How to Make Your Boudoir Photoshoot Fun and Pressure-Free

When people connect with us regarding a boudoir photography, it is very common for them to feel nervous. Not only does boudoir photography requires a lot of trust in the person shooting it, the majority of our clients hs also never done anything like it before. There are a few ways to make this experience as stress-free as possible, so you can make the most of it.

Remind yourself why you want to do a boudoir photoshoot.

Before letting self-doubt and fear take over, pause for a moment and consider why you’re drawn to this experience in the first place.

Is it to feel more confident in your body or to celebrate it? To learn to let loose and be more positive about yourself? Maybe you want to try something new, or perhaps you’re thinking of sharing it with a loved one? Whatever your reason, it is a beautiful one, and it didn’t pop in your brain out of nowhere. Hold on to it, especially in the early stages of your boudoir adventure.

Relax? Easier said than done!

Very true, it might not be easy to relax but lucky for you we have some tips that will help you to do so :

• Avoid planning last minute.

While we can accommodate last minute shoots, it is not something we necessarily recommend. Doing things last minute is rarely a good idea as it creates unnecessary pressure due to rushing. We suggest you book your shoot a month in advance so you have time to gather everything you need and nicely prep for your shoot.

• Find the perfect boudoir studio.

Each boudoir photographers have their own style and way of working. When you look for the perfect match, don’t stop just at the aesthetic of their work. It is very important you book a meeting (either on the phone, Zoom, or in-person) to talk about the details and see if their way of working is aligned with what you are looking for.

For example: will they make you sign a contract? How do they handle privacy? Is makeup and hair included? Are their pricing transparent and clear? Who is the actual photographer? Do not hesitate to ask questions or share any concerns you might have.

If you book a photographer you don't feel comfortable with, it will tarnish your shoot and the all experience.

• Enjoy the getting ready part.

Planning for the photoshoot itself is often overlooked but it is so much fun! Looking for ideas, thinking of the vibes you want to create, and putting outfits together.

To keep this as pressure-free as possible, dive into it with the proper mindset: do not compare yourself to anyone you will see online and don't limit yourself and your abilities to pose like a badass. Create a Pinterest board or mood board and save anything that catches your eye.

Taking the time to prep for your shoot build up the excitement and the confidence around this experience.

• Your shoot should look like you

When doing a shoot, you should not feel like you are wearing a disguise. From the outfits to the atmosphere of each set, you have to feel 100% like yourself.

Make sure to bring outfits you love and you feel good in. It doesn't have to be classic lingerie! Any outfit can be turned into a boudoir one with the right creativity. Also, go through your favourite pieces that are considered too much and give them a spin.

• Consider bringing props

Props can be a game-changer on a photoshoot. Not only does it make your session even more true to yourself, but it also gives you something "to do” if you are camera-shy. Props can vary from something as simple as your favourite coffee mug or book to some things related to a beloved hobby of yours.

• Have fun!!!!!!!

And finally when you checked all of the above, just enjoy your shoot 😘 Practice some poses in front of your mirror, create a playlist to bring with you the day of your shoot, be playful while posing, let your inner badass-self out, imagine you are in a fashion show,…

Don’t let the camera frighten you, this is just an accessory that will capture the moment you finally shine and let yourself be your beautiful you!

Boudoir photography will really help you reconnect with your body and sensuality. And it is something we all have (or had) a hard time with due to the old school fashion industry’s beauty standards and the judgment coming from others. We know some of you might be thinking: “Well I am not beautiful and really not sensual!”. Those thoughts are very common, but let us tell you something: they are also false.

You are beautiful! You are sensual! It does not matter what you identify to, your age, or the body you have, we all are gorgeous, sexy, and sensual beings.

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6 tips for a better boudoir experience while being on your period

We all agree that being on our period isn’t a pleasant experience: being in pain, losing blood, being tired, having our hormones going crazy, feeling bloated, having to use the bathroom often, and much more, makes it hard to feel like a sexy and confident being. So when the time of your boudoir shoot comes and you realize you will be on your period, it can feel like a bummer.

But don’t you worry, today we are giving you 6 tips that will help you have a positive boudoir experience while being on your period if you cannot push back your shoot!

Painkillers medicine

This one is a given but feeling comfortable while doing your boudoir shoot is very important, so you want to make sure to not be in pain while posing. Don’t hesitate to take some pain killers before leaving for your shoot. Taking them at least 30 minutes before the beginning of your boudoir session should do the trick!

Avoid wearing sanitary pads

If possible do not use pads, especially if you are planning to wear some lingerie. Pads are thick and very difficult to hide so instead you might want to use a tampon or menstrual cup. But if you do not like having a foreign object in your body, you can find nowadays beautiful period underwear that can be perfect for a boudoir shoot.

Bring one or two small towels

Having a couple of hand towels in your bag while on your period is always useful. You might need them if you have to clean yourself quickly, or use one to put under your bum in case you are worried you might stain the furniture you are sitting or laying on. Don’t forget to also take a plastic bag with you so you can put the used towels in it!

Change and freshen up

We all know how uncomfortable it is to spend a part of your day with an almost full period protection and wondering if it is leaking because it is time to change it. For your peace of mind and a better boudoir experience we recommend you to change whatever period product you are using just before starting your shoot. And if you can, do not hesitate to rinse yourself as well so you know there is no risk of smell or visual.

Avoid lingerie that is too tight

If you are like us, you know that when we are on our period it feels good to wear loose clothes. Since our uterus feels (and is) bigger than usual, wearing tight pants or tight underwear is very uncomfortable. If you only bring tight lingerie or gorgeous corset to wear during your boudoir session, you will end up spending the entire shoot feeling constricted, and it might show on the final pictures. To avoid this, bring a mix of different outfits so you can switch from wearing tight clothes to loose ones. It will make the session more comfortable for you!

Bring some outfits that covers your belly

It is not something you will hear us say often! Usually we like to tell our clients to show the parts of their body they like the less instead of hiding them during their boudoir shoot (it is in our opinion the best way to learn to accept and love those parts). But being on our period means that we are naturally bloated, and we know it is not a pleasant feeling.

On top of making our belly bigger than it usually is, there is also the discomfort that goes with it. So we understand that people don’t necessarily want to see that on their photographs. If you can relate, then bring some outfits that will hide your bloated belly such as bodysuits, babydoll gowns, dresses, shirts…

Bonus tip

Don’t hesitate to tell us if you are experiencing any discomfort or pain during your shoot so you can take a break to calm the cramps down. Here are a few items you can bring with you that can help ease the pain during the shoot:

• Herbal tea to drink during your session. Red raspberry leaves, ginger, peppermint, and chamomile tea, can help to reduce the bloating and calm down period cramps.

• Heat or cold pad. Heat can help relax the muscles contributing to cramping, so applying heat to your abdomen or back can help relieve your pain.

  An ice pack can also reduce pain. Cold therapy narrows blood vessels, which eases menstrual cramps.

• Extra medicine to take if the pain comes back during your boudoir session.

As mentioned, your boudoir shoot should be a fun and comfortable experience. So if the idea of having your period during your session makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to ask us if it is possible to push back your session, especially if you give us a couple of weeks notice. But in case it is not possible, try to not stress too much about it and follow those guidelines. If you manage to relax during this time, you will still get a beautiful experience 💛

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The thrill of outdoor boudoir

With the beautiful weather and temperature being nice and toasty, the opportunity for outdoor boudoir shoots is knocking a t our doors,for our greatest pleasure. Those tend to spark a lot of curiosity; after all, why would you do an outdoor shoot? How is that even doable? Let's dive in!

“Why would I even do an outdoor boudoir shoot?”

1) Some of us don't belong inside.

When you are considering having boudoir photos done, you want them to look like you. The real you, when you feel badass, confident and comfortable. For many of us, it is easier to feel this way when we are outdoors. Especially because being outdoors usually emphasize…

2) The feeling of freedom.

The outdoors, especially nature, is very often associated with peace and freedom, it's just in the air. That's why even guided meditation tend to “take” you outside. The energy is different, it is powerful and calm at the same time. Why stopping yourself from enjoying it?

3) A little extra challenge to satisfy your adventurous side.

If you are looking for an extra thrill during your boudoir shoot, shooting outdoors makes you feel SUPER badass because it is even more “unconventional” than an indoor boudoir shoot. If you have a rebellious spirit, you will definitely enjoy posing outdoors

4) The sceneries!

Why limit yourself to a home that could look like someone's else’s when you can have a beautiful scenery around you? A river, a mountain, a rooftop… It just makes it a lot more epic!

If you are feeling excited about all of those reasons, first: YAY! - then, let us take you through our logistics!

Winter works great too!

“How does it work if I want to shoot outside?”

There are a few things to consider before doing an outdoor boudoir photoshoot with us:

The best spots are semi-private

We can't really privatize an entire river, forest or street. Even though we have some secret spots that are off the beaten path, we can't guarantee that someone isn’t going to walk by. The good news ? The rare people we have seen really don't give a crap about the shoot and even apologized for disturbing us 😉

We are ninja photographers

The fact that the two of us are on every shoot makes it very easy & fast to cover you up if needed. One of us tends to stand close to you with a coat or towel while the other shoots.

We are mindful about nudity.

Chances are if you are looking to do an outdoor shoot, you are probably dreaming of having a beautiful nude or semi-nude image of yourself too (and you should, it is awesome). In case you were wondering: it is legal for women to be topless in Canada, and it has been forever, as long as we are being aware of what is around us. For example, no children around.

Since all of the spots we tend to go to are hidden, we never had a problem with nudity. Once again, having two shooters on set makes it easier to have someone on the lookout and cover you up in a second!

Partial nudity is usually a lot easier to manage, consider it if you feel like you’d want to experiment but aren’t looking to go too far!

If there is one thing we can promise is that you won't regret shooting outdoors. The settings are beautiful, the feeling is amazing and the final photos are epic.

The whole experience is truly magical, so if you were considering it, don't wait any longer, we will be happy to guide you through it!

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Everything you need to know about our boudoir process

The time has come!

Maybe it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, or a dream you had for a long time, but you finally took the decision to book your boudoir shoot.

You feel super excited, maybe a little bit nervous because it might be your first time and you wonder:

Now what?!

You don't know what to expect, you are not sure what the next steps are, you can feel confused by all the information you see on different websites…

Do not wonder any longer, today we are sharing with you our boudoir shoots process.

Let's talk pricing first

When you go on our website, you can see our pricing is cut in two:

• First, there is the session fee, which includes the expertise of two photographers (Juliette and Fanny, hi this is us 😀), the location, makeup and hair, and the photoshoot.

• Second, there are the photo packages for the digital pictures, prints, or albums.

We divide our pricing in two for a couple of reasons: we believe you should be able to choose the quantity of photographs you want to purchase (instead of paying from the start, for example, for 25 images when you want only 15).

It also makes boudoir photography more accessible since you do not have to pay everything upfront. And multiple instalments are also available!

Use our contact form

Once you have been through our website to look at the details of our work and our portfolio, the next step is to contact us and for that, we have a very easy-to-fill contact form! An email works fine too :)

When contacting us, do not hesitate to tell us why you want to do a shoot and what your story is. We LOVE when people share their reasons behind wanted to do a boudoir shoot. And it also helps us to have a better idea of what you have in mind!

It is time to chat

Once you sent us your email, we will reply to you within 24 hours, with more details about our shoots and the option to book a quick virtual meeting with us. This is a very important part of the process in which you can tell us more about your ideas or vision, ask us any questions, see if we are a good fit, and book a potential date for your shoot.

It is free and does not commit you to anything!

All in one platform

Once the meeting is over, we will send you everything you need in order to book your shoot:

• your invoice and steps to pay the retainer (the retainer is used to secure your date and book our makeup artist);

• your contract;

• and your release option (to let us know if we can use or not your pictures).

Everything is sent to you digitally via an online platform that keeps all the document in your private portal. It is very easy to access, and you do not have to print anything.

Makeup & Hair

Once the retainer is paid, we book one of our talented makeup artists if you wish to get pampered by a professional. We will introduce the two of you by email, so you can let her know if you have any ideas in mind, but also any skin sensitivity.

She will do your makeup and hair right before your boudoir shoot, at the same location as your photoshoot.

The real fun begins

This is the moment you have been dreaming of… and also our favourite part: the boudoir shoot!

The photo session is done at our beautiful Parisian-inspired studio located in the Junction, Toronto. We have 4 different rooms, and you can access all of them for your shoot:

• The Day Lounge (airy, feminine, and bright);

• The Night Lounge (moody, cocktail vibe, green and gold tones);

• The Sejour (warm and cozy atmosphere); and

• The Patio (Provence theme with a wisteria tree).

Your boudoir shoot will last up to 2 hours and during that time you will have fun, let loose, and pose like the badass and confident person you are. After the session, you will feel like you can do anything!

Once your makeup is done, we go over the clothes and accessories you brought (which will probably be in a big suitcase 😉), to select the outfits that are the most important for you (we usually have time to do around 5 different ones).

We also guide you and pose during the entire session, so you do not have to worry about the fact you either never posed before or don’t know what to do. But you are very welcomed to let us know about specific poses or ideas you might want to try!

Boudoir photography allows you to highlights all your personalities, and you can really have fun with your outfits and props during your shoot. We love to create different vibes depending on your outfits, so it is very likely we would jump from a cozy atmosphere to a more badass one!

When do I see my pictures?

It has been two weeks since your shoot, the time for your reveal session has arrived. You might ask yourself:

“A what? “

This is the part of the process in which we show you your photographs, and you can purchase the ones you like best. See it as the big reveal! The moment when we show you how well you posed during your shoot and how confident you look. We usually meet back at our studio, over pastries, coffee, and tea. But we can also organize a Zoom meeting to share our screen with you if you don’t have the time to meet in person.

Photos & Prints

All of our photo packages are digitally-based, delivered in high resolution (meaning you can print them the size of your wall if you want to 🔥), without watermark, and delivered via an online private gallery.

If you are like us and enjoy being able to see your pictures on paper, we work with a wonderful professional and private printer who provides high quality prints and albums.

And after?

You did your shoot and got your beautiful images, so it would be normal to think that you are done with us. But it does not have to be like that! You can of course decide to live your life and forget about Scandaleuse, or you can do what most of our clients do:

Stay in touch and be part of our community full of badass, strong, and powerful Scandals!

By following us on Instagram, or signing up to our newsletter, you can keep an eye on our events, special shoots, deals, or other projects our community can participate to!

Boudoir is so much more than pretty pictures. It pushes you to go after what you want in life, and makes you feel empowered. Why?

Because once you strip down in front of two strangers, nothing can stop you 🤩

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Two boudoir photographers are better than one!

If you have been checking out boudoir photography for a while, you might have noticed that the majority of the photographers work alone during their shoot. But then you came across our business and see that we work as a team. So you might wonder:

“Does it make a difference to have two photographers during my boudoir shoot?”

The answer is yes, and here is why:

STRESS-FREE PHOTOSHOOT

Most of the people who try boudoir photography for the first time feel nervous with the idea of doing a shoot for several reasons: they are nervous about showing more skin than on a regular photoshoot. They don’t like their body, so posing feels nerve wracking. They don’t know how to get ready for their boudoir shoot and feel overwhelmed.

There are so many reason to feel stressed out before and during a boudoir session that it is our job, as photographers, to create a stress-free environment. Having two photographers on-site definitively helps your shoot go very smoothly. When one of us is shooting, the other one is prepping for the next set by reorganizing the studio to create a different vibe, thinking of the next idea, and even putting together your next outfit.

This allows us to be very efficient, so you can:

• Fully enjoy the duration of your boudoir shoot instead of wasting time waiting around because the photographer is prepping alone for their next idea; and

• Relax and enjoy the shoot without feeling rushed by your photographer because they are running out of time.

MORE DIVERSITY OF PHOTOGRAPHS

Since we rarely both take pictures of a set at the same time, one of us uses that time of not shooting as an opportunity to think of and prep her next idea. Which is perfect to help us dive deeper into our creativity to create unique lighting effects, get more props involved, figure out different poses, or even find other beautiful angles of you posing to take photos of while the other is shooting her set.

Which means you get:

• a tailored experience instead of having the same pictures as everyone else,

• the possibility to see yourself from two different perspectives, angles, and in different atmospheres; and also

• more photos for you to choose from during your reveal session.

Of course we will find you beautiful on all the photographs, but you know your face better than we do. So having more photos means you get access to a good variety of different poses and facial expressions for you to choose from.

FAST IN-HOUSE EDITING

Working as a duo also means a shorter editing turnaround time, without the need to outsource it. Let us explain!

It is very common for photographers to reduce their workload by outsourcing the editing part of their photoshoots (the editing process involves making a selection of photos, changing the visual settings of a photo such as the lighting or the colours, but also heavier editing such as skin edits and so on) to freelancers or other studios specializing in photo editing (they can be located in a different country).

Being two photographers working with you during your boudoir shoot means we divide the editing of the pictures you will purchase by two (we each take half of your photos to edit them). By doing so, there is no need for us to outsource this part, therefore your photographs stay fully private, and you get them faster!

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

Imagine you finally took the decision to do the boudoir shoot of your dream. You spent some time gathering the best outfits and accessories, and prepping for it (maybe you went shopping, took a day off from work, went to do your nails or hair, or finally found time to be kids-free for a few hours) when at the last minute you get a phone call from your photographer who tells you that unfortunately they cannot do your boudoir shoot because they are sick or something happens. There are usually two outcomes possible: your shoot is rescheduled, or you get assigned to another photographer.

We are humans, so emergencies happen, unfortunately. But for you, it is an inconvenience and that can ruin your experience! You spent time getting ready for that shoot and organizing your life around it that even if you understand those things happen, having to reschedule your shoot can be a problem. And not everyone would feel comfortable having a boudoir shoot with a photographer they never met before!

When you book your shoot with Juliette and I, Fanny, you are always talking to us only, and you will meet both of us during your Zoom meeting (in which we get acquainted and discuss your ideas if you have any). So in case one of us cannot be part of your photoshoot due to an emergency, the other one will be there to make your shoot happen!

BONUS POINT: DOUBLE THE FUN

Boudoir photography should always be a relax and fun experience. Juliette and I have known each other for such a long time, and our friendship is the strength of our business! We are lucky to have such a great connection which makes our energy very contagious!

We hope this blog will bring you one step closer to book your boudoir shoot… and even better with us :)

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Why I posed for a boudoir shoot instead of shooting it.

Hello fellow reader, Juliette here, co-founder of Scandaleuse Photography. I have now been a photographer for over 15 years, and my work has always been around making every-day women feel beautiful. I am indeed a fervent believer that everybody should feel great about themselves. But I can't pretend this mission was totally self-less: looking back, I can say with confidence that I put myself on this journey because I just didn't feel good in my own skin so helping others do it was a way to help myself.

And it's worked. A lot. But the past few months, I felt like I needed a reminder so for the first time in 7 years, I ask Fanny, my co-founder, to give me what we give to our wonderful client: a boudoir shoot.

Now, if you have been around Scandaleuse, you could say “dude, we see you all the time in a boudoir setting” and you would be right. However, when we opened, Fanny and I took the decision to model for our work to have the freedom to use the photos the way we want. Those shoots are "work-related", productive, with a specific goal and… I am not posing alone.

Posing with somebody is easier in my opinion. The focus is on you as a group, not solo. It takes off the pressure. Doing a photoshoot for yourself is a whole different feeling that I hadn't experienced in years. And I needed it.

The need to reconnect as a woman.

I haven't been shy to share about my experience with body-dysmorphia since a very young age, to the point where I was heavily editing my photos the minute I dabbled with Photoshop.

Body-dysmorphia will always be a part of my life, but I am proud to say that, at 32 years old, I have done enough work on myself to shut it down fairly easily.

This need for a photoshoot wasn't because something felt off with my body. It was because I needed to reconnect with myself as a feminine being.

The "go-go-go mode”

It's safe to assume that I am leaning towards a "type A” personality. I respond a lot to achievements, I'm impatient, always rushing and executing something. While it comes with wonderful perks like creativity and ambition, it also comes with a lot of burn-out, frustration and masculine energy.

To sum it up easily, masculine energy is all about doing while feminine energy is all about being, itself tied with sensuality.

And what's the link with my request to do a boudoir shoot? Well, if there is one experience in which you can just exist, let go and let your sensuality shine, it's a boudoir shoot.

So, how did it feel to step in front of the camera?

Don't let the fact that I am a professional boudoir photographer fool you: it was challenging for me too! Maybe even more so, because I am deeply familiar with posing and what looks good and what doesn't. Pressure on!

But part of my reasoning going into this as also to let myself be guided. (And that's a scary feeling for me!). The whole point of doing this was to stop controlling everything, I would have felt like garbage about myself if I put on my professional hat and took over! So I let go, trusted my partner and focused on feeling good.

I had also forgotten how exhilarating boudoir is! We always talk about it but feeling it again was such a strong reminder of why we do what we do.

And Just like anybody else, I felt like a sexy & badass freaking goddess. Exactly what I was looking for, and I am craving for more!

It is easy to forget how good and necessary this feeling is, even when you literally work in this field.

Even though, for many, it is perceived as completely superficial and narcissistic, we all need to feel strong and beautiful. It makes you a better human towards others but you also are in a much better state of mind to take care of yourself properly. Re-doing this experience fired me up on many levels, just as I was expecting, and now I also get a bunch of cool visuals to go with it!

What about you, would you do (or re-do) a boudoir shoot? Make sure to consider us if you do ;)

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How to calm your nerves before doing a boudoir shoot

Do you feel like a boudoir session could be exactly what you need to do for yourself but a fear is standing in the way? That's totally normal and even… expected. Before you talk yourself out of a wonderful experience, let's go over the main blocks you may encounter when you think about a boudoir photoshoot.

Ditch the fear of being ridiculous

This one is probably the most dominant one. Isn't boudoir reserved only for perfect-looking people, based on all of the photos we see around?

Absolutely not. If anything, it is quite the opposite. The boudoir field has changed drastically in the past decade. It has become a wonderful artistic and therapeutic tool to reconnect with yourself and your body, instead of exclusively showcasing lingerie models. All bodies are now be in their deserving spotlight, no matter the type, shape and age!

We can't even give you a more dominant audience in our field, as we work with people between their early thirties and early 60s, all with different backgrounds and stories.

Now, you may be wondering: “okay, that's great, but you still need to be a minimum photogenic and know what to do with yourself”

Here is the secret: everyone is photogenic but not everyone has received the right guidance to be so. And guess what? It's not your job to figure this out on your own.

A professional photographer should be able to guide you to pose so you don't have to think about and can just learn useful tips. They will know the right angles, to flattering poses and everything you need to get photos that look like you but make you feel like a million bucks!

Take the time to prep to ease your nerves

We underestimate how fun prepping for the session is, but also how helpful it is to feel more confident stepping into your session.

Gathering clothing options you feel your best in, trying new pieces, thinking of fun props, looking for inspiration for hair, makeup, poses, vibes… All of these are key to feel more at peace before you even step in front of the camera.

Ask all the questions you need

Boudoir photography is not your area of expertise, so of course you can ask every question in the book! There are no silly questions, so if you are unsure of anything or need clarification, whether it is about the actual booking process or advice on an outfit, just reach out and ask. Any professional is happy to offer guidance on what they do best!

Kick-in-the-butt punchline: You will never regret doing your photoshoot, but you will definitely regret NOT doing it.

One of the main feedback we receive from our clients after their session is: “I wish I had done this sooner".

Like anything you wish to do for your well-being, you will definitely feel the weight of regret if you initiate the first step (aka gathering the courage to inquire for a session and tell your story) but don't follow through. Don't let this haunt you!

There you have it, your go-to guide for calming those pre-boudoir shoot nerves. Remember, it's all about having fun and celebrating you. Instead of focusing on perceived flaws or imperfections, shift your mindset to appreciate and love your body as it is. Trust that your photographer is there to capture your beauty in its purest form and that vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness.

Get ready to embark on a beautiful and powerful journey, it would be a shame to miss out on it!

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When celibacy makes you lose touch with your sensuality

Here we go, another blog not super easy to write about but definitely needed, as sometimes it feels great to put words on paper! Today, it is my turn (Fanny) to write about some inner battles that have been happening for quite a while.

I have been sick for a week now, nothing serious, but it is making me feel sad, vulnerable, and weak. And you know how it goes, when we feel low, we have the tendency to think about the past. So lately I keep thinking of the decision I took 2 years and half ago to celibate, but most importantly the consequences of that decision.

His words were the last straw!

In October 2021, I was dating this guy, and one night while we were being intimate, he said to me:

“You are so thin, I could break you!”

Yeah, who says this kind of things, especially while being intimate with someone, right? You will be surprised on how many times men have said shitty things to me. I was shocked and preferred to ignore his comment, but this sentence stuck to my mind (two years later, I am still thinking about it). It was hard for me to hear this as when I was younger I was bullied in middle school for being a small body person. And even though I became more resilient with time against this type of comments, sometimes it still hurts. Especially when I am in a vulnerable moment. But I guess it was the extra push I needed in order to change a few things about my relationships.

Even if I have been lucky to never be in an abusive relationship, my relationship with men has always been complicated: I have been cheated on (classic!), ghosted, lied to so many times, told awful comments... I was also in a 4 years relationship where my partner was secretly keeping track of our sexuality on an Excel spreadsheet. So romantic, isn’t it?

I never seemed to attract the right type of man, but I believe that I was unconsciously attracting what I was looking for. I have always been afraid of commitment, and never really trusted my partners. So self-sabotaging by being with the wrong people was easy!

The change I needed, and it felt great…

After that comment, my body and sexuality shut done instinctively, and I was over men and dating. My libido left the country! Celibating became surprisingly very natural, and I honestly I didn’t plan it to last that long.

The first year felt amazing, and it created so many positive changes in my way of being! I have always been a sexual and sensual person. That sensuality felt like it was my whole personality, from the way I was dressing up to my way of interacting with people, and the energy I was putting out there. But when I took the decision to remove sex from my life, my sensuality disappeared too as it felt like I didn’t need it anymore:

• I changed my wardrobe, prioritizing long and comfy over of short and tight.

• I started to see men as potential friends instead of potential lovers, which changed the way I was interacting with them.

• My body language changed too, became more chill than seductive.

I never realized the amount of energy it took to be my past seductive-self, so focusing on a different part of my personality made me feel lighter. Opening Scandaleuse Photgraphy with Juliette and being a boudoir photographer helped me a lot with body acceptance and increasing my confidence level. But going into celibacy felt like it was the next step I needed in my personal development journey.

… until it didn’t anymore!

Unfortunately, I took it too far without even noticing (with every transformation comes its opposite effect). Since in the past I was using my body to seduce, the fact I shut down my sensuality made me fall into body neutrality and I now feel completely disconnected from it. When I look at myself in the mirror, I can tell I am a pretty woman and I like what I see but in a neutral way. I am able to tell myself there is nothing wrong with my body, but I don’t feel that proudness of looking good anymore. When I think of my body, I feel out of it!

To a point where it is becoming hard to like pictures of myself as I don’t feel impressed. The last time Juliette and I took some boudoir photographs of ourselves for marketing purpose, I was really harsh with myself. And yesterday, when I was looking for a picture of me to illustrate this blog, I cried at my past photographs because I miss the feeling of looking at a photo and being able to tell myself: “Damn, I look hot!”.

On top of that, the idea of being intimate with someone again scares me. This body neutrality has decreased my self-love level and makes me feel less confident and less seductive. Instead of taking a break like I initially wanted, I unintentionally shut down my heart to love others, in a way also to myself, and created a fear I never had before.

I have thought in the past that being sensual was maybe an act, a mask I was putting on to make myself seem more interesting to others, but I was so wrong. Sensuality is part of me, it’s the fire that I need to keep LOVING. Without it, I don’t recognize myself, so it is time to find it back!

Boudoir photography to the rescue!

And the best tool for that is a boudoir shoot to help me reappropriate my body and let my sensuality shine again. Even if we take some photos of ourselves for the business, doing a shoot just for me is a different experience. Boudoir has this therapeutic power that really helps you regain confidence. During the shoot you get the opportunity to wear outfits that make you feel like your most badass-self, you pose in ways that are very flattering for your body, and you get the opportunity to express all your personalities.

Definitively a powerful and transformative experience!

Even if I do not recognize myself lately, I do not regret the decision to celibate because it happened so naturally. This has taught me a lot about myself, and it is the best way to grow!

I am so grateful Juliette and I can self-reflect by writing when we feel like it. We believe that there is no shame in sharing about your personal journeys, and it is a great way to spread awareness on issues others might be dealing with too.

We wanted to thank everyone from our community for being supportive and listening (in this case reading) to what we have to say 💛. Let us know in comments if you can relate to this or if it has happened to you in the past (or any thoughts you have when reading this story)!

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How boudoir shoots increased our confidence on every level

Since we opened Scandaleuse, both of us have been posing in boudoir settings for many reasons. To know what it actually feels like, to have content to share with our community, to be creative… But we often forget to talk about how it actually changed us too. There is definitely a before boudoir and after boudoir, even for us.

The expectations VS reality of boudoir.

Boudoir is usually thought as something you do for someone, likely a partner. People get in the mindset that they have to illustrate somebody else's fantasy, only to benefit them. We don't agree with that.

Boudoir should be done for yourself first. It's a way to get quality time with yourself, reclaim your body, see it in a new light. It's a chance to just exist without judgement and expectations. And it comes with long lasting effects you wouldn't know until you try. Even ourselves didn't know that before stepping in front of the lens. We have now been posing for 5 years and can confidently share all of the beautiful changes boudoir have done for us.

The given: we feel beautiful.

There is a lot of power behind feeling beautiful. A new energy emanates out of you, everything around you just feels lighter. It already feels wonderful in a regular setting but imagine feeling beautiful without your clothes on, which we aren't told to even think about. Now that's unlocking the next level of feel good vibes for sure!

The removal of negative body vision.

Rare are the ones who can tell they absolutely love their bodies. And who can blame us? We grow up naturally comparing ourselves to others and to beauty standards shaped by society. When something is not considered “beautiful", we are told to either hide it or to work hard to improve it. It is very easy to end up with a very negative vision of our appearance that follows us for years. For many of us, it even turns into body-dysmorphia.

Seeing our bodies repeatedly on photos without clothes on showed us what our bodies actually look like, and that is far away from what the crappy vision we had.

Don't get us wrong, it was scary at first, even for us. But what a slap in the face it was to see our bodies in an objective light. Turns out our "flaws” were not that flawed.

We are not afraid of our "sexy” sides anymore.

If you were to ask us 10 years ago if we thought we were sexy, we would have awkwardly laughed and say absolutely not. It was just inconceivable to even think it. Another prejudice we deal with: wanting to feel sexy, while being completely natural, is "wrong” so we just avoid it.

Doing boudoir photoshoots showed us that:

1. Feeling sexy comes in many many ways, very few of them are even being related to sex and none of them are related to pleasing someone else.

2. There is SO much power behind this feeling. Looking at our boudoir photos make us feel strong and badass as hell.

3. We had been severely missing out on it.

Deconstructing the shame around something leads to turning it into confidence. And that works for anything.

What about the impact on the confidence then?

Tapping into all of these points has led us to a pretty rock solid confidence in ways we didn't even imagine:

• Reclaiming our bodies made us shut down the negative voices of our surroundings and instead focus on what WE feel good in and show it.

• Boudoir has successfully and positively forced us out of our comfort zone. This made it a lot less scary to try other experiences like that we didn't think we would ever try.

• Doing something that is considered shameful or frown upon by many and, again, ending up having a wonderful outcome has not only removed a lot of our fears but also comforted us in all of our choices afterwards. Even when people disagreed, even if it was unconventional. We just realized we were a lot strong than we thought.

After all, isn't confidence about having a "no fucks given” energy?

We went from shy, insecure beings to free, empowered and proudly sensual women. To this day, we use our boudoir shoot as reminders when we feel down or discouraged. These versions of ourselves were always there, they were just quiet and hard to uncover. Now, we hold on to them tight and cherish them.

And you should too. Set yours free and let it shine.

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The social aspect of boudoir photography

Juliette and I have never been part of those people who work only for money and security. We need our work to follow our personal values, and we want to contribute to make positive changes in our society. We are not saying we are changing the world but on our level we are creating positive impacts in our clients’ life, and we try as much as possible to spread awareness on social issues we care about.

Boudoir photography is our way to do so!

Such a transformative experience

When we opened Scandaleuse Photography 6 years ago, we wanted to showcase the beauty of the woman body in an artistic way. We build a community and stayed in touch with our Scandals. We were amazed to hear and read what our past clients were saying about their experience with us and how transformative the shoots were for them. Some of them told us they ended up toxic relationships, others quitted their job they did not like anymore… Witnessing those people changing their life because posing half naked in front of our lenses gave them the courage to do so, is a true honour for us and it gives us a feeling of purpose.

If you never try boudoir photography, it might be difficult to understand how a shoot can help someone feel more confident in their life to a point where it makes drastic changes. Let us explain:

Boudoir photography is not like any other type of photography (at least, the way we do it). It is rare to meet people who feel 100% confident in their own skin and who accept their body fully the way it is. Most of our clients are first timers, and the idea of posing in lingerie (or naked) in front of photographers can be nerve wracking for them. It takes a lot of courage to make yourself vulnerable and try something new that makes you feel nervous. So when you finally do a boudoir shoot, feel good showing your body in front of people you don’t know, and find yourself beautiful in those pictures, this experience gives you the wings to keep pushing yourself to do other scary things.

We like to stay that once you strip down in front of two strangers, nothing else in life can stop you 🔥.

People’s backgrounds & stories

Being boudoir photographers also gives us the chance to meet incredible people who are going through tough times in their life.

Some of our clients were in abusive relationships that completely destroyed them and they were looking for ways to build back their confidence and reappropriate their body. We work with transgender people who are fighting to exist in the gender they wished they were born with, when society doesn’t make it easy for them. We had clients who are dealing with breast cancer and wanted to immortalise their body before it changes. Few years ago we took pictures of a woman who was in a wheelchair, and wanted to celebrate herself and showcase that even if you are disable you are still a sensual human being.

Listening to so many life stories and seeing our clients fighting so many battles makes our work as boudoir photographers reach another level that we truly love. It is not about just taking beautiful pictures but helping people feel amazing about themselves.

This social side of boudoir photography makes our boudoir photography business so important to us, and we cannot wait to see where it will take us!

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The best props we have seen on boudoir shoots

Contrary to popular beliefs, boudoir photography is extremely versatile. It can be far from the classic bed photos in black & white. To us, boudoir is THE way to express yourself and make you feel sexy the way YOU want.

For some of us, feeling confident and sexy may involve a traditional set of lingerie. But to others, it is not what rocks their boats.

Over the past few years, we have seen many people beautifully bringing their own twists to their shoots to be the most badass versions of themselves and feel comfortable. Here are the most memorable props or themes they brought to the table, for our greatest pleasure!

Cosplay Outfits

My goodness, did we have a blast with this one! The essence of our work is anything badass so how could not be excited when Cin pulled out their homemade cosplay armor and cape!?

We remember them feeling a bit odd to bring those initially, but our very obvious excitement quickly turned those feelings into pure fun. Cosplay is a big part of Cin's life, it was a beautiful way to embrace it fully and look a like superhero.

Themed props

Sometimes, focusing on bringing specific props for a specific theme can really help you feel more comfortable posing. It makes you feel like you are playing a slightly different version of you, and just this can take the pressure off your shoulders. We have seen for example pin-up or other vintage outfits, which turn out stunning on photos and make us shoot in a different way as well. Themed props are also fantastic to make a special occasion, like a birthday or anniversary, just like Lily did for her session.

Glamorous Gowns

Why keep something simple when you can go extra? Alex brought to light a hot pink tulle gown that would make you wonder if you are not a nonchalant goddess in a vintage movie. (sigh)

Since her session, we actually came across our new partner, Great North Gowns, who is renting those stunning gowns for photoshoots, so you can still enjoy the glam but not have it drown your closet! We couldn't help but try ourselves and swimming in an ocean of tulle was magical. Definitely recommend!

Pets!

Yes, you read that right, you can bring your furry companions! We LOVE having pets on shoots, because a) they make you feel at home and b) we get to sneak some cuddles.

We have yet to see a husky to have a wolf like shoot, just throwing it out there!

Kitchen props

For many people, getting in front of a camera in such a vulnerable context is challenging. That's why we encourage creating little stories about what you love doing and incorporate that in your shoot. Many of our clients are cooking aficionados and we really loved making this part of themselves shine through boudoir.

Anything related to a passion

Let's be honest: chances are whatever you do as a hobby makes you feel badass. It's probably one of the main reasons you're even doing it.

So why not bring those to give yourself an extra layer of confidence? We have photographed people with roller skates, pleasers, guitars, bikes, magic cards, all of those with a boudoir twist!

Food & Drinks

That might surprise you, but we have done a LOT of sessions involving fake or real alcohol. Not only can it ease your nerves (moderately of course!) but we can all admit we feel like a million bucks all dolled up and holding a glass of champagne or whisky. Bringing food can also be a great way to contribute to creating little scenarios around your session.

As you can see see, a boudoir shoot is truly a creative opportunity to shine as yourself. Don't worry about "fitting in" or copying traditional photos, it is a lot more fun to bring out what makes you YOU. We are looking forward to seeing what you will bring to the table and capture it all!

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Did you talk yourself out of it?

This week we had a Zoom meeting with a new Scandal (if you are new here, “Scandal” is the name we give to our clients and people in our community 🤗) and she inspired us with today’s blog topic.

She reached out in January asking for some information about our boudoir shoots because she wanted to celebrate herself with an outdoor session. We loved her idea so much that we decided to followed up when she stopped corresponding with us. She was so happy we didn’t give up because it was the extra push she needed to do her shoot as she had talked herself out of doing it.

Sharing this information with us was very courageous, not everyone can do it, and it gave us the opportunity to write about this topic as it is a quite common situation.

What does it mean to talk ourselves out of something?

Talking ourselves out of something refers to the act of persuading oneself not to pursue a certain course of action, decision, or opportunity. This internal dialogue often involves rationalizing reasons why it may not be the right time, not be achievable, not be worth the effort nor the money.

It can come from different reasons such as fear of failure, self-doubts, external pressure, or simply a lack of confidence.

Sounds too familiar? Of course it does! We can all relate to that choice of listening to fear and giving up instead of going after something we want. It is a defence mechanism that we all did at some point in our life!

Is it a toxic trait?

Of course not! It is a way of protecting yourself from potential arm, either it is physical or mental.

But it is holding you back from experiencing Life! By engaging in these self-talks, living a too comfortable life, and not taking any risk, you are missing out on exploring new possibilities and adventures. Which makes personal growth very difficult to achieve, and you might end up having regrets about all the things you didn’t do.

Remember that no one can live your life but you!

Boudoir photography put people outside their comfort zone

We see it with some of our clients who want so badly to do a boudoir shoot to feel empowered, to regain confidence, or reclaim their image that has been destroyed in the past. But they feel so nervous, or afraid, about showing their uncovered body that they keep pushing the experience back, or they decide to not do it anymore. And that makes us sad for them because we know that a boudoir shoot would help them to get to that level of self-love they desire.

Don’t get us wrong, anyone has the right to change their mind about anything. But when we meet someone who has this craving of trying boudoir photography, it is part of our job to reassure them and motivate them to move away from that internal fear and just go for it.

You might think that we are being bias because we are boudoir photographers, but it is more than that. We are strong believers that boudoir photography is a therapeutic tool, that can help anyone with body and confidence issues. We have experienced it ourselves, and witnessed it through all the clients we had those past 7 years.

So if you want to give it a try, you have our support, do it! Even better, do a shoot with us 🥰.

How to shut down these annoying little voices?

Recognizing when you are talking yourself out of something is primordial to challenge these self-imposed limitations, embrace new possibilities, and finally do all the things that scare you.

1. RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS

The first step is learning to differentiate talking yourself out of something you really want to accomplish from changing your mind about something you don’t want to do anymore. You might be thinking: “aren’t those the same? You end up not doing it anyway!”. Sure they sound similar, but those two points are very different and create different results.

The first one is based on fear. You give up or keep pushing it back not because you don’t want to do it anymore but because you are afraid of something (maybe you think you will be judged by others, or that it will change your life in a way that you don’t feel ready for… there is always fear behind those little voices that tell you not to do something). As mentioned before, not going after what your soul craves will create regrets because it was meaningful to you.

It is something you feel deep in your bones and it usually keeps coming back even though you tell yourself otherwise.

The second one is only a change of mind. Yes, it would have been fun to do it, but since it is not something that you need in order to feel fulfill and grow, not doing isn’t going to change anything in your life.

They usually manifest as ideas or thoughts like: “maybe I could do this” or “it would be fun to try that!”. But they don’t last long, and you just forget about them.

Once you have recognized if it is something you want to keep pursuing, it is time to do a little bit more work on yourself.

2. LET’S STOP MAKING EXCUSES

The second step is to pay attention to this universal behaviour we all have: finding excuses! Either we do it to cancel plans, to not do the work we are supposed to do, to not show up somewhere, or to not go after something we wish for, having excuses is so common that we do it without even realizing we are.

And yes, some are very valid excuses, but most of the time we just don’t want to push ourselves too much because we are very comfortable in the moment.

There are many excuses out there, but we want to talk about the 3 most common ones (otherwise this blog will become a novel 😅). Also, we are using boudoir photography to make our points clearer, obviously they apply to anything in life:

• Lack of skill & confidence: this has to be first on our list because it is something 90% of our clients feel nervous about when they want to book their boudoir shoot. It is either because they never posed in their life and feel like they will be ridiculous. Or they don’t like their body and think they will look ridiculous. But most of the time, it is a mix of both: they are afraid of being ridiculous because they believe they are not good enough to try boudoir photography.

  The truth: yes, you are photogenic! Yes, you are beautiful! And yes, you deserve photographs of yourself to show you how badass you are.
  
  

• Money: Raise your hand if you have money blocks that stop you from moving forward in life 👋.

  Little disclaimer: we are referring to people who have the savings for this type of experiences, or treat themselves with more high-end services or products. We are aware that not everyone can afford a boudoir shoot.

  But for those who can, money is a common excuse people use when it comes to a boudoir session. They have the money set aside specifically for their shoot, yet they overthink the experience and limit themselves on the number of pictures they would buy even though they haven’t done their photoshoot yet. When you dig deeper, you realize money isn’t the issue. The main problem is that they deeply believe they don’t deserve to treat themselves with such a transformative experience, nor invest the money on themselves.

  The truth: treat yourself like royalty, you freaking deserve it! Also, if it is hard for you to imagine spending money of a boudoir experience, remember that you don’t have to pay everything at once, and we offer payment plans.

• Time: “I can’t, I am too busy!”. That is true, we all have stuff to do. But time is all we have on this planet, and you can make time for the things that are important to you. So it isn’t a question of time, it is about choices and moving your schedule around. We see it often with women, especially moms. They dream of doing a shoot, but they keep pushing that thought back because of not having the time. What we hear (based on testimonials we gathered from all those years working with women who have kids) is that they don’t dare to take the me-time they deserve because they have a family to take care of. They feel like they don’t deserve to put themselves first by fear of being selfish.

  The truth: you have the right, like anyone else, to pause your busy life for a few hours and focus on you for once!
  
  

When you think about it, it is ridiculous to stop ourselves from going after the things we want in life because of self-limitations. If we were cartoon characters, it would be the same as dropping a rock in front of ourselves and not moving because of this obstacle we just made (even though we could just circumvent it, or jump over it, to keep moving forward)!

Once you understand what is the real reason behind the excuse you use, you can put back things into perspective and reassure yourself to go for it. Give yourself a good pep talk, you should be ready for the next step!

3. DON’T OVERTHINK IT

The final step is pretty straightforward: just DO IT without thinking too much about it. Overthinking is a buzz killer, trust me I am guilty of that! And such is over-planning, by the way. Wanting to feel prepared and ready is very important of course, but it can become a form of procrastination when you focus too much on it instead of doing the work.

You want to do a boudoir shoot but your inner negative voices are bullying you? Then you now know what to do: stop overthinking and book your session. You will have plenty of time to get yourself ready before your shoot, but at least you took that first step!

4. EXTRA TIP: LOOK FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

The chances to accomplish things are much higher when you tell other people about what you’re trying to do. Even just sharing your ideas, or dreams, out loud to someone can help to give you the push you need to get started on it.

Go with someone supportive and open-minded, a loved one who will lift you up! Don’t share it with someone who might crush your idea. If you are already doubting yourself, the last thing you need is another person doubting you!

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We opened our first studio

Back in 2017, two little French women decided to leave their full-time jobs in Toronto to start what had been a dream for many years: open their own boudoir photography business. Filled with ambition and willpower, they've given it everything and have built the small empire brick by brick, hoping to, one day, reach their next dream: having their own studio.

Now in 2024, we are very proud to say that we have finally started this adventure and now have our home away from home.

What were we doing before?

You are not without knowing that the renting market in Toronto is getting worse every day. Back in 2017, it was already the case and definitely out of reach for a sprouting business. Since we couldn’t afford our space, we were just renting multiple ones on a shoot by shoot basis.

We are not going to lie, it was pretty neat and we are keeping this option available to us even now. It's been a great way for us to keep our creativity up high, to adapt to our clients’ vision and just enjoy somebody else's place.

But after 7 years of business and 11 in Canada, we grew tired of not finding our own vibe.

Combining missing home and our new adventure

It took us a good 6 months to gather the courage to venture in the commercial rental world. Having the same business model for so long made us feel comfortable and safe but also… bored. During the summer of 2023, it was pretty clear both of us had lost our spark and we needed to find it again.

Funny enough, we had some rough ideas of the layout of the studio we initially wanted: open concept, bricks and beams, industrial… But when we actually visited the one we are in now, a completely different vision just manifested itself. Scrap it all, we are going to create multiple rooms with a strong, authentic, Parisian aesthetic. And we made it happen.

If you don't know it already, we are both originally from France. While we love the life we’ve built in Canada for the past decade, we were getting to a point where our homesick episodes were sneakily showing up more often than not. We'd been missing our roots and its aesthetics for a while and having this space to remind us of home has been a blast so far.

Creating your own space VS renting different ones

Yes, we have only had our space for only a few months, but already, the perks we have noticed are pretty amazing.

1) The freedom to transform the space the way we want to.

We have created 3 different rooms and 3 different vibes, and we didn't have to depend on somebody else's vision.

2) Nobody is living in it, so it is fully adapted for creators.

The majority spaces we used to rent were real people's lofts, so naturally, they have their lives in it and plenty of not-so-pretty things, like every living space has.

3) No more worrying about finding the right place at the right time.

It was always quite a stressful aspect of our job: our clients have a limited schedule and lofts get booked often. As if this wasn't challenging enough, we've also had a couple of nightmare situations when the landlords “forgot” we were coming and ghosted us when we were at the door with our clients.

4) We can make a mess!

We didn't expect this to be such a perk, but before, we obviously had to put the place back exactly the way we found it, so we were juggling between shooting and cleaning up as we went. On our space, we have all the time in the world to put it back together afterwards, which allowed us to extend our time with our beloved clients.

5) We can rent it out to other creators

This is a freshly new endeavour we’ve taken: our beautiful apartment is available to rent by the hour for any type of creators! It's so cool to be able to give what we were given for so long.

What about the downsides?

With every new adventure comes some uncomfortable feelings and not-so-fun aspects. Fortunately, we only see a few downsides compared to our previous ways.

1) The rent.

Of course, we now have an official extra rent on top of our personal ones and let me tell you, that's a good pressure on our shoulders. It's not just about sustaining ourselves anymore and it's the first time we've had to deal with this. To make a business grow, you have to take some risks, but it doesn't stop the fear it brings.

2) The possibility of getting bored…?

Being used to shoot in different spaces, we considered before taking on this project that, maybe, we would get tired of our space. Now, of course it is too soon to tell, but even so, we feel it will be very easy to counter, as we have the freedom to do whatever the hell we want.

Hopefully it stays this way (and hopefully we can pay rent ha!). We are very excited to share more with you about this beautiful space and how our vision came to be. Stay tuned…

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