Project in the works

I got this idea from a peer. He was doing a big mess with a model, and asked me to help him. I figured since she was already a mess, why not just throw the paint to her? Then I decided to do my own take on the concept. So far, this is what I have. I need to experiment with colors and techniques. Any takers to model?

What do you mean by a couple's session?

I'm not exactly sure how it started. I guess I had a client who had a very special request, and then, from there, it just took off.
The truth is, a couple's session is a very intimate thing. It shows the most basic connection between a man and a woman. It's about the electricity that generates between them. I'm lucky enough to do quite a bit of these. These images are just a tease.
You'll get the idea. Yes, this lovely couple gave permission to post their images. They're just so cute together!

 Definitely not the kind of session for the shy or square. But a lot of fun. My clients make an event from it, sometimes driving from out of town and planning the whole day around it.
The session, a nice candle light dinner afterwards, maybe dancing and a night without the kids. What's not to like?

 The best way to rekindle the relationship and remember why they got together in the first place.
Plus, getting a book with their images always makes for awesome memories and lots of conversation :)

 

 Are you wild enough? Bring your loved one and have an absolute blast.

So much, that these two are coming back for seconds :)

With a little elbow grease...(and a sharp knife)

What can a photographer with some free time and a couple things from the craft store do?
I guess a lot of different things. But this time, I came up with something like this:

The things you come up with when you can't sleep.
Adrian

Oh the adrenaline!

Just a quick one this time, I promise.
When a client comes for a session, they probably think I'm crazy due to the questions I ask:
Can you describe a sexy image? Are you Nervous? What do you mean by classy?
and so on.
Some even get a little confused by the questions.. I don't mean to be a pain. It just helps me figure out what the session is going to be.
My goal is to create the right environment, where a client can open up, have fun, be creative and daring. Some clients get there easily. Some don't.
However, a session without trust is not only boring. It yields lifeless images.
This, on the other hand, is what happens when a client opens up and starts going with the flow.
It just inspires me to create something beautiful.
And just for them. It makes a difference when you 'connect' with the artist trying to make you look good.
Try it next time.
It just creates magic.
Adrian

The perfect day

I love my work, it allows me to express my admiration for women, for their strength and their beauty.
But sometimes, magic just happens. What does it take? who knows. It's a mixture of trust, chemistry, creativity and luck.
This is a clear example. Jenny, the Quixotic aerialist.
Jenny got in touch with me, because she had a special idea, more of a request. We talked it over, she came to the studio and we just clicked.
Months after that day, her session came. This is what we created together.

I don't think that this kind of art is possible without trust, great communication and to put it plain and simple: willingness to be open, to create, to think outside the box and go to places we haven't before.
Hanging upside down wasn't new for her. What was new for her was to be at the studio, trust me and put herself in my hands.
Me? well, I've done crazy things before,  but pictures of ladies hanging upside down wasn't one of them. They had always been hanging the 'normal' way :)

Thank you Jenny!
Adrian

PS
These are other crazy things I've done:

 A single good picture like this made my whole trip. Yep. Crazy.
So Creatives, artists, adrenaline-seekers, extreme crowd...Unite. Come create art.

What a trip!

It’s been quite a trip. Back in February 2011, we moved from a home-based business to a brand new (to us at least) 1400 square feet studio at the West Bottoms. Thinking back, it’s been quite a trip. Aside from all the stories and very interesting people we’ve met, our whole life has changed and is way richer than before.

I wanted to recap all the things that have changed, starting from the sets. Back then, we had about 4 different sets that we provided to our clients. Now, at the very least, we have 16 readily available sets, which we can use in a blink. We’re also working on new and fun sets, announcing them as we get them ready, to be tested by our brave boudoirettes (Yes, I made that word up). We have added classy seamless paper, black and white, custom made textured ones, played with water (and got in a lot of trouble with that!) and have also got rid of the least popular ones, such as the giant sand box (which is a bummer to my wife!).

We added two custom- made computers to our work flow, totaling three and improving the editing process, both in time and quality. We also added custom made furniture by local artist Ian Peters.

We have added in house printing with our spanking new Epson Dye based ink printer R2000, which allows us to improve the presentation of our CD’s with customized images printed directly on them and ad-hoc paper prints, all with calibrated equipment and a controlled source of fine art papers.

We expanded our network of friends, joined business networks, worked with four different make up and hair artists and learned how challenging it can be to try to merge two businesses together, which at the moment, we’re still working on.

We tried having two different apprentices, who helped us greatly and went on their own way, pursuing their dreams.

We have improved our client experience, in many different aspects, from the temperature during the session, which was a challenge when we started, due to the old building we’re located in, to the improved changing area, which is now more comfortable, has more room for outfits, better light and a cozier feeling. We also now offer refreshments to all customers during the session, making the experience more fun and relaxed.

We drastically improved the number of sample books available on site, having books for boudoir, pin ups, couples images, very edgy images, as well as more traditional books for weddings, portraits and children photography. Now you can get a full feeling of the many options, sizes and styles you can get when ordering a book.

We improved our workflow, now adding more and better editing to all our images.
Including new gadgets, interfaces, and even adopting technologies from other fields, to be able to keep up with the huge volume of work we have.

We learned how hard is to build a name for your brand, how it’s a real challenge to work with the big companies to improve your business. We have been trying to work with Google for months about their maps been inaccurate. We’ve been repeatedly ignored by Yelp about their rankings for our business, which we believe are biased since they hide all positive feedback provided by clients.

We ran specials with many companies, bringing our innovative product to many clients who otherwise would’ve never had a chance to fulfill a long time wish.

Groupon, Living Social, Deal Saver, Google Deals.  We did them all.
We heard our clients suggestions, now having easier to see proofing galleries, adding extra steps to our post-process to make the viewing easier for you!

We have learned so much about expectations and how important is to be clear about all processes and time frames. We have served over 371 clients and have about 150 more already booked, having a long waiting list that keeps us busy and very energized.
We have improved our pre-session communication process, having very detailed information sent to clients so they can prepare and squeeze the last drop of enjoyment out of their sessions.

When we look back, we see lots of changes, improvements and great times. When we look forward, we see a thriving future, with lots of opportunities and great friendships to be made.

We see new and exciting concepts, maybe some new partnerships, new lines of business and different models to make our product even more accessible, all while supporting our growth.

We are excited to be able to make a change in people’s lives, by showing them how beautiful they are, and the things they’re capable of doing. Empowering, inspirational, thrilling, life-changing are words we repeatedly hear from our very satisfied customers, many of whom return over and over for second and third sessions, or just stop by for a cup of coffee and a nice chat.
And this is just the beginning.

We definitely look forward to it.

Thank you.

Adrian and Michelle

Boudoir interesting facts

It's so interesting to learn and observe people in my profession. Why? Many feel vulnerable. Most people feel exposed so they act different. Most of the time, they behave so differently than the way they do when in a regular setting, that the transformation is short of amazing.
But today I wanted to just make some notes on things I've observed:

• About 30% of my clientele are teachers.
• About 30% are nurses or in the medical field.
• Men are WAAAAY shyer than ladies. (mostly)
• Mature ladies tend to be more confident and usually edgier and more relaxed.
• Most people are extremely nervous when they arrive, but get relaxed by their second set/ outfit.
• No two people have the same thing in mind when they say the want sexy pictures. So I really don't have a clue what they mean if they ask me to do 'sexy' pictures for them.
• Almost every client asks me how does my wife handles my job. (I'd like to know that myself! I guess she's just awesome!)
• Nobody really believes it, but I'm really shy. I blush quite frequently.
• Bringing your own music playlist usually make a world of difference.
• I've used three make up artists since I started working at my new studio. One left me and I miss her so much (You know it Katia) The other two... oh well,  just vanished.
• About 65% of my clients seem to ignore the information I send them. This usually makes the session slower.so PLEASE read it. It makes your session so much better!
• I purposely avoid checking other local photographer's work. I'm the most isolated photographer. I like knowing that any idea I have, it's my own.
• There are about six other photographers in my building. I know two of them.
• About 50% of my clients order a book to present their pictures to their significant other.
• Although seems like nobody does, apparently a lot of people check my blog. (I'm sorry for the typos. I'm the artist, the wife is the words lady ) If you do find something interesting, It'll be nice to hear from you.
• About 80% of my clients wish they had done a couple of risque pictures, but didn't ask for them.
• The oldest client I had so far was 71 years old.
• I never intended to become a boudoir photographer. I was a wedding photographer, but somebody liked some model images I had lost in my website. The rest is history.
• Most Make up artists (in words of one of them) think they're divas. They certainly make more money than the photographer. Plus they get tips.
• I've done specials with Groupon, Dealsaver, Google deals and Living Social. 
• In the last 16 months, I've done 350 sessions.
• Apparently in Kansas City there's a HUGE community of bondage, swingers, hard core people and all sorts of fun things. Nobody likes to talk about that though. Weird, I thought Kansas City was more conservative. Luckily, is not.
• Almost every photographer I know does boudoir... Under the table :)
• Photographers have a weird sense of humor.
• My average schedule on a work day is 6am to 10pm. I work Monday to Sunday. I take two days off every month.
• An average boudoir session takes 90 minutes. Editing 25 images takes me anywhere from another 90 to 180 minutes. The time I spend reading and answering each customer's emails averages another 30 minutes. So it's fair to say that each client gets about 4 hours of my time.
• Last year I took about 150,000 pictures. 
• Yes, I have pictures of my wife on my site. Guess who she is and win a free 60 minute session!
• I'll keep writing things as I remember them.
• If anybody is there, reading, be nice and drop me a line. Seriously. Gets kind of lonely here!

Less isn't always more

So you're excited, you're on your way to your boudoir session. You've always wanted to do it, you've been telling all your friends, you get into the studio, it's amazing and you're ready to roll. Photographer asks you what outfits did you bring, so you get your three black outfits and one pair of black shoes. You feel soo excited, and then...

Then what? Then, you just underutilized an amazing opportunity.
I see this every day. Ladies, let's be honest. How many times have you done boudoir before? And do you plan to do it again soon? Exactly! This is a once in a lifetime thing. By not doing your homework, you just got a session with the same old outfits you and your significant other know by memory. Why not go wild? Why not invest in cute sexy outfits to look amazing?
Bright colors, fun corsets, stockings, pumps. Get the best out of your investment. After all, how often do you indulge in cute lingerie? Best of all, you get to wear it again later!

But wait, it doesn't stop there. You showed up all excited, decided you didn't need to spend a little money on hair and make up. After all, you do it yourself every day, right? WRONG! You just look like you do every day. How exciting...
Do yourself a favor, hire a professional to give you a diva look, a new and glamorous image, sexy eyes, big hair,lashes, just for this occasion.
You'll be so glad you did it.
Now, don't blame me if you don't. I've warned you ;)
Adrian.

Because of Popular demand...Pin Up!

 I just love challenges. I can't sit still. Have to get the adrenaline rush, come up with a new thing, or at least, something I haven't done before. The feeling of having to create a plan, logistics, create props and sets.
So I decided since my portfolio is always on the edgy, risque side of things, I needed a soft girlie and more accessible portfolio.
The answer? Pin Up! Calendar girls!

 It's always funny to see how many models always want to work with a photographer, they send you messages and hope you'll pic them, yet when you reach out, very few actually step up. Well, Sheryl did, and boy I'm glad she did! (Actually, she was introduced to me by a photographer friend)
I had Katia help with the make up, cup cakes and posing and on our trial shoot, this is what we came up with...

 I think they turned out lovely but even more important, I learned a lot about a photographic genre I wasn't familiar with. So my next shoot is going to be epic. Thanks also to Tiffany, Sheryl's friend, which didn't do Pin up modeling, but some really edgy and artistic modeling.
But that's another story.

Where inspiration comes from

To be honest, I'm going through some changes. Professionally, personally, philosophically.
Then I happened to be visiting one of my favorite blogs (check it out it's pretty awesome) and he's interviewing a wedding photographer, who has a pretty cool story. the year she picked up her first camera ever, she did three weddings. Next year, she books forty plus weddings. All word of mouth, no previous experience. She actually dropped from Law school.
It kind of struck me. How many of us photographers, or anybody for that matter, would love to have that happen? well, it doesn't "just" happen out of thin air. She was ready, she was determined, she had the drive and the talent.
Are you ready?
As she put it, it's not only the technical stuff, which she obviously didn't have down when she started, it's all about the attitude. She said something that just makes sense. "would you rather fail at doing something you love or succeed at something you hate?"
Many times, I thought I was ready. obviously, I wasn't.

So this lady, got into photography because her own wedding photographer inspired her. why? because he loved what he did.
Many time in my career, I focus on the stuff that doesn't seem to be working. But rarely we consider the good things that happen around us. Now I want that to be my focus. So, stop the madness, let's go back to basics.

This is day 8. We'll see how many it takes.