A blonde woman stands in a sunlit forest

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we meet before my photo session, to plan out what we’re going to photograph?

We love meeting with clients before photo sessions — in fact, we prefer to work that way — to discuss your comfort levels and the type of imagery you like. The point is to capture beautiful photos of you being yourself in your place or a location where you feel comfortable with the surroundings.

Click here to schedule a consultation.

Where will we hold our boudoir photography session?

A beautiful woman sits in the country during a boudoir photo shoot in Durham, NC

Our ideal location is usually your home. If your home doesn’t have a lot of natural light or isn’t the most picturesque backdrop for whatever reason, we do have pre-selected locations around Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and throughout North Carolina that we can offer clients.

Alternatively, we recommend picking out an Airbnb space. It’s amazing how many well-decorated and beautiful spaces you can find. Bonus: you can have a little getaway for yourself once the photo session is over. Sometimes, it’s hard to find the right apartment/house, so you can also check sites Peerspace and VRBO.

Before booking a space, feel free to ask our opinion. We usually can tell you if it will be an ideal space or not. Be sure to ask for photos of the space to make sure it’s the aesthetic you’re going for.

I’m transgendered, genderqueer, nonbinary, or otherwise not cisgender; will you photograph me?

Of course! Members of the LGBTQIA+ community are welcomed at Bull City Boudoir with open arms. We want our photographs to reflect who you are and who you aspire to be.

Do you photograph men, couples, or non-binary relationships?

Yes, we photograph men and also intimate couple’s/groups. So long as you are over the age of 18, we are happy to celebrate who you are via our work.

What should I wear? Do I have to be nude? Can I keep my clothes on?

A blonde woman stands in a sunlit forest

The clothes you pick can depend on your comfort level and vision for the session. We tell our clients to plan clothes based on a ‘special Saturday / lazy Sunday’ routine, which usually includes underwear, t-shirts, and jeans. On the must-have list, we usually put multiple colors of the following: lingerie, underwear, t-shirts, and jeans.

Above all else: wear the clothes you feel most comfortable in. If you feel comfortable the photos will show that.

As for nudity, consent is paramount. The session can begin with you wearing underwear/lingerie but it doesn’t necessarily have to end this way.

What can I do to make my experience great and to make it easy to have a fantastic boudoir photography session?

Hydrate and get plenty of rest before your session day. Leave your inhibitions at the door, come in the right frame of mind, feel confident, revel in who you are, and be prepared to have fun and celebrate yourself.

I have concerns about my figure or skin problems, what can be done to make my areas of worry look better?

Nobody and no body is perfect, but everbody and every body is beautiful..

We can assure you that whatever is worrying you is ‘normal’ and is something we’ve encountered and conquered with our skill sets. Our photographer is an accomplished retoucher. He can address almost anything that could distract from your image.

Though we want you to celebrate who you are and feel confident in your own skin, when asked, we will gladly retouch photos for our clients — with their guidance and with the level of care and consideration that we would expect with our own photos. We will never make you look fake or plastic, and would never make you look like someone else.

Our goal is to make you look and feel your very best, and we take the time to do that on your photos. If you have a particular concern, please let us know the day of your scheduled session, so that we might be able to address it, practically, in-camera, with light, makeup, wardrobe, posing, etc, if possible.

I want to be photographed, but don’t want other people to see them. Can that be arranged?

Absolutely! We value your privacy. Your proofs will be delivered in a secure, private gallery, to which only you have access.

Furthermore, no matter how much we love your images, we will not display your photos in our portfolio or other promotional materials without your explicit, written consent.

I want to do something sexy – and I mean really sexy – during my boudoir photography session. Is that ok?

As you can probably imagine, we’ve seen a lot of things in the course of more than a quarter century making artistic nude and erotic artwork. If you have an idea, please share it with us.

So long as whatever happens in front of our cameras is consensual, ethical, and safe, we’ll probably be comfortable with it (and if we’re not, we will politely demure and promise not to yuck your yum).

Our only absolute limit is that our staff will not “participate” in your sessions aside from our photography and creative duties.

My friend and I want to book photo sessions and come at the same time, is that possible?

Yes, we can accommodate more than one person at a time, up to groups of 6. The maximum number of ‘looks’ we can do in a day is 6 (for the group) without help. The more people that come together, the longer the process takes, but as long as you have the time to do it, it can be a lot of fun to photograph with friends.

If you plan to book sessions together, please make a note of your friends’ names on the booking form. Of course, everyone pays for their own package and must pay a separate deposit when the session is booked.

For larger groups (3, or more) we will only photograph single looks, as hair and make-up preparation takes the most time. If you have a larger group, we do have multiple freelance hair and make-up artists with whom we work and who can be hired for the day. This does add additional expense. (Generally, $250 per H/MUA and $100 per assistant.)

Do you offer payment plans?

We understand that the cost of a high-quality, conscientious, respectful, professional, and — above all else— enjoyable boudoir photography experience isn’t an impulse purchase for most people. To make our services and the creative results as accessible as possible Bull City Boudoir offers both installment payment plans and sliding scale pricing.

Installment plans let you break your photo session fees into smaller, affordable payments. We accept automatic interest-free installments via Afterpay through Square, or we can build a custom payment plan to meet your circumstances.

Sliding scale fees are variable prices for products and services based on a customer’s ability to pay. Fees are reduced for those who have lower incomes or less disposable income, regardless of income.

Please contact us to learn more.

I paid for a photo session and had to cancel. Can you refund my deposit?

As stated on our booking page, deposits are not refundable, but you can apply them to a future photo session. (If you do need to cancel or reschedule, we do ask for 24 hours’ notice, if possible, else you may be charged the remainder of the balance for your session.)

What sort of paperwork/documentation is involved in a photo session?

As you imagine, our photography sessions are a creative and fun experiences, but there is a little bit of paperwork that’s all about keeping you, your images, and us safe.

When you book your session, we will provide you with a digital contract that explains your rights, protections, and expectations. We also will provide you with a terms of use statement so that you know exactly what you can do with your fantastic boudoir images after the session (it boils down to: you can’t sell them independently because of U.S. Copyright protections).

On the day of your session, we will ask you to fill out our 2257 form — a requirement under 18 U.S. Code § 2257 to ensure that the images are made with your consent and that you are an adult of legal age, along with photographing you holding a government-issued photo I.D. — these records are stored securely independently of your photos.

Finally, we will provide you a single-page printed photo permission form that you’ll hold onto; if you decide to let us showcase any of your beautiful photos, that form gives your consent for our promotional use.

Do you make videos?

We do, indeed offer intimate and erotic filmmaking services. Our lead artist has a post-graduate filmmaking degree from a top school, has directed and edited commercial, documentary, and artistic motion pictures… and he’s even edited professional adult films for award-winning performers and studios. Please contact us so we can help you realize your vision.

Do you travel?

Yes!

We are based in Durham, North Carolina, but work regularly across the Carolinas (in places such as Asheville, Beaufort (NC and SC), Cary, Charleston, Charlotte, Florence, Greensboro, Greenville, Raleigh, and Wilmington) and Southern Virginia.

We are also globe trotters and have been all across the U.S. and to Argentina, Canada, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Italy, Hungary, Mexico, and the UK in the past three years.

If you’d like us to come to your corner of the globe, please contact us.

Do you photograph products for websites or advertisements?

Absolutely! Our photographer Dan’s first professional gig was photographing product photography at a leading N.C. catalog retailer with an international presence. Please contact us with details for your project for a quote.

I’m building a modeling portfolio, would you be willing to photograph me TFP or TFCD?

Our photographer Dan only works Time For Print/CD (TFP/CD) with a limited number of collaborators of his choosing. Feel free to contact us — there’s no harm in asking.

I have other questions that aren’t answered here. How do I reach you?

Use the contact us link — we’d love to hear from you.