Free template · 14 questions
Boudoir photography questionnaire
Boudoir runs on trust. The questionnaire is where your client tells you, privately and in their own time, why they booked, what they're excited about and where their limits are. Read it before the session, and never make them repeat it on the day.
When to send it
Two to three weeks before the session, with a note that every answer can change on the day.
Paste them into HoneyBook, Dubsado, Google Forms or an email.
Client questionnaire · Boudoir
Why now
- What made you book this session: a milestone, a gift for someone, a gift to yourself?
- Who are these photos for?
- How do you want to feel when you see them?
Comfort and boundaries
- From fully clothed to implied nude, what are you comfortable with? You can change your mind at any point.
- Is there a part of yourself you love and want to show off?
- Is there anything you'd rather I not photograph, or only photograph a certain way?
- Any tattoos, scars or marks you'd like celebrated or kept out of frame?
- May I share any images publicly, with or without your face? (If you don't say yes, the answer is no.)
Style
- Light and airy, dark and moody, or somewhere in between?
- Which outfits, lingerie or props are you planning to bring?
- Are you booking hair and makeup?
On camera
- How do you feel about being photographed?
- Would you like me to show you exactly how to pose, or guide you more loosely?
- What helps you relax: music, talking, a friend in the room?
How to use the answers
Make privacy the default
Nothing is shareable unless they opt in, in writing. Say so in your reply to their answers: it's the most reassuring sentence you can send.
Pose precisely, then reassure
Most boudoir clients want exact posing cues. Demonstrate the pose yourself, and show them a great frame on the back of the camera early.
Check the boundaries again on the day
Read the answers back briefly at the start ("Still happy with what we discussed?") so they can adjust without it feeling awkward.
The question forms get wrong
Most clients don't know how they like to be directed.
So they write “we're awkward” and leave it there. Send the Good Side camera quiz with your questionnaire: two minutes on their phone, and you get their camera type and a session plan with prompts in order.