I will admit it. At the beginning of this year I decided to try to make my collections super easy and "give the people what they wanted". According to people, they said they wanted "just digitals", with a handful wanting albums and folio boxes, but to be honest, the majority went for the digital only collection. But I didn't press this further. I didn't question WHY the majority of people just wanted digital images of their saucy boudoir photos?? I just accepted it, but I realize now that as the professional, it is my job, nay! MY DUTY, to educate clients on why maybe digital images are NOT the ideal solution to receiving your amazing boudoir images. I have written about this in the past here, but I got away from it while trying to find what worked best for me and my business model. So, as we entered the halfway point of 2017, the Universe spoke to me. (roll your eyes all you want...I think it did)
I was cleaning up my studio and I accidentally knocked over a black box on my shelf. All of these 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10 prints came fluttering down to the ground and after I cursed my "bull in the china shop-ness" I looked closer at the images. These were beautiful boudoir photos that I had printed out 3 years prior....these were images that told the stories of the beautiful women that graced them and as I touched them with my hand I was immediately transported back to the day that I photographed them. I stopped what I was doing and sat in the middle of this pile of prints, smiling at the images in front of me. I looked at my work and thought about how far I had come since 3 years ago. I looked at the women and wondered how they were doing in their self love journey and life. But then....I frowned.
These images were stored on a hard drive somewhere in my home. They were catalogued away, sitting on a dusty hard drive and that's when I realized....I would never purposely plug in my hard drive to see these images, because, well, I'm lazy...and that's when I realized that most people are too. In this day and age, people want instant gratification and the path of least resistance....so, while the USB of digital files may seem ultimately the most instantaneously exciting and best option, I guarantee that if I have a USB of digital files sitting on my nightstand or an album on my nightstand with the same images, I will be more likely to pick up the album because it's the path of least resistance (plus we only create luxury albums with the highest quality so they are FAB to feel and seeing yourself in print is the ultimate highlight).
I can't say my husband and I ever cozied up around the computer, listening to the whirr of the hard drive and reminisced over our digital files....but every night, before we go to bed, we see our canvasses of our engagement and wedding and we see my sexy boudoir photos on our wall....more importantly, I see my boudoir images on the wall and am reminded both consciously and subconsciously that I am a fierce babe that can take on the world (but also has a sweet and sensitive side). So, I decided to bring back EXPERIENCE to my clients....if my job is to empower you, then I have to do everything I can to ensure you walk out of my studio and can continue that "Boudoir High" that clients rave about. If you can easily grab an album, make eye contact with a saucy matted image of yourself, or revel in the gloriousness that is YOU, then you can keep that high going without the inconvenience of A)having to track down your USB, B)having to plug it in to your laptop or computer, and C)wait for them to load.
Ultimately THAT is why I reverted back to collections and a la carte products...because I want what's best for you. That being said, there are still digital only options, but I want most clients to walk away with something they can look back on when jpegs become extinct. And don't worry, for the instant gratification you can still get your digital images the day of your reveal because with every purchased image in your collection or tangible a la carte item you will also receive the digital copy...so essentially, you get the best of both worlds!
Now, everyone's biggest concern when someone changes their pricing is that their costs will be significantly higher, but to be honest, my prices are pretty much the same as they were before July 1st, but now you actually get luxury items alongside your digital images.
As a boudoir specialist, I don't take my job lightly and every woman who walks through my door deserves to have an epic, self love experience...with the longlasting images to prove it and remind her just how f*ing amazing she is. At the same point I also have to realize that she, like me, is "lazy" and will NOT plug in her USB or go to her dropbox folder to remind herself of her brilliance (because who the fuck has time to do that????) when she could very easily reach for a book of high quality images or simply smile coyly at the image of her that sits on the nightstand. INSTANT EMPOWERMENT FOR EVERYONE!!!To learn more about our products and why we have chosen the ones we have, feel free to check out the pricing page or shoot me an email!
I'm Only Human ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photographer
I need to confess something. 2017 has not had a great start for me and in hindsight I know it could be worse, but I think I need to let y'all know what's been going on. I have been feeling slightly anxious and overwhelmed the last 2 months and maybe it's in part to the current political climate and the constant barrage of He Who Shall Not Be Named on social media, but I think another part is that I got away a bit from what I was trying to accomplish. This year I decided to change my pricing because I was told by various photography colleagues that my value and worth and all that good stuff, plus overhead costs were "worth so much more", but in listening to other people, I got away from what my actual goal is. I always try to remember that overall my ultimate goal is to affect as many women as possible and with that, I found that the way I adjusted my pricing was moving me further away from my overall mission. Do I still think I am worth a high value? Certainly. But money isn't the end game for me. Sure, I require enough to keep my studio and providing you babes with epic customer service, continual education, and experience and all that jazz, but for me, my value is in meeting every single woman I am able to affect and empower. While a lot of people believe in the methodology of "work smarter, not harder" I honestly don't think that is what is right for me....and I think this has been a big challenge that has made me feel so uneasy the last little bit. I haven't been shooting as consistently and I have been feeling....empty. I haven't been meeting as many women because my higher price point made me less available and I finally realized that it is in meeting women as often as I used to, that I am ultimately fulfilled and being used to my fullest potential. That being said, at the end of the day I AM a business, but only in the sense that I need to make a living to keep working towards my mission of empowering as many women and photographers as I possibly can. Is it humbling for me to write this post? You betcha, but I think it's necessary because I had to explain the sporadic pricing menu changes that have been going on the last few months while I struggled with trying to be "the right kind of business person" and realized just like everything else I do, I am not average or "normal" and I have to do what is right for me...and ultimately for you! After all, part of being body positive and all that good stuff is about being authentic!
So, you can check out the FINALIZED 2017 pricing guide on the site here or you can shoot me an email to: thpstudios@gmail.com if you are interested in booking a consultation!
Empowering Emerald {curvy inspiration session} ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photographer
EEEEE!!! I am beyond stoked for everything that is coming down the pipe for 2017! One of the coolest things, is that myself and my cohort Lindsay Rae of Lindsay Rae Photography in New York are co-hosting a variety of workshops specializing in photographing women with curves and creating curves for those babes who are more athletically built! A side effect of our awesome niche, is that we also both utilize the same premium album company to provide our clients with gorgeous, long lasting products for our clients to preserve their gorgeous images and therefore, we have created our own album line coming out next year called Confident Curves. To get one of the samples made, I threw together a kick ass shoot with the gorgeous Miss C (who has been featured a few times on the site!) to celebrate our Empowering Emerald cover - a gorgeous "crocodile" looking leather cover in emerald.
This is only ONE of a multitude of gorgeous covers that will be coming in the new year with a variety of confidence-inspiring names! But anyhow, let's get to the goods! Check out this epic inspiration session shoot with Miss C, inspired by the dark hues of the winter season: burgundy, eggplant, and emerald. A lot of the outfits you will see come from Adore Me!! PS. You will also see Miss C as the cover girl of our 2017 Welcome Packages!!
Black Friday Promos ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photography
Who's pumped for tomorrow's promos?? I know I certainly am! I thought I would do a brief write up on each promo and go over the terms and conditions and all that good stuff. So, let's get started!!
So, the biggest promo we offer a few times a year is our $200 off!! This promo is applicable to 2017 pricing and the session fee MUST be paid in order to secure the promo. Because this promo is such a hot seller, it is based on first come, first serve...or in our case, first email/paid, first served. So, in order to qualify for this promo, you need to send an email to: terihoffordphotography@gmail.com with the subject BLACKFRIDAY200 so that it doesn't get sent to my spam folder. I will follow up as soon as I can (I have a shoot from 10am to 1:30pm) with an invoice and 2017 pricing! The terms & conditions for this promo are as follows: Session must occur between Jan 1 and March 1, 2017 // session fee is non-refundable, but you get 1 reschedule that MUST happen within the same time frame // If you have already booked your session for these dates and want to apply the promo, you are more than welcome to, just know that you will be under the 2017 pricing instead of the current 2016 pricing structure // IMAGES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS SESSION FEE // 1 SESSION PER PERSON // ONLY APPLIES TO WINNIPEG SESSIONS IN OUR STUDIO
Our second promo is unlimited and is for clients who book/booked their session between Dec 1 and March 1. You are eligible to purchase a $100 credit for only $35!! So, that's fun! To claim this promo, you must send an email to: terihoffordphotography@gmail.com with subject header: BLACKFRIDAY35 . Here are the terms and conditions for this promo: Email must be received between the designated hours // Credit will expire March 1 // Credit will only be applied to image collections // 1 PROMO PER PERSON // ONLY APPLIES TO WINNIPEG SESSIONS IN OUR STUDIO
And lastly, our THIRD promo is for our esteemed alumni Boudy Babes! As a reward for already having had a shoot with Teri Hofford Photography, we wanted to help our babes top up their confidence for 2017 and get some new sassy photos! The session fee for past boudy babes is only $140 for any session booked between Jan 1 and April 1, 2017!! You also get an extra outfit!! We want to see your foxy faces in our boudoir studio again (also, we have probably added on a lot since most of you have come in for your first/second shoots!!) To grab one of these, simply email: BLACKFRIDAYBOUDYBABE Here are the terms and conditions for this promo: Must have already done a paid shoot with Teri Hofford Photography // Images not included // Email must come in in the designated time frame // applies to Winnipeg sessions only // image collections will be based on the 2017 pricing // 1 session per client //session fee is non-refundable, but you get 1 reschedule that MUST happen within the same time frame
So, essentially there is no excuse for you to not do an epic session that will change your life. Whether you want to feel a little naughty or just celebrate your awesomeness we are here to give you an amazing experience that could (and probably will) change your life!! Or, if you know someone who needs a little kick in the ass to do something outside their comfort zone, you are able to purchase the top 2 promos for them!! In any case, I cannot wait to see who we get to start the New Year with!! See you in the morning, babes!
New Stuffs ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photography
Aaaaah!! Welcome to September, my loves! September has always been one of my favorite months because it always seems to tie in with change and renewal and while the mosquitoes are heading away, the cooler weather is setting in and THIS IS MY TIME. Despite my distaste for pants, I love fall weather. But anywho, we are here today to talk about the awesomeness that is coming at you from the studio!!
First up is a new addition to our album and image collection line up! We are affectionately calling this delightful little number, the Boudy Book because it's layout is more like a book and less like an album. The Boudy Book will be eligible with our 35 and 45 image collections and will range in sizes 8X10 and 9X12 with a glorious ice cover showcasing your favorite image in metallic.
In addition to these gorgeous new Boudy Books, I am also pleased to introduce the Empowerment Blocks! These gorgeous blocks are your images, printed in metallic, and then encased within a luxurious acrylic block. We take your image from being a portrait and turn it into a work of art, by adding an inspirational quote, piece of poetry, or whatever sparks your soul! You can provide us with the written words or allow us to provide you with some options that will make you smile when you look at it. The intention of these accent pieces, are to remind you daily of the fearless, bad ass babe that you are...even on days when you may not feel it.
And in even BIGGER news, because I love these Empowerment Blocks so much, for the rest of 2016 if you purchase a 45 Image Collection, we will gift you one of these bad boys to help you work on your self-relationship to take you into 2017!! I will also take this time to let you know that if you are planning on giving the kick ass gift of boudoir this year, I HIGHLY recommend doing your session in September and October as November is booking up fast AND I will be traveling for the first part of December!! Do NOT procrastinate (this is coming from a huge procrastinator!) But also, you get $150 to put towards your image collections if you book your session for September or October, so you may want to consider it...just sayin'.