Are you in love or loved by a special someone? Engaged? Pregnant? Celebrating a milestone in your…read morelife? Feeling proud about recent weight loss or athletic training? Yeah, me neither. Even so, my session with Koren Reyes was meaningful, and I was made to feel that I might even deserve the treat that this experience proved to be. This is how it all came about. A friend spotted a Groupon for a boudoir photo shoot, and lassoed me into the deal. Being uncultured, I had no idea what a boudoir photo was, and had to learn that it comes from the French word for bedroom, and is a collection of seductive and classy (as opposed to smutty and raunchy, in case there was any confusion) photos that women traditionally present as romantic mementos to their lovers. I agreed to give it a whirl, then forgot about it until the week before, when Koren herself started sending thoughtful reminders and illuminating contract information. The night before, I wigged out a bit, wondering what the HELL I was going to do to force myself to look good since I still had a patchwork of tan lines on my skin and a winter hibernation gut. Oh, and I didn't really have lingerie sets as far as garters and all that was concerned... The next morning, I showed up at Koren's house a bit before ten. There was a professional studio setup right in her high rise Midtown West apartment. "You look very West Coast," she said in her down to Earth manner, eyeing my duffel bag full of piecemeal negligee and my Marmot rain jacket. "Are you from Seattle?" I liked her already. We chatted a bit about what I wanted. I was a bit wired from a rough evening of partying the sleepless night that followed, but she put me at ease and managed to get the essentials out of me. I was welcome to her pine candle scented bathroom to change into my things, and we got to work right away. She was a meticulous master of poses; telling me exactly how to create curves I definitely don't have, and reminding me to stick my chin out so my jowls don't show. If I shyly mumbled about something I wanted to try, she picked up on it and made me work. I had walked in thinking that my face was my only asset if anything, but was shocked that I ended up choosing prints that were more abstract and dependent on the structure of the pose and the lighting. Koren was patient and enthusiastic as I finally chose my two 5x7 prints, and even added an extra one because I just couldn't let it go. She took my credit card info, printed me a receipt, and handed me a picture CD of all the thumbnails (only lightly watermarked). I had some time left over before my friend arrived, so she let me sit around, play with her adorable dog, and just ask her questions aplenty about the gigantic prints and framed photos all around the studio. One thing that caught me off guard was her maternity photography. I swore to her that her photos were one of the first things that made me see the beauty of pregnancy. I have no idea if she believed that, but I wasn't shitting around. "I wish someone loved me like this," I sighed, looking at a nude couple with the man spooning his round bellied wife and kissing her neck. "Oh, I MADE them do that," Koren said. She shared a few more fascinating secrets realities of the people and situations of each photo. She also shared the intensity of shoots with women prior to mastectomies, after surgery, or facing terminal illness. I was stunned and entertained by her memory and attention to the lives behind her photos. What I valued most from my two hours of art and introspection (and a bit of physical strain in holding poses - haha) with Koren was that any self-consciousness or tendency for anxious exhibitionist melted away in her presence. I became a medium for her art, and ended up with pieces that were not even me, but a moment of visual aesthetic made possible by a true professional with a good heart. These days, it seems like anyone can just shoot a photo and make it pop with Photoshop. Koren restored my faith in the fact that there is still a level of photography that not just anyone can reach with a digital device and the power of editing programs. I can see how boudoir posing could be addictive despite the high-end price (still reasonable considering all that she puts into it). However, I purposely want to wait until I do reach a milestone or a special occasion. Who knows what it will be, but I will definitely revisit Koren at that time, knowing it will be worth every penny, even without a special discount. Whether you are facing a special time in your life or want to put your stamp on someone's heart or just want to explore parts of you that you never knew, Koren Reyes's studio is the place to go.

I bought this Groupon during a sleepless-college-finals-week when I had a moment of feeling daring…read more I then waited until the last possible minute to use it because I was feeling nervous (a more natural feeling for me). The shoot was a lot of fun. Koren made me feel incredibly comfortable and was great about directing my poses which I was happy to not have to think of myself. She complimented me, making me feel good about myself in the moment. As someone who is not thrilled with their body, I hoped the shoot would help me learn to love it. Looking at my photos, I don't feel this as much as I hoped to. Most of them are hidden on the CD I got and I refuse to let my boyfriend of three years see them. Nonetheless, I was able to find 2 that I liked to order and he absolutely LOVES them. When choosing photos, Koren was very patient and very kind. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to her and recommend the experience for anyone (just remember she can't actually change what your body looks like!).