Nervous is normal.

Nearly everyone who books a boudoir session has never done anything like it. Not one of them is a model. The work of looking comfortable is the photographer's job, not yours — after three decades and more than a thousand shoots, Marc Pagani directs every frame, so there is nothing you are expected to already know.

Nerves usually last about five minutes. Once the first few frames are shot, the room relaxes and the session becomes a conversation with a camera in it.

Sessions are photographed at the private studio at 1216 N Galvez Street in Mid-City, near Tremé and Esplanade Ridge. No one is present but you and the photographer unless you bring someone. Many clients bring a friend or partner for the first half hour; others prefer the room quiet. Both are fine.

You control the pace, the wardrobe, and how much you want to show. Nothing is photographed that you have not agreed to, and you can change your mind at any point in the session.

You are told where to put your hands, your chin, your weight, your eyes — one small instruction at a time. Marc will often demonstrate the pose himself, which is usually pretty hilarious and does more to break the tension than any amount of reassurance.

Music plays. There are breaks. You will see images on the back of the camera as the session goes if you'd like, so you are never waiting weeks to find out how it went.

Arrive with time to spare rather than rushing in from traffic. Eat something. Bring more outfits than you think you need, so the session has somewhere to go if one look is not feeling right.

Bring a piece of clothing that means something to you. People relax noticeably when they are wearing something familiar — a partner's shirt, a band tee, a jacket they have had for years.

Professional hair and makeup can be added to any session. It is the most common add-on, and beyond how it looks, an hour in a styling chair is a gentle way to settle in before the camera comes out.

Your privacy is the priority. Images are never shared publicly or used for marketing without your written permission. Finished images arrive in a private online gallery, and what happens to them after that is entirely your decision.