Boudoir or glamour photography is a highly personal, intimate process.
As I mentioned earlier, I spend a great deal of time developing a relation-
ship with my clients. I make sure my studio is neat and inviting. I make sure
the camera room is warm and filled with soothing music. I, however, am
not the only person who works at my studio! Boudoir or glamour pho-
tography clients are often self-conscious or nervous about participating in
a session. They often have a negative self-image or are concerned about
who will see their pictures.
Protecting my clients’ privacy is one of my greatest concerns. Since I
photograph women, I have female staff members involved in each step of
the photography process. If you are a male photographer in the business
of photographing females, I suggest you hire at least one female to be pres-
ent during your session. We live in a litigious society, and even the illusion
of impropriety can be enough to tarnish your reputation. When hiring,
carefully screen your new employees. The quickest and easiest way to do a
background check is to search public court records. In my area of the coun-
try, local and county courts provide free online access to both civil and
criminal records. Use any major search engine to find the appropriate site.
If you cannot find the information yourself, it’s worth hiring one of the
many background check firms to investigate potential hires. You may have
to spend a little bit of money to do a thorough check, but you’ll gain peace
of mind that you can pass along to your clients.
I employ both males and females, so I’m careful to be sensitive to my
clients’ needs. I train my male staff members to refer any calls regarding
boudoir or glamour photography to one of my female staff members. At
this point, my guys can recognize a client as a potential boudoir or glam-
our client based simply on her tone of voice. For example, one of my best
clients called to inquire about a boudoir special. A male employee answered
the phone and asked how he could be of assistance. Once the caller iden-
tified herself as someone interested in the “special,” he immediately de-
tached himself from the call. He was trained to say, “I work in a separate
division, and I am not familiar with all of our specials. Let me transfer you
CHAPTER NINE
Employees
86 ELLIE VAYO’S GUIDE TO BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY
Protecting my clients’
privacy is one of my
greatest concerns.