Frequently Asked Questions
Let's take a walk together through all the questions you have or didn't know you have!
{Q} What does your boudoir service entail?
{A} Boudoir or intimate portraiture is an amazing way to connect with your feminine side and embrace your body and curves at any age or stage of your life.
We have a planning consultation to uncover why you want this session and themes, styles and images you are drawn to. You will be fully prepped for your session through regular email communications. On session day, you will be treated like the goddess you are! Should you want hair and makeup, you will begin your day in our glamour chair for about an hour to 1.5 hours. From there we will go through the flow of the day and what to expect and shoot for about 2 hours. Altogether, we will spend up to 4 hours together in the studio.
Afterwards, you will get a sneak peek and we will schedule your reveal and ordering session 2 weeks later. We walk through the photos together and decide which are the ones you absolutely love and how you want them printed. You get to have your digital downloads right away after you've paid in full.
Then 2-3 weeks later you will be notified that your printed product is ready for pickup!
{Q} How far in advance do I need to schedule a session?
{A} If this needs to be presented for a certain date, you'll definitely want to schedule it for 4-6 weeks at the minimum for products to arrive on time.
{Q} I am not comfortable (yet) being photographed nearly in the nude or even partially nude. But I really want to do this and be photographed by you. Is this still a possibility?
{A} YES OF COURSE! I love photographing women at any level of undress! Women who are more modest and shy away from being photographed in the nude or in lingerie etc, can absolutely be photographed in a gown, of the shoulder blouse or sweater, jeans, shorts, bodysuits, etc! It is totally fine ♥ These would be classified as more beauty and portrait sessions.
{Q} Tell me again what the difference is between BEAUTY and BOUDOIR?
{A} BEAUTY: is a bit more polished and have a fine art feel to it. Beauty portraiture is for the woman who want a smaller collection of stunning, wall worthy photos of herself. It is perfect for the woman who may be uncomfortable bearing it all for a boudoir session but wants to celebrate her body and curves by accentuating it with a ball gown, little black dress, lace bodysuit, fabric draping or even nude - but posed like a fine art statue. Beauty portraits include a full face, could include special effects, more extensive retouching and will yield about 15-20 beautiful images.
BOUDOIR: involves a certain level of undress; lingerie, lounge wear, sheets and fabrics, partial nudity, or nothing at all! These images tend to be a little more raw, candid (look like the are non-posed -- but fully directed by Melissa), and emotive. These are meant to explore a womans sexuality, femininity, and badass-ness. These photos tend to be more intimate in nature and include "detail" shots like your tushie, legs, breasts, lips as well as full bodyscapes that may or may not include your face.
Example of a beauty shot taken during a boudoir session with MJCP
Example of a boudoir shot: sometimes anonymous in nature but showcases the female form, embraces a woman's sensuality or tells a story of femininity.
{Q} Can I include both beauty and boudoir styles in my session?
{A} YES, DAHLING! That is what our inspiration board and consultation is for. Your session can be designed however you want it!
{Q} Hair and Makeup is included in each collection, but can I choose to do my own?
{A} My professional artist maintains her own makeup kit to accomodate all skin types and shades. If you have skin sensitivities or allergies, please send us an email and let us know how we can best accomodate you!
Your hair will be dry curled and set. We do not do updo's as our shooting style usually includes your hair down and tossled. However, if you would like to have your hair styled or in an updo, please contact us with plenty of time to find a hairstylist that can grant your dream hairstyle! Also, please let us know if you will be bringing extensions, if your hair takes longer than average to style or has texture that require different tools so we can be prepared ahead of time!
If you wish to do your own, please let us know at the time of booking! Though I highly recommend having our professional do it for you because she will apply it flawlessly, bringing out and enhance your best features and makes your face camera ready!
{Q} The images you share and show are tasteful and pretty, but what if I want something a little more...uh...risque...?
{A} Oooooh, girl! Fire! On a scale of 1-10 on the "erotic" meter, I hover around 3-4. What you see on my website and social media is an accurate representation of my style and level of saucy. While I shoot several levels of undress, bare bums, breasts and tasteful nudes, I do not shoot an exposed pelvic area. This is a firm policy. I certainly appreciate erotic art, it just isn't what I offer. Nor do I offer couples boudoir at this time.
{Q} Ok, I am getting a little more comfortable...but I have no idea what to wear!!
{A} This answer is easy...you wear what ever is comfortable for you and makes you feel beautiful! Effortless "cool girl" is great because you probably already have it in your closet! Example: bodysuit, oversized sweater, leather jacket, shorts, tank, his oversized shirt, your own panties, a robe, cropped sweatshirt, sleep wear...you get the idea!
Some opt to wear lingerie. You can bring your own (you will get a lingerie guide in our email communications) or you can shop www.honeybeeintimates.com - my personal specialty lingerie store! Items in it is specially curated for photo sessions because they look amazing on camera and we carry a variety of styles and sizes. We will put a date on the calendar and walk you through our selection and talk about each piece and you get to try it on! You could get all your desired pieces in one spot and know they will fit, photograph well and have ready for session day! Each boudoir client get's 15% off Honeybee Merch with accompanied booked session.
Many women choose "nude" as an outfit. We will shoot for about 2 hours and will have time for 3-4 looks or outfits. Once you have completed the booking process with me, you will receive detailed session prep guides to help you with your wardrobe selection & preparation.
{Q} Can I have someone at the session with me?
{A} I know sometimes all you need is a best friend to help calm the nerves. I would like to encourage you to do this on your own. But if you need a bestie to help you with reassurance, then yes, you can bring one friend. I DO ask that the friend does not interfere (run up and smooth hair or touch you up between every shot), as I will handle all that for her and have a female assistant to help me with that. I can not allow any more than one person.
{Q} I am a pastor's wife/teacher/professional/high profile woman and if these photos leak, it will embarrass me and just might destroy my reputaion! Is my secret safe with you??
{A} First of all, I highly doubt anyone seeing your MJCP session images aren't saying anything except, "DANG GIRL!!! YOU LOOK AMAZING!!!" My shoot style is very classy, tasteful and more about empowerment and loving yourself than an over sexed woman or have anything to be embarrassed about.
HOWEVER. I totally UNDERSTAND if you don't want your images shared with the public. You can rest assured your photos will never be shared with the public with out your permission. We during our regular email conversations, you will get a link to fill out an agreement which allows me to photograph you in an intimate setting while also giving you full control on what can be shared, at all. Often times after women see their photos they change their mind from "Heck no! No one is seeing any of these" to "Holy Frijole's! Look at me!! Share it all over the place!!"
Once you session is over, the photos are only retouched by Melissa. A common thing in the industry is to have photos sent out to an editing company, leaving them volunerable to being stolen. The next person to see them after me is YOU. My printing lab is very safe and secure and prints boudoir sessions regularily so to them, it's "just another job".
In the event you change your mind and and realize what a super babe you are, permitting me to share your photos on my blog, social media, advertising, or website, I will never use your real name (if that is your wish) or tag you in any posts. If you are doing a session as a gift, my lips are sealed and mum's the word!
{Q} The women on your website all look like models and I...am not. I feel so out of their league.
{A}Although the women you see are all extraordinary, I assure you...they are not models. They are everyday women like you and me. You might see each of them at the grocery store and picking up their kids at school. Things that may have led you to believe they are models is the confidence they have in their own skin. Like they have been in front of a camera plenty of times. This is because in addition to expert lighting, posing, can composing each image, the MJCP EXPERIENCE is fully guided. You will be posed, directed, guided, encouraged and celebrated every step of the way.
We make client comfortabilty a top priority and anyone and everyone can rock an MJCP photo experience with ZERO modeling experience or knowledge whatsoever.
{Q} What does "standard retouching" mean and how much can or do you edit?
{A} This is a touchy subject and one that each photographer has their own rules and policy for. While I make your skin look it's best by doing a gentle skin smoothing and tone correcting (much like applying digital foundation) I keep "photoshop" as minimal as I can. Beauty Portraits I take a little more time on to make sure flyaway hairs are out of your face and will do other touch ups like brighten eyes or fix bits of makeup flaws but I rely on my knowledge of lighting, strategic posing and angle compositions to downplay "problem" areas that you are concerned about. We WILL edit out blemishes, cuts/scrapes and undereye circles and if requested, small scar removal. My rule of thumb is if it is perminent, it stays.
Our skin smoothing technique will subtly fade the appearance of scars and stretch marks, but if you have a different preference, please be sure to request more or less at your photo shoot appointment. Other post-processing practices and focuses include contrast, sharpening, lightening/darkening, cropping, color correction, artistic textures and color grading, black and white conversions - rather than body morphing.
{Q} How do I prepare for a session like this?
{A} The beauty of being an MJCP client is all of your questions will never go unanswered. Shortly after booking, you will receive by email a complete and exclusive guide to prep your mind, body, face and soul for this experience. Several times before you session, you will receive lists and suggestions through out your time preparing. If you still have questions, I am available to help you every step of the way because I am dedicated to offering you an EXPERIENCE - an informed process way beyond showing up to a shoot and being done with it when you leave.
{Q} How far in advance should I book my session?
{A} Boudoir photos turn out their best when women spend time preparing themselves a few weeks prior to their session. If things like a haircut or color service, manicure and pedicure, or a waxing service are important to you, giving yourself time to schedule these and see how they look prior to your session is a great idea. Do what makes you feel ready to step in front of the camera. If you schedule your boudoir session 3-6 weeks in advance, you have time to schedule these services too!
You will get a guide and a timeline of things you can do to prepare. I like to give you more information than perhaps you need, but at least I don't leave things out. You will also want to give yourself time to schedule a fitting appointment if you want to try on and shop at Honeybee Intimates.
Also, if this is a gift for someone else, schedule your session at least 8 weeks before you need to have the product in hand to give them. This allows time to fix and resend any printing errors that may have occured.
{Q} How much do your packages cost and what can I expect to spend?
{A} A full priced photo shoot experience with Melissa begins at $1550 +tax. This includes: professional makeup application and dry hair curling, standard photo retouching, in-person photo reveal and ordering, and 8x8 bedside album with 20 photos and those selected photos available as a downloadable, websized resolution file. You have the chance from there to upgrade to the amount of photos you want, upgrade an album or upgrade your digital file to printable, high resolution and have the ability to choose wall art. After it is all said and done, it is not uncommon for clients to upgrade and spend anywhere from $2000-$3500 to have all the products they desire.
Clients are almost always SHOCKED by how many photos they cannot live without from their session. They always think they are going to be that one client that just won't get any good photos....and they are always proved wrong with an "I told you so" smile. ♥
Our products are thoughtfully built based on what our clients most prefer and purchase frequently.
{Q} When and how will I select my favorite images from my shoot?
{A} At MJCP Studios, we are proud to be able to offer in-person viewing and ordering 2-3 weeks after your session. We do this for a host of reasons:
First, for your convenience. We are really good at our system to show you your images so you can select them, showing similar images side by side and deciding what will work best for what you want (variety in your album or the perfect wall art pieces, etc). Because we show a lot of KILLER images, it can be overwhelming to navigate through them on your own and we don't want our service to stop once the shoot is over. Our in-person reveal and ordering session is appreciated by our clients and a favorite part of the process.
Second is for security. While doing an online proofing gallery is popular in this industry, boudoir is sensitive in nature. We don't want to store your images in too many places online leaving them vulnerable to being hacked or stolen or exploited. We take your privacy very seriously and an in-person reveal helps take care of this.
If you are traveling from a distance, and it isn't practical for you to come back in...we can do this via Zoom screen share. It is a little less theatrical than in-person, but it is a back-up option.
Your photos are stored online in only one place with a password protected gallery. Should you not want your photos stored online at all, a USB delivery can accomodate your request. Just let us know ahead of time!
{Q} What happens after I select my photos at the reveal and ordering appointment?
{A} I will always give you enough time during our appointment to really feel like you've made your best selection and the images are absolutely the ones you love. We will always go through them one by one and side by side until you are 100% ready. But I know things sometimes feel different once you leave the studio.
1) If you are absolutely sure of the photos you selected, you will receive your downloadable gallery within a few hours. However, since a digital product is a non-returnable product, we can sit on it for 24 hours for you to be sure before photos are released. We can schedule another appointment or Zoom call so you can see them again.
2) If you have selected prints, wall art or an album, I wait 24-36 hours before ordering to allow payments to go through or incase you change your mind on something. These items are also not returnable especially after I have submitted it to my lab due to its personalization nature.
All sales are final, but you are welcome to purchase more at a later time!
{Q} How long will it take for my printed products to arrive?
{A} Digital products will be sent within a few hours of selection unless we have made other arrangements at the order appointment. Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery of tangible items. Once the items have been delivered, I inspect them carefully for quality assurance and it passes my high expectations before they are given to you. We took so much time to prep and shoot and order, that I want nothing less than the absolute best product to be placed lovingly into your hands.
{Q} Can I have the products shipped to my home instead to shorten my wait time or eliminate a step?
{A} I really love the ability to quality inspect each printed item so I only hand over shipshape products. How disappointed you would feel if you opened your album and found it to be damaged.
If you are from a location that I am unable to hand deliver it to you or you cannot come to pick up your order, we can ship it to your location but there will be a shipping cost involved and I am unable to help you in some instances if your product does not arrive in superior condition. This would be a case by case senario - but if at all possible, it is best to let me service you to the fullest by having items shipped to my location first.
Now, you get to enjoy your beautiful photos and feel strong, confident and stunning long after our session together. Any time you need a reminder or pick-me-up open your album again and remember that confidence is your best feature ♥
