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 by Danea

The Making Of A Couples Shoot | San Jose Sexy Boudoir Couples Photography

At the SF Ultimate Women’s Expo two weekends ago, we were asked more than once if the cute guy in the couples display shot was provided. Sadly, he is not. Unlike other props I think it would be illegal to keep him locked away at the studio, plus it would probably make his wife sad. Haha.

In recent weeks there has been a jump in website hits looking for couples boudoir along with many questions about what a shoot entails from both potential clients and fellow photographers. So I thought today would be a good day to share how I do a couples shoot and what you can expect. I will start by sharing how I like to shoot couples which is slightly different than working with just women. I like my regular boudoir to have a soft, romantic and classy feel. However I want my couples sessions to be hot and steamy with a romantic twist. My goal is to capture that emotion and sexiness that comes with intimacy. I want these images to provoke the warm and fuzzies with clients. A few months back I was asked by a photographer preparing for his first couples session if it gets weird or awkward… like do you feel you are intruding because they are getting turned on. This leads me to my first point…

1. It’s not what it seems.

My job as a photographer is to make these images appear to capture hot and steamy moments. “Appear” being the key word. I do NOT photograph porn and nothing is actually happening. Every image you see is set up, that’s not to say there isn’t some adlibbing going on when I request it but everything from hand placement, head tilt , wardrobe details, back arching, legs, facial expressions, smile, no smile, slight smile, “go for the kiss but stop just before touch”–ALL of it is staged. The truth is, there is little time for clients to get turned on because I am demanding their full attention through instruction.

Capturing images that look like they are in the heat of the moment. 

San Jose, San Francisco sexy couple shoot

Looks pretty steamy right?

So after shooting in the hallway we went back into the studio for some tender moment shots. Again, perfectly staged.

Boudoir Coterie Couples 3

In this last set, I asked the clients to move around slowly, anything that feels “natural” or as natural as can be while half naked with a photographer two feet in front of you and an assistant aiming a blow dryer at your face. Which brings me to my next point…

2. We laugh a lot!

It’s not all strict posing, there is a lot of trial and error and a LOT of laughing. Just like in single sessions, some of the best looks feel ridiculous to do. But there is one thing that remains the same– I LOVE laughing shots. The great thing about couples is that laughing often comes naturally given the circumstances. Now sometimes I get the giggles and the lovely Leslie(the gorgeous lady in these shots) and myself got the giggles more than once. Ha!

Boudoir Coterie Couples 2

So what are a few other key notes?

  • You won’t have time to be nervous.
  • Couples session take around 3 hours to shoot… sounds long, but it goes by fast.
  • Couples session cost $150 more than a regular session so it can be added to any 2 hour package or session.
  • I tend to make the men more of a prop. Not saying they don’t get some of the focus but they are usually a little more reluctant so we keep the girl front and center and let him relax a little.
  • There is a VERY slim chance that the guy may get aroused while kissing on his wife but that fades pretty fast when he’s pulled back into the reality that he has an audience. If that doesn’t help I will point and laugh(haven’t had to go there yet).
  • No I will not shoot simulated sex. So don’t even bother asking.
  • If I get a creepy vibe from a couple, I won’t photograph you and I have the right to say no. Couple sessions are fun and the resulting images can be amazing but if I get the feeling this is some weird freaky fantasy and you are going to push past my comfort zones then I will pull the plug. (You would not believe the amount of creepster phone calls I receive).
  • I will only photograph a couple after meeting both parties. I need to know that you are both on board and willing.
  • The guy MUST keep undies on.
  • I will pose and guide you all the way so unless you have inspiration shots that you want to try, you do not have to worry about knowing what to do or how to pose!

If you have any questions regarding a couples session feel free to post them in the comments and I will answer them asap!

Now before I sign off I wanted to say one last thing… I want to say a huge thank you to Leslie and her awesome hubby for allowing me to use their images! Not only that but the lovely Miss Leslie is also a an amazing Boudoir Photographer and I cannot tell you how honored I was when she contacted me about doing a session! You can check out her gorgeous work at Lavish Boudoir located in Valdosta, Georgia.

You guys were fabulous and I will def’ share more images at a later date.

Here are a few more B&W that I love.

San Jose, Sab Francisco sexy couple photography

So, do you think you might be ready for a couples session? 😉

Give us a call today 408.460.1855 or bcoterie@sbcglobal.net

Sexy Photos San Jose Boudoir Photographer

 

in Boudoir Sessions / Just Because / Main / News 2 comments
 by Devon Kenny

Favorites from the San Francisco Ultimate Women’s Expo

Boudoir Coterie Portrait photographyIn case you missed it, the Boudoir Coterie team spent last weekend at the San Francisco Ultimate Women’s Expo in San Mateo. We had a gorgeous booth, which was expertly appointed by Danea and her husband, and included lots sexy photography and plenty of plush carpeting (my feet are saying thank you!). Seriously, I might be biased, but several people stopped by to let us know we had the best looking booth, and I have to agree.

Boudoir Coterie Photographer booth

Though the end of each day required a nap and foot massage (thanks to my awesome hubby), it was a truly awesome weekend. We met so many beautiful women and are really looking forward to having some of them in the studio.

While we weren’t chatting with potential clients, making new friends, or watching Danea dance to Lorde’s “Royals” in the booth (it’s so catchy isn’t it?), we did have some time to check out the expo ourselves. There were all kinds of neat vendors selling lots of clever products, so I thought I’d do a quick round-up of some of our favorites. With the exception of one, these are all things that we actually bought at the expo.

1. Dang Coconut Chips

These were delicious! I didn’t personally buy any, but I sampled more than a few. The only reason I didn’t buy any myself was because I couldn’t be trusted not to eat them all in one sitting. These crunchy chips are lightly sweet and very satisfying. Someone on our team may or may not have purchased a whole case, but I’ll let them remain nameless;-)

photo courtesy of dangfoods.com

2. Spot It

This memory game by Blue Orange was a bit hit with Danea’s kids. There’s an all-picture version for little ones, and reading ones for the big kids. They come in a cute little round tin so that you don’t have to worry about keeping a rubber band around the deck or having a cardboard box fall apart.

photo courtesy of amazon.com

3. ChocolatRouge

Three words. Chocolate. Red. Wine. I’ve seen a few different versions of chocolate wine in stores and have been very curious. I sampled all three varieties of ChocolatRouge and loved them all. The chocolate flavor was very subtle and delicious. They weren’t actually selling it at the show (I’m guessing they weren’t allowed to due to permits?), but I’d like to buy some. Their website said my local Nob Hill would have it, but they did not. I ended up buying a different brand and it was not as good, so I’ll be hunting for this now.

photo courtesy of chocolatrougewine.com

4. Wozzy Slipper Blanket

Danea debated this one for a while, and finally bought it right before the end of the show. Cutely named “Lola-Bye,” this cozy blanket comes with built in slippers to keep your tootsies warm on cold nights. Just be warned – you should not walk in your slipper blanket. Seems like another great excuse to have the hubby fetch you another glass of ChocolatRouge.

photo courtesy of wozzyshop.com

All in all it was a great weekend! Did you make it to the Ultimate Women’s Expo? If so, what was your favorite vendor or product? (Besides Boudoir Coterie of course!)

Nicole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in Just Because / Main / News 0 comments
 by Danea

Fabulous Weekend Expo | San Francisco Bay Area Boudoir Photographer

The SF Ultimate Women’s Expo… what a ride!

This was my very first time having a booth at an expo and I can say that it is both a lot of work and SO much fun! I met lots of amazing women too. Thanks to all the ladies that stopped in to say hello and find out a little more about Boudoir Coterie. I also want to thank my fabulous hubby who put in so much time and effort and gave up his weekends to help build that booth frame. I’m crushing on him big time right now. 😉 I also want to thank my amazing team; Regina, Nicole and Kristina(2013 Signature Coterie Girl) and awesome friend, Devon for doing such a fabulous job working the booth and answering all the questions everyone had. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you all so THANK YOU!! ♥

San Francisco Bay Area Boudoir Photography

I will admit the girls and I had a few chuckles at those gals who stopped to look and then suddenly realized what we did– and then would giggle and blush. The other highlights were the dance off I had with the guy in the booth across the aisle, being told by multiple people that we had the nicest booth(Thank you!), pouncing on unsuspecting women as they walked by just to hand them a free pen and note pad. They would jump and then laugh… hey sometimes things get a little dull sitting in the booth so one must find a way to entertain themselves. Hahaha. But what surprised me most of all was when a young lady and her mother stopped by to say that they came to the expo to hear me speak. I never imagined that anyone would care that much to hear little ol’ me talk about myself, my life and living with a chronic illness. I had a few ladies approach me after I spoke, teary eyed and smiling. I felt so honored to have met them all and to have had that opportunity to tell a bit of my story. I did have a friend record it and I had full intention to upload and share but unfortunately I have no idea how to get it off the 3 inch dvd as it will not play on my computer alone nor while plugged into the handy cam. 🙁 But as soon as I can figure something out I will post it to share!

Here are some images of the booth, I will admit, we had much more fabric to hang but we ran out of time… I am also annoyed that the swag is uneven in these pictures but rest assured I fixed it at the expo. *snort*

San Jose Bay Area sexy photos

Dang we’re cute, eh? Hahahaha

Most common question asked: “Do you supply that guy for couple shoots?” Oh Leslie, your hubby was a hit! Hahaha

SF Ultimate Women's Expo Boudoir Coterie Booth2

SF Ultimate Women's Expo Boudoir Coterie Booth3

Again, thank you everyone and congratulations to Carlee for winning the mini Sheet Set session!

Sexy Photos San Jose Boudoir Photographer

in Just Because / Main / News 6 comments
 by Danea

Tushy Tuesday | San Jose Bay Area Boudoir Photographer

It has been a crazy day… amazing client reveal first thing in the morning. She loved her images and I will admit she looked fabulous! Then I spent 3 hours at the bank dealing with fraud on my account. Some evil doer attempted to steal $2000 from my business with an online transfer. The good news, I didn’t lose money. The bad news is that I had to close and reopen all new accounts which means losing some of the awesome perks that I used to have but no longer exist. 🙁 But enough of all that, it’s Tushy Tuesday so let check out a tush!

That Lane is one luck man. 😉

San Francisco Bay Area Boudoir

If you are so inclined, you can come check out MY tush this weekend ate the SF Ultimate Women’s Expo! We will have some fabulous show specials AND I will be speaking. Hope to see you all there!!

Sexy Photos San Jose Boudoir Photographer

in Just Because / News / Tushy Tuesday 0 comments
 by Danea

Do You Pin? | San Jose Sexy Boudoir Photography

Pinterest, that wonderfully, evil, inspirational time suck. If you haven’t jumped on board you are either smart or missing out. Haha.

I love it and although I have been REALLY good about keeping it for business and posing inspiration I have noticed a few crafty things slipping into my boards, and I am sure more awesomey goodness will makes it way in, especially with Halloween right around the corner– it’s my favorite holiday, right next to Christmas, seriously they are kinda tied for the bestest most awesomest holidays in my books. I wonder how many words I made up in that last paragraph? But I digress…

I have many boards started and categorize mine by set… standing, sitting, bed, etc… this helps me with new ideas when flow posing.

Sexy photos San Jose Bay Area

I encourage clients who are also Pinterest users to start an inspiration board. It doesn’t matter where they find the images as long as they are images they love– meaning they do not have to be from my website but that is always a bonus. Hahaha. Actually I think it’s kind of cool when I see images posted from fellow photographers that I know personally, heck I post their images too! I even pull up Pinterest boards while clients are getting beautified. It helps me get into a creative zone and it inspires me to try new things in a shoot. I don’t copy images outright but I may try a pose or an element from a pose. I also look at body types and what poses might work for different clients. For example, we once tried this pose of J-Lo only to discover that girlfriend must have some very long legs, or a short torso or something because it just didn’t work… but it did make for a lot of laughs. 😉

Sexy sitting pose San Jose Boudoir

So there you have it, yet another inspirational way to use this amazing site– Boudoir. So do you use Pinterest? Would you use it for shoot inspiration? I believe they now have private boards so really there is no excuse. And yes we can pull it up during your shoot!

So go ahead, be inspired by sexiness. Pinterest isn’t just for recipes, kid crafts and home improvement anymore. *wink, wink*

Ready to put that inspiration to good use? Contact us today and I promise I will make you worthy of being pinned(even if they will never actually make it online). 🙂

Sexy Photos San Jose Boudoir Photographer

P.S. Of course you may pin from this site!

in Boudoir Must Haves / Boudoir Sessions / Just Because / Main / News 0 comments
 by Danea

Embrace Your Curves | San Jose Bay Boudoir Photography

Okay, so I will admit that I may have a few curves that I wish were in a few different places BUT that doesn’t stop me from loving my body and it certainly didn’t stop me from getting in front of the camera myself a few months back. Sure it would be fantastic if my boobs were bigger than my belly but hey, it is what it is. LOL. My point, lovely ladies, is that I know curves and I definitely do not shy away from them in the studio and neither should you. It really truly does not matter what size you are, every woman deserves to feel beautiful and sexy at any size and a pampering Beauty or Boudoir session at Boudoir Coterie can do just that!

I hear all the time “I will book as soon as I loose 10 pounds.” or “I would love too but I feel too fat right now” Ummmm? Sexy is a state of mind and your weight shouldn’t stop you from feeling fantastic. I have photographed many a lady who felt they could stand to loose a few pounds, and you know what, they LOVED their images and they got to see what I see in them, a beautiful girl who’s “size” doesn’t mean a thing! One of my good friends Miss A(and HERE)still, after two years, raves about her images and I want you to feel that great too!

So here are a few tips to having a successful session at ANY size.

  1. Make sure it fits! I offer wardrobe consultations for all my clients. There is nothing worse than bring lingerie that doesn’t fit. You won’t feel good and quite frankly you won’t look so hot either. Ignore the size, it’s just a number(or letter) and buy what looks and feels right.
  2. Wear what you love. We all have outfits that make us feel fabulous so make sure to bring items that make you feel like a superstar. Anything can look sexy, so bring that dress or favorite blouse and own it!
  3. Purchase items that flatter your figure. It might not seem fair but bra’s come in different sizes and shapes for a reason so be sure to try on items that work with your body type. Not sure what the right shape is? The owners of both Besos, in Los Gatos–Gail and Curvy Girl, in Willow Glenn– Chrystal, know their stuff! Both lingerie stores carry a variety of items and between them and myself, we will have you looking smoking hot!!
  4. Stay away from flashy trends. There are many sexy and cute lingerie items that go fabulously in the bedroom but I will be frank– don’t photograph as well and can sometimes look cheap in your images. Florescent bright colors, glittery and apron cuts may be cute and trendy and get his motor going but after spending $$$ on your images, I don’t want you shaking your head and asking “What was I thinking?” 10 years down the road. Think Hollywood Starlet, clean lines, flattering cuts, blacks and rich & mono tones.
  5. Don’t be afraid to mask some areas. I get it, I do. You really don’t want a bare mid-drift, then don’t bare it! Maybe wear a sexy corset or bring a sheer shall. There are many ways to be sexy and beautiful and still diminish those areas that no matter what, you can’t help but feel a little insecure about. Believe me, images taken by a photographer who specializes in Boudoir such as myself, knows lots of posing magic. 😉
  6. Most of all relax, let go and have fun.

Here’s the beautiful Miss N rocking a gorgeous corset in true Hollywood fashion. She’s got amazing curves, chose fabulous outfits for her session and these images will remain timeless.

Way to work it Miss N!

San Jose Bay Area sexy Boudoir Portraits

So come on all you curvy babes, let’s show ’em what you’ve got!

bcoterie@sbcglobal.net Or 408.460.1855

Sexy Photos San Jose Boudoir Photographer

in Beauty/Glamour / Main / News / Sheer & Sexy / What To Wear 0 comments
 by Danea

Calling All Brides! | San Jose Bay Area Bridal Boudoir Photography

Last year, long before she entered my Signature Coterie Girl search, she was a client. A client who wanted to knock the socks of her groom and va va va voom, did she ever look amazing! Miss Kristina decided to do a few bridal sets and then a full on sexy black bustier, garters and the works, but today I am just going to share a few from her actual bridal session! I figured why make the girl come in and shoot more bridals when I am sure she would rather have some new sexy images, which reminds me, you will want to read all the way through this post… trust me.

Moving right along… Kristina had some fun playing up the old, new, borrowed and blue. From pretty blue toes to sparkling jewelry, this girl certainly knows how to accessorize! We did a combination of veils, white outfits, cute bride jacket, blue panties and even a sheet set. Kristina booked the very popular Contessa Package which is two full hours in front of the camera, a gorgeous 8×8 Luxe Album and 20 digital files. Because of her outfit selection one outfit got multiple looks when we started pealing away the pieces. So Kristina had lots of gorgeous images to choose from!

Here are a few of my favorite images from her session.

San Jose Bay Area sexy bridal boudoir photography

Check out these amazing shoes! I said shoes, people. Shoes. Hahaha.

San Jose Bay Area Sexy Bridal Boudoir

Being playful…

San Jose bay Area sexy bridal boudoir

And of course I couldn’t resist a fun little shot with all these great accessories while she was changing outfits. hehehe.

San Franscico Bay Area Sexy Bridal Boudoir Photography

As with every session that takes place at the Boudoir Coterie San Jose Studio, we customize the sets and looks just for you. So no matter what you decide to wear, we will make sure you look so hot that there is no chance of him getting cold feet on your wedding day. In fact there is a good chance he will be waiting at the alter long before the ceremony begins, tapping his foot in excitement for what’s to come!

Casting Call!

Okay, so now let’s have some fun. I want to shoot a bridal session with a new face and that could be YOU! Here is your opportunity for you to participate in a  Bridal Boudoir Session!

What it is: A two hour session with Hair and MU and 1 digital files of your choosing. 15% off any addition products.

What is required:

  1. You MUST consent to FULL USE of your images. This may be online, social media, marketing etc… if you are unsure about having your images posted or used publicly then you will not qualify. I want a fresh new bridal shoot to share. Thus, this is the #1 requirement. (Please take consideration on whether this is something your soon to be husband will be okay with).
  2. You must be willing to share these images right away, this means if you are wanting a surprise gift for your fiance, you may not want to do this as there is that slight chance it could get back to him BUT I never share names of clients, tag or anything of the sort, so if you keep it hush hush, he might not find out. If you’re getting married late Sept, this will be PERFECT for you!
  3. Session will take place no later than August 31st.
  4. Must be available on a weekday morning for the shoot.
  5. To be considered, please send ONE HEAD SHOT and ONE FULL BODY shot to bcoterie@sbcglobal.net along with your name, age, wedding date and contact info. These do NOT have to be professional images, but they must be clear so I can see what you look like.
  6. There is no cash value.

Other info: Album prices begin at $750, digital collections begin at $400(for 5). I just want everyone to be aware of my prices BEFORE submitting your images so that there is no surprise when you decide to place your bridal order.

 Complimentary session and digital file are valued at $650.

Sexy Photos San Jose Boudoir Photographer

in Boudoir Must Haves / Boudoir Sessions / Just Because / Main / News / What To Wear 3 comments