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  • Welcome to the Curves Boudoir Photography blog. My name is Amy Sandoval and I'm a boudoir portrait photographer in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and surrounding cities. Welcome to sneak peeks, boudoir ideas, tips and some fun tidbits along the way. I hope you will be inspired to embrace you - now!

    Questions or interested in booking a session? Click on "Pricing and more details" at the top of the blog for all the details, pricing, what to wear and more on what's included in a session. And you can contact me anytime using the really easy "Contact Me" link located at the top of this page.

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“Scandalous!” & A Mini Marathon!

I’m ridiculously excited about tonight’s season finale of “Scandal.” Just wanted to share – anyone else love that show?

And I also want to tell you I’ve opened up a mini marathon for Sunday, July 14 for those of you who want a weekend session. There are also just a couple of home studio dates left for July – so grab one if you’re thinking about a July home studio date!

The mini marathon will consist of just a couple of sessions that take place at a gorgeous luxury hotel in Virginia Beach – a favorite with fantastic natural light. Sessions include makeup and hair and 3/4 outfit changes over the course of an hour or a little more. And don’t forget – I photograph “white sheet” photos at the end of every session. Contact me to let me know you’re ready to book for a July Curves Boudoir session!

And….I’m now offering companion albums – buy an 8×8 or 5×5 album at regular price and grab a companion 5×5 album just like it for just $100 more. Because there’s nothing more fun than a “His AND hers” set!

 

A Week of Boudoir Tip: #7

We’ve come to the last of the boudoir tips – at least for now. I’m going to keep a running list and add more as time permits. This tip gets a little, hmmm, well, yes, personal!

Boudoir Tip #7: Spray it, pluck it and wax it early!

Sorry to get so personal but this one is worth mentioning and it may surprise you to know that it’s one of the most commonly asked questions! A lot of clients want to know if I recommend getting a spray tan or waxing and if so – when.

To prep for your session, you may want to pluck, tweeze or wax. Those things should be done at least a week ahead of your session in case you develop any reaction. Of course you can shave the day of to “top it off.”

If you want to get a spray tan, I recommend starting with your first spray tan a couple of weeks ahead of time and going very light. See if you even like it. Some people take on a natural golden glow when they spray tan and others go orange almost immediately. Trying it out ahead of time means if you like it you can do it again a couple of days before your session and if you don’t like it you aren’t going to be worried about hating the skin color for your session. This is also a good way to gradually build up a darker spray tan vs going in and trying to get it all in one appointment. I also recommend looking into having a person personally spray tan you if you can swing it – the color tends to be more natural. It usually costs more.

Also super important for spray tanning – watch out for your feet and palms – make sure those are protected and are not sprayed. And don’t be tempted to spray on a dark tan a day before your session to “catch up.” Go gradually – trust me!

 

A Week of Boudoir Tips: #6

Ah, you wondered when I would get to this one right?!

Let’s get to it and talk about…posing. I’ve hinted about how posing is important. How your hands are important in posing. But let’s talk about one way to get comfortable posing for your boudoir session. Are you ready?! It’s really easy!

Boudoir Tip #6: Practice Posing!

First I want to say that I work with clients on posing throughout their sessions. You are never on your own! And if you don’t practice before your session – it’s okay! If you’re looking for something that may make you more comfortable, try this! It’s actually pretty fun.

My advice on becoming more comfortable with posing for your session is to practice beforehand.

Try on your boudoir outfits (another tip!) and hit the bed! Find some poses on my website or on Pinterest that you’d like to try and see if you can re-create them. Do they work with your body shape? Note that posing will NOT feel like just another afternoon of lounging around on your bed. I tell my clients that if the pose feels a little weird, they’re probably doing it right! You don’t need to practice the posing in front of a mirror. In fact, if you are the type of woman who is too hard on yourself, don’t involve a mirror. The key is getting comfortable with the feeling of moving and posing in a sensual way.

Think about the position of your legs, feet, hands and fingers. Elongate them as much as possible – pointing your toes and extend your fingers and wrists. Look at how the women in your inspired poses are using their arms and hands. Are they touching their body? Many times a sensual touch lends itself really well to creating a sensual photo – try running a hand down your neck or pulling on your strap slightly.

Look at how they are standing – practice standing with some of your body weight shifted to one hip, which means the knee of one leg is likely straight and the other knee is likely bent.

Now have a seat. Don’t get comfortable! Sit with your bottom near the edge of the chair. Is it more comfortable to cross your legs or leave them uncrossed? If they’re uncrossed, practice rising up on your toes slightly to engage your calf muscles and define your leg shape for your photos. (Another free tip embedded in a tip!)

There are classic poses that most clients want to incorporate and new poses that clients wants to try. And I try to find several new poses for each session. Sites like Pinterest make it so easy to create a wishlist of poses you may want to try. I keep a Pinterest board of poses that I like for clients.

You may want to create your own private Pinterest board of your favorite boudoir poses to share with me for your session. You can either email it to me ahead of your session or share it with me at your session. It’s a great way to inspire us both!

In Gratitude: A Special Discount for First Responders

This has been a long, difficult week for our country but one that could have been so different if not for our amazing first responders. Watching the news Friday night and the lines of people in Watertown clapping and crying and hugging the police and first responders as they drove out of town after bravely arresting the second Boston Marathon suspect, I was so touched by their spontaneous show of appreciation and support. I also thought about the first responders who lost their lives in the West, Texas plant explosion – many of them volunteer firemen.

I wondered what I could do as a token of gratitude for our community of first responders. And here’s what I came up with:

Take $100 off all Curves Boudoir sessions booked during May and June
by first responders or as a gift for a first responder.
(The basic package will not be discounted but will include a print credit of $100.)

 

 

Fine Print:

1. First Responders are fire, police and emergency medical personnel.

2. Simple proof of employment as a first responder for the client or the person they’re purchasing the gift for will be required to book at the discounted rate. Details to be discussed at the time of booking.

3. All other A La Carte pricing remains the same. The $200 reservation fee will be collected to reserve your session date and is fully applied towards the package as always. All other package details remain the same – including the fact that makeup and hair will be included with every package.

4. There’s no limit to how many of my open sessions I will fill with these discounted first responder sessions, however I do shoot a limited number of sessions per month so please keep that in mind.

 

Be sure to check the Session Dates page to see when both home studio and weekend marathon dates are open. I have one spot left for a mini marathon on May 19th that’s perfect if you need a gift before Father’s Day.:)

 

 

A Week of Boudoir Tips: #5

Without a doubt, posing for a boudoir session can be a little intimidating! Most of us are not natural-born models. 99% of my clients start out the session by telling me they don’t know how to pose! I consider it my job to guide you through that – you are not alone.

I have a series of tips that I start every client session with to get you going. One of the key tips may not be obvious. We think about our facial expression or sucking in our mid-section, but we don’t think so much about what to do with our hands….until the camera appears. Suddenly my clients become conscious of their hands – what do they do with them?!

Boudoir Tip #5: Hands are important! Relax those hands!

I guide my clients to always have relaxed hands. Don’t clench your fingers or make a fist. Often we do this without even realize it when we’re a little nervous. Instead, think about a dancer’s hands, or an ice skater’s hands – visualize the space between their fingers and the elongated position of the fingers. This makes for a more relaxed position and gives your images more of a finished look.

I may ask you to play with your hair or touch your neck. Sometimes just stretching your upper body a little and then reposing will immediately create a more relaxed pose, too. So remember, hands are important!

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