Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Thebeau.
Katie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I think photography has been chasing me my whole life, it’s even in my DNA as my grandfather was a great photography enthusiast; I still have many of his vintage cameras placed throughout the studio.
I remember being in elementary school and carrying a camera around everywhere I went and later in high-school I signed up for photography classes, where I learned the fundamentals and how to process film the old-fashioned way, in the darkroom.
Coincidentally during this time, I was signed by a modeling agency where I had the opportunity to experience being in front of the camera. This exposed me to a whole new world of fashion and glamour, igniting my passion for beauty photography. Getting to experience the transformative effects of a professional photo-shoot made me realize that all women would love this experience and treasure having these types of images.
Not realizing this passion could ever become a career path for me, I pursued the safe, traditional route of a college degree and working in corporate America.
Fast forward 10 years, a corporate lay-off gave me an opportunity to sit back and really think about what I wanted to do with my life. Instead of looking at it as a crisis, I saw it as an opportunity to change directions and chase after my dreams.
I got professionally trained as a boudoir photographer, designed a gorgeous studio, and went all in.
For the past 5 years, every day I passionately live and breathe boudoir photography and I continue to refine my skills and grow as a professional on a daily basis and have never looked back. It truly is a passionate labor of love.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
On the outside looking in, it would appear that the business of boudoir photography is all light-hearted glitz and glamour.
My naivety from never running a business, made me underestimate the amount of sheer commitment, will power and cold hard cash it takes to get a business off the ground.
To start with, the initial investment to get high quality camera gear, proper training, and setting up a basic studio is not cheap. I even made a few expensive buying mistakes that were very costly, which can be devastating when you are rubbing pennies together.
During the first 3 years, there was a lot of self-sacrifice, from lack of sleep to having to reinvest every penny I made back into my business.
On a personal level, doing something I’m so passionate about requires a lot of self-control to not get completely lost in it and neglect the other important aspects of my life such as family, relationships and self-care.
It’s also a daily balancing act, between not just allowing myself to do the “fun stuff” or exciting things that drew me to this field, but also the other components that make up a successful and sustainable business, such as the accounting, legal contracts, taxes, and marketing.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Beau Boudoir story. Tell us more about the business.
Beau Boudoir is a full-service private luxury studio in North Dallas, specializing in boudoir & beauty photography. This experience is for every woman at every stage no matter her dress size or age. What’s unique about Beau Boudoir is the gorgeous private studio space, luxurious sets, designer boudoir closet, on-site professional hair & makeup, styling and posing guidance throughout the entire experience, private viewing room, professional retouching and product boutique.
Every woman that comes to Beau Boudoir is personally shot by the owner & main photographer, Katie Thebeau. She has been professionally trained in boudoir photography and won numerous awards for her boudoir work, she has also successfully photographed well over 500 women of all ages and sizes. Her magical gift to the world is that she can bring out the sexy in even the shyest or awkward of women. She is dedicated to each client having the best possible experience, highest quality, and the most beautiful images to treasure for a lifetime.
Each client receives a pre-consultation where we discuss the personality, styling and vision for her shoot, so that we can create a custom experience showcasing the uniqueness of each woman within her shoot.
No need for a client to spend a fortune on what to wear, as our boudoir closet is overflowing with designer heels, lingerie, stockings, corsets and accessories.
Our studio has been specifically designed for boudoir and beauty photography with gorgeous custom sets; ranging from light and airy to darker moodier sets. Another thing that sets us apart is that we don’t just shoot with natural light, but we are also professionally trained with studio lighting so we can create fine art through lighting techniques which gives client’s a great variety of looks.
Each client’s favorite images are then professionally retouched to magazine quality and their products are ordered from top professional photo labs. It really is such a fun experience, with champagne and a robe offered when you arrive and music playing throughout the studio. I know it’s scary to try something out of your comfort zone but we will be holding your hand every step of the way from that initial phone consultation, styling and posing, to the selection of your final images and photo products.
Yes, this can be an amazing gift for a significant other, but most importantly this experience is about celebrating a woman just as she is right in this moment, that she is perfectly imperfect. This whole experience will change the way a woman looks at herself and helps her to realize just how beautiful and sexy she really is.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Women in the DFW area tend to put a great deal of effort into looking and feeling their best, boudoir photography is a great way to preserve and cherish all the hard work women put into their beauty and to preserve it for a lifetime. We are very happy in the DFW area and feel the glamourous style of our photography is truly appreciated here.
Pricing:
- Sessions start at $350, professionally edited images, albums and wall art are purchased separately after client views and selects their favorite images.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5820 Ridgehaven Drive,
Plano, TX - Website: www.beauboudoir.com
- Phone: 469-231-1065
- Email: info@beauboudoir.com
Image Credit:
Katie Thebeau
Craig Lamere
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
