What to Expect at Your First Boudoir Session in Austin and Tacoma

At your first boudoir session with Ayla Quellhorst Photography, plan on about four hours that are completely about you. You start with hair and makeup right in the studio (about an hour and a half), shoot three looks in about an hour while I show you every pose, take a 30 minute break, and then see your images and order your favorites that same day. Everything you order is shipped straight to you. To prepare, set one small goal: just show up. We take care of the rest.

Ayla Quellhorst Photography (AQP) is a boudoir photography studio in Austin, Texas, led by boudoir photographer Ayla Quellhorst, and it is in Tacoma, Washington every month, year-round. Hair and makeup at every session is done by Jessica, a licensed cosmetologist who has been with AQP since 2018. Ayla has been a photographer for nearly 20 years, AQP has been around since 2018, and we photograph nearly 200 clients a year.

We call our clients Warriors. Every woman who walks through our door has her own story, her own life struggles, and her own way of becoming the strong woman she is today.

What happens at a boudoir photo shoot?

Woman in a red plaid flannel shirt lying on a fur bed and smiling softly at the camera — Comfortable, covered looks are some of our favorites.

Here is how a real session day with one of our Warriors flows, from the moment you walk in to the moment you head home:

Hair and makeup with Jessica, about 1.5 hours. Done on site while I sit with you and chat.
Shooting, about 1 hour. We work through all three of your looks, and I show you every pose.
A 30 minute break. Grab a coffee or a snack and breathe.
Your reveal, the same day. You see your images, choose the ones you love, and pick your products.
Shipping. Once your order is placed, you are free for the day, and your products are shipped directly to you.

All in, you are with us for about four hours, whether you book at our Austin studio or during one of our monthly Tacoma sessions.

Four hours, three looks, one day that is entirely yours.

Why are hair and makeup done at the studio?

Boudoir photo of a woman with soft waves and glowing makeup done by a licensed cosmetologist — Hair and makeup with Jessica, about 1.5 hours.

Woman in white lingerie sitting on a fur rug in soft window light, looking over her shoulder — By the time we start shooting, we already feel like old friends.

Your session day starts in the makeup chair with Jessica, our hair and makeup artist and a fully licensed cosmetologist who has been with us since 2018. She spends about an hour and a half on your hair and makeup, and we do it on site for one big reason: I get to sit right there with you and talk.

Jessica also looks over your outfits and asks a ton of questions to figure out exactly what you want for your look. Beyond that, this time is just for salon girl talk.

The first thing we do is ask questions, all kinds of them. We want you to feel like you are with friends you have known forever, open to being yourself and letting the conversation go wherever it feels right.

I have found this time changes everything. It makes it so much easier for me to capture your personality on camera, and even more important, you will feel more comfortable in front of my camera once we start.

By the time we start shooting, we already feel like old friends.

What if I don’t know how to pose?

Woman in black lace lingerie reclining on a bed in a guided pose, eyes closed, warm light behind her — You don’t have to know how to pose. You just mirror me.

Babe, you never have to know how to pose. That part is my job. (See the full AQP experience.)

Once hair and makeup are done, we move into shooting, and I get right down on the floor. If I have you lying on the bed, I lie on the floor and do the same pose at the same time, so all you have to do is mirror me.

I guide your facial expressions too, and we joke around a lot. That laughter is how we capture real, authentic smiles instead of forced ones.

Together we work through all three looks that come with your session, and the shooting part takes about an hour.

You don’t have to know how to pose. You just have to mirror me.

When will I see my boudoir photos?

Black and white boudoir photo of a smiling woman lying on a fur bed and reaching toward the camera — Joking around is how we get real smiles.

Woman with red hair in green lingerie lying back on a bed and looking at the camera with confidence — You leave knowing how your images turned out.

The same day as your session. No waiting and no wondering.

When we finish shooting, you get about a 30 minute break, so go grab a coffee or a snack. Then you come back and see your images. You never have to return another day and worry about how they turned out. (Want a peek first? Browse the boudoir portfolio.)

This is when you pick out the images you love and choose the products you want to order. Once your order is placed, you are good to go for the day, and all of your products are shipped directly to you.

You leave knowing how your images turned out, not wondering.

How do I prepare for my first boudoir session?

Black and white image of a woman relaxing on a bed, soft light from shoji screens — Your only job is to get to the door.

The biggest thing I want you to do is set one small goal for yourself: just show up. Getting to the door and past the nerves is the hardest part of the whole day. Once you are in the studio, we will hold your hand through everything else.

Once you book, you get our detailed prep guides and client concierge support, so you never have to figure it out alone.

You also have full access to our staff, day or night. Call, text, or email us, and whoever is best at answering your question will jump in and get you an answer fast.

Your only job is to get to the door. We take it from there.

Is a Tacoma boudoir session different from Austin?

Woman in red lace lingerie on a fur bed during a boudoir session, gazing at the camera, brick wall behind her — Every Warrior gets the same experience.

Boudoir portrait of a woman in a flowing red gown on a garden path in front of a stone castle — Confidence looks good in every setting.

No. The experience in Tacoma is no different from the one in Austin, because where you live should never change your experience.

AQP is an Austin studio that is in Tacoma every month, year-round. Whether you book at our home base in Austin, Texas, or during one of our monthly sessions in Tacoma, Washington, you get the same on-site hair and makeup with Jessica, the same hands-on posing, the same three looks, a same-day reveal, and products shipped right to you.

Curious why so many women book? Read why women book boudoir for themselves and why Tacoma women are falling in love with boudoir sessions.

Austin or Tacoma, every Warrior gets the same experience.

What surprises first-timers the most?

How easy and fun it is. Almost every first-timer builds the session up in her head to be far more nerve-wracking than it really is, and then the day goes by much faster than she ever expected.

The nerves are always bigger in your head than they are in our studio.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a boudoir session take?

Plan on about four hours with Ayla Quellhorst Photography. That covers about 1.5 hours of hair and makeup, about an hour of shooting, a 30 minute break, and your same-day reveal and ordering.

Is hair and makeup done at the studio?

Yes. Jessica, the hair and makeup artist for Ayla Quellhorst Photography, is a fully licensed cosmetologist who has worked with AQP since 2018. She does your hair and makeup on site in about 1.5 hours while Ayla sits with you and chats.

Do I need to know how to pose for boudoir photos?

No. Ayla gets down on the floor and does each pose at the same time as you, so you simply mirror her. She also guides your facial expressions throughout the session.

When will I see my boudoir photos?

The same day. After a 30 minute break, you see your images, choose your favorites, and place your order. Your products are then shipped directly to you.