Just Breathe | Los Angeles Boudoir Photography

When you shoot with the luxury Dallas based boudoir studio, Wonderland Boudoir, we often tell you that if you only remember one thing during your session, it's to just breath.

Breathing is something we all do instinctively. It's the first thing we do when we leave the womb and the last thing before we take that final rest until our next transition. However, we all, in a way, take the complicated art of breathing for granted.

There are different ways to breath depending on where you are and what you are doing. For example, when you work out there is a different way to breath to make sure you're getting enough oxygen to your lungs. When you meditate you have another way of breathing. When shooting your boudoir session with Wonderland Boudoir we have a special way for you to breath. Our technique is two-fold. First, it helps you to calm down. The second is that when you breathe correctly it always you to showcase that subtle sexiness that all women have.

What a lot of women don't get is that boudoir is not just about sexy faces. It's the slight change in your lips, the flirtatiousness of the eyes, and the way that you run your fingers in your hair. Boudoir is about capturing those soft and subtle elements of femininity that we all miss because we have taken it for granted.

When you come to us, the first rule I teach everyone is how to properly breathe. When you're not breathing correctly I take the time to show you the difference in your photos. Without fail, every single time, the client is floored how something as simple as breathing really changes the whole feel of a single shot.

This is just one of the rules we teach you at Wonderland Boudoir.

While out shooting boudoir in Los Angeles one of my favorite girls I had the opportunity of capturing was Ms. A. I know! I shot A LOT of ladies whose name begins with "A" while out in Los Angeles. I actually met Ms. A through the suggestion of another amazing photographer, Jerry from The Willis Collection.

Jerry told me that he had a badass friend that he thinks I should hold a boudoir session with. He believed that Ms. A and I might vibe since our frequency seemed to be on the same wavelength. Clearly, Jerry isn't a bad judge in character. He knew exactly what he was talking about when it came to Ms. A.

Ms. A and I chatted a bit before actually meeting. Even when it came to the location she had another place in mind that was just absolutely stunning. It was something that you only see in high-end Instagram accounts.

The location was masculine but still had enough gender fluidity that we could make it work. I knew as soon as I walked into the sun-drenched industrial styled location that I wanted to do a more laid back and late summer vibe. I'm sure by now you guys know that I LOVE laid-back late summer shoots. HaHa!

Shooting Ms. A felt like I was speaking to a friend that I had known for decades. She and her beautiful dog, Professor Pierre, made my day. Also, Pierre taught me that I need to go a little easier on my coconut and vitamin E body oil concoction I had created especially for LA. This funny little pup would not stop licking my leg! It was perfectly fine with me seeing as that was the most a male has licked me in years.

As you guys know that I lost the order of my blog questionnaire that I have all the ladies complete. I'm praying that these are actually Ms. A's responses or else I'm going to look like a complete ass.

LOL! Here we go!

BOUDOIR EXPERIENCE INTERVIEW WITH MS.A - LOS ANGELES BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY

How did you feel going through your second session with us?

Honestly the best experience! Korin is really such a pleasure to work with as she makes you feel comfortable and confident in your own skin!!

What did you learn from this session that really helped you?

love to learn something from everyone and with Korin it was to breathe out as we shot, to create a sense of ease in the photo and relaxed which totally changed the game for me I think!

What was your favorite part about getting ready for your session?

Planning outfits and the vibe for this shoot as Korin made her way out to LA!

What is something that you learned about yourself after your second session?

I learned that I am both fierce and sexy.

What are some suggestions that you would give other women considering a boudoir session for first or second time?

Trust the magic! Embrace your body and personality, let that shine through. Ask lots of questions and work with the photographer to figure out what works best with your angles!

Please add any final thoughts you might have.

Book her!! I've worked with a lot of male photographers, and the differences with a female photographer and their ability to see and create a vision of the female body are empowering!

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I was great creating a beautiful and timeless session with Ms. A. I hope you had as much fun looking through the photos as we had to capture this session. If you are interested in having your own boudoir session please feel free to hit me up at the contact sheet below.

SONG OF THE WEEK:

This song by Anna Wise and Xavier Omar is just breathtakingly beautiful. It total reminds me of the vibe of the session Ms. A and I had together.

Outdoor Boudoir With a French Tub Full of Oranges | Dallas Boudoir Photography

It's not very often that I have the opportunity to shoot my own creative boudoir concepts.  I still work full time and juggling that with a full-time boudoir business can make sneaking some "just for me" shooting time in rare.  

An opportunity did come up in late last summer.  Every year I try to attend the Double Toasted anniversary party in Austin, Texas (my hometown).  When I'm in town I like to host sessions where I shoot people that come in for the gathering.  

One day before the anniversary party,  I was on Instagram drooling over my fave photographers latest postings when I came across this beautiful location that I assumed was in the South of France. I saved the photo as inspiration and moved on.  Through the course of 2017 I would see this location randomly pop up on my feed. I would pray that I could find a location that beautiful.

One day I was talking to my friend Danielle, who is part of the Double Toasted crew, and she showed me photos of a recent shot she had done in Austin.  Low and behold it was in the same location that I bookmarked a number of times.  I freaked out and quickly asked her about the whereabouts of this beautiful location.  She told me it was this secret location in Austin.   She gave me the details of the place and we went half on booking my dream setting.  

I knew I was going to shot Danielle, but I wanted to shoot another girl to maximize this dreamy location.  Jazzy came across a beautifully melinated woman from San Antonio named Michele.  

Michele was a TREASURE to work with (as you can see from the photos).  Michele loves doing boudoir and signed on to this personal project because she loved the concept. 

Outdoor Boudoir Concept

I always shoot three looks when I do personal sessions.  I like to have versatility.  I feel like every good story had three acts.  I also take into consideration the type of emotion I want my muse to display.  Being evocative sells the image.    

In Michele's case we I wanted something that was hot, passionate, full of desire and confidence.  Boy did she delivery!  

Look one was a simple bodysuit that Danielle donated for this shoot.  This beautiful piece was from Victoria's Secret.  You can never go wrong with a bodysuit from Victoria's Secret.  When doing a boudoir session outside it's very important to consider the time of year.  Our outdoor boudoir session was in August so summer was in full swing.  During summer we still have a lot of green but because we are in Texas there is a lot of warmth in nature. While the bodysuit had a lot of detail it was monochromatic.   I wanted the cream bodysuit because it did show warmth without competing with Michelle.    

If I'm to be honest, I really like shooting with monochromatic pieces.  I don't like busy prints in photos.  I feel as though it takes away from the muse and the story.  

For the makeup, Jazzy decided to highlight Michelle for the Gods!  We wanted an out of this world yet healthy glow to her skin.  Her makeup perfectly matched her skin complexion, but again, it did not compete with her.  We wanted her beautiful and natural color to illuminate to help push the story forward.  

The second look was a jaw-dropping dusty lavender piece that I picked up from Forever 21 with help from a stylist.  The thing I love about dark skin is that most colors look amazing against it.  This dusty purple was no exception.  I love burnt pastel colors (just take a look at my site).  I am drawn to burnt pastels because they have color but it's never over saturated.  I never like anything to complete with my muse.   

The last look was hands down my fave.  We have all seen milk baths, but I wanted to do something I had personally never seen... a citrus bath.  What better way to do that than a french tub outdoors in the Texas heat with a rusted chandelier hanging over us?  

I decided that I wanted to stay on the warmer side of the spectrum with the fruits.  Therefore I cut up lemons, oranges, and grapefruit.  I believe I had 5 bags of fruit.  Let me tell you, I did not cut nearly enough citrus fruits.  To make this really work we needed a solid 8 bags of fruit.  We filled the tub up first then added the fruit.  Next, we had Michelle submerge herself in the lukewarm water.

Honestly, I wanted Michelle totally nude.  However, there were five people around in the outdoor area and I felt weird asking her to fully undress.  Therefore if I felt weird I didn't want Michele to feel that way either.  Not feeling comfortable while shooting shows on your face... and I can't Photoshop emotion.  

With that being said, outside of styling and location, the most important thing that you need to get correct in the photoshoot is emotion.  What do you want the viewer the feel? Do you want them to feel your sadness?  How about happiness?  Or perhaps you just want the viewer to want you.  When shooting I do not expect my muse or client to know how to pose.  I help direct them in the way that I want them so we can get those epic shots. When shooting with Wonderland Boudoir you should never worry about not knowing how to pose.  We will show you what to do. 

For emotion, we focused on confidence and desire.  My goal was to have the viewer wither want her or want to be her.  

Below is a short interview we did with Michele regarding her boudoir experience with Wonderland Boudoir.  

Before your session what were you expecting?  How was that different once you finished your session?  

After Korin talked to me about her creative concept, and when I met her everything she what she talked about came to life, even better than I thought.

What was your favorite part of the whole process?
My favorite part was just being apart of the process and being able to model for Korin. She’s a creative individual and she is very enjoyable to work with.

What would you say to a woman who is on the fence about boudoir?  How was the session impacted your ideas of boudoir?

I would like to say to other women who are thinking about doing their first boudoir session, is that Korin will be the perfect photographer for you. She’s creative, she knows what she’s doing and makes you feel at ease throughout the entire shoot.

Now let me shower you with photos from this session!

If you're considering a boudoir session please hit us up on the contact page.  If you feel like you need more convincing as to why Wonderland Boudoir is the best choice for you check out our testimonial page!  Feel free to contact us regarding a session!

In the comment section below let us know which outfit was your favorite?

Beautiful, Sexy Boudoir Photos in Dallas

I met this girl when I was 10 years old and what I loved about her is that she had so much soul!  

I'm not sure what I did in my last life to deserve such a beautiful friend but I am happy that I have Ms. S in my life.  I'm not sure where exactly I would be in this life if I didn't have her.  Fortunately, I never have to worry about that.  I just pray that everyone in this life is blessed with their own Ms. S.  

Even though we have lived in different cities as adults, I still feel like we have grown together.  Carving out our own paths in life has never steered us away from each other.  

Ms. S is one of the most brilliant people you will ever meet.  Yes, I am saying that because I am totally biased. 

Jesus, best friend our not, she is gorgeous.  I am happy she allowed me the opportunity to shoot her in such an intimate state.  Yes, even though we have bared our souls to each other... it can be kinda weird to bare your most physical parts to someone, even if it is your BFF. 

In fact, and Ms. S will correct me if I'm wrong, but her mom was even surprised I hadn't seen her in the gift God gave her.  I just laughed because I NEVER thought about it... then again, why would I have?  LOL.  In 24 years or friendship, this had never come up.  LOL.  

While she is the closest thing I will ever have to a sister, I still treated this session like I would any other client.  I went through the same talk with her as I would anyone else.  Even though she knows I have shot a number of amazing sessions with other women, it never really hits home until you're the one in front of the camera.  

Just like all my beautiful clients, Ms. S was nervous.  Yes, even after 24 years or friendship she was nervous.  I can't blame her, I would be too.  You feel so vulnerable at the beginning of your session.  Not sure of what to do or how to do it. All you know is that you are here... in front of the boudoir photographer... and you have to finish this experience. 

Just like all experiences, once you actually start taking the steps you will begin to drop that sense of fear.  You begin trusting my words, but most importantly, trusting yourself.  Creating sexy and intimate portraiture is a work of art.  Like all art, you HAVE to be okay with placing your authentic and vulnerable being out there.  At the end of that day, that's the true power in all this.  The power to expose your most vulnerable side to you for the world to see... and then just not giving a fuck about it.  

 Boudoir is about freedom of self-expression.  Having a boudoir session is about you.  It's the story yo want to tell. It is to celebrate your unique beauty, to set free your vulnerabilities, and just to give yourself permission to be your true and authentic self. 

This is what I love about boudoir.  Women giving themselves permission to love who they really are without the care of what the rest of the world thinks.

What does Ms. S think? 

I'd been interested in doing a boudoir session for myself for awhile. I was really intrigued with the idea of doing these empowering, self-loving pictures, just for me. But I kept freaking out that I wasn't skinny enough, or that I would see the pictures and have my worst fears about my body confirmed. 

When I finally worked up the courage to do the shoot, Korin was a dream come true. Before we even got started, she walked me through step by step what she was going to do. She showed me the entire area where we would be shooting, told me her ideas for some various shots, and explained the rundown of the shoot. As she started taking pictures, Korin was very clear on everything she was doing - she would let me know when she was checking the light, she would tell me exactly how to pose, what to do with my hands, how to breath, what facial expressions to utilize. Korin knew everything she wanted from me! It was such a relief, because I've never been good at being a model, and Korin let me know every little thing that I needed to do. 

I loved how relaxed the whole shoot was. I never felt rushed, or like I was being asked to pose in an uncomfortable way. I felt very secure, and I was assured that Korin would not let me look ridiculous in any of the pictures. Honestly, when I saw the finished product, I was literally at a loss for words. I knew the pictures were me, and I knew they hadn't been photoshopped, but the pictures looked so amazing that it took me a few seconds to realize that they really were of me! Korin brought out everything that I love about my body, and made me feel so empowered, beautiful, and confident! I'm already planning my next shoot with Wonderland Boudoir!!!

This right here is why I LOVE shooting boudoir. 

 

 

In the comment section below please tell me what scares you about the idea of boudoir? I would love to know so I can address concerns in a future blog and video.  

Send us a message using the contact form to get more information about booking a shoot with our team!!!

Blonde and Boudoir | Dallas Boudoir

I love being a boudoir photographer in Dallas, Texas.  I meet so many incredible women.  Some whom I have shot three of four times already.    It's great to earn the trust and love of your clients.

Speaking of I am shooting one of my favorite faces, here we have  Ms. M again!  This has to be about my third or fourth time shooting Ms. M and trust me it never gets boring.  

Ms. M gave me the liberty to style her boudoir session.  Down to clothing, hair, and makeup.  I love these types of challenges because it shows me the client REALLY believes in my ability, and it also gives me the chance to be more experimental.  This is why I love my clients, they really allow me to stretch my imaginations.

If you can believe it or not, we actually shot this whole series in my apartment.  The first look took place on my balcony.  We had Candy from StylesByCandy come in and handle hair.  Jazzy was covering makeup.  I actually styled both looks. 

For hair I wanted to go for something full body and free. I love messier hairstyles in boudoir sessions.  It makes it much easier when shooting because I am not constantly concerned about the hair being perfect.  Messy hair gives me the liberty to push the session to the limit.  

Jazzy went with a very classic makeup look but still gave it his signature style be giving her the perfect heart lips.  The lips match perfectly with the aesthetic and style.  

The clothing pieces actually came from a closing American Apparel store.  If you guys didn't know, American Apparel is, at the time of this post, in the process of closing all of its locations.  This entire outfit cost me less than $5.  Yes, I bought all the pieces for 90% off.  I am willing to bet that anything with the American Apparel tag will be considered vintage and worth a lot of money in the future.  So hanging on to your American Apparel pieces may come in handy in the future... just not the near future.  

In this second look, we stuck to American Apparel high waisted bottom but then opted for this beautiful top purchased from Forever 21. Again, this purchase was from another clothing store.  I picked the top for $3... again, another boudoir outfit that cost less than $5.  

This goes to show that it's not about the price of the pieces but how you rock them.  

In the comment section below please let me know which look that you liked best.

The Girl Next Door Turns Vixen| Dallas Boudoir Photography

I haven't shot in a studio in quite some time.  While I love the idea of having a constant place to go, shoot, and call my boudoir home.  I have to admit that I do love shooting on location because my photos, work, and brain power will never go stale because each image for each client will look drastically different.

However, if I were to ever pick a client's place that I could shoot in every single day of my boudoir career I would be Ms. N's.  She had an atrium, nice concrete floors, powerful soft light, and this incredible blue studded and tufted jewel couch that was to LIVE for.  You know what else I loved about her place?  It was luxurious but minimalistic.  I know, what a juxtaposition!  (I'm going to be honest, I just wanted to use that word).  

As I say in just about every other blog post, you have to match your style to your settings.  This is how you get those drool-worthy Pinterest boudoir photos that every woman yearns for.  

Since the settings were very minimalistic we decided to have the outfits, hair, makeup, and posing standout and play the power forward position in the photos.   

Dominque Dai is one of my favorite hairstylist in Dallas.  She is one of the most versatile and professional hair care specialists in the city.  For Ms. N photos I wanted to go simple, girl next door glam.  We went for a very loose french braid look with a curl end.  This worked perfectly with her ombre colored hair.  

Jazzy is my right-hand man.  He went in for the kill for the beautifully executed softly dark makeup look.  I know, what the hell is a dark soft?!  Well, the lips were a dark glistening pink and the contour was dark, but not heavy.  Jazzy loves to go for editorial drama in his looks.   Let's not forget about that highlight though! 

Ms. N gave us free range and we were able to have her as our fun little canvas!  

The Girl Next Door

In look one we decided to go with a gray oversized sweater.  Sweaters are my thing.  We shot Kryssi on a black sweater the other day and now we are shooting Ms. N in this sexy gray number.  She had always wanted to wear this piece but could never find anything to match with it.  Therefore she was excited to wear it for our session.  

In most sessions, the more simple a look is the more powerful the image becomes.  Therefore, all we really needed was her couch as the statement piece.  Can you believe she found this tufted jeweled couch on the side of the road driving on Harry Hines in Dallas?!

The Vixen

Ms. N is a juggernaut of beauty!  Besides her gorgeous place, another thing Ms. N had going was the fact that she had racks on racks on racks of lingerie!  In fact, shortly after our session she reached out to me and gave me ALL her lingerie because she was moving across seas and could not take the items with her.  So I have soooooooooo much new lingerie that I haven't even shown off yet.  Judging by these pieces you know they are good!  LOL!

For her second look we decided to show off her assets while not needing to bare them all.  You can tell that Ms. N has a body and attitude that could take down foreign leaders.  So we styled her in a bodysuit that had a really sexy ribbon tied front.  We did this because, while we know her frame is sexy, it still leads a lot to the imagination.  The toasted peach color of her Victoria's Secret bodysuit was perfect for our boudoir setting as we shot these in her atrium.  Dominique just undid the french braid which caused the beautiful shape and volume of her hair.  Jazzy just darken the look a tad to give her more of a vampy vixen vibe.  (How did you like the use of all those V words?)

I had SUCH a blast shooting Ms. N.  She is such a damn doll!  I couldn't have asked for a better client, with a badass lingerie wardrobe, in the most perfect home for boudoir!

Let me know in the comment section below which boudoir look you like the best?  Personally, I really like them both!

If you are in the Dallas area and would like to book a boudoir session please check out our pricing and hit us up on the contact page. Or even just fill the form out below!

Free Boudoir Session Giveaway Winner | Dallas Boudoir Photography

Congratulations to Sarah Durrett for winning the FREE boudoir session!

Thank you all for entering to win this epic prize!  

However, if you're not Sarah know that we are offering $100 off ANY regular priced boudoir collection.  

Don't forget that we are still offering Boudoir Mini Sessions.  These sessions will take place August 27th and 28th!  While the $100 off offer cannot be used for this session you are still saving over 40% off our regular priced sessions!   However, you need to act fast as we ONLY have 6 spots left as of today!

Learn more about the Boudoir Mini Sessions HERE!
Book HERE to ensure a spot!
Contact us HERE for any questions!

Have a Wonderful Day Y'all!
Wonderland Boudoir Team!

Thank You from Dallas Boudoir Photography, Wonderland Boudoir

July was such an incredible month for Wonderland Boudoir!

Our traffic to the site has been the highest since February of this year.  In fact, our traffic rose 21% from just last month!!!  This weekend we were able to meet over 200 of you ladies at the Dallas Bridal show!  Let us not forget we were able to shoot some incredible ladies this month.  Including a client that has come back to me three times since April! 

Oh yeah!  The Knot Wedding Magazine reached out to me and requested that I be featured on their website.  Be sure to check my profile out! 

Major Key Alert!  I have some IN-CRED-DI-BLE (yes, I know I spelled that wrong) post planned for this month.  I am bringing you even more of Wonderland Boudoir!

The main reason I wanted to post was just to tell you ladies thank you.  I really appreciate all the love, support, emails, and just genuine comments we receive all over social media.  It means the world to myself and the Wonderland Boudoir team that you guys enjoy what we do. 

Having that support from our community makes it that much easier for us to continue with this journey.  I pray that you guys can keep joining us.  I really plan on launching… like REALLY launching... our YouTube channel by the end of this month.  I want you guys to understand that boudoir isn’t anything to fear and in fact, makes you feel beautiful for being born the way you are.  

By engaging more with YouTube I hope you guys are able to see my more of my personality and why Wonderland Boudoir rocks.  Reading my quotes or blog post only gives a two-dimensional version of who we are as a brand.  I LOVE interacting with you guys on Periscope and many of you guys have requested that I started vlogging. 

I have thought A LOT about vlogging.  With my schedule doing a daily and consistent vlog will be a lot.  However, I have decided that every time I have a major shoot planned or travel for photography that I will bring you along!  I worry that my content will be boring and over the place, but I think the more I vlog the better I will become.  My major concern is running out of time.  However, to help with my productivity I did purchase the Productive Planner created by Alex Ikonn.  

My friend and hairstylist Dominique Dai of Mane Affair told me about this productivity planner and once I saw Alex’s YouTube video on it I knew I had to have it.  A quick Amazon purchase later I had it the next day (don’t you love modern day technology?)  I may do a review of this book in about 3-6 months (in time for the holidays).

I have a lot of things planned for August so I can’t wait to share with you guys!  My first vlog should be up later this month.  

Again, thank you guys so much for making Wonderland Boudoir what it is.  

In the comment section below please let me know what types of videos you guys would like to see from me regarding your boudoir session!