Beauty Is In The Details

I bet you have a ton of questions about pin-up and boudoir portraits! We have answers! Check out our comprehensive FAQs below. Is there something we missed? Just drop us an email!

What is the difference between Pin-Up and  Boudoir?

I can’t decide, can I do both Pin-Up style and  Boudoir style in the same session?

Tell me more about Pin-Up

What type of Pin-Up sets do you offer?

Tell me more about Boudoir

Do you have wardrobe or do I need to bring my own stuff?

Will someone be available to help me get dressed?

What if I don’t want/need hair and make-up?

What types of products do you offer?

How far in advance do I need to book?

How long does it take to get my products?

What types of sessions do you offer?

Will my portraits be on your website or facebook page?

Who will be in the shooting space?

Can I bring my fella to my session?

I’m so shy and not very comfortable with my body! How will you get awesome pictures of me?

Let’s talk about foundation garments for a minute.

My (noun) is so (adjective).  I would look like a (expletive verb)  (noun) if got in front of your camera.  And I need to lose (a number) pounds or I will surely (verb) your lens. 

What is the difference between Pin-Up and  Boudoir?

So first things first, we offer two distinct styles of portraiture. You will need to decide if you want to do Pin-Up or Boudoir. Don’t worry! Most of our customers end up doing more than one session with us, so you can choose one now and try out the other later!

A boudoir photography session is sultry, flirty, and sexy.  You do NOT have to get naked!  Sexy speaks to a wide range of things and we mean to explore them all!   Your session is all about showing how beautiful you are while still maintaining your personal comfort level. Boudoir is smokey eyes, full hair, and a bedroom set with most poses taking place in or around a bed.

A pin-up session is all about connecting to a time in the past where more was, well MORE..more shapewear, more curls, more lashes, more blush!  A lot of classic pinup emulates the classic paintings of Gil Elvgren.  Big cheesecake grins and playful innocence. Pin-Up Sessions most often take place on a seamless paper background in the studio or with studio lighting and use nostalgic props and poses that emulate the days of yesteryear.

I can’t decided between Pin-Up and  Boudoir. I want to do both? Can I do it all in one session?
Unfortunately no. The two styles are so very different that they need to be two different sessions. Boudoir is often all about natural light and a bedroom set and when we shoot it in the studio it just doesn’t look the same. You can have a retro inspired bombshell boudoir session or a more a pin-up glam look. Don’t worry! Most women have so much fun they want to do another session anyway!

Tell me more about Pin-Up

Pin-Up Sessions are inspired by the pin-up’s of the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s.

Pin-Up portraits have a very specific style that includes classic hair do’s such as victory rolls, suicide rolls and finger waves. Hair is structured and often elaborate updo’s are recreated.

The make-up is based on paintings of pin-up girls and not actual women so it is fresh faced, rosie cheeks, big eyelashes, cat eye liner and classic red lips.

The clothing includes garter belts, stockings, retro dresses, retro-swim suits or retro-lingerie. The most important items of clothing you can have for this session is garter belt and stockings. We recommend classic stockings over thigh highs as these are easier to attach to garter belts and tend not to cut int your thighs.

The expressions and poses are very stylized and lean toward the “cheesecake” look. Wide eyes, surprised expressions, big, exaggerated expressions help you achieve that classic Pin-Up look. Of course we coach you through all of this, helping you with expression and just the right pose.

Pin-Up portraits leave a lot to the imagination and tend to imply more than they actually show.

What type of pin-up sets do offer? 

Available Pin-Up Sets

• Domestic Laundry Scene
• Naughty Librarian
• Sassy Secretary
• Sexy Teacher
• New Years Eve Party Girl
• Winter Vixen
• Summer Beach Blanket Babe
• Patriotic
• Shoes, Shoes, Shoes
• Bus Stop with Luggage
• Vintage Vanity

Tell me more about  Boudoir

Boudoir is a more sultry modern day take on portraiture that is often set in a bedroom or on a bed.

Make-up is often nude lip or darker red lip, smokey eyes and defined cheek bones.

Hair is generally loose and full to imply that bedroom hair look.

Clothing is more revealing, garters and stockings are not required, but are certainly appropriate if you will feel sexy while wearing them.

Expressions are sultry, a little softer than Pin-Up and the poses are less structured, but designed to show off your best assets while revealing a little skin.

Of course you can still have a retro styled boudoir session, but we will lean towards what we call a “Dirty Marilyn” look.

Do you provide wardrobe?

We provide a limited wardrobe case including a few nighties, scarves, and accessories such as handbags and costume jewelry… even reading glasses (oh, yeah..totally hot).   Contact us if you are looking for something specific and we will do our best to point you in the right direction or loan you something from the store.

What if I don’t need hair and make-up?

We truly believe that great hair and make-up make a huge difference in your final product and experience. No one is required to have hair and make-up though. On the packages that include hair and make-up if you choose not to use it, there is no discount.

What types of products do you offer?

Full product line and pricing is discussed in detail during your consultation but here is a run down of the products we offer.

• Loose Prints – traditional prints in standard sizes perfect for framing or tucking away.
• Gallery Wraps –  ready to hang works of art featuring the lovely you! We consider these pieces of art to be second floor, or boudoir art.
• Metal Prints – ready to hang and so glamorous
• Albums – by far our most popular product, the Little Black Book, will have you, and your love, swooning.
• Calendars – these 11×17 calendars are amazing and would look amazing hanging in the man cave!
• Photo Gifts – Dry erase boards, playing cards and other seasonal items are fun for stocking stuffers or just because.
• Digital Files – you can choose to purchase digital files, but most of our gals prefer the beautiful products we offer.

How far in advance do I need to book?

The entire process from shooting, to ordering to product delivery can take 5-8 weeks depending on schedule.

How long does it take to get my products?

Once you place your order and pay in full product are ready in about three to four weeks.

Can I bring my fella to my session?

We have a strict no dudes policy at the Hot Tomato studio during sessions.  But feel free to bring any of your girlfriends for moral support if you wish but leave the fellas at home.  We like to run about in naughty bits behind the front door so please, if you need help getting your bags inside, tell the fellas to stay in the car, and just let one of us know!

Are my photos private? I don’t want the whole world to see them!

Absolutely!  Your photos are for your eyes only.  We will NEVER show your photos without your written consent.   The girls that  we show on my blog and website have given us specific rights to do so. If you do choose to allow me to show some of your photos, you can choose which ones.

Who will be in the shooting space?

You,  and Andi our female photographer and owner! Occasionally, we need an assistant for a minute but for the most part this is a closed door time for your comfort.  However, if you would like to bring a girlfriend for support, this is also welcome.

I’m so shy and not very comfortable with my body! How will you get awesome pictures of me?

Andi and I believe that  beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. You don’t have to “look” a certain way to justify having a boudoir/pinup photography session! It’s all about having fun, getting the rockstar glam treatment and being a supermodel for a day!
Andi is a very down-to-earth person whose photographic super power happens to be making people feel comfortable really quickly.   Sure, you’ll feel a little odd at first, but after a while – you’ll wonder what you were so worried about.

Some of us have parts of our body that we may not like very much, so there are poses and techniques for disguising anything you’re uncomfortable showing.  Just let us know what you want obscured, it’s highly likely we won’t know what your secret flaw is unless you tell us.

Let’s talk about foundation garments for a minute.

While we are on the subject let’s talk about foundation garments. If you have your tiger stripes (stretch marks, mommy tummy, a not a mommy tummy, a sweet little pooch, a Buddah belly, a beer belly) and want to alter your shape a bit, we highly recommend a waist cincher or corset. We have a few available for loan and we know where you can pick one up. Sometimes it’s fun to alter your shape for certain types of looks or outfits – to us it’s no different than wearing a bra, a girdle or any other foundation garment.

Will someone be available to help me get dressed?

Me, me!  Pick me!  THAT is perfectly part of my awesome job description!  I will shimmy, scoot, scoop, zip, clip, lace and…ahem..fluff you into your saucy apparel!

My (noun) is so (adjective).  I would look like a (expletive verb)  (noun) if I got in front of your camera.  And I need to lose (a number) pounds or I will surely (verb) your lens. 

Sister, we call bullshit. We get it, sometimes you aren’t in the right frame of mind to stand in front of the camera and be photographed. Let us tell you a secret, it has nothing to do with your flabby thighs, third nipple, mole, your fat butt, your bat wings, your elongated labia, your one boob that is two cup sizes bigger than the other, your wonky eye, your buck teeth, your cornchip toenails, your bony butt, your chipped tooth, your limp hair, your unibrow or any other imagined flaw.

Sexy is a state of mind. If you aren’t there or aren’t ready to go there, we get it -maybe now is not the time. If you are ready to have fun and leave our care feeling sexy and empowered then book with us now!

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