Having enough light and a steady hand, mostly.

Thank you! I get them from blackriverimaging.com .

When you say several, how many do you mean? I found out what lenses I primarily used, put those on my 2 bodies and keep another 2-3 in my camera bag. I prefer taking 2 cameras with my most used lenses already on them.

Nope. I only use them when I need them. I'd say 50% of the time? I always have it with me though just in case.

I had the same problem when I was trying to come up with a name, so I decided to just keep it simple and then came to life Simply Boudoir. Which sounds boring now that I read it written out like that. haha.

Yes ma'am, still rocking my D300. I would love to get a D700 and maybe in this coming year I will. My biggest purchases last year were my Mac and my 24-70. The good thing about boudoir is that a great set of prime lenses work perfectly and you can usually buy 2-3 of those for the price of a quality zoom.

I always show them a few. :) Especially if they're nervous and I snap one that I really like then I'll show them and that will actually help them relax. I shoot wide open most of the time so my photos are always bright and have a good depth of field to hide any obvious flaws. The usual response is "OMG, is that ME?!" I never show them one that I know just didn't work, though.

A D700! :)

A D700! :)

I design them myself in Photoshop and have them printed at WHCC.

It depends on the situation. If I know the lighting is good I shoot JPG but if the lighting is iffy or I'm shooting a wedding (always), I shoot RAW + Jpg. I shoot both because if I see the lighting is fine I delete the RAW files from my computer to save space. Some actions and effects have grain added in or help bright out shadows so that may be what is making the photos noisy.

I shoot over exposed by a stop or two (or give). Hah. I also shoot wide open which lets in a lot of light. I like bright and happy photos.

I have a few on mine but only because they've become close friends. Aside from that, I feel better when I keep them separate. Not only because of what I talk about but also because sometimes I just need a break from that aspect of my life and I don't want to constantly be reminded of PHOTOSHOOT! PHOTOGRAPHY! EDITING! CLIENTS! Ya'know?

It depends. Usually venues that host weddings pretty much know a photographer is going to be there. Some places do not allow you to shoot inside though (some churches or even museums), so you may want to check with the regulations. Your bride should get all of that information in a packet from the venue, though, and pass it along to you.

Hah. I actually offered to shoot my best friend since middle schools wedding for free. If she knows the value of your photography and what it's worth, I don't see why that shouldn't count as gift enough. If you feel like it doesn't seem like much though and you want to get her just a little something extra, just buy her a nice bottle of wine?

It depends. I don't tag people on my boudoir facebook because those are a little more risque and people may not want their friends and family to see them, which I understand. For weddings, portraits, engagements, etc., yes, I tag them. They are also more than welcome to use the ones from their image DVD's as well. It's kind of like free advertisement, so why not?

I include both the small web-size with the watermark and the large resolution without watermark. I do ask if they post them online to please use the ones with watermarks so people can find their way back to me. For print, they use the larger without watermark. I also give them a signed print release with permission to print them.

I use a JoTote camera bag and I LOVE it! It does look more like a purse and I liked that for the same reason you do. Here is the link to them. Super cute, sturdy AND affordable! http://jototes.com/

My favorite is probably my phoenix with the newly added Japanese greywash and flowers. I used to feel like I had to hide them but now I don't. My tattoos are a part of who I am and if anyone hires me, I'm assuming they've seen my website where they've seen my photos and they've seen I have tattoos. They also see that they don't reflect the job I do or the outcome of my work and they've never been an issue. If someone wouldn't want to hire me because I have tattoos then they wouldn't be the client I'd want, anyway. I do cover them up at certain shoots, though (weddings in a church) just out of respect for the bride and groom. It's never been an issue though and I doubt it ever will be. :)

Yay! Have fun! Take your time and try out different things! I've never used Elements so I don't know any useful tips but I can tell you that I am still learning new things about editing. Just yesterday I found some new tips and tricks in Photoshop. Just have fun, look up videos and test out the features!