A fundraising calendar, for the win!

The idea was hatched in one of those "Aha!" moments. In consideration of a client who was a survivor of breast cancer and in recognition of her incredible courage and vivaciousness, I thought wouldn't it be nice to give something back to the community.

This disease attacks not just a woman's body, but her very sense of self -- her identity as a woman, taking toll on her psyche as well as her physique. I have often marveled at what a therapeutic experience a boudoir photo session is for my customers. And it occurred to me that my special skill in bringing out the most feminine qualities in ANY woman, and making her feel beautiful and valued might be a special gift to a breast cancer survivor.

Finding a partner in the Pink Ribbon Connection organization which specializes in reaching out and providing resources to the medically underserved community, we set out to accomplish two things:

• Lift the spirits of 12 beautiful women by capturing their enduring feminine radiance in special dedicated photosessions, and

• Raise money for the organization's operations by using those images in a fund raising charity boudoir calendar.

We've had our first round of shoots so far, and the results were fabulous! One of our models commented after the shoot -

"I had a lot of fun doing the shots – playing model was exciting and I wish I could do it for a living!!" - Amy

Clearly one part of our mission has already been accomplished. We're shooting for a September release of the 2011 Red Ribbon Connection INFINI Boudoir Calendar and are hoping for a smashing success!

The Art of Boudoir: Chicken Little, 50 times over!

The beauty of true art is founded in the visualization of what's to be. The artist must be inspired with a vision and then sets out to birth that vision to life. Interestingly, more often than not the artist's final creation may not live up to his expectations. Sometimes inspiration is hard to come by; other times the skill, talent, and resources to realize the vision is inadequate to the task.

And sometimes, you just have this goofy idea in your head that wants to burst out. It may not be a Picasso, but it can be fun and rewarding nonetheless.

I've had this "naked chicks" concept for years. A simple play on words and maximum cute factor. What's not to like?

Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?

And where do you get such chickens? And when? Remembering that birds are generally born in the spring delayed the project by a year due to the missed hatching season. That was after the year or two it took to figure out where to actually acquire them. Turns out Craigslist is the new ramshackle eBay, providing a no-fee flea market environment of local buyers and sellers. If you live in NYC, maybe you don't have a chicken farmer within reasonable driving distance. But without Craigslist, I would not have discovered the one living near me with a few chicks to sell... or upon further inquiry, rent.

Finding a couple of models willing to go through the indignity of being prodded by curious baby chickens was surprisingly easy -- both Olivia and Carrie were excited to shoot with them. In the process of getting the shots, the chicks even huddled around the models for warmth, like drawing to the mother hen. Made for a relatively odd and unique experience, I'm sure.

In the end, the INFINI team created two very cute, very funny posters. For Easter even.

We also documented some of the process in a little video so you can enjoy it as much as we did.

Happy Easter!

~ Dario INFINI

Can INFINI Make Me Beautiful?

I receive many inquiries from women who are captivated by the images they see in my boudoir gallery. It is a basic desire of the female psyche to be beautiful and those gallery images resonate with that desire. Many women then turn to themselves and feel great inadequacy. They want images like this but feel at pains to take them. They worry they wont measure up. That somehow we wouldnt manage great images for them. That somehow they will be the FIRST to disappoint us, and in turn, disappoint themselves.

My heart aches for these women. They fail to understand that ALL the women in my galleries have been shot at their maximum potential. None among us are perfect. Hollywood actresses are not my clientele. Instead, I bring Hollywood caliber service to ordinary housewives across the country.

I have enormous respect for those who gather their resolve and muster their courage to come in and put it on the line to have their photos taken. We endeavour to honor that courage with striking images that far exceed their expectations.

How do we do it? How do we manage an unbroken 100% customer satisfaction record?

Lighting

You've heard it said that lighting is everything. Well, not quite everything, but a whole heck of a lot. Great photography is as much about what you dont see as much as what you do. Strategic lighting puts shadows where they need to be and highlights your best features. With the aid of well placed props, fabric, arms, hands, legs, etc, we can bring out the best in anyone.

Posing

Not every pose works for everyone. Body types are different and we dont bind ourselves to a specific set of shots and looks. No, we are a custom photography company. We choose poses that bring out the best in you. We guide you into scenarios that make you look natural and sensual.

Make up

We've all seen photos of celebrities caught without "their face on." We are shocked because these glamorous luminaries look like ordinary people and sometimes, worse! Professional make up and hairstyle makes a huge difference in how you look. We have the best staff in the industry, and provide this service with all our packages.

Retouching

I think at this point we all understand that "cover girls" dont really look like that in real life. The camera is a cold instrument, capturing every stark detail. It doesn't have a heart; it doesn't have emotions. It doesn't admire feminine beauty the way a man does.

Retouching is basically a way to close the gap between what the camera sees and what the human eye sees. It's truly amazing how little "adjustment" it takes to subtly align our real bodies into something even more beautiful.

I've often said if I could do in real life what I do in photos, I'd be REALLY rolling in the money! All wrapped together, our little bag of secrets revealed result in testimonials like this:

"Dario, I just viewed all those pics. I am speechless. They made me weep. No one has ever... what can I say? I had no idea -- I -- could be -- captured -- that way. You captured everything about me, every single thing about me. Viewing each of those pics was like reading an biography. I had a great appreciation for your work before, certainly, but now I see its genius." -Mia

Can we make you beautiful? Oh, I certainly know we can.

Dario

What Happens to My Photos??

One of the questions clients often ask is "what happens to my photos"? These aren't your every day family portraits. Where they end up matters, and in today's internet age, its a legitimate concern.

Perhaps the question is partly borne out on the question of where the samples in my gallery come from, or where the artwork I have for sale comes from. These are legitimate concerns and there is a lot of misunderstanding about these issues, even in the photography industry.

Be prepared to learn something about the law with respect to photographers and their subjects!


First, to put your mind at ease, privacy and security of customer photos are among my highest priority concerns. My reputation RELIES on how closely I safeguard my client's photos, and reputation is EVERYTHING in this industry. The images I produce belong exclusively to YOU, the customer.





Now to explain the nuances of how the industry works and the differences between photographers.

Copyright law gives the photographer ownership of the images s/he produces. Many if not most photographers retain this ownership following the business model established when film was the dominant technology. Thats why most of the time your parents had to buy prints from their wedding photographer. They could never legally make copies of their photos at a local photo shop to give friends and family -- they always had to buy them directly from the photographer. That's because s/he kept the film and only sold prints. It was a source of income for the photographer and they guarded it jealously. The law remains on their side in fact, and its a fair set of laws that protect artists of all kinds including those in the music industry.

While photographers in general own the rights to their images, they are actually restricted from using those images for any purpose without express permission from their subjects (except for specific arenas like journalism, etc). In order to use your images for promotional use, for marketing, as portfolio samples, or on a website, the person(s) in the photo must expressly give permission for these and any other purposes. Customers often sign forms when they are shooting or picking up prints, and it is possible that permission is hidden in the fine print .

I know of one photographer who frankly shocked me when she said she didnt care what their clients thought, she retained the full rights and posted the images as she pleased. What an incredible breach of trust! When you consider getting boudoir photos taken, it requires a lot of consideration and research, and a leap of faith that the person you select to take your photos can be trusted in every way. That they will do you justice in the final images, that they will treat you with respect and dignity, and that includes how they treat your images once they are created.

Why then are there customer images proudly displayed on my website gallery? How is it that the art I have for sale are in part from customer images? It is because every one of those customers have been approached for permission and given permission to use those images in that manner. Approached without obligation, and with respect, indicating that those images are very special. That they have value not just to the customer, but an objective value to ANY viewer because they are simply beautiful and artistic. And there is no pressure whatsoever; it is an open invitation to join the other spectacular images in the array. They retain the rights to those images, because I have released them completely. They are in effect, LOANING me the images with permission, but I no longer own them.

This is a significant difference to how many if not most photographers operate. Compare INFINI Boudoir to other photographers in the field; most retain their ownership of the images. This means you get monitor sized photos, not images you can legally print at any local shop. Nor would you want to as they would appear small and blurry or pixelated. We give you FULL SIZE images, and the full ownership rights. Many photographers will charge you exhorbitant prices for this type of licensing.

Why do we do this? Because we genuinely care about our customers. We care enough to create the highest quality images, to protect our customer's privacy by safeguarding their images, and to provide them with a great value for their money.

- Dario INFINI

Why Is Artistic Photography Soooo Expensive?

Frugality is on all our minds these days. In these tough economic times, we prudently take extra steps to economize wherever possible. Where we would like a Lexus, perhaps a Toyota will do. We cut back on eating out or downgrade where we eat out in the interests of trimming costs, yet still living and enjoying our lives to a reasonable degree where possible.

For a high quality service such as custom artistic photography, there are real costs incurred. A physical shoot location such as a brick and mortar studio or a high value parlor suite is a heavy cost adder. The other main component is the cost of skilled labor, or what should more accurately be called "talent". Dedicated hair style and make up staff are a critical component of a successful shoot. And finally there is significant time invested with a client during the consultation, the photosession, and on retouching and creating the final products.

The time factor is an important element of the shoot. We often find that clients relax into their true personal style 30-45 minutes into the shooting part of the session. The most dramatic shots usually come after this initial period. Moreover the shoot is constructed around the style you want to achieve. Everything from austere bodyscape art through Victoria's Secret style images and beyond. Capturing images that are beautiful and flattering to your form usually takes effort and time to tease the inner beauty out to complement the outer beauty.

In general, mall photography is a time limited affair designed for a high volume market. Actual shooting times in such establishments often range around 20 minutes, barely enough time to start to feel comfortable let alone get compelling, communicative shots.

Their marketing often relies on low entry price lures to bring the customer in for a session; the revenue is then increased on the back side of the session through upsell/upcharge sales techniques. Moreover, as a volume oriented business, the studio is designed around tried and true props and shooting styles. While this does create a studio consistency in the look and feel of the work, it also tends to limit the uniqueness, variety, and innovation that is possible when working individually with a client.

Surprisingly, the average sale from a mall photo session experience is not always markedly different from the cost of a custom photo session. Whereas the balance between studio expense and talent costs are weighted in favor of talent with a custom photographer, they are instead weighted in favor of studio expenses for the mall studio, necessarily because of the exhorbitant costs of retail sales space.

What this means is that while a client ultimately pays similar prices for either experience, it is the custom artistic photographer that will provide the better quality and service because that is where the greater share of the revenue is going.

The difference in quality also comes from the custom photographer spending far greater time with the client as well as the caliber of the experienced staff's artistic talent.




Why is it expensive? Because it costs a lot to deliver this service. And it is mostly a service. The value of the delivered product is in the time, effort, and skill it took to create and capture the images, not in the actual prints. In my business model, I prefer to be honest about costs so my clients dont have a surprise bill when they try to leave a session with a few finished prints.

For me, its a matter of integrity and a part of the ethics with which I conduct my business.



Dario

Female Boudoir Photographers - Right for You?

There are some female boudoir photographers who market themselves or their teams as specifically female, playing to and emphasizing the concerns of those clients who harbor reservations about boudoir photography. I dont begrudge them their attempts to leverage any particular area to marketing advantage; this is a business after all. And I have indeed seen a small minority of clients who do suffer a legitimate personal phobia in posing for a male photographer. However for the average client who entertains the normal apprehensions about it, I can say that though I cant relate in any meaningful fashion, I certainly sympathize with those concerns.

With today's technology that allows anyone to purchase a powerful though relatively inexpensive digital camera and call themselves a "professional photographer", the industry is indeed rife with practitioners with little or no vision, questionable talent, and less than a solid sense of ethics and appreciation for human dignity. There is little outright criminal behavior in the industry, any more than any other. But feeling awkward and uncomfortable is a legitimate complaint that no customer should have to contend with.

The most important aspect of differentiating those who take their craft seriously and those who view it as a tool of questionable intent is to examine the quality of their work. One can check references as well and though that can be an additional tool of consideration, just about anyone barring hardcore criminals can find one or two people willing to vouch for them. Quality on the other hand is unmistakable. A boudoir photographer with an extensive portfolio of quality work provides three important indicators:

A) that they know what they're doing,
B) that they've been doing it for a reasonably long time, and accordingly and most importantly,
C) that they are not likely to jeopardize the career and livelihood they've built up with criminal and/or questionable acts.

Of course there are always exceptions; you will find them in all professions -- dentists, doctors, even sadly, the clergy. Nevertheless, some sense of confidence in your selection of photographer will help put you at ease and get the best results for your money.

How can you tell what is a "quality" portfolio? It is similar to the difference in detail between a scam/spam email offer and a legitimate request from a friend. Almost invariably, scam emails are replete with poor punctuation, sentence structure, and an improbable storyline. Those are surely bound for the delete folder, not that all legitimate email is written in the King's english. But you can have a strong sense of what's real and what is highly suspect.

When evaluating a photographer for your employ, examine his body of prior work. Does it show magazine quality aspects? Does it show a command of lighting that flatters the subject rather than look like it was taken with a snapshot camera? Does it show an ability to compose a shot that arranges the subject in her most beautiful, feminine lines and curves? This is not an accident but a directed skill. Even a supermodel can be made to look unseemly and awkward if posed incorrectly. Does the photographer's website indicate a sense of credibility, of establishment, and continuity?

Finally, when considering the gender of your artistic photographer, include in that consideration who these images are for. While many women have boudoir photographs taken for reasons of their own fulfillment, and this is perfectly fine, many do have the intent of giving them as a gift to a special significant other, likely male eyes. It is clear that not only are men and women different physically, but their psyches work in different ways. While a woman photographer is perfectly legitimate and may be entirely talented and skilled in her craft, one should account that we as men and women see and appreciate with different sensibilities.

When one thinks of the celebrated renaissance masters of art who painted the iconic masterpieces of their time, it is unavoidable to consider Rembrandt, Raphael, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Boticelli. Of course it would be disingenuous to overlook the influence of their respective paternalistic cultures, and that women are without doubt, strongly represented in the arts, nevertheless, there is something to be said for being photographed with a male perspective.

Ultimately, if one cannot under any circumstance consider posing for a male photographer, then it is of course out of the question. It is better to have pictures taken well than to be uncomfortable during the entire session as that would undermine the whole point. However in all other circumstances, what should be the overriding decision is not the gender of your photographer, but the quality of their work.

Which is why we market INFINI Boudoir as photography for the discriminating woman.

~Dario

Boudoir Photography as Therapy

"I cannot thank you enough for this experience it was absolutely amazing for me."

So she wrote to me in a thank you note. She later expressed that I would never know what this experience meant to her. And I think she is right, I cannot know. I am only the photographer. Charged with the task of sculpting and teasing the individual beauty from each of my clients. I am not a psychologist or licensed therapist of some kind.

But what I do know is that there is an unintended second order reaction to a boudoir photography session. A reaction that may in fact be more powerful than just receiving a handful of beautiful images. I have often been advised by many a client how the experience has been a fulfilling one, one with deep meaning, reaching into and filling a void in self-confidence, self-worth.

Women become interested in boudoir photography for a variety of reasons, and their concerns number almost as many. Our society finds itself in a raging hurricane of images of feminine beauty, blasting from every form of media. While intellectually, the mind knows the imagery is manufactured and carefully tailored to sell a product; emotionally, women compare themselves to the impossible perfection found in these images and wrestle with terrible self-doubt.

Yet, they know that they somehow must compete. While they have the attention of a special person, yet they know he is blasted with the same ubiquitous imagery. And so they come, interested, and harboring a great deal of trepidation for their perceived shortcomings, yet they come. To see if they too can be held in such esteem by their loved ones. To give them a special gift, the visual feast that conveys desire to crown the affectionate relationship that they already have.

To this end, women show great courage as they do in all their great endeavours. Seeking to become mothers because they have so much love to give, but at great pain and danger to themselves. Seeking out boudoir photos because they have so much love to give, and yet engaging the scrutiny of personal vulnerability.

They arrive to the photosession not knowing what to expect, unsure of themselves, unsure of the process. And because of this, we go out of our way to make them comfortable, welcoming them, helping them select their best outfits, talking with them, laughing with them. The make up staff is as personable as your best friend, asking about your husband or lover, your background and interests, and your hopes for this shoot, all while pampering you with the attention lavished on a 5th Ave. Supermodel.




As supermodels dont typically walk around looking like supermodels (ever see the before and after shots of models in their every day lives and during a shoot?), so through the magic of make up, hairstyling, lighting, and expert camera work, we transform our every day clients into supermodels for a day. And they truly look stunning; even I am amazed every single time.

We want this to be an enriching experience. For our purposes, we need them to be engaged, to communicate what they came to say to their loved ones. In our images, they must let themselves go, to be able to impart through body language and facial expression, an earnest and genuine affection and desire. And to this end, we encourage them during the process of the shoot in a non-judgemental atmosphere so that we can achieve what they came to do.

We find that after 30-45 minutes, their initial concerns melt away and they are encouraged by the sample images they see and our exhortation to do even better. By the end of the session, they are physically sore (posing is hard work! -- modeling is not a trivial exercise!), but emotionally they are recharged and gratified.

And even still they harbor a twinge of self doubt. Until they see their photos. And then the tears start flowing. Yes, tears. Its that powerful.

Me, personally, I like to create beautiful images. The world is a weary place, filled with corruption and misery. And so I wallpaper my life with beautiful images. But I am deeply touched by how this simple visual craft is able to so powerfully affect my clients, as if I was a counselor or special friend. It makes what I do that much more meaningful. Its not simply boudoir photography anymore, its

'Chicken soup for the soul'