beauty

Preparing For Your Boudoir Session /  by Mike Daclan

So we’ve had our consultation and the shoot has been booked! Congratulations on taking the leap! It can seem a little daunting at first but with the following tips, you’ll be ready for a great session. I always recommend looking for inspiration on Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram to see if there are any poses or looks that you’d like to try to nail during the session. You can always share these with me before hand so I can get an idea of the look and feel you’re aiming for.

In the weeks leading up to the shoot, you’ll also get a time to do some fun shopping for outfits and accessories! I’ll create another guide with a curated list of items and accessories that you can pull from. Just keep in mind that you can do more than just lingerie!If you don’t want to go to the mall, Amazon is a great source for a near infinite variety of outfits (and you gotta love 2-day shipping!).

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3-5 Days Before Your Shoot

  • If you plan on waxing, make sure to do it now to avoid any bumps or redness

  • DO NOT SPRAY TAN! Spray tanning may seem like a quick solution but can create blotchy areas or streaks

  • Drink plenty of water to help your skin

  • Now's a good time for a mani/pedi and pamper yourself

  • Take some time to shape and groom your eyebrows

  • Take time to try on any and all outfits you are thinking of wearing to make sure they fit well.  Also use this time to remove any tags and labels

The Day Before Your Shoot

  • Make a final run through your outfits to remove any tags or labels

  • Double check and make sure you have all your outfits and accessories together so you're not scrambling to get everything ready the day of

  • Take some time for yourself to enjoy a nice bath and you can use this time to shave and moisturize

  • Enjoy a good nights rest of at least 8 hours

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The Day of Your Shoot

  • Drink plenty of water during the day and try to avoid alcohol and salt which will affect your skin texture

  • Make sure to wear loose fitting comfy clothes before the shoot.  Avoid anything tight as they could leave impressions on the skin

  • Bring extras of everything.  Just in case you have any sort of rips or tears it's always good to swap out as needed

  • Feel free to bring any and all jewelry you'd like to add as accessories

  • Use clear deodorant! Although it can be removed in post afterwards, it takes a lot more time to process.

  • Have a nice light meal before the shoot.  Nothing too heavy but something to avoid any hangry moments later in the afternoon =)

  • Finally, take some deep breaths and RELAX!  I promise to make this a fun and comfortable experience for you!

This session is going to be celebrating YOU and how amazing you are. I promise to make a fun and playful shoot but capture some wonderful images that you will cherish!

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Bookstore Flirtations /  by Mike Daclan

This was definitely one of the funner shoots I did. It started with the thought of a stolen glance in a book store. The idea was that she spotted someone she had eyes for and wanted to entice him into following her. Once he realized her plan it would’ve been too late as her trap was set and he was hers.  

She immediately took to this idea and ran with it all the way.  I love how concepts and ideas turn into looks and feels evoked in the photos. By putting her in the subject of power she was able to put forth some great looks and poses. In the end I think it came off a little more natural and slightly voyeuristic which adds a better element to the shots. 

There are a lot more concepts and ideas that I want to shoot so reag our and let’s create something fun together! 

Aolani & The Colorado Street Bridge /  by Mike Daclan

Yesterday I had a chance to shoot in a location I've been wanting to shoot at for a very long time.  I drive past it nearly weekly so once I found a model in Pasadena, I knew immediately where to book the shoot.  It's definitely a popular spot as there were three other photo sessions that were taking place over the course of the afternoon/evening.

Aolani joined me with her mom as a chaperone and we had a very fun time on this shoot.  Her would pop in every now and then to help adjust hair/makeup and swap stories with us while we walked to a different location.  She's been at this since she was 5 years old and with her 18th birthday coming up later this year, she's excited to do some more traveling for work and see the world!

We joked and laughed throughout the shoot and she very much felt like the little sister I never had.  By the time the shoot was wrapping up, we had already begun to plan our next shoot together later in the year.  The themes and ideas she had for that one were things I haven't done yet so I'm excited to try them out!  

Ami & The Disney Concert Hall /  by Mike Daclan

Super excited to be shooting with Ami again this weekend so I wanted to throw back to our first shoot together at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. 

She has a great energy about her which is super infectious! I’ll definitely be needing it as we have a super early shoot time tomorrow to try and avoid the triple digit weather. 

Hope you have a great weekend!

Warm LA Nights /  by Mike Daclan

Earlier this year I had the pleasure to work with a great up and coming model.  Since we last shot, she's gotten to shoot with other photographers and build up quite an impressive portfolio.  As you can tell from these early photos, she had a lot of confidence and knew how to pose.  

The backdrop of Little Tokyo suited the shoot very well.  In total we captured three great looks and here was the first of the sets.  You can check out her MM profile here and make sure to follow her on Instagram!


New Year...New Post! /  by Mike Daclan

I am so glad that the year is done.  2014 was not kind to me and I'm glad I survived it.  The new year holds a lot more promise however and I'm interested to see what develops.  I'm already starting off the year with a much better job than I had all last year.  This alone has put me in a much better place mentally and emotionally.

In terms of my photography, I'm trying to branch out a bit more into different styles.  I've started working with a few models which has been a great change of pace from the typical street and documentary styles that I'm usually shooting.  I met with one model named Rosie and together we did a very fun semi-boudoir and portrait session.  Being one who doesn't work big studio settings, I loved doing this in a nice room with a lot of natural light coming through the window.

She was very fun to work with and we were able to talk and joke around a lot which I think helped to ease both of us into the shoot.  I brought some donuts for us to snack on in between shots and to go over what we shot.  It turned out to be super helpful and we even included it in one of the photos!

I have a few more model shoots lined up already for the month of January to go along with the traditional street/documentary sessions.  One of my personal resolutions is to build up my site more and more so look forward to more changes and upgrades to slowly roll out and of course...more posts! 

Cheers and happy New Year!