The Boudoir Blog and Casual Elegance Photography

We started this blog to compliment the Casual Elegance Photography Blog.  Lately we have concentrated on the other blog but let me assure you that we are very linked.  Please check our other blog to see the latest updates!

B-PICS – BRIDAL BOUDOIR — A growing trend!

In the past few weeks we have booked at least 4 Bridal Boudoir shoots. This trend seems to be growing and we’re happy to see it. The feedback we have received from the brides who have shot with us is “WOW – he was floored!!!” “His jaw dropped and he really loved them, especially the one we shot last, you know the one I’m talking about” “He absolutely LOVED THEM”. In a typical B-Pic shoot we try a bunch of poses – teasing ones, pure sexy ones, fun ones, and classic ones. Sometimes the bride to be wants to do a striptease as we capture the stages of it. Other times just the placement of the lingerie or props such as sheets can tease and create a feeling of wanting to see more. It’s all a matter of what the bride to be wants to say in the shots. We have had brides bring in their veil and shoot with it and nothing else or with some white lingerie. Again, it’s all a matter of personal preference. We’re loving this new trend. Call us or email us today to schedule your Bridal Boudoir Shoot!

Good Questions to ask when you hire a photographer or anyone else for that matter!

I received a call from a potential client today and I was actually very delighted that she had such a good list of questions for me before she would hire a photographer. She had done her homework and said that she wanted to be sure she was dealing with a professional business. Here are some of the questions she asked. 1. Do you have a business license? (yes – in Sandy Springs where my studio is) 2. Are you a corporation and in which state? (yes – Mark L. Anderson, LLC – Georgia – DBA Casual Elegance Photography®) 3. Do you have insurance? (yes – liability and loss of property) 4. When did you start the business? (2000) 5. Do you have a Website? – she was referred by a friend (yes – casualelegancephotography.com) 6. Can I meet with you ahead of the shoot and see your studio? (yes – I encourage that) 7. Do you have a Makeup Artist? (yes – I utilize the services of several in the area but work closely with 3 – all licensed estheticians) 8. Can I bring someone to the shoot with me? (YES – I highly encourage you to do that) 9. Will my photos be sold or used by you? ( NO! I do not use client images. If a client wants me to use an image I require them to sign an agreement for me to do so. I don’t even allow anyone other than the client to order prints or a CD) She had a bunch more questions but they were related to the process, the shoot, and the timing. As I said, I was delighted that she was taking the task of hiring a photographer so seriously and I gladly answered her questions. It made me very happy that I had followed all the right steps to build my business correctly. Visit our website to learn more about Casual Elegance Photography® and read our client testimonials.

Nude Photography Business

It’s interesting how the Nude/Boudoir/Intimate Photography business runs in cycles. I’ve been doing this for almost 10 years now and it’s always been a “feast or famine” business. There are weeks that I can’t keep up with the number of shoots, and other weeks when I find myself doing all the maintenance choirs I neglect when I have a “feast” week. I guess all businesses have their cycles too, but having come from Corporate life, the cycles in this business are so very interesting. But, I LOVE WHAT I DO so I’m so very willing to continue to live with the cycles and continue to do photo shoots that change people’s lives and make them happy. Visit my website and book your appointment today! (The holidays are drawing near – plan your Naughty or Nice shoot today!)

Bridal boudoir – plan ahead!

There is a boom in the bridal boudoir photography venue lately.  Just a reminder that if you are getting married during the holiday season you need to allow plenty of time to get your boudoir pics taken, and back to you before your big day.  The holidays are always a busy time in general, but the demand for boudoir photography sessions always peaks at that time of year.  To make sure you can get an appointment that fits your schedule, plan ahead!   In fact, we just got a call from a bride who needs her pictures in April – and she wanted to make sure she had plenty of time to get her shoot scheduled.  Now THAT is what we call planning ahead!

For the finest in boudoir, glamour, and artistic nude photography check out our website, and give us a call to schedule your session.

Busy day today!

Whatever happened to sleeping late on Saturdays?  Off we go – glamour shoot this morning, CD cover shoot this afternoon, and client consult at the end of the day.

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Glad we moved the studio when we did!

Atlanta has experienced a week of torrential rains unlike anything we’ve seen in the 16 years we’ve been here. Scenes on the news look like we’ve been through a tropical storm or hurricane, but the reality is that it was just 8 days of pretty steady, heavy, rain. Apparantly two weather systems met each other and then just got stuck. Lucky us!

And I do mean lucky! For the first time ever we had water in our basement – which USED to be my studio! Had this happened a few weeks ago, all my lights, cameras, computers, props – literally my entire studio would have been in the water

Meanwhile here I sit at home, making appointments for photoshoots that span the next month, knowing my studio is high and dry and ready to shoot at a moment’s notice. If I hadn’t made the decision to move I don’t know when I’d be back in business!

Check out my website and give me a call to set up your appointment today!

Boudoir Photography – making it great!

Why should you choose Casual Elegance Photography for your Boudoir, Glamour, or Artistic Nude photographs? First, check our website and I think that will give you the most important answer to that question. Then read on…

I feel that the most important element to getting gorgeous results is the comfort of the client. Anyone can take a shot of a woman standing in a room, wearing lingerie, or sitting on a sofa wearing lingerie, but lately I’ve seen a lot of shots where it looks like just that – like anyone took the photos! The women look totally out of their comfort zone and there is nothing to “glam up” the shot in terms of accessories, props, sets… So the shots just fall flat. Here are some of the most important factors to a great photoshoot and outstanding photos.

Makeup, makeup, makeup! I always highly recommend that my boudoir and glamour nude clients have their makeup professionally done. The makeup artists Casual Elegance Photography uses are skilled in applying makeup specifically for our style of photoshoots. Makeup for photography is very different than “everyday” makeup. Suffice it to say that how your makeup looks can make or break the photoshoot.

The next most important part of the boudoir shoot… Sets! A beautiful set helps my clients to relax because the minute they see how the set pops up on the screen, and how gorgeous they look in it, it puts them at ease. We have thought about it at length and have purchased several different bedding sets as well as curtains, lamps, and screens to be able to build a set at a moment’s notice that will work with the clients attire. We also have accessories to add to those sets which come up beautifully in the shots and lend a “playboy” atmosphere to the photographs. We feel so strongly about the importance of the environment for a successful boudoir or glamour nude image, that we have built an entire room devoted to just that.

One of our commercial clients has even given us several varieties of new lingerie so that if something a client brings for their shoot just doesn’t give them the look they want, they aren’t stuck without any other alternatives. In later blogs we’ll discuss lighting, camera angles and other elements of a successful boudoir or glamour nude shoot.

Here is a sample of one of our sessions and one of our sets.

Boudoir, glamour and artistic nude images make great gifts for a variety of occasions! Visit our website and give us a call to schedule an appointment soon!

New Studio Boudoir Shoots are getting GREAT feedback!!!

After months of searching for “just the right location” for Casual Elegance Photography’s new studio, and all our hard work to make sure it gave our clients a private and comfortable environment for their photo sessions, we still held our breath when we opened the doors and started shooting there.

So we have been delighted with the feedback we are getting from our clients – in all areas. Boudoir, Glamour, Artistic nudes, B-Pics, Maternity, Headshots, Commercial – new clients and repeat clients, as well as our makeup artists, all have had wonderful things to say about our new “digs”.

If you’d like to schedule a shoot – visit our website and send us an email or give us a call.

Girls Night Out at Casual Elegance Photography!

Fantastic shoot this week with 3 beautiful women who all decided that they wanted to come in together and do glamour/boudoir photoshoots for the men in their lives. It was a fun experience for all involved – the friends supported and encouraged each other during their individual shoots, shared their wardrobes – there were clothes flying in all directions as one would try something on and decide it would look better on someone else. They had a lot of laughs, shared some great moments, and got beautiful and very sexy images for their men.