The short answer here is, no.  Part of my business is providing luxurious and individualized service to each client.  For this reason, every photo I present to you receives professional retouching, and I ask that you come in to view your photographs and select your prints, albums, wall art, or folio boxes in person so that you can look at the sample products I have.  It’s important to me that clients see the quality of the items I provide and have a relaxing and exciting “reveal” session with me.  It’s common for clients to cry or be speechless when they see their “after” photos, and it’s important for me to share in that experience with you personally.  I can’t do that if you view your proofs remotely.  However, I will make accommodations for clients who live far from my studio or just can’t get back in for an in-studio viewing.  I can do a live video screen-share session and host your reveal session online via Zoom or other online conferencing software!

Yes, there are some very specific tips for doing makeup meant for photography, as opposed to everyday makeup.    Here’s the makeup for photography tip document!

We will discuss pricing on our initial consultation call, but you can find some general costs under Info>Pricing on my website.

Sure!  Preparing for your Beauty & Boudoir Shoot: What to Bring (Again, once you book a session, your Welcome Packet will include more detailed information on this topic.)

1. Arrive at your shoot 15-minutes early with a moisturized face and clean, dry hair – ready for the makeup artist.
2. Be sure you have clean, well-manicured finger and toe nails. (Extra charges apply for any retouching necessary to fix chipped nail polish!)
3. Be sure to eat something small, like a protein or granola bar before coming to the shoot, and drink lots of water in the week or so leading up to your shoot.  Hydration is key for great looking skin!
4. Be sure to schedule any hair-cut or color a few weeks before your shoot.  Don’t use creams or spray tanners before a shoot.  Pamper yourself a few days before the shoot including shaving, waxing, and moisturizing.
5. Hair and make-up should be a little bolder and bigger than you normally wear.  The camera tends to flatten hair and wash out makeup, so a little more definition is necessary.  Try not to “freak out” if your makeover look is a little bolder than you were expecting.  Before we begin your makeup, we will ask you how bold you want to look in the photos.
6. Wardrobe:  Solid colors are recommended, especially neutrals that work best with your skin tone.  Avoid patterns.  Solid colors are fine.  Bring selections that make you feel beautiful.  Start with some casual pieces like jeans and a sexy top then work toward more dressy, formal, and sexy options.  It’s up to you how “sexy” you want to get.  If you like, bring lingerie, silk night gowns, or strapless bras and underwear.  I don’t shoot full nude, but a strapless bra and a G-string can be easily hidden to achieve an implied-nude look with strings photo-shopped out.  When you want to show off lingerie, opt for cheeky or hipster panties instead of thongs/g-string because they photograph better.  Please note, you don’t have to wear lingerie at all.  Plenty of women come to a shoot with clothes that make them feel beautiful but aren’t revealing.  Try on your wardrobe selections ahead of time to be sure they fit well, aren’t too tight, and make you feel confident, sexy, and beautiful.  For a one-hour shoot, you’ll wear 3-4 outfits.  It’s a good idea to bring a few more outfits than you’ll need so you have multiple options.  Feel free to bring everything in a rolling suitcase to make things easier!
7. Bring any accessories like beautiful scarves, wraps, jewelry, hosiery, etc.  I don’t suggest bringing a lot of shoes because they are rarely in the shots, but if you want to bring a nice pair of heels, that’s okay.  Please call to discuss any special wardrobe or prop requests you might have – I can accommodate most requests!
8. If you have tattoos, be sure to bring wardrobe choices that either accentuate or completely cover the tattoos.  Half-covered tattoos or ones that are cut off by clothing don’t photograph well.
9. Drink plenty of water in the days and weeks leading up to your shoot to give your skin a healthy glow.  The night before the shoot, get plenty of rest and come to your shoot ready to have fun and feel luxuriously pampered!  We’ll make you feel like a rock star!

Unfortunately, we are not covered to drive clients to the photoshoot locations, so you will need to provide your own transportation to all shoot locations.  In addition to my east side studio, I have several locations in the downtown Cincinnati and east side of Cincinnati where I typically shoot, but I am open to location suggestions from you!  Remember this is your shoot, so if there is a place where you want to be captured, please let me know.  You can also let me know your preferences in particular types of locations: urban, lakes/ponds, fields, forests, and so on.  Locations can be discussed during the phone consultation when you book your shoot.  I typically like to do on-location shoots in early morning or a few hours before sunset.  I can shoot weekdays or weekends – most Saturday or Sunday mornings in downtown are fairly quiet and allow for undisturbed shooting.

Wardrobe selections and other beauty tips can be found in the Beauty Guide and Style Guide you will receive in your digital Welcome Packet when you book your session.  You can also see wardrobe suggestions on my Pinterest Boards at https://www.pinterest.com/kristanutterphotography

Beauty photography is focused on bringing out your inner beauty, but doesn’t necessarily have to focus on sensuality.  We focus on professional makeup and hair techniques, lighting, and posing to make you look and feel fabulous.  The wardrobe for a beauty shoot can range anywhere from an evening gown to a sexy blouse and jeans.  It could include lingerie, but doesn’t have to.  Beauty shoots emphasize the “before” and “after” of the shoot and are appropriate for group shoots such as mother/daughter, sisters, BFF’s, and so on.  (A Beauty shoot can also be a family portrait shoot, where Mom comes in early for her makeover and Dad and the kids arrive later when we’re ready to start shooting.)

Boudoir photography definitely has an emphasis on sensuality and allure.  Poses and lighting are more sensual and suggestive.  Boudoir shoots include more implied nudity, without literal nudity.  Boudoir shoots emphasize not only the sensuality of the subject, but may also have an implied audience to them, such as a spouse, fiancee, or partner who is meant to view the images later.  Boudoir shoots are usually individuals, but can also include intimate couples.

I should stress that nowhere in either description above is there reference to age or size.  Remember: “Fifty is fabulous!” here, and a beautiful shoot in either the Beauty or Boudoir style can be achieved for any age or size of subject.  Mature women shine in elegant shoots of either style, and I love photographing women over 40, simply because they are so deserving of the gift in appreciating their beauty.  Too many times busy wives and moms put everyone else before themselves, so this is their chance to relax and feel pampered with a gorgeous makeover – while having the added bonus of couture photographs that stop time to showcase their beauty at this time in their life.  If I could be granted one wish, it would be to photograph my clients every year or two from 18 to 88!

Throughout the shoot, I show my clients a few of the really good shots on the back of the camera.  Then I go back and cull the collection down to the very best shots.  The final number of images you see depends on what type of session you booked – obviously longer sessions result in more images to show.  Within ten to fourteen days after your shoot, I will do basic editing on all or most of the images.  

Once your images are ready, you will meet me either at my studio, in a restaurant or coffee shop, or via online conference to see your images and select your products.  (We can schedule this meeting on the day of the shoot, or I can simply contact you when your images are ready and we can schedule the meeting then.)  Once you select your favorite images, those images will go through a final editing / retouching process before your prints or products are ordered.  Any image you purchase as a product or print will also include the digital file and lifetime release for personal usage.  Additional details about products and pricing can be found in the Product and Pricing Guide in the Welcome Packet you receive when you book your session.

Yes!  You will definitely still look like you.    First, all photos are edited for lighting, color balance, minor cropping, and so on.  Then I address and spot-remove minor flaws such as stray hairs, blemishes, bra straps, and so on.  The final step is to soften and balance the skin.  I do NOT remove or change structural features of the face, make eyes larger or necks longer, remove natural wrinkles or fine lines (but I may remove a wrinkle that’s being created because of a twisting pose which doesn’t occur naturally).  I do NOT slim faces or other body parts, or physically enlarge breasts (but I can make them look larger by strategically placing highlights and shadows to contour your existing shape).  So, to state it simply:  I don’t change anything about your natural beauty, I just enhance it!  A final word about retouching – I can do things like fix tan lines, sun burns, bruises, or remove braces, but because of the time-intensive nature of those edits, an extra charge applies.  (So don’t go tanning before your shoot!)