How to Sneak Away For Your Boudoir Photo Shoot
by Boudoir Photographer Caley Newberry
One of the hardest and most stressful parts of booking a boudoir session can be figuring out what to tell your partner you're doing for a few hours. I had no idea how constantly connected Jonathan and I are until I tried to sneak away for a few hours. Fortunately, because I'm self-employed, I just said I had an appointment (which was totally true — after my session, I shot a proposal!). Since it was June, the hair and makeup quickly faded because I ran around Percy Warner for an hour.
But, that's not the case for everyone! Some couples have shared calendars, or one of you has to watch the kiddos. It's trickier than you may think to get away. So, without further ado, here's my quick list.
SIX TIPS TO COVER UP YOUR BOUDOIR PHOTO SHOOT:
Schedule when you know they're busy.
The easiest step is to just schedule it while they're at work. Hopefully they're too busy to ask questions and trust that's where you are, too. If you can take a half day or get a babysitter for a day, this is by far the easiest and most popular strategy.If you're getting married, pass it off as a hair and makeup test run.
Not only does this cover the "why do you have on so much makeup?" question, it also buys you several hours of time. With this method, you can also say you want to go out for a nice dinner afterward while you're all made up! Be sure to grab a photo so you can use some of the new poses you learned earlier that day. If you're not a bride, there's always the "I'm getting my hair done" line... and you know what you can do with those posing tips, too. ;)Bring a friend to cover for you.
First of all, did you know if you do a session with a friend, you each get a discount? If you come with a friend, you're easily each others alibis, especially if it's someone he knows you can spend hours hanging with.Girls' Day
If I tell Jonathan I'm out for a girls' day, he knows I'll be gone a while and very few questions are asked. If your person is the same way, TA DA! (Hey, you will be with girls since our entire boudoir staff is always female.)Make something up.
Look, I'm very anti lying in any relationship. But I'm also totally OK with making something up if it's to do something nice for someone. (Fun fact, my high school BFF once thought I was mad at her for a whole week while I planned her surprise birthday party because, rather than lying to her, I just avoided her.) I'm not the final say on what your conscience feels, but a little lie here passes my you-can-still-have-a-healthy-relationship test.Come clean.
If things start to take a turn where negative suspicion creeps in, it's always best to come clean. Don't taint this experience just because you're trying to keep it a surprise. The surprise is nice, but the build up while you're waiting for your images is also fun.
Did you or would you have a different strategy here that you'd like to share with future clients? Share them in the comments and I'll pass them on!