FAQ | lainiehird

Frequently Asked Questions

THE WOMEN ON YOUR WEBSITE ALL LOOK LIKE MODELS - COOL, CALM AND CONFIDENT - I DON’T THINK THIS WILL WORK FOR ME…

Let me assure you, ALL the women in the galleries here are regular, non-model women, just like you and me. The same women you’d see at school pick-up or at your local wine bar. Most of them came in believing they wouldn’t get a single good image from their shoot, and most were utterly terrified to stand in front of my camera... but quietly hopeful, and trusted me to deliver what I promise. This is my specialty. I truly believe that Every. Single. Woman. can look and feel beautiful in photographs, and I will guide you through every single step of your photo shoot to help you relax so you can be authentically you. It’s not your job to be ‘photogenic’, I actually believe there’s no such thing - there’s people who’ve made friends with the camera, and there’s those who haven’t - yet. It’s up to me to guide you gently into the safe space I’ve created where you can let down your barriers and simply be unapologetically you. I’ve got you.

I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE PROFESSIONAL HAIR & MAKEUP STYLING OPTION…

We all know that there’s stylists, and then there’s stylists.

The stylists I work with at the studio are first-rate. I am incredibly picky about who I will or won’t bring into the studio here, as (in my book) these artists need to tick many, many boxes. The women who end up providing this service are proper professionals - meaning, they’ve trained and certified in this craft, they derive their primary income from this work, and they perform to an incredibly high standard. Safety and hygiene always come first. After that, they’re chosen because they’re easy to communicate with, cool, friendly humans to be around.

This service is about having you look in the mirror at the end and feel 100% beautiful and confident to be in front of the camera. It’s not about achieving a certain look or outcome - you do YOU. I have a really easy, nothing-gets-lost-in-translation visual guide where you can point to the level of how light or dark you’d like to take your look, from a very natural no-makeup look, right through to a full smokey eye.

You will not come out of styling looking like a drag queen or feeling like you’re about to step onto the set of a daytime soap. This is NOT the same experience as 80’s/90’s glamour photography!! This is about being camera-ready and feeling your best. Because hair & makeup styling is really about you feeling beautiful, like you’ve got your armour on, that you can do this. And when you feel like that, you stand a little taller, and smile a little easier… which is actually what makes you beautiful.

I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS, BUT I WANT TO WAIT UNTIL I LOSE WEIGHT / GROW MY HAIR / FIX MY TEETH / {INSERT PERSONAL HANGUP HERE}…

I get it, most people feel pretty exposed standing in front of the camera. Hell, you may have been avoiding the camera for so long it’s become habit, and losing weight, getting your dream wardrobe, lasering your skin - or whatever other goal-post you’re hiding behind - feels like The One Thing that will magically make all your fears and doubts disappear and you’ll suddenly be confident and ready to do this. Yeah, I’ve heard this one a few times before...

In my experience, if you’re waiting on external factors to be ‘just right’ before doing this, chances are, as soon as you’ve knocked down That One Thing, another one will pop up to take its place and you’ll never quite get to that feeling of Enough. In more than a few utterly heart-breaking instances over the years, I’ve had clients book and postpone a few times (because they weren’t quite at their goal weight yet) only to lose someone unexpectedly who they were wanting to be photographed with, most often their Mum. From that perspective, that extra 5lbs just really didn’t seem important anymore. It’s really, truly not worth the wait/weight.

Feeling good in your body is absolutely a gateway to self-confidence, but… remember to embrace where you’re at right now, and understand that although you may not yet have arrived at your ideal destination, you are worthy of (self) love and acceptance exactly as you are today, right now, perfectly imperfect. You know, just like we tell our daughters, sisters and best friends!

WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE’S NOT A SINGLE GOOD IMAGE OF ME?

Most of my clients have been utterly shocked (in the very best possible way!) to see the results of their photo shoot as they truly believed they would be the one client who simply didn’t get any good pictures, and I’ve been thrilled to show them how wrong they’ve been. I understand that you have doubts and fears, but I make a promise to create the most beautiful photos you’ve ever seen of yourself, and I make it a point to deliver.

I’ve been told countless times during their shoot, my clients feel more beautiful than on their wedding day, or that their images are more valuable than all their wedding photos, and that the experience of the day itself is one of the best of their life, to be remembered and treasured always. If you are not 100% happy with your images for ANY reason, I’ll re-shoot at my expense but I'm 100% positive you will LOVE your images!

HOW MUCH DO YOU ‘EDIT OUT’?

I keep things pretty natural here, there’s no big, magazine-style retouching going on as it goes directly against my idea of embracing yourself in all your imperfect perfection.

My personal metric on editing is that if it isn’t a permanent part of your body - such as acne, bruises, scrapes - or if it’s a visually distracting detail (like a clothing tag) it shouldn’t be a permanent part of your images. Those things will ‘disappear’ in editing. If it is a permanent part of your body - scars, freckles, stretch marks, tattoos - they will be in your images.

Not everyone is keen to celebrate every scar, wrinkle or bad tattoo (coming from someone who can speak from experience), so if there’s anything you’re wanting to minimise, please talk to me about it before your shoot. Chances are, I can easily minimise, if not avoid showing said area altogether just by how I position you to my camera or the choice of lighting I use.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO BRING FOR MY PHOTOSHOOT…

Often, our clients will have questions about the session, so I wanted to create a full list of boudoir photo shoot tips to help you prepare!

Can I recommend just one thing?!? Yes, a BODYSUIT. You will thank me later. :)

I suggest bringing a variation of the following combinations:

One piece set (bodysuit, teddy, fitted slip dress or shapewear)
Two piece set (bra/undies, high-waisted skirt/bra, garter belt set/bra/stockings)
Cover up wrap/shawl/cardigan/off shoulder shirt
Something you LOVE - Jewel and pastel colors or black photograph well

Treat yourself to a manicure and pedicure, but avoid facials or waxing for 1-2 days before your session as they can cause redness or blotchiness. For some people it helps to have a little mimosa during hair/makeup to help them loosen up and relax. However, don’t overdo the alcohol--Photoshop can’t fix droopy eyelids and bloodshot eyes!

Here are a few boudoir photo shoot tips and tricks to consider:

DO cut out all tags from your clothing options including the launder instructions inside the garmet (little white tags w/ care instructions).

DO invest in at least one cute bra/undies set (black is a great option) that makes you feel super sexy and fits your body type. Cup accentuating or push-up work great. (Consider high-waisted undies, corset belt, or bodysuit options if the tummy is an area of concern.)

Plus size recommendations DO: high-waisted undies, underbust waist cincher corset garter belt, and/or bodysuits. Pair with off the shoulder cardigan, button-down shirt or lace robe

DON’T wear anything that is too small and digs into your skin or creates the dreaded “muffin top.” If the tummy is a concern please bring high wasted undies.

DO consider normal clothing if you’re nervous about being too revealing, such as off-the-shoulder tees, cardigans, tanktops, a fitted button-up shirt, or a high-slit skirt/dress. Many of these items can be paired with cute undergarments to make a very sexy (but less skimpy) outfit.

DO remember that sometimes no outfit can be the best outfit. Some of our favorite images were photos taken when our client wasn’t wearing anything clothing-related and simply covered up with a white sheet, towel, pillow, or a prop (sheet & furs provided in-studio).

DON’T feel like you have to drop a ton of money on new items for your shoot. Although it can be nice to have one really elaborate piece of lingerie, we can create stunning images with the items you already have in your closet and affordable pieces from amazon.

DO load up on accessories. Pearls, long necklaces, gaudy costume jewelry, hats, fishnets or sheer black hose, and most importantly--cute shoes!! High heels are a nice way to extend the length of your legs.

DON’T include - busy patterns, neon colors and costumes.

If you have any other questions about what to bring or how to prepare for a boudoir shoot, please let us know and we will be happy to help!

WHEN, AND HOW, WILL I CHOOSE MY FAVOURITE IMAGES FROM MY SHOOT?

About 2 weeks after your photo shoot, you’ll come back in to the studio for your Image Reveal session, this is the time you get to see the results from your shoot, choose your favourites, purchase your images and order any products.

This part is really fun! Some of the most hilarious comments I’ve ever heard traded between loving family members have been at these sessions, and it can be quite emotional for some people to see their images for the first time.

You should allow around 90 minutes for this session, some folks whip through it much faster, and some people need closer to 2 hours, it all depends on how clear of an idea you have going in as to what you want to keep from the experience, and how you want to enjoy your images or see them displayed at home. These decisions can feel big, so anyone and everyone who wants or needs to be included in any decision-making needs to attend. If you’ve done your shoot completely by yourself, invite someone you would take clothes shopping with you, they’re usually the best friends to weigh in here.

I’ll have given you all the details about our products, pricing and a la carte packages when you came for your shoot so you can spend the few weeks between your shoot and Image Reveal having a good look through, discussing options and getting an idea of what you’d like to come away with. So this session is the time to make any and all purchase decisions, we have an awesome piece of software that makes it super easy to compare your images and choose your must-have favourites. Come expecting to have a fun time choosing your very own beautiful images!

WHAT DO YOUR PACKAGES INCLUDE? WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO SPEND?

Photography today is all about the digital files, it’s how we keep, share and store our memories. But - just like the thousands of photos on your phone - you don’t really get to enjoy them in the same way you can when you just walk by a printed image, on display in your home. There’s an immediacy to print, and in over 200 years of photography, it’s the one technology that hasn’t been made obsolete, it’s the only non-living thing people will run back into a burning building to save, and - we believe - it’s just bad service not to include a professional quality print with every image sold.

So, we have all the usual options for owning and displaying your images - canvas wall enlargements, true photographic print enlargements, gorgeous display boxes and digital file packages - and no matter what kind of package or product suits your needs, your budget and your desires, EVERYTHING comes as both a print (of one kind or another) as well as the digital file. Because you need both.

Package options start at $175 and go up to $3590 for our Black Label collection, with most folks spending around $1500 on a collection that they build to suit their own needs, some spend more, some spend less - that part is totally up to you.

Our options are thoughtfully built around our most requested items, and the more you buy, the better the rate individually, as with most things. There are no minimums or set packages, and no hard sell, you set your budget, buy what you love and leave the rest.

DO YOU OFFER A PAYMENT PLAN?

Yes! We offer a finance option through Square and Stripe as their terms are great, and every time we need or want to speak to someone there, a real-life, local friendly human is on the other end of the line to sort things out. Of all the options available for this kind of thing, they have shown us to be the best mix of practical and warm & fuzzy, so - our kind of people.

How it works is that after you’ve chosen your image package and decided you want to choose this payment option, you put down a 10% deposit and fill out a quick 4 minute application online in the studio. You get to set the terms of how frequently you want to make payments by-weekly or monthly) and over what term (anywhere from 2 months to 2 years) and you get to view and approve a full breakdown of what that looks like before hitting the green light. If it all looks good to you, they’ll send their T’s & C’s right to your phone and you’ll get confirmation immediately when you’re approved. You get to take home and enjoy your images straight away, and they take care of all the rest. We also have the option for eftpos or cash at the studio.

CAN I SHARE MY IMAGES ONLINE?

Yes! Your images are YOUR images and we believe you should be able to enjoy them in every way you want. Digital files come sized both for printing and for sharing online and will be delivered to you via an online gallery so if you want to email them to friends or family overseas or upload them to your socials - go right ahead!

There’s no restrictions on how you choose to use them, but if you do decide to put them online anywhere, tagging or crediting Beautiful Images as the image creator is the mark of an awesome human and SUPER appreciated!!

WILL MY IMAGES BE USED ON YOUR WEBSITE?

This is up to you. When you come for your shoot, you’ll fill in a Release Form, which gives your consent to be photographed (just a reflection of the day and age in which we live) and states that all images copyright remains with me, their creator. That simply means that I can say that they are my work, I created them. As the creator of the images, it gives me permission to show them as examples of my work to market my business and add to my artist portfolio.

How I like to work is that after you’ve had your shoot, I’ll ask if you’re ok with me posting a sneak peek to my socials for you to see before your Reveal Session. If you’re not ok with this for any reason, I won’t. After you’ve seen your images at your Reveal Session, I’ll send you a feedback form where you can specify exactly which - if any - images I can use in my folio and marketing. And I will 100% respect your decisions.

Most of my past clients who visit my website and see their images in my gallery are thrilled to be featured there! I’ll bet that before you booked with me, you had a real good look through all my galleries here so you could see for yourself exactly what to expect from your shoot. So, having lots of images to show is a good thing - for you and for me. But if we’ve created images where you’re not fully dressed or you would just rather they remain private for any reason at all, your wishes will be respected.

GOT A QUESTION I HAVEN’T ANSWERED HERE?

Drop me an email at the address below, or - better yet - call the studio on 519-537-1212 - I’d LOVE to chat x - Lainie