Session Guide

This guide is going to walk you through the process of what a boudoir shoot is and how the process works over here at Quaintrelle Boudoir. I am excited to get you in my studio! If you have any questions after reading this, please feel free to reach out and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

This guide is very thorough…which means its long! Sit down, grab a glass of wine and read this until the very end!

I have been doing Boudoir for over 3 years. Boudoir is so precious to me because I love helping women feel better about themselves, inside and out. We all struggle with self image, and I want to help women overcome as much of that as I can. I love the WOW factor. I love delivering images to women and having them say “I can’t believe that’s me! I have never felt so beautiful in my entire life!” It means so much to me to be able to offer that to women, and that women of all ages trust me to provide them with this experience. You don’t need to lose 15 pounds to do a session with me. You don’t need to be Beyonce curvy. You just need to be you. Have fun. And enjoy this moment. You won’t regret it!

This business of mine has BLOSSOMED in the last year. I went from shooting out of hotels, to bringing the studio into my home and in 2021 I had the opportunity to open my own studio, just down the street from my house. Then in 2022, just when I had settled all into the Studio the owner announced that he was going to sell the building, so back to a home studio!

Its funny, because at the start of 2022 I was starting to question all that hype in the photography world, in particular Boudoir, that was telling Photographers that we need the newest lighting set up, the next best backdrop or the creation of a new set, to be a better photographers or to do right by our clients.

I felt that innate pull of cutting out all that noise that was telling me that I need this or that, to be a better Boudoir Photographer. I just sat with that feeling for a while, until I heard that little voice in my spirit that told me that none of that mattered, and the only thing that mattered was the connection I have with my clients and that my photos are showcasing my clients and not some crawling ivy, cool backdrop or fancy editing. "Bring it back to the basic Bitch" (yay, for a rude internal voice)

So, when I "lost" that building that housed my studio, I actually gained my perspective back, and what truly is important , which is me coming alongside and connecting with my clients.

The home studio is freaking glam, but still feels cozy, comfortable, and most importantly magical for my clients.

Thank you for being here and for supporting my amazing business – I can’t wait to meet you and create some of the most gorgeous photographs of yourself that you will ever have.

Where am I located? My home studio is located in Stayton, Oregon. Its a cute location, close to downtown Stayton's main businesses, with plenty of room and parking.

So, what is Boudoir? Boudoir technically is a French word which means a women’s dressing room or bedroom, but I like to think of it as just a fancy word for women’s intimate portraiture. Boudoir is NOT pornographic. Boudoir can be fun, flirty, beautiful, cute, sexy, feminine, intimate, candid, posed or really anything else you want it to be. If you have not already joined my private VIP group on Facebook, I highly suggest you do!

What would I do with boudoir portraits? I actually believe that boudoir is the best gift you can give YOURSELF, to capture your essence as you are now. When you need a reminder of the strong, beautiful woman that you are, you will have a collection of amazing portraits to look upon. I love it when women come to me for themselves. The images we create together will boost your self esteem and your confidence, and that should be celebrated by YOU! It will help you reclaim your femininity, your sexuality, two things that are often lost as we get consumed with our lives, our jobs, our families. Put that pep back in you step, and reflect on the bodacious Queen that you are. Celebrate the body you live in!

I don’t look like women in your portfolio! There is no such thing as the perfect body. You are never too big, too small, too young (well, I only accept boudoir clients who are over 18+) to do a boudoir session. My Boudoir Photography business is all about the real-life Queen. The woman that you see in the store, at work or walking in the Park. I showcase women of all size, age, color and background. Boudoir is for every BODY. Let me show you.

Can you make me look thinner? I want to help you feel beautiful now, just the way you are. We flatter you with hair and make up styling, a wardrobe that compliments your figure, and amazing lighting and posing techniques to highlight your best ass-sets (see what I did there?). I do not believe in heavy photoshopping. Don’t get me wrong, I will gladly remove all of your bruises and pimples, but we don’t want to over manipulate your body to make you look like someone you are not. We already live in a time where we are consumed with unrealistic bodies in the media, I want to show you that you are beautiful at this very moment.

What about retouching? I am happy to retouch your images! All my images will have pimples, bruises, scratches and under eye circles removed. Honestly, most of my clients are WOW-ed at how amazing their images look straight out of camera and opt for less retouching than you they they needed. I do not remove tan lines or correct skin tone from tanning beds or spray tans, so proceed with caution.

What will I wear? I have created a beautiful and comprehensive wardrobe guide that should give you the 411 on how to look and feel like a bombshell for your session. My policy is always “when in doubt, bring it!”. You are welcome to make a Pinterest board and share it with me, so I can help you make your dream shoot a reality. I have an amazing client wardrobe that you can borrow from for your session with over 300+ pieces to choose from (sizes XS to 5X) that you are MORE than welcome to browse through. To be totally honest, most of my clients bring NOTHING to their session and rely solely on my fabulous Client Wardrobe - 99% of the lingerie you see women wearing in my images actually belong to the studio!!

Do I get to talk to you before my session? Before your session we will have a consultation over the phone so that I can prepare you for your session and get to know you better. I am here for you every step of the way to make sure that you feel prepared and comfortable during this whole process. If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Email is how I communicate with clients, you can email me at any time at sonja@quaintrelleboudoir.com

Who is going to be there the day of my session?

You – Me – Your Hair and Make up artist

Please, no props, no spray tans, and absolutely no weapons will be allowed in the studio at any time.

I also do not allow anyone under the age of 18 in the studio, ever.

How does this work? 

Your entire experience will last between 6 and 7 hours. You will receive complimentary hair and make up, access to the client wardrobe, and much more. I am going to pose you from head to pointed toe, and help you with a variety of facial expressions! Prepare to be sore after your session, we do a LOT of bending and twisting (it’s quite the workout!) Sessions begin at 9:30 am on a Friday or Saturday, we break for lunch about 2 pm, and you will return to the studio about 90 minutes later for your Image Reveal & Ordering Appointment!

We will select which images you would like to include in your album of folio box. Viewing session will take approximately 1-2 hours, so please plan to be in the studio until 4:30-5:00 pm. All my client's take advantage of my pre-payment plan I offer, so when you are viewing your images, you have already completed your payment plan and can just sit back and enjoy the experience.

How long does it take to get albums and prints back? You will receive your images in about 4-6 weeks after your session. I usually drop ship everything directly to you, especially if you are more than an hour away from Stayton, in order to keep this process as simple as possible. Everyone else gets a choice to return to my studio when their product arrives or have it drop shipped. I do not offer online galleries or multiple appointments for your reveal, all ordering decisions must be made at your reveal appointment.

So what do I need to do to book? 

The Session Fee is $500 and is required to reserve a space on my calendar.

Session Fee $500 includes:

30 minute Pre-Session Consultation

Private use of the Boudoir Studio

Professional Hair and Make up Application

Access to the Client Wardrobe

90-120 minutes of Photography with Sonja

Complete Posing and Expression Coaching

Minimum of 3 wardrobe changes

1-2 hour private in-person reveal and image ordering appointment *(all images are purchased separately from the Session fee )*

I need my images by XX date, when should I book? 

My studio books up 6-12 months in advance and my printed products can take up to 6 weeks for delivery. If you have a special occasion coming up or wish to book at holiday appointment, I recommend booking 12 months in advance of that date.

Can my spouse/friend/mom come to my session or my ordering appointment? 

I do not allow guests to be present for any portion of the time you spend with me. My services are best delivered in a 1-on-1 atmosphere with your complete undivided attention.

What can I expect to spend for my photos? 

Some women come to me and just get a basic album, other come to me and want it all and invest several thousand on a variety of products. Keep in mind what you spend is up to you. You can purchase from my Collection Menu or the A La Carte Menu, both which will be sent to you immediately following the completion of your booking process. The majority of my clients opt for my pre-session payment plan and by the time their session day arrives , they have their collection paid off and are only focused on enjoying their day.

What I can say is this, if you are looking for a “quick shoot” or “just a few images”, this is not the session for you. I offer an entire day experience and will show you anywhere from 50-100 final images that will be printed on luxury products. It is certainly an investment, one that is worth its weight in gold. You’ll never tire of looking at your images or forget the way the session day made you feel.

My Collections (album or folio box & wall art) begin at $2,300. My albums begin at $1800 and go all the way to up $2500.

Have sticker shock? No worries, I know that this experience is an investment and therefore I offer a pre-payment plan option. You can split up the cost of any of the products via my interest free in-house payment plan and make smaller monthly or weekly payments towards your purchase leading up to your shoot (usually 6-12 months) or you can get financing through PayPal credit by using the link below to apply.

Apply for PayPal Credit https://www.paypal.com/ppcreditapply/da/us/lander?p=ppcdalpBAUNI&t=ppcdaltIntentOffer

Are you ready to book??

If you made it this far and are ready to take the next step, which is scheduling a phone call with me, lets schedule our phone call and I can answer any questions you may have and I can go over the entire process in detail!