I'm going to tell a story I don't tell very often, because it's a little embarrassing. Once upon a time, long ago, I got myself a boudoir session. It was before I learned that ages old lesson, "you get what you pay for." That's a lesson I learned the hard way many, many times. You may have seen the less-than-professional film reel tattoo sprawling across my chest? Yeah. It took me a few tries. So, anyway, before I graduated from the University of No Duh, I booked myself a boudoir shoot. I found a "photographer" on Craigslist advertising for really cheap sessions. I, being the thrifty shopper I was, jumped at the opportunity. After all, it sounded like this guy had a really nice camera!
Guys, a nice camera does not mean fuck all. Let me tell you that right now. In your pocket, or purse, or wherever you keep your phone, you have a camera that Ansel Adams would have killed for. And yet...are you taking Ansel Adams-quality photos on the regular?
So, I arrived at this guy's apartment, and immediately I felt the situation wasn't quite living up to the luxury experience I was promised. Now, it's totally acceptable for the setting to be the photographer's apartment/home/whatever; a true pro can make any setting work to their advantage and after all, you only see a bit and angles are everything. What really sent my antennae up was the fact that the dude's roommates were home! He promised they would stay in their rooms, and they did, but still. Creepy, and not conducive to an empowering, confident session.
That wasn't the only problem with my purchase. The guy I paid was unable to pose me in any meaningful way besides telling me to "be sexy." WTF? I think mozzarella cheese is sexy, dude, but I can't channel that energy. My photos ended up being...meh. Not horrible, because I didn't look absolutely terrible, but they certainly weren't worth actually paying money for. All in all, I didn't feel good about myself, I didn't have that "WOW" factor moment, the session didn't do much for me, and it was pretty forgettable. Just another day, really.
And honestly, that's the difference between someone with a "nice camera" and a professional. Everyone owns a pair of scissors, but would you trust just anyone to cut your hair? Everyone owns a pot and pan, but would you pay just anyone to cook you a four course meal? Everyone owns a nice camera these days, why in the world would you trust just anyone to provide you with images you plan to appreciate for years?
If you can't get the idea of treating yourself to a boudoir session out of your head, please learn from my mistakes and don't skimp out. You deserve the full luxe treatment, not a half-hearted attempt that will leave you feeling down and underwhelmed. If you had your heart set on a pair of Louboutins, you wouldn't just raid your bestie's stash of flip-flops and call it good. There are some things in life that are just worth it, and when you want to celebrate yourself by indulging in a luxury, that is not the time to settle for less.
YOU are worth not settling for less.
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