Kerry Allan, a professional photographer with a Sudbury based Boudoir Studio, has been shooting boudoir sessions with women for over 10 years. Along with his partner Mary-Anne, they've created a sexy, yet soft style of photography that people feel very comfortable with.

Client comfort is paramount to getting great portraits. Working as a team, Mary-Anne, our Sizzle Specialist, is your personal assistant for adjusting your wardrobe, helping you with posing, and getting you to look your best in every pose. An artist in her own right Mary-Anne is very talented at styling you to suit the mood of each photo.

1. When taking boudoir photos, you want to be excited. Maybe you're planning this as a gift for a special someone, celebrating a milestone in your life, of just crossing a point off your bucket list, you want to be excited about your session. Put some thought and effort into it, and by all means call us for consultations about wardrobe, makeup tips, or anything you're wondering about.

2. Find a photographer who specializes in boudoir photography and does it full time. Working with different clients all all body types takes experience. It's not something that you just learned last weekend. To get the set styling, wardrobe, lighting and pose just right takes experience from somebody who does this as a full time profession.

3. Check out the photographer's website and Social Media sites. Do their samples match your tastes. Is their site dedicated to boudoir photography or do they offer a hodge podge of photography services. Do they have a Facebook page and are they active with it. Do they have a good response time. Are there favorable comments. These are all indicators of somebody serious about their business.

4. How much should you be expecting to pay? There's quite a range in pricing but in this area you should expect something between $500 - $3000 depending on what you want. Often photographers have two different fees. The first fee, usually called a sitting fee, just covers the cost of actually doing the shoot. It usually doesn't include any enlargements. These fees can be very low, but you have to know that you will pay extra for the products you may want to buy. Beware of point-and-shoot photographers that want to do it outdoors as they have no studio and offer all images on a disk for one low fee. You'll get what you paid for and wind up with a bad taste in your mouth.

5. Ask the photographer if they edit every picture you see. When you see your pictures for the first time, you want to see them fully edited exactly they way they'll look in your finished portraits. Photographers will usually retouch defects, but the really professional ones will often add their own flavor or artistic effects to produce exceptional images.

6. Look for images that inspire you as samples to talk about. It's usually impossible for a studio to reproduce a sample exactly as it appears, but it can help the photographer work in the right direction while adding their own unique artistic interpretation of it.

7. Model the clothing you're going to shoot in at home and look at yourself in the mirror. If you love it at home, you'll love it in your portraits. Maybe call the studio and discuss wardrobe types. They can be anything from sexy lingerie to a big man's shirt and tie. Get creative.

8. Buy the right size clothing. Too small and unsightly bulges will appear on anybody. Too big and it will look sloppy. Bras should be the right cup size.

9. Buy clothing that helps hide your trouble areas. Bustiers are great for covering up stretch marks on your tummy. Remember, it's doesn't always have to be about lingerie. A sexy dress, shirt, or top can go a long way to making great boudoir photos.

10. Check out all your clothes and accessories before your shoot. Make sure that all stickers ore off. Especially the ones on the inside that may show through. If you're bringing shoes, make sure there are no scuff marks or stickers on the soles. Make sure your nails are well done. You don't want any chips or half painted nails. Consider your bling. The studio will probably have some basics to use, but if you've bought something special, bring it.

11. DO NOT spray tan. First of all tanning doesn't always look that great in your portraits. And the camera will turn spray tans blotchy and very unappealing. Avoid tanning for at least five - seven days before your shoot. If you're a sun worshiper, the redness in your skin will last for days and be really hard for the photographer to retouch out.

12. Groom in all the right places. If you're going to wax, make sure you do it well in advance of the shoot. At least 5-7 days so there are no unsightly bumps.

13. Have a great attitude and an open mind when you go for your session. Everybody's a bit nervous when they go for their session, so don't worry about how to look sexy. Skilled photographers like Kerry know how to pose you and make you feel comfortable. You'll get all the direction you need to get great portraits. You don't have to worry about how you will pose, just be a bit excited and bring a positive attitude.

14. Know that your portraits are always your private treasure. A personal session for yourself or for a special someone will never be shown to others by the studio unless you give written permission.

15. This will change your life. It's a great experience and an uplifting one. It's a once in a lifetime event to capture the beauty you are forever.