, endure many hardships, and still shine bright. It is a gift that all women share. We all have access to a “beautiful” inner light of confidence.

When I was truly able to see my beauty and believe in myself, I became keenly aware of the beauty of others. It is exactly why boudoir photography is such a good fit for me. With my artist’s eye for beauty and my desire to help other women, it balances all the negative beliefs I had about myself and my past. Without those trials of confidence in my youth, I would not be the woman I am today, nor have the empathy for other women in need of a confidence boost. I feel incredibly blessed to have found boudoir photography as my career, or should I say, it found me.

My boudoir photo shoot

To be honest, I was shooting boudoir for 5 years before I was ready to step in front of the camera myself. I knew I had to do it. I knew I needed to know what it felt like for my clients. I owed it to them and I owed it to myself. How could I authentically instill confidence in other women if I wasn’t able to step outside of my own comfort zone?

So I decided to go to a photographer friend of mine in Orlando, Tamara Knight, and I put my sensitive self-image into her capable hands. Needless to say, I was riddled with anxiety, all of those old insecurities rose to the surface. Will I look alright? Am I too fat? Am I too old? I hate my hair. I hate my body. All of those silly negative thoughts were spiraling around in my head, and I felt like I was stepping off a cliff! But Tamara, made me feel comfortable immediately and calmed my nerves, loaded me up with tons of encouragement and compliments, and those tapes in my mind were silenced. Replaced with positive feelings and thoughts about myself. I love sharing my portraits from that session. I love everything about them. It was validation of everything I was hoping it would be. And the proof of my growth as a woman and a celebration of my own self-love.

It’s not selfish to have self-love, it’s necessary in order to become the best possible version of yourself.

I have been on both sides of the camera in boudoir photography, and I can tell you from experience that when you are with the right professional, the journey is truly transformational.

Interested in booking a boudoir experience with us?

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March 1, 2021in Boudoir Photographer, Boudoir-photography, Jupiter Boudoir Photography, Luxury Boudoir Photography0by rhealewis

Top 13 Most Frequently Asked Questions about Boudoir Photography

Do you share my images?

No. Not unless you have given permission with a model release. We understand the very personal and intimate nature of these portraits, so this decision is yours to make, not ours. Of course, we always want you to feel free to share them, and by sharing them you can inspire other women to do these kinds of transformational self-love and confidence-boosting sessions, but the decision to do this is all yours. We understand that even if you want to share them that you may be bound by morality clauses where you work, so we would never want to jeopardize your job.

What type of shoots do you offer?

We offer 3 session types. For those ladies who really want it all, we have a full day Luxury Boudoir session where we book the studio for the entire day with you. We do 5 or more looks, professional hair and makeup artistry for the whole day, a catered lunch and complimentary champagne. Our most popular session is our Personal Boudoir session. This includes 3 different outfits, professional hair and makeup artistry for all 3 looks, complimentary champagne, and same day reveal and selection. Our Boudoir Lite session includes one outfit/look for ladies that want to just give boudoir a try or may want to take advantage of one of our themed shoots that we offer throughout the year. For this session you come with your hair and makeup already done or you can add-on our professional hair and makeup artistry to your session fee.

How long does a shoot last?

Our Lite Boudoir session typically last about 2 hours. Our Personal Boudoir shoots are about 4 hours with an hour portrait selection portion. Our Luxury Boudoir sessions usually run from 10am – 5pm..for a full day of confidence boosting, pampering and fun!

4. Is hair and makeup included?

We offer full in-studio hair and makeup artistry for our Personal and Luxury Boudoir sessions. It is an add-on to the Lite boudoir session. If you are getting hair and makeup artistry done in the studio, you will come with your hair washed and dried the night before so it’s clean but has texture to it. You come with your face moisturized and clean with no makeup for a blank canvas for our artist. We work as a collaborative team in my studio, so if you have a specific request, we ask you to speak up and we’ll all work together to make you look your absolute best, and still look like you.

5. Do I bring my own lingerie?

You can if you like, but I have a very extensive wardrobe collection. I am somewhat of a lingerie junkie (lol!) and I have learned from experience what outfits will look best on certain body types. I feel the lingerie is very important to the boudoir experience and the outfit is just the beginning in helping you feel feminine and beautiful. I love having a collection of outfits that will fit woman of all sizes from XS – 5X. The custom lingerie fitting and selection is part of all of my session options and included in your initial in person consultation.

6. Do I have to wear lingerie?

Nope. If you prefer to go a more glamour route with a dress and a more Vanity Fair magazine style shoot, we can do that too. If you prefer to wear a man’s shirt, your partner’s favorite sport’s jersey, a big sweater, a ripped T-shirt and jeans, or nothing but a white sheet, we can do that too! The whole idea to help you look and feel beautiful, and whatever that is, that is what we will go with. All of this is discussed during your in person consultation or on a Zoom call where we can custom design your dream shoot and explore all aspects of your personality.

7. Do you have payment plans?

Yes we do! We always want you to get what you want and to work within your budget.

PRE-SESSION payment plan means you pay in advance for your product purchase. We go over the collections at your in-person consultation, and you choose the one that you want. The benefit is that you can get an extra portrait based on the collection level of your choice. You can choose a 3-month, 6-month, or 9-month plan. Your credit card is charged automatically. You have your session at the end of your payment plan and we choose your portraits the same day. Then we have your products edited, printed, and delivered to you within 3-4 weeks.

POST-SESSION payment plan means that we have your session and you pick your portraits the same day. You can then choose your collection and make a 20% deposit. You then choose a 3-month, 6-month, or 9-month plan. Your credit card will be charged automatically and once your final payment is made, your products will be edited, printed, and delivered in 3-4 weeks.

Either plan is meant to break up your payments so that you can fit them into your budget and make it work.

You’d do this for your children or your spouse..wouldn’t you? So why not for you?

8. I don’t know how to pose, will you help?

Absolutely! I give super easy-to-follow instructions and coach you from your facial expression down to the placement of your fingers. I WILL NOT say “look sexy” or “work the camera” or any other vague directions like that. It’s my job to guide you through the process, and I will be there for you every step of the way, literally. I will mirror the pose for you , so I am right there with you posing. If I can do it, you can do it! However, many of these positions are not normal for most women, so prepare to be a little sore..lol!

9. Do you Photoshop my images?

Yes, I will always retouch your images. During our sales session we will discuss how much editing you would like done. It is always my goal for you to believe in your beauty, even without the retouch, so your portrait selections are always done without any retouching. Right out of the camera. Your beauty is not created in Photoshop. The retouching just gives you the best version, the fantasy version, the version you know you could be and can be. It is the version your loved ones see of you every day. You are the one who focuses on your flaws. So these retouched and edited images are yours to replace those old negative beliefs about your beauty and worth and replace them with beautiful and glorious portraits. Because dammit you are BEAUTIFUL!

10. Do you offer digitals?

Yes. All of our printed collections include their corresponding digital file. I am a firm believer in the printed portrait. There is tremendous validation to your beauty and self-love when you can experience your portrait printed. Digital is nice for sharing with others but printed will NEVER go out of style and will stand the test of time. As a digital photographer, all of my art, talent and expertise is captured within the digital file, this is my product as a professional photographer in the digital age. However, digital media changes with technology, and the print is the memory for you to have and to hold and to look at time and again. The printed portrait is your gift to you.

11. What type of printed products do you have?

We offer a variety of high-end printed products included print folios, albums, empowerment crystals, wall art, calendars, and love notes. Our most popular product is the Little Black Book. It’s a discrete little album jam packed with your gorgeous portraits that is perfect for enjoying, and for putting away when not in use. It comes with either a premium leather , fabric, acrylic or satin photo cover. All of my albums include a gift satchel or gift box perfect for storing and for gifting. You can choose to be more discrete or you can go big, the choice is always yours. Our empowerment crystals are a great way to enjoy your portrait with an inspirational quote right on your dresser of nightstand. Wall art is becoming more popular for bedrooms and walk-in closets. It’s private, yet very person. I have 3 wall art pieces in my bedroom over my bed from my own boudoir session!

12. I’m freaking out! How can I calm my nerves?

Trust me I know how you feel! I have been in front of the camera in a boudoir session myself. All of your insecurities come to the surface. I get it. You are nervous and excited all at the same time. My best advice is to take some deep breathes, stop looking in the mirror and trust me and my team to work our magic on you. As soon as you begin your hair and makeup you will start to relax. We’ll have your favorite music playing, you’ll get to sip some champagne. It will be like hanging out with your girlfriends. I promise, you will have fun!

13. Where is your studio located?

My boutique studio is located in beautiful, sunny, Jupiter Florida. 1615 South Cypress Drive, Suite #3, Jupiter, FL 33469. It is a beautiful and feminine space that is private and easy to get to.

March