Lakeside Boudoir

This summer was meant to be spent at the lake. My family got a small cottage on the shores of Lake Gaston. We wanted to spend our days living like a country song… boating all day then drinking beer on the dock while we watched the sun set. Ahhh… makes my shoulders relax just thinking about it.

But…real life was that my boys had the honor of playing for their Little League All-Star teams. Which is amazing and I couldn’t be more proud of them for putting in the work. But when you sign the form to play…you sign away the boating days.

Our neighborhood is filled with families and one in particular takes baseball even more seriously than we do. They live and breathe the sport. So when their kids and my kids headed to camp… the grownups got to have some fun of our own. We called it Camp Cersovski. Of course, I can’t resist the chance to throw in a photoshoot in a new place and the light at our cottage is just gorgeous. Miss A was totally up for it… and boy did she earn it after the 2025 season.

We often forget to take time to reconnect with the women we are aside from the roles we play. Especially headed into the 35+ years. It’s easy to lose the hours to a career, a kid, or a home. Taking time out to do something special and fun is revitalizing. It makes us better humans, which in turn strengthens our roles.

We ended up taking photos in the primary bedroom, a spectacularly moody bathroom and of course on the lake itself.

I will be offering these limited photoshoots as an option, so keep an eye out. Lake Gaston is about 3.5 hours from Calvert County and DC. It’s an easy drive with plenty of great places to stay.

How to wear a man's button-down shirt for boudoir

How to Wear a Man's Button-Down Shirt for Boudoir

Well, you don't.  We've all seen the movies where the adorable girl wakes up, pulls on her man's button-down shirt and looks even more adorable as she sips her coffee on the sofa while flirting adorably with him. So you're thinking why not wear my man's button-down shirt for boudoir.

Chances are, you aren't the same exact size as your husband and I'm 99% sure you've got more curves. Maybe you're curvy and he's that guy who can eat an entire pizza in one sitting and never gain an ounce.  Maybe he's taller and broader than you. Either way, his shirt is unlikely to be flattering.

Keep reading for how to get the look

How to wear his shirt without looking like him:

1. Buy a man's shirt in your size. It will look like you raided his closet, but it won't dwarf you.  If you're petite, look at the juniors section. Miss K is wearing a junior's large white shirt that I picked up on sale at Macy's.

2. Bring your own button down shirt. It will nip in at the waist to highlight your hourglass figure, but still give the same look.

3. Pose so that you're barely wearing the shirt. Do NOT button it up all the way.

Styling Tips:

1. Add a wrap belt to show off your waist

2. Make sure that it as been ironed or steamed but not starched

3. Pick a color that suits your skin tone. Pale and more sheer materials look great for back-lighting and dark colors have an edge.

4. Pair it with super-feminine skivvies for contrast.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

1. Don't bring a shirt he is extremely attached to. You don't want stray makeup on his favorite Hugo Boss shirt.

2. If you want to keep this a secret, bring your own shirt. The man who never pays attention will probably suddenly be offering to take clothes to the cleaner's.

3. Creases from the wrapping. Get it steamed or toss it in the dryer with a damp rag before you come to your shoot.

We'd love to show you just how to rock this look during your own sexy photoshoot.

What to ask your boudoir photographer...

What to ask your boudoir photographer

besides how much and are you available?

I don't know if I'm the 1st or the 10th photographer in your quest for an awesome boudoir experience, but I'm glad you found me because I'm going to help you find a boudoir photographer that you love.

You're probably feeling a bit overwhelmed and confused. Most of my inquiries have no idea what to ask me. So where do you start?

Start with these questions:

1) How long have you been photographing boudoir?     A photographer can be awesome whether the answer is a year or 10, but listen to her confidence. If she* says it proudly, she probably has the skills to back it up.

2) Do you photograph other genres?     Maybe this is her specialty, maybe it's not. Maybe this is her "quick cash" weekend marathon idea, or maybe this is what she spends her time perfecting. I know photographers who solely photograph boudoir and spend extraordinary amounts of time and money learning their craft. I also know some talented photographers who really prefer photographing families, but occasionally dip their toes into boudoir. The more time someone puts into their craft, the more you'll get as a client.

3) Will I need to rent a hotel room or do you have a studio?     I have done both, and each has its perks. Just keep in mind that a hotel will be an added cost that could be spent on your gorgeous photos.

4) How will you help me get ready for the shoot?    The more you put into a photoshoot, the more you take away. That means there's a t0-do list of beauty preparation. It goes way beyond shaving your legs. And some things are counter-intuitive. Everyone wants to tan... don't. Dry orange skin is NOT sexy and is incredibly costly to fix in Photoshop.

5) How much retouching do you do on the photos and is it before or after I buy them?There are lots of different answers to this. Some artists prefer to show you rough edits and then will retouch the ones you purchase. Some offer no retouching at all, as they prefer a more artistic than glamorous look. Personally, I retouch all of your proofs before you see them. I am very light-handed with the Photoshop because I've been doing this long enough to get it right in camera. But I would never show a client a photo that wasn't absolutely gorgeous and tell her how I'll make it better.

6) What's your privacy policy?Some clients want EVERYONE to see their awesome photos; some clients, like lawyers and teachers, require that NO ONE sees their photos. If you are comfortable sharing, make sure there is a written contract/model release. If you want them to remain private, you need to say this. I would never ever ever share someone's private photos without her permission. If you are particularly sensitive for cultural or professional reasons, ask about in-house printing so that the photos never go online.

7) How and when do I choose my photos?Some photographers offer inclusive packages and some have the photoshoot and products separate. Both have pros and cons. We offer it separately because we want you to only buy the photos you LOVE, not ones to fill a pre-purchased quota. Also ask if your proofing will be online or in person. We don't offer online ordering galleries. Those get hacked very easily and pervos love the idea of seeing photos they're not supposed to.

8) What should I wear?This will obviously depend on what you want. But the response is very telling. If she says she'll guide you to choose based on your body type and desired look, you know she's invested in making YOU look good. If she offers you a generic list of ideas or no ideas at all, you could end up with an outfit you thought would be adorable, but photographs terribly. Click here for our top three tips to get the best boudoir wardrobe fit.

9) Do you offer files or products or both?Everyone has different needs, but you should know if the photographer suits your desires. Do you want to hold a beautiful boudoir album in your hands and rediscover your beauty page-by-page? Do you want to be able to surprise your husband at work with a naughty sexy text? I love both ideas, so I offer both. I believe that photos have 1000x more impact in print, but I also love quick and easy sharing. Anything you buy in print gets a matching file. This is my current favorite product.

10) Do you offer files with a print release, copyright release or just for digital sharing?Most consumers have no idea what this means, so here you go:

PRINT RELEASE: The photographer is giving you and anyone described in the release the rights to print your photos for personal use. That means yes you can wallpaper your bedroom with 8x10s, but no you can't submit them to Playboy. The photographer still owns the artistic property.

DIGITAL RELEASE: This is similar to the print release, but only applies to digital sharing. You may not print these. You may not add Instagram filters. You can just upload and share. This may be enough for you, because you just want to email your best friend to show her your sexy new photos.

COPYRIGHT RELEASE: This means the photographer can no longer do anything with the photos without your permission. This usually comes with a very heft commercial price tag because it means that you could sell that photo to whomever you want. This is unusual and unnecessary. Don't worry, if you didn't sign a model release, she can't use your photos in her portfolio.

QUESTIONS TO ASK IF IT'S A BOUDOIR MARATHON OR GROUPON OFFER: How much time will be allotted just for me? Will my shoot be customized to my body type and specific needs? Will hair and makeup be included? What happens if you're running late?

Whew, you made it. It's a lot to ask, but it's important. You're putting a lot on the line with these photos and we want you to have an incredible experience.

Digital files kind of suck

It's Christmas Eve and I'm feeling nostalgic

We live in a digital world. It's how we communicate (duh, you're reading this), it's how we socialize, it's how we shop, and it's how we entertain ourselves. 

Sadly, it's also the primary way we hold on to our memories. I remember flipping through my Nana & Papa's wedding album and family scrapbooks. Holding those photos in my hands, I felt like I was taken back in time. 

I'm old enough that I grew up taking selfies with a polaroid or disposable film camera. Con: Most were terrible Pro: I still have most of them in a box. Then shortly after college, everything started switched to little digital pocket cameras. Then came the iphones. Pro: practice makes perfect on those selfies Con: I have literally no idea where most of those digital files went and I have a few corrupt drives that probably mean I'll never see them again. Well, what about the cloud? It's not as much fun to hover over a digital screen with all that stress-causing blue light and click down memory lane. 

 I don't even have a wedding album!!! I've been married for more than 15 years. 7/8 discs are backed up on the cloud and i'm too overwhelmed to make my own album. So I look at the one and only framed print we have on the wall of my bedroom. And my wedding was way too much fun to relegate to a single posed photo. I still don't know what happened to disc 7, but its gone and took the memories with it. 

All of that to say, I'm a firm believer in prints and, even better, albums. It's really difficult to lose a 12x16 handmade album. It's also a lot more fun to browse page by page than it is to scroll my phone. So if a client truly demands digitals only, I can do that for the same price and throw in a free album. 😉 I offer the best of both worlds, a beautiful album you'll cherish for decades and still have the ability to send a naughty text. And yes, you'll have the full size files for backup. Because sometimes physical things do disappear in fires, floods, etc. So indulge in the tactile intimacy of an album and fall in love with both yourself and your photos.

What we retouch, and what we don't

I get a lot of questions about retouching for boudoir.  Especially, "You an make all my cellulite go away, right?”

Yes, but it's not usually with photoshop or other filters.  Here are the steps to ensure your photos display flawless skin:

1. I instruct my clients to prepare their skin at least a week in advance. Drink lots of what, moisturize as much as your skin can handle and exfoliate a day or two before the photoshoot.

2. I provide my clients with a lotion the day of with a little bit of light reflecting particles.

3. I light with flat lighting on the potential lumps and bumps. No shadows? No cellulite!

4. If I get a fabulous pose with less than fabulous flat lighting, then I'll lighten up those unflattering shadows in post production (aka Photoshop)

So what DO I do in photoshop?

I delete bruises, pimples, spider veins, skin tone changes from being hot cold or nervous and stretch marks if I can even see them after the lotion is applied. I look for any wandering makeup that makes the eyes look dark where they shouldn't. I also will smooth out any bulges created by posing.

For example below, I should have had her legs resting together slightly differently to avoid that tiny little curve on her leg. My bad. But I'm not going to punish my client for my oversight.  As you can see, I'm not making any changes to her beautiful shape or size, I'm just polishing out the things you would never notice in real life.Because with a booty this fabulous, who would notice that tiny bruise on her top cheek?

The second photo is me! Because I didn’t feel right asking someone else to post a before picture.

before and after retouching with Lavish Boudoir studio

Albums are perfect for boudoir

First you think you might want to give this boudoir thing a try, First name / friend. You get a little more into the idea as you research. But then you think.... "what do I do with these photos???" 

Let me tell you, my clients all fall in love with their photos when they see them printed in a handmade album. Here's why: 

1. When you arrive for your reveal, you'll get to choose your yes photos and your maybe photos. 

2. With you by my side, I create a design with all of your chosen photos. This lets you see how they will look on a page together rather than individual files. 

3. You select your album cover from swatches we have in the studio. 

In the end, you take home the most perfect album you can imagine. 

Wondering what my top cover choices are from clients?

 FAQs: 

What happens to my "no" photos? 

They go in the trash. If you don't love them today, you won't love them tomorrow. 

How do I choose which photos I really want in my album? 

We play with designs until you are 100% satisfied. 

How many photos go into an album? 

My smallest album is 10 photos and my largest album is unlimited. Love every photo? Take them all. 

What if I want digitals? 

Any photo you choose for your album will be sent to you as a digital file. I can even airdrop it to you if you have an apple device. 

What happens to the photos I don't put in my album? 

You have the option to purchase the low-resolution (not printable) files at an additional cost of $40 each, this also means I'll back those up in a gallery for 6 months if you choose to create another album. See you next Tuesday!