La Maison is a studio located in downtown Edmonton, and home of Jade Lavallee Photography boudoir. Featuring hundreds of plants, wainscotting and chair rails, original hardwood floors, luxurious velvet sofas, chaise lounges, and wingback chairs, a bedroom, living room, and bathroom setup with a fully functioning claw foot tub, it is the perfect mixture of boho coziness and victorian magic. Its central location and charming interior make it the perfect location to capture boudoir, maternity, and naturally-lit portraits of you and your loved ones.
The studio boasts warm afternoon light, and is mainly catered towards boudoir clients. That said, it is the perfect space for family and maternity clients as well. The claw foot tub is fully functioning and an ideal place for bubble bath or milk bath portraits. The hundreds of the plants move around the house to cater specifically to the areas we're shooting in. All Jade Lavallee Photography clients receive full access to the entire studio and client closet for their session.
FAQ
How should I prepare?
Your hands and feet will be in these photos, so clean fingernails are a must. I don’t recommend tanning, or self-tanning creams. There is nothing worse than trying to do it yourself, and then having orange palms and legs for your session. Please be aware that spray-tans look orange in most photos, no matter how well done they are. The day of your shoot drink lots of water, moisturize your entire body, and breathe easy, no need to be nervous!
What should I bring?
Your outfits! The possibilities here are endless. Lingerie, a matching bra and underwear set, his favourite shirt, his ties, his favourite sports team’s jersey, your favourite leather jacket, Calvin Klein sports bras and matching boy shorts, your own jewelry, your favourite ripped jean shorts, your favourite sports bra, or your comfiest big fuzzy sweater. A white sheet will be provided there if you choose to do a white sheeted segment.
When choosing outfits I always ask my clients to keep the setting in mind. The studio is very boho and cozy, I wouldn't say it's the ideal place for a ton of glamour and glitter, think comfy sexy bedhead!
What about my hair and makeup?
Hair and makeup services are provided with an additional charge. I have pivoted my focus towards a more clean, natural look as opposed to a “glam” boudoir look. I want the authenticity to really shine through for my sessions, and the “glam” look doesn’t really fit with my studio space. That said, if you are looking for a more glamorous session I would be happy to brainstorm styling for that with you. Your stylist and makeup artist requests a clean, moisturized face the day of, and clean, dry hair (washed the day before with no hairspray or gel added). Your hair and makeup will take an hour, and then the photography session will be an hour of shooting time.
All of that said, many of my clients simply do a loose curl and minimal makeup for their sessions, something I do recommend. I truly believe that you are stunning in the skin you're in, and over-doing it can really alter the authenticity of your session.
Do I have to get naked?
Absolutely not. This session is 100% what you are comfortable with. You will never be asked to do anything in my studio that you are not comfortable doing. Photos of you in a comfy sweater and socks are JUST as beautiful as naked ones.
That said, I LOVE nudes. Some of my favourite shots are nudes wrapped in a white sheet or in the claw foot tub. Rest assured, I have literally seen EVERYTHING, and you will receive nothing but encouragement and cheerleading from me.
Is my photographer a woman?
Yes, your photographer is me, Jade! My second-shooter Amelia may also be present during your sessions, as she lives in La Maison with me! My hair and makeup stylists are always women, and they makes frequent appearances for hair and make-up touch-ups.
When will I get my photos?
All digital hi-res photographs will be provided to all clients in 6-8 weeks, unless other arrangements have been made. Albums, prints, canvases and other product can take additional processing times.
Will you post my photos on the internet?
I will only publish photographs with express written permission in your contract to do so. You will never be pressured to share these photos on the internet. It is difficult to book boudoir clients without a boudoir portfolio, so I always appreciate when my clients allow me to expand my online presence with their photographs, but it is never a requirement.
One last thing...
We are fed advertisements our entire life on how we are “supposed” to look. Whether it be ad campaigns, cover pages, tv shows, commercials, or movies.
What we fail to realize is that the beauty industry is a $256 BILLION dollar a year industry. The diet industry is a $33 billion per year industry.
So basically, these companies profit as long as we think we are ugly. As long as we hate our bodies and our faces and believe every ad campaign that arises that says that we should look a certain way, we are putting our hard-earned money in the pockets of the people telling us we aren’t good enough.
Always remember that the photos you see in magazines, advertisements, and all over Instagram are NOT realistic. They have been edited to a point where some models don't even feel recognizable anymore.
STOP. THE. CYCLE. I won't photoshop you into someone you don't recognize. My job is show you how absolutely stunning you are, just the way you are. I LOVE your freckles, laugh lines, sun spots, AND stretch marks. You HAVE pores, and they're beautiful! While I do apply airbrushing, blemish removal, and small photoshop fixes to many photos, the right posing is essential to a great boudoir collection. I still make it my number one mission to maintain the authenticity of YOU. You're a living, breathing, beautiful human being, and it's my job to showcase that!
Come see me at La Maison and we will get you sorted!
Request An Investment Guide For La Maison Here:
Please note that I do work regular office hours, so I don't respond to e-mails during off hours or on weekends, I believe having a healthy work/life balance is SO important! Certain times of the year (like autumn!) are particularly busy for me.
My office hours are 11:00am - 7:00pm Monday through Friday.
Studio rentals for other photographers are suspended until further notice.
