A Valuable Pro Tip To Help You Find The Right NJ Boudoir Photographer
Updated: Apr 10, 2021

Have you been searching for a NJ boudoir photographer? --Or have you been looking for some tips on how to find the right boudoir photographer for you? Perhaps this post can help! The search process may not be as easy as it may seem at first glance. Interestingly, many women start their search for a boudoir photographer by doing this one thing wrong... which can have a huge impact on your final results and experience. This post is going to take a look at this one big error many women make when shopping for their photographer.
Let's start with a simple mental exercise. Let's say your anniversary is approaching, and you've been planning on celebrating with a special night out. You've already purchased a new dress (which looks incredible on you!) and you've even made an appointment to get your hair touched up. Needless to say, you're excited about your big night, and when the time finally arrives, you get all dressed up and ready, get in the car, and head out for your special dinner to... Burger King?
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Burger King? 🍔 Well, yeah! You did your homework, and compared prices of all the restaurants in your area and it turns out that you and your partner can get a full meal there, including a drink for about $3 each-- if you're really coy and take full advantage of their dollar menu. Well, that's some smart thinking lady, and by and large you've just "won" your anniversary dinner. Congratulations! Whoot!
Come to think of it, you're not even sure how any of these other restaurants even stay in business!! Some of these places may even charge $14... or even $22 for a meal... yikes! Don't these customers know they are getting ripped off? Why would anyone ever pay $55 for a dry-aged steak when they can get a burger for .99 cents and save themselves tons of money? Makes no sense to you! Oh well... their loss, right!
We know when it comes to restaurants they're all the same so choosing by lowest price is the smart move to get you the best dinner. How else would anyone shop for restaurants? Price is obviously the deciding factor in making the best choice. Isn't it?

...OK...OK let's get back to reality here. Let's face it, you're probably not heading out to Burger King for an anniversary celebration... in all actuality you're probably more likely to head to Ruth's Chris to get that $55 delicious dry-aged porterhouse to celebrate and have a great night with your partner, right? Why? How can this even be? Isn't this the opposite of what you've been taught your entire life? Isn't something with the cheapest price always the right choice?
What's the point of all this? Well, although it's true that Burger King may be the cheapest, as we can see from our example the "cheap" option isn't always the right option in every situation. Your anniversary dinner and Burger King don't seem to go hand in hand, do they? This can be confusing, right?
To illustrate using another quick example-- when you were booking your honeymoon trip you most likely scoured Aruba for the lowest price motel room you could find-- after all, a room with a bed in it is just a room with a bed...right? All hotels all the same, right?! A cheap fleabag motel with rooms that have ceramic tiled floors and a center drain in the room (so it can be hosed down after each guest) would certainly make for the ideal romantic getaway honeymoon!!
Get what I'm driving at here? Comparing the prices of a Ruth's Chris meal to a Burger King sandwich would be pretty silly-- and you would never do that. Operating with the mindset that all restaurants or all hotels are are somehow "equal" or "the same" would be a little odd, right? Wouldn't you agree? Also, you wouldn't approach any of these places and agree that the least expensive would be the "best." In actuality... it's quite the opposite, right! A bed bug ridden $39 motel is quite world's apart from a stay at the Ritz-Carlton.
What does this all have to do with selection a boudoir photographer? We'll, glad you asked! Because in all my years of operating my business, and as silly as those previous examples are... in many cases that's EXACTLY how women shop for boudoir photography!!!
Seriously. Is this possibly one of the first ideas that came to your mind when you started your bridal boudoir search? "I know... I'll email a bunch of photographers...ask for their prices...and the lowest price will be the winner! That's obviously the best and right choice!"
Noooooooo! Don't do it!
Is that really the best way? Or is this...in some way... the same thing as you saying Burger King is the best choice for your anniversary because you can feed yourself for $3.
And you may be thinking "Yeah...but that's something different, Mike." Well, no, no it isn't. --And this is exactly the point where so many women make mistakes in shopping for a photographer. Trust me.. after 12 years I've heard about this countless times. I've actually seen this so often I've written several article regarding smart shopping for a boudoir photographer.
Look at is this way-- How many times a month-- or even per year-- do you do a boudoir session? 10 times a year? 15 times a year? --Of course not! It's not exactly something that women do often-- it's a special occasion type situation, much like an anniversary. You certainly don't go out and spend $55 on a steak every week, but on a special occasion, like your anniversary, it's about the celebration, the experience, and getting an amazing quality meal (and not necessarily about the cheapest.) Make sense? ....I hope.
You see, as odd as it may sound to you... photographers are just as different from each other as restaurants...or hotels. All photographers not all the same-- and you cannot compare them to each other. SO comparing prices between them is useless. Just as you simply can't compare the porterhouse to the BK burger-- they are completely different-- You cannot compare one photographer to another not knowing anything other than a price. In the universe of photographers there are many "Burger King" level boudoir photographers out there... as well as their "gourmet dining" boudoir counterparts. Making a comparison between the two is exactly like picking BK for your anniversary meal because it was cheapest. How can you tell the difference? You can take a peek at the many thing you need to look into when shopping for a boudoir photographer.
Selecting a photographer solely based on price would be like your realtor calling you and saying, "Julie, I've got two homes for you-- one for $295,000 and another for $349,000... which one do you want?" --You'd have lots of questions, right? Not knowing any other details about these homes how could you possibly know which was the best "deal." You couldn't! So, let me ask you again... Does this make sense now that if your realtor only told you the price of a home (and nothing else) you couldn't pick the best deal? You'd have a few questions, right? Where are they? How many bedrooms? Is there a pool? What kind of condition? --You'd probably have more than a few questions before you could make that determination.
SO, let me say again... that picking your photographer isn't any different!
A $79 boudoir photographer isn't a "deal"... (and more than likely a sign to stay away!) These types of offers should do nothing but araise your suspicions. Look at this way... imagine you were a specialty doctor. Your specialty was dealing with a certain type of extreme sinus problems and you were the best at what you did. Do you think you'd be charging LESS than a walk-in clinic? Likewise, if you were the patient and HAD a rare sinus condition that was driving you nuts and affected your life who would you turn to for help? Would you go to the walk in to see a PA? Or would you head to the specialist to help restore your life and treat your condition?
Well, photography is the same thing. Boudoir photographers are specialists in what they do. A boudoir sessions isn't something you do regularly, and you have to understand you'll be dealing with a specialist.
Everyone has a budget. I get it. BUT keep the anniversary dinner scenario in the back of your mind. Your boudoir session is a special occasion and is certainly worthy of a "special meal" if you understand what I'm driving at.

I'm in a unique situation as a photographer. I've always wanted to give my clients something better than a "standard" boudoir session and always set out to deliver the best. I was never much on cutting corners, and I knew the type of business I wanted to run and what it would cost to do that. It was never about being "cheap," but always about being the "best." I wasn't certain if brides would see it the same way-- but to my surprise people responded, and now I have women waiting in line each Spring and during Christmas season to work with me. It really leaves me speechless!
...And guess what? I'm no "Burger King." How does this happen? How can I possibly still be in business? Well, a big part of my process is the education about how photography works, and explaining it-- just as I did in this article-- so my clients can make the smart decision. Over the years and through the hundreds of sessions I've completed I've learned that boudoir photography is something that women really love-- something that brings them joy-- and is something they will treasure for years to come. I hate using the word "investment" (sounds so cheesy salesy) but in one way, that's exactly what it is.
I always thought all women should try boudoir at least once, and I learned long ago there was a lot more to what I do than simply take photos. It truly is something special. Unfortunately, there are many women who treat boudoir photography like that BK meal and wind up with less than spectacular experiences and results. --And it's a shame.
So, as you can see, choosing a photographer can get a bit more complicated than what it may seem at first glance. There are actually quite a few things to look for, but one of the major ones is to not shop by price. The second point of this article is-- cheaper isn't better (or a deal.) Actually, it's the opposite. When shopping for a photographer you have to push aside all your urges to use this method to pick your winner. Always think in terms of your anniversary dinner... cheapest isn't best. --And why do you choose a nice restaurant with great food for your anniversary dinner? Because it's about the experience, and having a great meal for a special occasion.
Your boudoir session is a special occasion just like your anniversary. Save up and do it the right way, and you'll have fond memories to enjoy for years to come.