The #1 Way to Get Your Boudoir Clients to Trust You

I’m going to give you some tough love today so put on your big girl/boy pants, friend.

You ready?

You are building a lucrative, kick-ass photography studio that people will eventually join a wait list to get into.

You love watching the faces of your clients when they see their images for the first time and realize their beauty.

So listen to me:

put down that phone and get yourself in front of an actual professional camera!  You are the face of your business and a phone selfie or camera-in-front-of-your-face-in-a-mirror as your profile picture is NOT the high caliber impression you want to put out there.

I see too many photographers with beautiful websites using selfies or low-quality photos as their profile picture.

No. Just no.

You are a skilled photographer. Don’t devalue that. The pictures you use to show who you are, communicate to your clients how you value yourself. If a quick snap on your phone is all the thought you put into your profile or bio picture, I’ve just learned a lot about you. So, if that’s you, it’s time to fix it and I’m here to give you the push you might need.

Your experience in front of the camera tells clients they can trust you. We are the ones preaching to women to let go of perfection and fear and let us capture their beauty. We tell them that they are worth the fuss and how powerful it is to get those photos back and see what we see. Right?

Why would they trust us with that vulnerability if we aren’t willing to put ourselves out there in the same way?

This is your opportunity to practice what you preach. YOU deserve the same experience.

My opportunity to do this (and see the value in it) came when I traveled to Florida to work with Megan DiPiero. While I was in front of her camera, I experienced first-hand what my clients say to me. I felt awkward and a little insecure at first. I was worried that my makeup was too heavy, my smile was weird, my poses were too bent and twisty.

But none of those insecurities were true, and I LOVED my images. I ended up with gorgeous photos that made me feel amazing but, maybe even more importantly, I experienced what my clients experience. I was in their shoes. I felt what they feel. That experience alone gives me the authority to relate and speak truth to my women in a boudoir or beauty shoot with compassion. I know what I’m saying, I did it too.

Here are a few of my images from Megan 

And here’s the thing: what you tell women about their worth and value? That’s true about you too.

YOU are beautiful and worthy of a camera being centered on you.

YOU are worth the money and time and effort to have breathtaking images of yourself.

YOU deserve to feel that way when you see the photos of yourself for the first time.

So, do it. Don’t put it off any longer.

Here are some ways to do this:

● Hire a fellow photographer. Find someone whose style you love and book a session. And pay them for their work!

● Trade with a colleague. Agree to shoot each other. This gives you both practice and is a fantastic networking opportunity.

● Take your own photos. If you feel comfortable shooting self-portraits, do it. Personally, I’ve found self portraits are really hard, and full respect to those photographers who can do them... I end up  running back and forth, trying to get focus and my poses right, and just end up with less than great photos so my recommendation is to get someone else.

I believe this is one of the most important investments you can make in your business, second only to education, and often one of those things that gets pushed to the bottom of the list. I know how easy it is to do that, but if you value your work, show the world that. Your future clients are paying attention and deciding if they can trust you with their vulnerabilities. Show them that they can and most of all, show yourself that you deserve that experience too.

~t