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Is This Boudoir Diva's Book/Package worth it?
My wife wants the Boudoir Diva's Bad -A** Guide to Boudoir Photography http://www.theboudoirdivas.com/blog/?page_id=11 Does anyone Have it and if so is it worth it? Dec 22 08 01:49 pm Link I don't have it, but what photography instruction book could be worth $175. There are plenty of glamor photography books with posing, lighting and location for for $25. Spend the other $150 on a model. Dec 22 08 01:53 pm Link Wow! $175 for what appears to be a 60 page paperback!? I've never seen or heard of it but I'd have a hard time believing it could contain that much (or that valuable), information. Though, having never seen it, I'm just speculating. Dec 22 08 01:54 pm Link CanonGuy wrote: LOL, there is your answer right there. Dec 22 08 01:57 pm Link Why would anyone pay for that sludge? Dec 22 08 01:58 pm Link The images they show on the website look pretty crappy to me so I can't imagine they're going to teach you anything more than how to take crappy pictures? Dec 22 08 02:01 pm Link I have a hard time paying $69 or $70 for a hard back book let alone something like that. You can get much better deals at Amazon.com then what that is. Dec 22 08 02:03 pm Link My wife has searched the internet, it is only available through their website. I agree she doesn't need it but she wants it. Dec 22 08 02:07 pm Link She is really hoping, someone will have bought it and can give an honest opinion.. Dec 22 08 02:08 pm Link I think I'll ask Santa for the delux $335 edition  / sarcasm Dec 22 08 02:10 pm Link Take your lady to Victoria's Secret if you have that kind of money to spend on Boudoir. The book is just the seller's get rich quick scheme. Dec 22 08 02:11 pm Link Raelyn Mouse wrote: I second Raelyn. I'm sorry, but I can't think of any book (not including rare, first editions, etc) worth $175. And I really enjoy books. Dec 22 08 02:16 pm Link Oh, but they want to remind you to "Buy Now!" This book will show you how to return you investment ten-fold in one shoot, pricing upwards of $1500 per boudoir package. Also how to effectively add boudoir to your current services and easily generate more income. Dec 22 08 02:22 pm Link If their production of the book is similar to their videos, it's not even worth 1.75... the sound volume is all over the place!!! When the ladies were talking I had to turn my speakers up and then the music almost blasted me off the chair. Dec 22 08 02:23 pm Link Bump!! Dec 22 08 03:03 pm Link Bump! Dec 22 08 03:11 pm Link Stop bumping already! Neither the thread or book is worth it. The advice is 100% against this book. So go out, buy it for the old lady and tell us how much money you make with it. We'll be waiting with bait-like breath ;-[ Dec 22 08 03:17 pm Link bumpity bumpity bump Dec 22 08 06:17 pm Link Is this book sold by a Nigerian Website Dec 22 08 06:32 pm Link CanonGuy wrote: looks useless to me. Dec 22 08 09:09 pm Link CanonGuy wrote: That's a clue that the sellers are greedy and that it is way overpriced. Dec 22 08 09:36 pm Link  Moderator Warning!CanonGuy wrote: Do NOT bump threads more than once/day. Dec 22 08 10:43 pm Link CanonGuy wrote: If your wife wants it and it makes her happy, it's worth it. It doesn't matter if it's any good. Dec 22 08 10:51 pm Link It uh, looks to be crap to me :S Dec 23 08 04:32 am Link Mikes Images - Mike #4 wrote: Yes it matters. Grow a pair (to the OP)! Don't buy crap just because someone wants it, especially expensive crap! P.T. Barnum had a saying, it was morally wrong to allow a sucker to keep his money, after all, someone else was going to get it. Dec 23 08 04:46 am Link alteredstate wrote: I agree. The women who market this have gotten a bit of press with their photography for women by women approach, and they seem to be trying to capitalize on that. Dec 23 08 04:51 am Link A sucker born every minute... Dec 23 08 04:57 am Link CanonGuy wrote: Hmmm..look's like it has a real value of $1.75! Dec 23 08 04:58 am Link I wouldn't waste my money on it. There are better books by a lot better photographers out there. Dec 23 08 04:58 am Link Packages and pricing for books/biz systems/training stuff like that's rather common in the portraits/weddings/photography workshop fields. Heck people sell action sets, embellishments and boarders for much much more than that. Since I haven't seen the book yet, I'm neither for nor against it but again, just to get the message across, that pricing is the norm within the photography workshop industry. They even have 60 minute DVD's for $200++ I guess, any kind of instruction's (may it be manual or book or class or workshop) value really depends on the persons ability to apply (or even just get motivated) what's learned to their daily practice. Also, as in pricing photography the value is in the eye of the specific buyer. So, if you're wife thinks she's gonna learn, make more money and/or possibly get's motivated by it, then I suppose that $175's a negligible amount. Personally, I have bought instruction materials that are much more expensive. Some were good, some were bad, either way I learned. Dec 23 08 05:53 am Link Digital Boudoir Photography John G. Blair Thomson Course Technology $34.99 Iona Lynn is one of the models. Dec 23 08 06:10 am Link They can't shoot video either from what I saw there. Studio36 Dec 23 08 06:42 am Link I shot a ton of boudoir WITHOUT a book. In fact, I had lotsa referrals from the friends and friends of friends. Suggestion. Do samples of boudoir and put that on a website or advertise it on Craigslist and other free advertising sites. Once the ball starts rolling it will snowball because women love to have sexy images as long as it is a safe and non-threatening. When I started I asked a few women to pose so that i could learn and shot them for free and they had friends. After I learned, I started to charge and that made a BIG difference. Also, on that site, steal their ideas. I had the idea of a Boudoir Party 10 years ago. Women loved the concept. I tried to link it with the Lingerie Parties. Or, link the Lingerie party to your photography. Since digital is cheap, offer to charge the sales woman your services. If the customer buys $100 worth of goods, you will shoot the customer for free and the sales woman pays you your fee to cover expenses and the customer buys from you at a nice profit. Half the time you will get referrals from the customer. IT'S ALL IN MARKETING AND REFERRALS!! I also found that women dont like those cheesy shots. They like creative and powerful sensual images. Join http://www.photosig.com and review Glamour, Fine Art and Nude categories. Dec 23 08 07:00 am Link Hi, Rolando Gomez of Glamour Garage.com offers classes for these kinds of shoots. I am not sure of pricing today but it was around the same price a while back. I can say you will learn about lighting, and posing, makeup etc. You will also get to work with some good models who can help you out. Dec 23 08 07:08 am Link Do one of your own with a TFCD Model !! Dec 23 08 07:08 am Link Books like these tend not to be very helpful. The work they show is very simple and the OP has better work. These 'workshops' tend to be all about a few guys getting to shoot a nude or partially nude model(s) You'll learn more working with a area photographer. Ken Marcus had some cool videos and he's on MM.' Someone mentioned Rolando Gomez. Some people don't like him but I attended one of his events (fair disclosure I didn't have to pay.) and it was fun and you'll learn something. I'm curious though. What does your wife think she'll learn? There are a ton of books on lighting around. One: Lighting for Glamor Photography by David Kimber is decent. There are some videos floating around by Chan and David Meecy of Playboy fame. These ladies are smart though. They are marketing themselves. Take it from me though buy a few books, take a class in PS, practice lighting and try new things. This may not be the best investment. Dec 23 08 07:31 am Link Kevin Connery wrote: sorry.. Dec 23 08 07:42 am Link The term "boudoir photography" originated with a lady in Sacramento (forgot her name) who ran two studios in partnership with her husband. They originally (80's-early 90s?) went around the country giving inexpensive seminars. What they perfected was an approach that maximized customer satisfaction and sales, by following an exact script for the shoot. According to the originator a "boudoir photo" is an elegant, soft-focus, slightly revealing image of a woman, exclusively for the man in her life. It should be understood that she did not intend for it to be more than slightly sexy pinup photography with optional toplessness. Then they got national recognition on several TV talk shows and it became very popular. I notice that the advertising for this book says it is not available in S. California, where the originator lives. Hmmm! I invented my own version which I called the "bridal boudoir" - an album of the bride wearing her "bridal night lingerie", taken as close before the wedding as possible (so that her hair style, etc. would not change) which she kept secret from the groom, in order to give it to him (album usually titled: For Your Eyes Only) on the first anniversary, the "paper" anniversary. I sold a lot of them for about three years, then the national coverage vanished and it lost popularity. Someone might try to reintroduce it to today's bride. Just ask her "The 25th anniversary is called the silver and the 50th the gold, do you know what the 1st is called?" Then give your sales pitch. I only ask 5% commission on the sales idea:) Dec 23 08 08:06 am Link I'm not the know all tell all of everything, but this looks pretty silly to me. If you're willing to drop $150.00, just hire a proper glamour model and let her know you want to shoot boudoir. You'll get all the results you need or want. Dec 23 08 08:24 am Link There's even an asterisk that states * Product not available for purchase in Southern California. (I guess Jerry already firgured that one out.) Dec 23 08 08:30 am Link |
