2014 Boudoir Retreat Recap

By boudoirdivasadminWorkshops6 Comments

Oh my gosh, where do we even begin!? The 2014 Boudoir Retreat was so much fun… it was a whirlwind week of shooting, talking, learning, sharing, and hanging at a beautiful beach house in La Jolla California. We were honored to host such an incredible group of photographers, artists, and business owners who we now consider friends as well. I (K) am going to do my best to recap the Retreat here, and I apologize in advance because it’s going to be a very long post.

DAY 1: ARRIVAL & COCKTAIL PARTY
The first day began with everyone checking in to the beach house and getting a few goodies that we left on their beds. We also had a ‘cocktail party’ – with our signature Divalicious martini that Marissa created. Although not everyone was able to make it this night (a few others arrived later), we still had a great time getting to know each other and hanging out in a relaxed, casual environment. Marissa & I could tell INSTANTLY that this was an incredible group, and we connected with each person from the get-go.

Now, I hate to be all braggy, but we are pretty proud of our Retreat Workbooks that we created. Do you guys remember those amazing “Choose Your Own Adventure” books from way back in elementary school? Well that was the inspiration for these workbooks. We LOVE teaching photographers and sharing about our business… but the last thing we want is for anyone to think that they have to do exactly what we have done, or set-up a mini Boudoir Divas studio. Our business model, marketing, and studio are all very specific to us, our personalities, and our goals for our lives. We want to be sure that our workshop attendees figure out what is best for THEM. And so this workbook held lots of thought-provoking questions, worksheets, and space to journal, dream, and plan. We are really happy with the way these turned out – so much so, in fact, that we are THINKING about possibly releasing them and making them available to other photographers who may need a little help and direction/guidance in planning and dreaming for their businesses.

DAY 2: SHOOTING AT THE DIVAS STUDIO
Day two was held at our San Diego studio, where we focused on lighting, posing, and interacting with our clients. The entire afternoon was all about shooting, shooting, and more shooting… we had 4 beautiful models with different styling and looks, in order to get tons of variety. Each attendee got to work 1-on-1 with 3 of the models, giving time to work individually on posing and lighting. We love that our workshops give our attendees 1-on-1 shooting time, where there isn’t a fight to ‘get the shot’ with a million other photographers.

We didn’t shoot too many behind-the-scenes images on this day (it was just so crazy-busy!)… but thanks to Agi (Agi M Photography), we have some great behind-the-scenes images to share!

We will also be sharing some photos of our fab models on ANOTHER blog post, so be sure to check back for that!

DAY 3: MARKETING DAY & SHOOTING AT THE BEACH HOUSE
Back at the beach house, this day was a LOT of chatting, sharing, and discussing. We covered a ton of topics, from pricing to marketing, our favorite products, and everything in between. And then in the afternoon, we set up even more SHOOTING! Three more beautiful models joined us, and the retreat attendees had free reign to shoot with these lovely ladies all around the gorgeous beach house. This is also the day where we did headshots & mini-marketing-videos for each attendee. We are ALL about marketing ourselves, and making sure that we put ourselves out there with our business. If you are a photographer, your clients are not just buying your work and talent. Before they book a shoot with you, they need to CONNECT with you. And the easiest way to do that is by putting photos and videos of yourself up on your website, blog, and other social media outlets. (Stay tuned to see some of the headshots and videos from our attendees on a future blog post!)

I know this is the longest blog post EVER, but I have to pause and give a huge shout-out to Caroline of Cucina Coronado, for providing us with some amazing, beautiful, and delicious food! Thank you Caroline!!!

DAY 4: 1-on-1s, BUSINESS BASICS, & SUNSET BEACH SHOOT
Ok, almost done! If you have stayed with us through this entire post, thank you for sticking around! The last full day of our workshop began with 1-on-1 consultations for each attendee to have some individual time with Marissa, myself, and Weston. Marissa did consults on business plan, goals, structure, and pricing. I did 1-on-1s for marketing, to help brainstorm some ideas and get a gameplan for marketing and advertising. And then Weston did 1-on-1 portfolio critiques for each photographer. One of the MAIN reasons why we decided to do a longer, intensive Boudoir Retreat this year was to be able to have more time with each attendee. We’ve loved our workshops in previous years, but it often felt too rushed, and like we didn’t have enough time to really get to know each person and their business. So we absolutely loved these 1-on-1s and having the opportunity to really get some quality time with each attendee.

After 1-on-1s, there was a little more time for sharing and discussing business goals, and then after some yummy appetizers, we all headed down to the beach (just a couple blocks away!) for an evening sunset beach shoot with 2 more beautiful models! (Thanks again Agi for some more behind-the-scenes shots!)

So if you’ve been counting, you’d see that altogether we had 9 – yes, NINE – fabulous women model for our Retreat. We are so thankful that we have so many amazing past clients who are willing to come model for our workshops! Also, each model was glammed-up by the incredibly-talented Miss Peggy Busch! Thank you, Peggy, for beautifying all of our gals. We love you!

This photo of us holding Peggy…….. the look on her face is so priceless – LOL!

To get our group shots, Marissa set-up a camera on a tripod & timer, and used the 70-200 lens (WHAT?!)… so I love this little series of her running to make it in our shot before the timer went off. 🙂

What a WONDERFUL group of photographers and peers! We loved spending this time with you all – thank you so much for taking the time and making the investment in your business… to travel to San Diego and hang out with us. We miss you all already; can we start planning a Retreat Reunion?!

DAY 5: FAREWELL BREAKFAST
Ahhhh, what an amazing week. The Retreat ended with a farewell breakfast, and hanging at the Retreat house for a bit more before checking out. We had such a great time and we are already looking forward to planning our 2015 Retreat! If you would be interested in coming to a 2015 Boudoir Retreat, fill out your info here & we will notify you when we decide on details and launch our next one.

Last but not least – we want to give a quick thank you to our fab sponsors & vendors who gave some really generous swag to our attendees. We will share more about this soon, because really it warrants its own blog post.

UPDATE TO ADD: We’ve also launched our new 2015 Boudoir Retreat!!!! Be sure to check it out and we would LOVE to have you join us. Keep in mind the spots will be taken quickly, so go register today! xoxo, K&M

April 28, 2014

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1500 Poses: The Boudoir Divas’ New eBook!

By boudoirdivasadminBoudoir Tips, Press & NewsOne Comment

This book must have pose reference for boudoir photographers. We find that posing in boudoir shoots can be challenging, with this book you can quickly look up your current setting or situation and then find so many pose ideas to go along with it.

Ahhhh we are SOOOO flippin’ excited about this. K here, I’m finally back after taking a few weeks off (see post below from M). My sweet baby boy is currently sleeping in a Moby wrap strapped to me, giving me a little time to check emails and do some blogging. (I’ll write another post SOON about the transition to mommyhood, I promise!)

So just two days before I gave birth to Arie, Marissa & I finished up this project that we had been working on for a few months – and we are happy to say that it is finally through the production & publishing process, and it is available for purchase. It’s our new eBook! “1500 Poses: A Boudoir, Glamour, and Portrait Shot Guide for Photographers and Models” We are really excited about this eBook and love that we are able to get it in your hands at such a killer price (currently at an introductory rate of only $9.99!)

Instantly download this amazing posing reference guide
for your boudoir shoots at our store here!
We have SO many other products available there as well!!

This eBook is a complete & extensive boudoir shot list, right at your fingertips. The 1500 images in this book will leave you inspired and equipped to coach your client through a wide variety of poses.
Posing is one of the most important aspects of boudoir photography, but if you don’t have enough poses in your repertoire, you’ll leave your session wondering if you got enough killer images. Eliminate that uncertainty and enter your next session with complete confidence. With the help of this eBook, you will be able to capture a variety of stunning, beautiful images that your client will love.
If you are a new boudoir photographer and have no idea where to start with posing for boudoir, this book will put you in the right direction and ease your fears immediately.
A lot of photographers feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of boudoir images they see on Pinterest – but this eBook has collected all of the Divas’ best poses and compiled them into a very manageable and cohesive eBook.
If you have ever been stuck and not sure which pose to do next, this book is for you! Gain the confidence you need to capture beautiful images in every single session, no matter what your client’s body type.
If your poses have been looking a little stiff, and you are looking for motivation to try some new poses, the 1500 Poses eBook is be the visual inspiration you’ve been waiting for!

If you’d like to get better at flow posing and moving from one pose to the next, this book will give you an abundance of ideas for some seamless transitions. Make it easier on your clients, and be more productive while you shoot. Because the poses in this book are grouped into sections, it gives you a natural way to move your client from one pose to another.
Even the most seasoned photographer needs a little inspiration now and then. This eBook will give you the boost you need to take your posing creativity to the next level.
This guide gives you TONS of ideas on how to get variety within each pose. With even the slightest change of your shooting angle or a small change in your client’s hand placement, you can create a completely new image. This variety is essential to creating compelling images that your client will want to purchase. The bottom line: more sales and more profitability for you, all because of your posing techniques and getting more diversity in your poses.
Download the 1500 poses book to your tablet or phone and take the shot guide with you on-location at your next boudoir shoot. Because this is a PDF eBook, it’s very convenient to look through on your phone right before a session, or even glance at quickly in the midst of your session if you get stumped and need a few ideas on which pose to do next.
This eBook is an essential tool for any boudoir photographer, whether you are just starting out or have years of experience under your belt.

February 28, 2014

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Quite possibly our blogs biggest news ever….

By boudoirdivasadminPersonal, Press & NewsNo Comments

So um, REALLY big news……Kimberlee HAD A BABY boy!!! I know, I know, there wasn’t much build up about it, well unless you follow us on that thing called Facebook. And even then it was a little under the radar. Here is my theory, K is really great about posting about all thing business, marketing, ME, etc. But when it comes to her, well she gets a little camera shy. I tried to get her to share some of the exciting and very eventful things in our lives lately: her freaking cute nursery, her kinda epically adorable pregnant belly (plus great figure, which let’s be honest is a little annoying), her and her hubs so sweet family sessions with the baby belly and on the list goes on. But as good as this girl is about cheering on the rest of the world, she really seeks no attention herself. So I am saying all that to say…. that I FINALLY got her permission to post a photo of this OUTRAGEOUSLY beautiful little creature, Arie Chandler, who entered the world on Feb 1st at 4:54 am. He was 8lbs, 14oz, and 22 inches. We have a baby!! Oops, scratch that, KIMEE has a baby!! My bad. And I am going to love him like he’s my little nephew. I am so happy that K is healthy, that he is healthy, and that she has such a wonderful hubby, who I should probably mention at this time cuz he was kinda a big part of the whole thing. Thanks for being our “someday your Prince will come,” Prince Eric. That day you met and won us over, I mean won Kimee over, at our suite at WPPI in Las Vegas, you swept her off her feet (which let’s be honest, not that easy to do, she was rightfully picky) well that was an amazing day for all that love her. Look at what God can bless us with. Love you guys (Arie I love you more, but shhhhh, that’s between us). – M

February 18, 2014

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Paris Photo Shoots May 2014

By boudoirdivasadminBoudoir Photo Shoots, Paris Boudoir WorkshopNo Comments

Yipeeeee! This is our favorite announcement of the year!

We are launching our Paris shoots for May 2014. You probably know that every spring we find an excuse to go our favorite city in the world, and this year we will be doing photo shoot on the streets of Paris for any daring lady that may want one. Last year we spoke at a photography conference and did 3 shoots for Tenley Molzahn of The Bachelor and had one of the most amazing times of our lives, see her videos below, one still to come in the future.

We LOVE this city, and we adore photographing women here, so if you can “dare to dream” about the possibility of a photo shoot in Paris, well than it just might be realized. Click below to learn even more about this unbelievable experience…

If you’d like to snag a spot and book a photo shoot with the Divas in the City of Light, simply shoot us an email for more details! [email protected]

xoxo, M&K

January 10, 2014

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The Retreat Beach House!

By boudoirdivasadminWorkshopsNo Comments

Hey everyone – we just wanted to share some sneak peeks of the 2014 BOUDOIR RETREAT BEACH HOUSE! Soooo excited about this. We seriously cannot WAIT for April to get here.

If you have ANY questions at all about the Retreat, please don’t hesitate to email us – we’d love to get you all the details! And YES we do still have TWO SPOTS LEFT (and payment plans are available!) – Email for more information: [email protected]. See you all in April! xoxo, K&M

January 8, 2014

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I didn’t chicken out… #believeinbeauty

By boudoirdivasadminPersonal7 Comments

Marissa here!

It’s done……….and so therefore I can’t “un-do” it. Because people know it’s been done. And then I would look like I panicked. And for the most part, I am a fairly confident person. So “un-doing” it would ruin that whole idea I have of myself in my head. See my past blog post if you are wondering what the heck I am talking about 😉

So I am a pretty conservative-ish person, and yes I am a boudoir photographer. And I have this thought, if I want to run a boudoir studio that’s known for being the most conservative/private boudoir studio, I can’t be showing my own boudoir pics. Like here I am conservative biz-owner and here’s me in my undies.

Not that I would really want to anyway but just like all our other clients, I have some SERIOUSLY hot ones that impress even me, so once in a while I have gotten excited about the thought of showing a pic of me at my best, a wowzers boudoir pic. But it’s just not in the cards for me. As well as for my personal modesty reason and the afore mentioned reason.

HOWEVER….

For years now we have been wanting to do a BIG and very HONEST before and after piece on a client. But we are always VERY weary of before and afters. Especially posting them on FB etc. (side note, don’t please don’t get me wrong, we TOTALLY see why other studio do them). But our overall fear is that it looks like we are saying, “hey look at this girl who is “beautiful” NOW because of US.” And we worry that this would bring us amazing monetary gain, while perhaps hurting their feeling (sometimes, not always, please don’t think we are bashing other boudoir studios, this OUR reservation). The before and afters we do have of the gals you see on our website or FB are our close friends, and signed up for the task with no reservation. Understanding the scope of how, why and when we would use them.

So back to that project we wanted to do. Like I just explained, we decided that we couldn’t ask a friend or client to look like total crap in terrible light on video in their skivvies. So in a moment of bravery, and a desire to take charge of my mind (see the video for the full story)…. I did it! Ah!! While I feel very vulnerable expressing my un-confident inner thoughts (and my cellulite) in this way, certainly far from the glamorous ways I once fantasized about showing off a boudoir pic or two, I think that if it can help some other gals overcome the same thoughts I am having, then it serves a purpose. I try really hard to live honestly, if I am going through things, I share them. I never want to act like I have it all together, leaving others to feel isolated. So here it is…. my current thoughts…. and what I am doing about them…

January 6, 2014

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I almost chickened out…

By boudoirdivasadminPersonalNo Comments

Marissa here. So I am working on a new video project called, “What light do you see yourself in?” It’s a step in a crazy direction for me. It’s very honest, and it’s also very revealing in many ways. The other day I was editing and I said to myself, forget this, I don’t want to do this anymore. I quit Final Cut with no real intentions of opening it to finish this project I had been dreaming of doing for the past few months. Then something happened, a little voice clicked on in my head that said, you have been a lot of things, you have made mistakes, but being a coward was never one of them. It was a resonating thought. And it continued to resonate till I got the car later and heard this song. Then I knew the thought wasn’t a fluke, I was being taught a lesson by the universe.

So with that I leave you with the fun news that we will be launching a little bit more of a provocative video than we are accustomed to. IF I am brave enough 😉 (Maybe this post was written in a hasty moment to be sure I don’t chicken out) -xoxo – M

December 19, 2013

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The Best Photo Lab in the UNIVERSE

By boudoirdivasadminBoudoir Gear & More, Boudoir TipsNo Comments

Goodmorning photog friends, and happy Monday! K here today, starting off the morning with my cup of (half decaf) coffee, a Christmas playlist, and my beautiful Christmas tree sparkling in the corner. I love this season! But that’s beside the point. Today I wanted to share an FAQ. We recently got the following email from a fellow photographer; I liked her question and thought it would be helpful to post our answer here on the blog!

“Hello, my name is Katie my fiance and I are wedding photographers and I’m currently breaking into boudoir. I watched your top ten on youtube it was very helpful – thank you. I have two questions if you dont’ mind. What print lab do you guys use and what web hosting? Thanks a bunch!”

Thanks for your email, Katie. So first of all, we have used Bay Photo for MANY years, and think they are absolutely, hands-down, the BEST photo lab in the universe! We use Bay for almost ALL of our boudoir products that we offer our clients. Here are just a few of them…

We order all of our clients’ prints through Bay, as well as the 8×8 & 5×7 prints that we include in our basic books that you see here. We also order our calendars, fine art canvas prints, thin wrap prints, metal prints, and framed images through them. On top of ALL of these products that we offer our clients, we ALSO order a ton of awesome products through Bay Photo for marketing – such as their beautiful hard cover press printed books, and press printed postcards, business cards, & trifold cards. So as you can see, we are speaking from experience here. We truly do love Bay Photo and think they are the BEST LAB IN THE UNIVERSE. 🙂

Also, if you’re looking to run a special for your boudoir clients right now before the holidays, we recommend that you take advantage of the Bay Photo sale happening right now – 10% off all framed prints (through Dec 12, 2013).

We like to tell our clients that ‘Boudoir is for the Bedroom’ – and then we sell our beautiful framed boudoir art prints for them to display in their bedroom, master bathroom, or walk-in closets.

So for hosting – we use HOST GATOR. It’s easy to set-up, and super affordable!

Don’t have much more to say on that topic; it’s pretty straight-forward. 🙂 But if you want to know more about creating or revamping your website, we do have a lot to say about that in our article: Top Website Tips for Boudoir Photographers. So go check it out!

Oh, and lastly, if you haven’t seen our Top Ten Marketing Tips for Boudoir that Katie mentioned in her email to us, here’s that FREE WEBINAR for you right here!

December 9, 2013

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Seattle Boudoir Shoots

By boudoirdivasadminBoudoir Photo ShootsNo Comments

Hey everyone, we are excited to let you know that we’re going to be in SEATTLE next week! Marissa and I will be hanging in the city, planning for 2014, working on some new projects, and… SHOOTING!

We’ve already booked up quite a few of our spots, but I believe we might be able to squeeze in one or two more ladies.

So if you live in the Seattle area, and you’d like to give your guy the SEXIEST gift this Christmas, email us asap for more details ([email protected]). Hope you have a fabulous weekend, and we can’t wait to see a lot of you ladies next week! xoxo, K & M

December 6, 2013

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Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale – Last day for 15% off!

By boudoirdivasadminPersonalNo Comments

Today is the LAST DAY!!!! Take advantage of this sale and get 15% off ANY PRODUCT in the shop. ANNNND… it’s not just our cool books and DVDs. It’s ALSO good for our LINGERIE!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
We hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving and a wonderful time with your loved ones. In the midst of the holiday stress and shopping craziness, we hope you were able to take the time to be refreshed, to remember what is most important in your life, and cherish those who mean the most to you.

With love and gratitude,
Marissa & Kimberlee

December 2, 2013

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