Best Boudoir in Denver – Spray Tan – The Truth

Hold onto your hats ladies, this one might piss you off. So grab a cocktail or your favorite chill out beverage, because this article is going to be REAL and RAW and might hurt some feelings. Unintentionally of course, but sometimes the truth hurts.

This is something I have been pondering for quite awhile. Something that I have wanted to say, but have really struggled because I truly don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I am very sensitive to emotions, and hurting someone is never something I want to do. But, it is real and ladies here is a truth: this could potentially affect your photos. And not in a good way.

So, it simply must be said.

Spray tans can, and usually do, completely ruin your boudoir or glamour photos.

Let’s all just take a second to take a deep breath. For me, it’s to duck from all of the things that would probably be thrown at me if we were talking in person, for you, it’s to actually hear me out and not hate me right now.

Okay, breaths done, let’s get real.

Yes, a spray tan is safer than conventional tanning. Believe me, I have the sunspots and freckles on my forehead to show how much I LOVED the sun when I was younger.
Yes, it is super convenient to go into a salon super white and come out with a glow.

BUT – there are far more cons to a spray tan when it comes to your photos, than there are pros.

CON – You will likely look orange in your photos, and that is extremely difficult and costly to edit or retouch out.
CON – You could potentially leave orange streaks on outfits, lingerie, and bedding in the studio.
CON – If your spray tan starts to fade, or your skin is sloughing more than usual due to dryness or seasons, you can look scaly and fishlike.
CON – When you look in the mirror to judge how your spray tan looks, you will be looking at every body part you can see, which is natural. The problem is, my camera sees parts you don’t see, and in it’s HD gloriousness, will really show off some things that you DON’T want to show when it comes to spray tan.

My clients know that in my welcome packet, I STRONGLY suggest that you not do a spray tan before your session. I have received countless emails before sessions saying are you sure? Really? But won’t I look better tan than super pale?

Short answer: NO.

When a photograph is properly exposed, you’re not going to look super pale – and believe me, I have worked with some really fair skinned women!

Even Chrissy Teigen, a model, posted a photo on Snapchat about her spray tan problems. And I’m fairly certain that she probably doesn’t just go to a cheap salon down the street, she probably has it custom done.

When I was trying to gather my thoughts and think of a way that I can say this without pissing off too many lovely ladies, I asked a few photographer friends to help me. Saying it simply isn’t enough, you need to SEE it. Two of my friends that are also boudoir photographers gave me some images to use so that I can really show you what I’m talking about.

First issue – missing pieces.

There are parts of your body that may be missed when you get a spray tan, in particular on your behind. You don’t see this when you’re looking in the mirror to see if it looks good, but when it comes to the photos, it will be VERY noticeable. This is not the only place on your body that can be missed, I have seen issues with underarms, backs, and other spots as well. The simple fact is that when one part of your body is straight, the other parts aren’t – that’s how you were made. So when you’re standing up straight, this particular area on your body is folded together a little bit. If you were to bend over to try to fix this, the front part of your body would be folded together a little bit, causing the same problem there.

Image credit: Cate Scaglione – used with permission

Second issue – scaly fish skin.

Again, this is probably something that you won’t notice when you look in the mirror, and it doesn’t typically happen until a few days after your tan – but it can be really evident in photos. You are looking in a mirror that doesn’t have great lighting, and you’re probably not inspecting very closely. My camera is a high resolution professional grade camera, and will see the things that your eye will sometimes miss. The fish skin is not super sexy unless you’re into that sort of thing, but most of my clients aren’t.

Image credit: Jen Swedhin – used with permission

These are just two of the main problems that come with spray tanning, but they are big ones.

Unless you’re a fish skin or butt stripe lovin’ kinda gal, I’m guessing that you probably don’t want to see either of these things in your photos. Not to mention some of the other issues that can spring up when it comes to spray tans!

I know that it’s super exciting to be tan. I always feel a little more glamorous and sexy when I’m tan. This is why I now have lovely sun spots on my forehead and shoulders and in other spots. I know there are so many competitions that expect you to be tan – bodybuilding, pageants, and more.

But your boudoir shoot isn’t one of them.

Ultimately, I want you to look like the best, most gorgeous version of yourself. You on your BEST day, when you feel like a badass and feel like you can conquer the world. Not like a stripey fish.

I understand, some of you are probably super pissed off at me right now. It’s cool, I can handle it. I will ALWAYS be honest with you when it comes to what will help your session be amazing.

To finish this post, I want to share with you a photo of an amazing client from 2013, that contacted me because she was so concerned that she was too pale for a boudoir session. She is gorgeous, and as you can see here – that natural skin tone is SO much better than orange! She is a scientist and wanted to bring in some of her favorite books – can you imagine how crazy the orange would have looked with the red? Her NATURAL skin color is stunning!

If you haven’t learned this by now about me, I’m kind of blunt. I will be completely honest with you and tell you what I think will help you to look and feel amazing when it comes to your boudoir session. And here it is, frankly and straight up: spray tan is NOT a good idea for your boudoir session.

Please trust me. I have worked with thousands of women, and I adore you and want you to look and feel amazing.

Say it with me: no spray tan for your boudoir session!

Feel better?

I would love to know YOUR thoughts on spray tanning, and while I’m not sure that encouraging this is a good idea because of potential hate mail, but if you have any strong thoughts, leave a comment below.

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