frequently asked questions
Q: How can I book a session?
A: Booking a session is easy!
Just fill out THIS FORM to schedule a FREE No-Obligation Consultation we’ll take care of the rest.
Q: The women on your website all look like models. I am not a model type...can I do this?
A: First of all, thank you!! It’s a true compliment because all these women are not models. They, just like you, at one point looked at the photos on my website and thought "I know mine won't turn out that good since I don't look like a model, but I'm wondering how good she can make me look?" I know exactly how to pose all types of women to look their very very best. I know my camera equipment well and can use it to create beautiful and ultra flattering images of any woman. You don't have to know what you are doing in the slightest. I will direct you every step of the way, from helping to you prepare for your photo shoot with wardrobe tips, to posing every inch of you, to coaching your breathing through the session. You just need to show up, trust me and enjoy the experience!
Q: How far in advance should I book my session?
A: I recommend that women have their shoot date scheduled for about 2 months prior to needing the finished product in-hand. Also, being a one-woman show, I tend to book up very quickly and relatively far in advance. Please, email for weekday availability. Fridays tend to be the most popular time slots and book up the quickest. That said, DON'T WAIT to email me! It's never too early to get on my schedule. Your photo ordering appointment generally will be on the same say (Exclusions: on a rare occasion we allow ordering sessions on a different day within 2 weeks of your session and we do remote ordering appointments for out-of-town clients) and your finished product (depending on what you order) will arrive between 3 and 6 weeks after that.
Q: What do your packages include? How much should I expect to spend?
A: The photo shoot experience booking fee starts at $450. That includes 1-1.5 hr photo shoot with Irina, in-studio professional hair and makeup application, the retouching of your images, the in-person photo viewing for you to order photo products. Images and products are not included with the booking fee and will be purchased separately at the photo ordering appointment. During the ordering session you will view a full gallery of your images and choose how you want your images to be displayed - luxury album, heirloom box with matted prints, stunning wall art. Our products start at $999 and are thoughtfully built based on our clients most frequent purchases. We do have an incredible selection of products that you may upgrade to or purchase separately at your photo ordering appointment. Many clients choose additional items such as an upgraded album, additional album images, photo prints, and/or digital files. Clients are almost always SHOCKED by how many photos they cannot live without from their session. They think they are going to be the one client that just doesn't get good photos...and they're always proved wrong!
Q: When and how will I select my favorite images from my shoot?
A: La Perla Boudoir is proud to offer same-day in-person ordering appointments. On some occasions we can schedule photo reveal and ordering session on a different day within two weeks of your photosession. For out-of-state clients we offer remote ordering appointments. We do this for a host of reasons: First, for your convenience. We've gotten REALLY good at our little system for helping clients decide between images, showing similar images side by side for easy selection, and assisting clients with getting great variety for albums and the perfect wall art pieces. Because we do show a LOT of killer images, it can be overwhelming to navigate on your own and we don't want our customer service to stop at the photo shoot. The in-person photo reveal is much appreciated by our clients and is our favorite part of the whole process!
Second, for security. While doing some sort of online proofing gallery is industry standard for lots of different types of photography, beauty and boudoir can be more sensitive in nature. We take your privacy seriously, so the in-person photo reveal takes care of this!
Many of our clients travel in from out of state for their sessions, and it just wouldn't be practical for them to come back in for their photo reveal appointment a few weeks later. We have a little work-around for this and can do a live photo reveal via screenshare.
Q: I see that you offer both beauty and boudoir photography. What is the difference?
A: Boudoir portrait photography is our primary specialization at La Perla Boudoir. This involves a certain level of undress (either lingerie, loungewear, other intimate apparel, or nothing at all. These images tend to be a little more raw, real, candid, unposed LOOKING (although we do pose you throughout the whole shoot). These are meant to embrace a woman's sexuality, independence, femininity, and badassness. Because of the posing and wardrobe, these images tend to be more intimate in nature. We do retouch all boudoir images for our clients with standard retouching. The finished product is typically a variety of about 60-70 images with a natural retouch (no special effects other than black and white on some images) that include "detail" shots such as legs, tush, breasts, back and shoulders, lips, as well as full bodyscapes and imagery that includes the face.
Beauty portraiture is a bit more polished...with a finished "fine art" look and feel. Beauty portraiture is a great option for a woman who wants a smaller collection of absolutely breathtaking portraits of herself that are wall-worthy. This is a great option for women who may be a bit intimidated by the idea of baring all for a boudoir session. Wardrobe for a beauty session can be a ball gown, little black dress, a lace bodysuit, fabric draping, or even nudity. Our beauty portraits always contain the full face and at least the shoulders up. There are more special effects such as fine art textures and extensive retouching done on these images, and the final outcome is roughly 15-20 fully enhanced wall-ready images.
Q: Where will my photo session take place?
A: That’s a great question and the answer depends on what kind of photoshoot experience you’re looking for as we offer studio photography as well as outdoor sessions in one of our favorite locations alongside picturesque 30a and surrounding areas. Coastal session are offered March-November (and sometimes I make an exclusion during winter months depending on the weather).
When you book a studio photoshoot experience we’ll welcome you in our private studio in Lynn Haven, FL or Panama City Beach, FL. There are several indoor sets including clawfoot tub, various backdrops, studio lighting and beautiful furniture. Other half of the studio is designed for boudoir and lifestyle photography. I do enjoy changing things up and moving furniture around so if you’ve been to our studio before most likely you’ll find new sets when you come back for a repeated shoot!
Q: I'm really not comfortable with being photographed nearly nude, but I really want you to photograph me. Is that a possibility?
A: Absolutely!! My specialty is photographing WOMEN--that's in ANY level of dress or undress. Women who shy away from being photographed nude, in lingerie, etc, might be more comfortable doing an studio portrait session with an off-shoulder blouse and jeans...that's totally fine! This would fall under the beauty portraiture style!
Q: The images on your website are very tasteful and pretty, but what if I wanted to get a little more risque?
A: I will shoot an array of clothed, partially clothed, tasteful nudes, exposed breasts and bums but no pelvic area will be visible in any of my work and that is a firm policy. While I can certainly appreciate more erotic art, it just isn't what I offer. So if you love what you see on the website, I'm your girl!
Q: What should I wear?
A: This is probably the most popular question I get….and the answer is simple…whatever you feel most beautiful in. A lot of my clients bring things that they already have in the closet. A bodysuit, an oversized sweater, cropped sweatshirt and high waist panties, a robe, sleep shirt...you get an idea. Some clients opt for lingerie. And many clients choose to do a nude set during their session. In a 1.5 hour photo session, you will typically have time for up to 4 “looks” or outfits (yes, "nude" counts as one of the looks)! Don't stress to much about wardrobe. I could (and have!) spend an entire hour shooting a client with no other wardrobe than the bed sheets and completely rock it out. Once you've completed the booking process with me, you will also receive a detailed shoot guide that will help you with preparations and wardrobe considerations!
Q: Can I have someone with me at my session?
A: Sometimes your best friend is exactly what you need to calm your nerves and give you the reassurance you need to get started with your session! I don’t mind if there is one friend with you! I DO ask that the friend not interfere with the shoot (running in to “touch you up” in between every shot, directing your posing, etc) as I will handle anything along those lines that needs done. I do not allow any more than one friend in the room with you. Also, it is a requirement of mine that boyfriends/husbands/spouses NOT be in the room while we are shooting. That’s a firm policy. Want to do one better than having a friend there for moral support? Why don't you book your shoots back to back so you can both enjoy the experience together?!
Q: On which days of the week can I have my photo session?
A: We accept studio shoots Monday through Friday. We also book limited number of sunrise/sunset beach shoots, availability upon request.
Q: What should I do to prepare?
A: The beauty of being a La Perla client is, all of these questions are answered in COMPLETE detail for you in the La Perla Boudoir Prep Guide which is emailed to you shortly after booking your session. This will cover exactly how you should prepare your face, body, and mind for your photo shoot, as well as a complete list of resources for beauty appointments and wardrobe for your photo shoot! No question will remain unanswered. I pride myself on offering a photo shoot EXPERIENCE to my clients...so expect a very informed process that involves a lot more instruction than just showing up to shoot and being done with it.
Q: I’m worried about cellulite/stretchmarks/acne. Will you remove skin imperfections?
A: We make the skin look it's best, the removal of temporary skin flaws (acne/blemishes/bruises/scratches/stretchmarks/veins/cellulite/under-eye circles/small scars if requested) is part of our standard retouching process and included in the cost of your purchase. There may be an extra charge for additional retouching work such as extreme tan lines and tattoo removals.
Q: I’m not in my best shape/need to loose or gain weight/just had a baby/worried about problem areas. Can I still do this?
A: Of course!! In fact, don’t wait until you get in your best shape - do it NOW! I will give you wardrobe tips, guide you through the entire photoshoot experience and pose you in the most flattering way! Even the most slim and fit ladies have doubts but I’ve heard from many clients that going through this photoshoot experience has been transformational on may levels including their confidence, and some of the ladies this was a start of a self-love and self-acceptance journey.
Q: I am a school teacher/pastor's wife/celebrity and I would like to keep these photos private. Is this possible?
A: My shoot style is VERY classic, beautiful, and more about the empowerment of woman than oversexed or something to be embarrassed about. HOWEVER, I can TOTALLY understand if you don't want your images shared with the public! Your images will NEVER be shared without your permission. As soon as your session is complete, we retouch your images in-house. We do NOT send your images off to an outsourced editing company leaving them vulnerable to being stolen. THEN, you will see them directly during your in-person photo viewing! If you are coming in from out of town to shoot with me and an in-person viewing is not possible, we will make other accommodations for you for a long distance viewing that is still secure.
In the event that you are super awesome and proud of your images and do permit me to use them on my blog and website, your real name will not be used and I will NEVER tag you on social media, your secret is SAFE with us. I am always happy to sign NDA's should you need one from me because of your profession or public visibility.
Q: Do you photograph men?
A: I don’t. I know what I'm good at, and posing men is just not my background or specialty. However, I will make an exception for my husband (will someone please convince him to let me shoot him again!?!).
Q: What about couples?
A: If you are interested in having a portrait/boudoir shoot with your partner I will be happy to set up a video consultation with BOTH of you to get a good idea of what you are looking for, go over details and see if we are a good fit for each other!
Q: Do you still shoot weddings, families, etc?
A: I do not accept any bookings outside of boudoir / personal branding portraits because I truly enjoy working with women and that’s what I have chosen to specialize in back in 2017 and never looked back!
Q: Will you use my images on your website/blog/portfolio?
A: I, of course, would LOVE to show other women your amazing photos! HOWEVER, I also completely understand if you might be uncomfortable to share them. That said, I will not share unless you grant permission. The bottom line is: I will honor whatever level of privacy you would like. Many clients are so proud of their images that they give me full discretion to choose images for my portfolio, some clients prefer that only their anonymous images be put in my gallery, some clients prefer to choose the images that are posted, and other clients are comfortable with anything being posted. Just let me know where you stand on the topic and I will honor your wishes!
If you have ANY other questions that I did not address here, please e-mail irina@laperla-boudoir.com
