Read the latest blog posts on fantasy boudoir with queer friendly boudoir photographer Neon Velvet Studio in Philadelphia! Fantasy can mean a lot of different things, from sexy halloween to dark witchy boudoir and vampire horror and more! Get inspired for your session.
YES you can bring accessories! Horns? Fangs? A secret third thing? I have a few hard limits to what I will shoot but generally I’m very open to your ideas!
YES to horny catholicism!
YES to fans of Guillermo Del Toro and Frankenstein yearning!
YES to gothic romantic valentine’s looks!
MAYBE the set will return in december to dress up with some evergreen and make a gothic christmas set.
“The studio atmosphere and beautiful set made me feel comfortable and creative, with room to play around and indulge in finding poses and character moments.”
“I had the most wonderful day at Neon Velvet Studio with Cassie. This was my first boudoir experience and I am so grateful to her for making it extremely warm, welcoming, and low pressure! I was so worried about looking awkward in my photos and Cassie was incredible at helping me with body and facial … Continue reading Taylor→
Ready for tips on choosing between traditional shower boudoir and unrestrained rain room boudoir for your wet summer photoshoot? I’ve got some info about similarities and differences to help. But first…
This was such a success at my Philly boudoir studio in summer 2025 that I’m delighted to announce:
A rain room is an immersive studio setup with custom lighting where water falls from above to simulate rain! If you’re of a certain age you might recognize the concept from Tom Holland’s iconic lip sync performance:
(If you’re of a different substantially younger age, you might know it from TikTok, and if you’re of an older age think 80s video vixen)
Rain rooms have been staples of cinematic sound stages in Hollywood for decades, and now I’m bringing one to Philly! I’m so excited to put a little Neon Velvet Studio spin on the concept.
What are A Rain Room’s advantages over shower Boudoir?
Size and drama! Unlike a shower, a rain room isn’t moored in most people’s realities, so you can wear whatever you like in it without people being like ‘why are you dressed like a pouty shepherdess in the shower?’. Judgy.
But outfits aren’t the only advantage! It’s also bigger than a shower stall, offering more opportunity for dramatic poses. As the model you’ll have more freedom and space to pose your heart out. You can do your best Flashdance moment, shoes and chair and all (BYO chair).
And with a custom set build, I can create more variety and more moods! I can shoot from more angles, and place lights where a shower wouldn’t allow. A rain room offers so many different opportunities for the finished product.
Why Choose a Shower Photoshoot over A Rain Room Boudoir session?
Rain rooms can be built inside or outside. They won’t always have a hot water hookup; like organic rain, there might be no control over the water temperature or climate! Maybe you’re a brave soul who’s ready to risk it all for results (bless you), but if you’re not, a steamy shower might be more your vibe. A shower offers the opportunity to lean into lather, revealing or concealing with soapy foam. It’s simple, easy, sexy, great for beginners.
Shared Pros
Rain room boudoir and shower boudoir offer some similar opportunities:
✧ crisp water droplets beading on wet skin ✧ sensual streams of water in motion ✧ wet t-shirt contests ✧ wet no-shirt contests ✧ slicked back hair ✧ runny makeup (optional for my messy queens)
What will I need to bring?
Any outfits you don’t mind getting wet! Great options include a white t-shirt or simple tank top, a pair of sporty bottoms like the classic cotton Calvin Klein set, or something a bit more femme! You can bring swimwear like your favorite microkini or sultry one-piece, glitzy chain harnesses and body jewelry, or shoes you won’t slip-and-slide out of when they’re wet.
Most outfits from the Neon Velvet Studio closet can also be used for a wet set! Bring something cozy to wear after; I’ll have towels to dry off with, and makeup wipes in case you’re too smudgy to be out in the world. If you’re a contact lens wearer, I recommend bringing your lens case, solution, and backup glasses, just in case the water irritates your eyes!
Booking Your Philadelphia Rain Room Boudoir Photoshoot with Me
I only schedule a limited number of these summer sessions at my home studio in the Philly suburbs, so please plan ahead if you want to get wet and wild with a Neon Velvet twist!
✧ Submit your booking form for a solo deluxe session or a couples boudoir shoot
✧ Pay your retainer and/or start your payment plan (the earlier you book, the lower your payments!)
✧ Tell your friends! The more the merrier; you can come do this experience together! 4-6 friends scheduling the same day are eligible for mini session pricing per person!
✧ Best value: the rain room will be available as an add on to deluxe sessions during July/August/early September! So you can come and shoot just the rain room, or do a whole NV boudoir session then get your rain on for a small additional fee! 🖤
“I’ve worked with Cassie for maternity photos, headshots, and boudoir. In each of these very different contexts she made me feel both comfortable and creative, and the end products were beautiful representations of me.”
“Getting boudoir shots was always on my bucket list, but getting them done with Cassie made the whole thing that much more special. She was super supportive and made sure I was comfortable with every aspect of the experience. I had a rough patch several months before my session (the passing of one of my … Continue reading Rommy D.→
Be the Star of A Renaissance Painting in the New Cloud Boudoir Mini Set
I’m still figuring out what to call it—Mount Olympus? Cloud Nine? Hera’s Haze? Just Like Heaven? Another secret thing yet to reveal itself?—but I’m too excited to share with you to wait. I’m bringing back cloud boudoir!
The new mini set theme is here and I’m obsessed! Just like last year’s Golden Gods, we are returning to sun-kissed celestial splendor with a renaissance art twist for our summer boudoir vibes! This heavenly scene is available as a standalone mini-session or as a set within a deluxe session!
Embody your goddess energy for a Renaissance painting-inspired boudoir cloud mini photo session, featuring lush golden colors, dreamy fabric drapery, and glowy soft fluffy heaven! These ethereal sessions will put you in photos that look like fine art paintings, with gorgeous buttery lighting and angelic haze. You can be a serene and benevolent god, or a sultry avenging angel. You can be a holy mother, or an unholy terror. The choice is yours.
It’s like a Renaissance art photoshoot and an intimate cloud boudoir mini set all in one!
This creative boudoir session in the clouds is perfect for:
✧ Art history lovers ✧ Pregnant people/expecting mothers who want a fantasy maternity photoshoot ✧ Fantasy and romantasy (or fantasy romance, if you hate a portmanteau) readers ✧ Women whose queer awakening was Meg from Hercules (or one of the Chorus) ✧ Adults who were once obsessed with Greek Mythology (or Roman, you do you!), gods of Egypt, little cupids, big harps, and pipe-cleaner halos ✧ Adults who are still obsessed with Greek Mythology and cried at Song of Achilles ✧ Queer people who grew up in Catholic school ✧ People who love costumes. Come on. Bring me a backstory. Get in here with your hand-crafted D&D paladin or whatever. The elf ears stay on. Let’s fucking go. If this dreamy set is the vibe for your OC I’m ready. Bring wings. ✧ Fans of gilded Eastern-European iconography, and portraits of saints (CW: Saint Sebastian) ✧ Anyone who can give an unplanned 5-minute TED Talk on the inherent erotic yearning in religious art ✧ Celebrants of the divinely feminine, divinely masculine, and every hallowed combination of the two
Customize Your Cloud Boudoir mini shoot
As always, the Neon Velvet boudoir client closet is available to help you achieve your dreamiest most heavenly version of yourself, but here are some ideas to inspire your mood board for your creative boudoir session:
✧ Accessorize with gold, silver, leather, jewels, harnesses, and more ✧ Fresh flowers for a spring goddess, lush greenery for summer, a cornucopia for harvest gods, a sheaf of wheat, a spear, a candle ✧ A lantern to guide souls to (or from) the underworld ✧ A bow, a harp, a halo, or wings to keep it classic and angelic ✧ Chains and swords to be a fallen angel ✧ Fantasy ears, crystal crowns, leather accessories if you want to dress like your favorite bat boy (I see you, booktok girlies) ✧ Gold leafing painted on you, and nothing else
Honestly the sky’s the limit (I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m just pandering to my audience!) and I’d be delighted to hear which divine being, fantasy figure, or virtue you vibe with! Let’s brainstorm unique elements together in your consultation. And if you don’t have a concept but you want to join in the fun, I have ideas to spare and will tailor one to fit you!
“I have had the absolute pleasure of working with Cassandra multiple times and never in my life have I felt so empowered and comfortable with a photographer. The amount of detail and care that is placed in every aspect of the sets, lighting, down to the gallery curation is magnificent and there is never a … Continue reading Heather D.→
“I’ve worked with Cassie for maternity photos, headshots, and boudoir. In each of these very different contexts she made me feel both comfortable and creative, and the end products were beautiful representations of me.”
It’s Halloween Boudoir season again, so let’s get into a few ways you can add a little pumpkin spice to your boudoir session! 👻
I’m a gay goth goblin so it’s probably no surprise to hear I love Halloween and the season that surrounds it. It’s leather jacket weather, the air is crisp but not too cold, leaves crunch when you step on them, and I’m not the only one listening to The Cramps and hanging out in cemeteries. I’ve got a great group of spooky friends and clients, so it’s only natural that energy creeps into my boudoir photography.
Let’s look at four basic categories of halloween hottie!
Sweet Treats
Is this a sweet treat? I think it is! This one’s for my lifestyle spooky babes, who keep halloween in their hearts year-round. You read cozy witch romance novels year round. Your perfect boudoir session is dark and moody, atmospheric, dramatic, a little creepy cute, smolderingly sexy. Maybe you dream of witchy boudoir to help you cast a spell on your sweetie with a one-of-a-kind photo album! Are you planning a Practical Magic costume while you’re reading this?
Spicy Pumpkins
Where are my sirens? Those who embrace sensuality all the time, and are looking to Halloween for an excuse to live out their particular dark romance fantasies! Maybe that scream mask hair pull TikTok awakened something in you and you want to do creepy costumed boudoir. Your dream session a mix of drama, kink, nudity, and maybe fake blood or Evil Dead style black ooze. (Note: I’m keeping reference images here suuuuper PG but please don’t feel limited by that!) Perhaps a dark fantasy photoshoot is just the fit for you!
Spooky Cuties
You’re a halloween movie buff who thrives on all things scary and supernatural! Maybe you’ve been working on a sexy cosplay of an original character or a fan favorite. You’re delighted by fantasy boudoir, elaborate costumes, theme sets. More is more, and you really bring your best this time of year. Pumpkins, candles, skulls; you deserve all the occult trappings!
Autumn Vibes
This is for my Pumpkin Spice Princesses, the babes who aren’t into all the halloween stuff. They want a little candy, some pretty leaves, and a nice latte! You love dress up but like to keep it cute, so maybe you’re a Pink Pony Girl looking for your fantasy dance club photoshoot. Your perfect halloween boudoir look involves lace and rhinestones, more masquerade than mask. You get the picture.
Halloween Boudoir Inspiration: How to Get the Halloween Spirit
You’ve got a lot of options to make your photos a scream, whether you’re doing a professional boudoir photography session or taking some sexy spooky selfies! Here’s some things to help you prepare:
Choose your vibe: are you silly, spooky, or scary? Horror comedy, or dark thriller?
Pick thematic outfits. This can be anything from goth lingerie to something straight from the scenes of your favorite final girl or haunted horror.
Get atmospheric. Setting is huge! Maybe you’re a Scream fan, so you want to do your session in an oversized sweater in a kitchen while making some stovetop popcorn! Or the isolated woods are calling you.
Lighting matters! Deep ominous shadows and color gels can help create a dark and moody boudoir vibe to perfect your scenery and get that Nosferatu energy.
The devil’s in the details. What little elements can you add to really put the last nails in the coffin? Claw-like fingernails, fantasy contact lenses, ominous ooze? Props are great so don’t forget candles, candy, jack-o-lanterns, or your favorite crystal ball.
Shy? Halloween boudoir is a great opportunity to wear a mask or get out of your shell and into character.
Final Girl Final Thoughts
The most important part of boudoir in general–and halloween boudoir in particular–is to have fun. In my opinion classic boudoir photography is a great opportunity to see yourself in a new way, and themed boudoir sessions are perfect for trying something fun and maybe a little unusual for you! So what are you waiting for? Get your selfie setup and start snapping, or schedule your free consultation for a session with me!
“I had the most wonderful day at Neon Velvet Studio with Cassie. This was my first boudoir experience and I am so grateful to her for making it extremely warm, welcoming, and low pressure! I was so worried about looking awkward in my photos and Cassie was incredible at helping me with body and facial … Continue reading Taylor→
“Working with Cassie is like working with your badass friend who hypes you up no matter what you’re doing. Cassandra has helped me advertise both sides of my personality with comedy headshots and spicy portraits. I always feel so comfortable in their studio and I always appreciate their direction! Sometimes I feel lost or intimidated, … Continue reading Oliver D.→
Did the Dark Garden set building post make you curious for more? Let me help you picture yourself in the Dark Garden of Eden.
Are you: ✧ Corporeal (possibly involuntarily, because you’ve been cursed by a witch) ✧ Extremely into halloween, cosplay, or sweeping dramatically into a room in a floor-length gown ✧ Looking for any excuse to wear a crown ✧ Someone who looks at fantasy romances and thinks, ‘hmm, could be gayer.’ ✧ Exploring your sensual side (ominous, possibly as a threat) ✧ Ready to risk it all for forbidden knowledge of the arcane ✧ A will-o-the-wisp ✧ A crone who Knows Too Much ✧ Lowkey obsessed with being a Fae Prince (in a very hot and genderqueer way) ✧ Afraid for your mother to see just which books you read last year (ahem, dark romance readers) ✧ Into the Dark Maximalism or Dark Academia aesthetic
If you answered yes to three or more of the above, it sounds like your butt belongs in the Dark Garden!
Maybe it’s because I’m a photographer and a set building nerd, but I love to see process photos of how a series of images or a set are conceptualized and created! Here’s the first inkling of the Dark Garden of Eden set:
As you can see, the inspiration was darkness, gold, and roses. Maybe you’re looking at this thinking, ‘Wow, Cassie really loves red!’ and in 2024 that’s probably true! But it still feels surprising to me because I so rarely shot with a heavy red influence until the last few years!
I wanted greenery but not too green. I wanted it to be lush and detailed but not chaotic. So I began building…
…and this is when the Eden portion arrives! I thought, ‘More gold!’ and started buying and painting toy snakes, a totally normal expense to have to explain to my accountant as a boudoir photographer!
It’s difficult to paint with one hand and video with the other. But the vibe continued to expand as I added light and tested how it would look with the prisms I like to use when shooting…
… and here we are, after hundreds of red fairy lights, dozens of roses, yards of black lace and greenery panels!
A versatile and moody fantasy boudoir vibe for all my dark queens and kings (and queer-coded villains, I love you). It’s a little bit fairy tale, but the dark foreboding kind that suggests maybe you’re more witch than princess. It’s a set in which you can be your own dark romance.
Dark Garden of Eden returns for a limited time in my suburban Philadelphia studio June 2024 for your choice of a mini session, deluxe session, or couples session (bring a sweetheart or a friend, or if you’re into booktok tropes, a friend you’re hoping might become a sweetheart?). Prepayment plans are available! Come see what romantic vibes are in the air.
