Colette Boudoir by Karina Marie Diaz Photography

Karina was amazing in photographing my boyfriend and me in both our boudoir maternity photos and baby photos!
We can’t recommend her enough – we had never done anything like this before, but Karina made us so comfortable.
She welcomed us and did everything possible to make the situation natural and fun – it was like being with a good friend.
The natural light and setting of her studio are stunning. All this made such a difference in how the photos turned out – people won’t stop raving about them.
We will use her again in a heartbeat.

What an amazing experience! Karina is personable, professional, fun, light and lovely! I had never done a Budoir photo shoot before this but after experiencing Karina’s way, I will most certainly do it again– I highly recommend Karina for your next photo shoot; Budoir or otherwise. She has the knack for making you look like the very best version of yourself. I couldn’t be happier!

WARNING!!!: She has two different business names in Unilocal.Colette and Karina Diaz. I did not see the bad reviews before I went to her. In short, HORRIBLE experience.
I gave her $ 1300 for a boudoir photo session. This was for 1 ½ hour shoot and digital proofs. I sent her the check in FULL before the session. When I got there she was very unfriendly and told me she would not talk to me until I numbered my inspiration shots.
We would disagree on certain poses and then she would start yelling that she didn’t know what I wanted. She got angry when I brought up changing my eyeshadow color and said «I told you — you could change your lipstick color, but not your eyeshadow»
Karina talked me into going on the roof to do some boudoir shots, however when I got up there neighboring apartments looked directly onto the roof, I was in a boudoir outfit and told her I wasn’t comfortable, she responded again by yelling at me asking me if I wanted her to work for free. Then she pulled me into the stairwell of her apartment complex and told me to «bend over the handrail and I’ll just take a picture of your ass», which she demonstrated for me. Then ran away from me in the stairwell and I walked back alone to her apartment with a blanket over my boudoir outfit looking for her apartment. Her excuse was that she wanted to see if the cleaning lady was still in the apartment. I suggested that I should leave on three different occasions, because we weren’t getting along. Then she would switch gears and tell me the shots would be beautiful. Then she asked me if her cat could be in the photo shoot, because she loved it. I obliged, because I was naked or half naked in her apartment and getting yelled at by her. In the end, she even asked me for a tip. The pictures came out horrible, I just looked pissed off. She refused any kind of refund and offered a re-​shoot, but I wanted to bring a friend just to neutralize the situation and she wanted to charge me $ 50 plus tax to have a friend there.
This was my third photo shoot and I never had such a horrible experience. I also worked on photo shoots for retail companies so it’s not my first experience at a shoot.
She has no appreciation or respect for her clients and the photo shoot is all about her. If you do hire her — DO NOT send her payment in full for services not rendered that way you will have a little bit of leverage when you are there.

Karina is an amazing photographer. As shy and awkward as you may be, her kindness and passion in her work will immediately help you let your guards down in front of the camera.
I contacted her office two weeks ago with an interest in a boudoir session as an anniversary gift for my boyfriend. After several question & answer emails back and forth, I knew Karina was the photographer for me. Karina also photographed my sister’s wedding over ten years ago. I knew her work was amazing from the beginning, but I wanted to be sure she’s the right one for such an intimate setting.
One week later, I am in her gorgeous studio all ready to go. The entire experience was fun and sexy. I laid out all my outfits, jewelry and shoes. Watching Rachel Zoe really gave me an advantage in this case because I had to do four outfit changes & poses in one hour. It was so much fun! Karina and I went through my looks and she gave valuable tips throughout the session.
Karina was dedicated to capture my most beautiful moments. She was on the floor, climbed window sills, and was on her back throughout the hour. Her commitment and kind heart makes her stand out in the industry. She really wants to make her clients be their most beautiful without compromising their true personalities. I’m looking at my web gallery right now and I’m floored. The confidence in me is finally out of the box:)
Thank you Karina!

Dear Karina,
Thank you for introducing me to my inner glamourpuss… I’ve cleared out some space for her in my life and she’s moving in!
My boudoir session with Karina was so so so fun!
She makes you feel completely comfortable, despite probably being a bit outside your comfort zone, like you’re hanging out with one of your girlfriends (your really cool girlfriend who knows all about makeup and pretty things).
I added hair and makeup to my session and definitely recommend this. Karina made me feel pampered and gorgeous and camera ready! I only wish I had paid attention to what she was doing so I could replicate it, but I was having too much fun… sigh. She was also super helpful in steering me towards «outfits» and poses that work best for me (lacy panties: no, leopard panties: yes!). And most of all she’s fun to work with.
Karina is an artist and a professional who clearly loves what she does I’m confident that the savvy ladies out there will be able to sift through the reviews from people looking for the impossible and unreasonable.
Don’t wait til your wedding or maternity, do it cause it’s Wednesday and you’re hot!

This experience was not fun.
I too purchased the infamous Groupon. I at least got in before she stopped booking Groupon shoots. Not only that, I purchased an «additional Groupon» through her directly. You know how the original one cost $ 99? The advertised price of the additional Groupon was the same, but she charged $ 130 for the one I purchased directly from her. $ 30 «handling fee.» What?! She neglected to mention that, I found out when I reviewed my credit card statement. Not cool.
My appointment was scheduled for the end of May for the early afternoon. I got my hair and makeup done especially for the occasion. They called me just half an hour before my appointment (as I was already on my way) to tell me they were running behind and if I could please show up an hour and a half later… Ok, sure.
I show up at my newly appointed time and am completely rushed through the entire appointment. Karina barely pauses to greet me. I guess it doesn’t matter who I am, I’m just the next Groupon to come through the door. She reviewed my outfits and the pictures I had brought as «homework» and we got right to shooting. Now this is where I got REALLY annoyed. I can’t say it better than fellow Unilocaler Stacy W.:
«I had thought a lot about what I liked about the two images I selected and wanted to just tell her 3 words or so, a CONCEPT about what I liked which is you know, how it works I thought — how it was explained in all the emails I got ahead of time from her explaining how important this homework was, and its purpose… instead, she took one look at the top two images and said ‘Great! We’ll do these — Go get changed.’ The weirdest part of the whole experience was that she took two images that I selected and posed me in EXACTLY the same poses, down to my fingertips.» That was my experience to the letter.
Seriously? There was no creativity at work here. We just recreated the various poses from the photographs that I brought in. That was really upsetting.
I felt rushed the whole time. I had no time to get comfortable with the camera. She seems to have a bit of a frantic personality.
At the end she showed me some of the pictures on her cameras. As she was quickly moving through my pictures she accidentally showed me some of someone else. «Oh don’t worry, she signed the release.» Do I believe her? Hmmm… Then she says to me, if you buy the entire gallery its $ 350 (I think that was the price), the gallery will be ready in two weeks. If you just want what you purchased with the Groupon the gallery won’t be ready for 7 – 8 weeks. How does that work?
I would never recommend this experience to anyone.

I was hoping to leave 0 stars, but it’s just not possible. Karina Marie Diaz Photography gets my first 1 star review for their inability to honor Groupon deals and lack of accountability.
My girlfriend purchased my Groupon package along with Connie N. (review below). It’s completely unacceptable that she gave my pregnant friend attitude for wanting to schedule a shoot that she already paid for! What type of business are you running?!? I think it’s rather stupid that Karina’s site was down because she was «updating software» but then refused to schedule an appointment over the phone. I will not cut Karina a break. If your site is down for maintenance, take appointments via telephone. Isn’t it common sense? I guess not for her.
I emailed
in June to schedule a photoshoot and got the same run around many other people got. Her email response came in the form of a generic email stating that they were updating their software and unable to schedule appointments. Ready for rudeness? Her email stated: «Until this is set up we will not be responding to any scheduling email or phone requests.» Are you serious? Oh yeah, she was.
I got my Groupon deal refunded. What a waste of my time.

GROUPON REVIEW (perhaps she shows better manners when dealing with full paying patrons not using coupons and special deals?)
SEVERAL of my girlfriends purchased this awesome deal, to take some boudoir photos.
Would have been great if we were able to use it… but apparently she got overwhelmed???
RULE #1… know what you are getting into with Groupon, BEFORE agreeing to submit yourself to it. Has the Kara Cupcake incident not taught you anything?!
RULE #2. dont be a douche bags to the people that purchases the Groupon, that just want to see if they can get an appointment. And telling them you can ONLY take appointment for NON GROUPONS.
In the end, if you messed up, you should really own up to, suck it up, and do what you need to do to keep your customers happy. But ignoring emails for 2 months? No return phone calls? THATS JUST BAD PRACTICE, Groupon or not.
Finally…nope. I’m not giving them ANY slack. Maybe they should have had a cap on the amount of Groupons they could have sold? But I’m pretty sure business was slow, and they needed that «influx» of business. so they got greedy… and this is the end result.
p. s. I feel honored that I got a response to my bad Unilocal review within 3 hours! fyi. deanna is my middle name, so please no need to try to discount my review by trying to imply that I never bought said deal. Save your time and energy for keeping your current clients happy, because I’ve already gotten my refund and over it.

Let’s preface my review by stating that Karina really is a charming and sweet person. She’s very bubbly and definitely make the person being photograph feel at ease. However, what occurred AFTER the shoot and the lack of professionalism and communication is what ultimately resulted in the 2 stars. If Unilocal has a rounding system, I’d give it 2.5 stars.
I booked a session with Karina two weeks prior to Valentine’s w/​the Valentine’s special offered through Unilocal.She reassured me that the 2 weeks time frame would give her enough time to have everything ready as the photos were a gift for my boyfriend for V-​Day. During the shoot I arrived on time, but we probably didn’t start until 15 minutes later. However, I thought she would allot 15 more minutes for my shoot since she was the one who used the time to print the images I sent her as part of my «hw. Unfortunately, I did not get my whole 45 minutes so I was a bit bummed. In the Valentine’s special it also said at least 200 photos, but I only received 120 or less since I didn’t shoot for a whole 45 minutes.
After getting my photo gallery and my untouched prints within that same week of my shoot I expected my metal print to arrive within the next week. However, I was surprised when it was only a few more days before V-​Day and I still have not received my print. I emailed Karina and she told me I would get it within a week, so I was pretty down and frustrated because this was a gift for my boyfriend and I didn’t have it when V-​Day approached. However, since Valentine’s past already I was more lenient and didn’t worry too much about when it would arrive. Little to my knowledge, «one week» was more like one month! It never arrived on time for Valentine’s or the week after Valentine’s like she had promised, but almost a month and a half later!
In all my email conversations with Karina I was nice and patient, even though I was slowly losing patience. However, what really bothered me was when I emailed her in March to inquire about the status of my print and to no avail. She never responded back! By this time, I was getting SUPER frustrated due to the lack of communication and broken promises. Finally, after a week of no response I asked for a refund and that’s when she emailed me back and, once again, said I’ll get it within a week. Well, I FINALLY received my print in mid-​March and I really did like how it turned out, but the whole experience after the shoot really put a damper on everything.
Once again, I want to say Karina is a sweet person, but it appears that the Groupon deal ultimately overwhelmed her judging by other Unilocal reviews. If anyone plan on booking a session with her, just REALLY make sure that you get all the time you’ve paid for and that she has enough time to get your final product to you– especially if the final product is a gift for someone!

I was part of the Groupon deal for the Boudoir Photo Session, and I have yet to receive my final photos so I am still technically in the process. I came in on March 24^th for my session. I arrived 15 minutes early, with my homework of four images to «Inspire my session» as instructed. I couldn’t find the door, so I called and who I believe was her assistant came outside to get me. She acted SHOCKED that I was «So early! SO SO EARLY!» Well, it was raining I wanted to be sure to get here on time so that I wouldn’t cut into my session time. «Yeah but you’re SO EARLY» to the point where I finally said «My appointment is at 6pm right? and its 5:45 pm right now, right?» Then, I was so uncomfortable I offered to sit and wait in my car. I eventually took a seat in the downstairs are of the studio, which was nice, and was told that Karina was running a little late. No biggie.
½ hour later Karina comes downstairs apologizing, but then also mentioning how she should be ruder to people who are late (Referring to the session before mine) because now its cut into «my time» to which I thought huh? Then I said «Well, I came 15 minutes early for that very reason. so that I would have my full session time» no real response… still confused about the other girls being late affecting my session time, but we’ll see what happens, I thought. Then she said «And I have to stop on time today I have something important to do!» thinking… uh oh…
I finally got upstairs about 6:25pm. My appointment was originally for 6:00pm.
We went upstairs to the studio and she asked me for my images. I had thought a lot about what I liked about the two images I selected and wanted to just tell her 3 words or so, a CONCEPT about what I liked which is you know, how it works I thought — how it was explained in all the emails I got ahead of time from her explaining how important this homework was, and its purpose… instead, she took one look at the top two images and said «Great! We’ll do these — Go get changed.»
It took me awhile to get dressed in my selected outfit. I only had one, Karina informed me most people have 2. I thought that would mean I would get MORE time because I wasn’t changing twice. NOPE.
The weirdest part of the whole experience was that she took two images that I selected and posed me in EXACTLY the same poses, down to my fingertips. I don’t see how two models who look nothing like me or my body type could be duplicated with the same results. She showed me photos through the viewfinder and all I could think was not «oh my gosh I look so good» but «I don’t look as good as the other two women in the homework photos, cause its the exact same pose.»
It just didn’t seem to have any creativity to it at all. Then, when I was leaving, her assistant told me to wait for my gallery of images in 6 — 8 weeks, then to choose an image within 48 hours. No problem. 6 weeks, I get an album. Choose in 48 hours. Got it.
When I got back to my car, I looked at my phone. 6:52pm. I was in, changed, photographed in two poses, changed back into regular clothes, and back in my car within 25 minutes. I was supposed to get more than that for shooting time alone. I felt really jipped walking out of there. Then I thought if I saw the photos and they were really good — that they would make me feel better about the experience and my $ 100.00 cost.
I received my link to my online gallery 36 hours later. While my boyfriend was still out of the country. Not what I was told.
I emailed them and said «Could I have an extra 12 hours? I wasn’t expecting this so soon, and my boyfriend is out of the country?» no response.
When he landed at SFO, we had to look at the gallery in the CAR so that I could be sure to get my print on time, in another 7 – 9 weeks.
Neither he nor I were crazy about any of the pictures. None of them looked like «Me». There were many photos where my arms were posed awkwardly and looked disproportionate to the rest of my body. There were also photos where my breasts were SMASHED DOWN by the pose she had me in. I’m not saying «oh my boobs looks small» I’m saying the pose she put me in was obviously unflattering. She was more concerned about duplicating the pose in my pictures than anything else, especially not making me look good.
I haven’t seen my final prints yet, but I don’t recommend this process to anyone. It made me feel really rushed and not at all what i expected from the minute I walked in the door. I understand that she has a lot of people to serve because her Groupon blew up, but my friends and I are at a lifestage where we’re getting engaged, married, pregnant and I wouldn’t send anyone to her to document any of those events. I would actively DISCOURAGE someone from using her and giving her the business. I know I am in the minority here, but it was just NOT what I was expecting. From her emails, from her reputation, from her Unilocal reviews, AT ALL.

I, like many others, found Karina through Groupon. It immediately grabbed my attention as something I would like to do for myself and after looking over her website and seeing her work I was convinced this was something I had to do.
I have never had pictures of this kind taken before and I was definitely nervous when it came time for my photo shoot but Karina was awesome and made me feel completely comfortable. I am definitely a shy person but the longer I was there the more I was able to let go of all of my inhibitions and just enjoy myself. I suggest everyone do this for themselves at least once, but if I have it my way I will definitely be returning at some point!
It’s true about the boot camp too. I didn’t realize how much work went into creating good photographs and boy am I feeling the pain of all of the muscles I haven’t used in awhile, haha. I’m glad that Karina puts in this type of effort to create good photographs even if you do end up paying for it the next day.
All in all this experience was absolutely amazing and I loved being able to see myself look completely sexy in ways I wouldn’t have ever been able to otherwise. It gave me a glimpse as to what others are able to see in me that I never could! I can’t wait to see the final product of my photographs. Thank you Karina, you are amazing!

I also discovered Karina from the Groupon deal that was offered. I got an appointment within 1 week of my first email to her, and although she’s super busy with all of these deals, I even got my ENTIRE set of photos within 2 weeks of my shoot.
I have to admit that I was a little nervous in the beginning about being close to naked in front of a stranger, but she made the process so painless that I was joking around and flaunting it in no time. Her studio is incredibly comfortable, and even her cats will love you!
As far as the photos go, all I can say is WOW. I bought them all. They’re amazing. Also went for the book, the metal print, the special effects, the whole nine yards. At first I had no idea how someone could hang a semi-​nude photo of themselves that would be appropriate and artistic enough to be considered art– now I know! I can’t wait to find another excuse to go back. Thanks to Groupon and to Karina!

I discovered Karina via Groupon. And believe me, I am a photo hobbyist myself and have dabbled with fashion and glamor photography along with my friends. I can say I know a bit of what I am talking about.
Karina is so inviting and I usually tense up when meeting new people and I just agree to everything they say. She coxed my and encouraged me to make decision in my photo shoot. It was so much fun. I’d definitely go back if I can and I thank Groupon for letting me meet her.
There aren’t any secret fees. No one can really expect free make-​up with a 99 dollar fee. I did opt for her make-​up though, and I was gorgeous for the next 3 hours. You’ll probably get the same from other photographers. Make-​up is always a different fee.
Getting 1000+ groupon takers is no joke. Anyone would be busy. Now she got help, she’s managing it well.
I can’t wait for my photos. She showed me some direct from her camera and they were awesome. I paid to get the whole batch. I want ‘em all. Good and bad takes. I will get to remember myself as being confident and sexy even with just these pictures.
I’d recommend her to anybody. She’s realible and she treats clients with enthusiasm and honesty, like a real being and not like some income source. She loves what she does and she will definitely help you with your confidence whatever your body type is.

I found Karina via Groupon & purchased right away thinking it would be the PERFECT Valentines/​Anniversary present for my sweetheart & a nice Birthday present to myself. I did a little digging & went through all the facebook & website photos, and checked out all her Unilocal… I was convinced & couldnt wait to book! I was lucky enough to book a session within a week of buying the groupon & had no problems communicating scheduling details. Every single email was returned within 24 hours!
Skip ahead to shoot day… we didnt exactly stay on schedule, starting a bit later than I expected, but Karina went over my allocated time slot to make up for it! Her live/​work loft is gorgeous & inviting, which is exactly what you’re looking for if you’re semi clothed! I’d definitely eat a light snack before because it does exert a lot of energy trying to look sexy! I felt it the next day… Ms Karina’s Sexy Bootcamp! The only thing I was really bummed about was having to wait about 2 months to get my pictures back… but the amazing Karina got it back to me… TODAY! We went back & forth for several days & she workes her magic to please her customers.
For the one person that gave Karina one star… I’d say that was a fluke. If you look at the groupons that were purchased, you’d see that over 1000 were purchased… seriously, YOU try fielding 1000 excited women trying to book their groupons. In regard to the «extra» for hair & makeup… no where does it say that it is REQUIRED to have her do you hair or makeup. She offers that service in case women want t he full treatment or dont feel comfortable in their own hair/​makeup skills. I freelance as a makeup artist & therefore didnt need her services. She didnt try to sway me into using her, instead she complimented me when I came in! Although I will agree that prices do add up the more you want, and believe me, you’ll want it ALL!
I will definitely keep Karina & her staff in mind for any further photography needs. Thank you again for being so fabulous!

I felt like giving myself and my husband a treat this year by doing a fun & sexy boudoir photoshoot and I found the perfect opportunity when I saw the Groupon for Karina Marie Diaz Photography. I decided to jump in and be adventurous and booked a session =) Karina told me I had some homework to do before my shoot. Homework? Nope, more like fun fun fun: shopping for lingerie/​outfits and picking out my favorite poses to show her when I arrived.
Soon as I got in the studio/​loft Karina gave me a big hug and welcomed me in. Her studio is large & cozy with plenty of light flowing in from the outside and she immediately made me feel comfortable by explaining the process and what the shoot will involve (since I’m a photoshoot newbie). I laid out my clothes and shoes and picked what poses we would be doing. She was warm, caring, super-​focused on her work, funny and knows how to bring out your inner beauty to the outside, and encourages you to step outside of your comfort zone while snapping pictures away in her «sexy boot camp». It’s a mini-​workout, but a fun one!
Ladies, if you want to sizzle and do something fun for yourself (and/​or your significant other), treat yourself to a boudoir photoshoot w/​Karina. I had a sneak peek at my photos and loved how she captured the beauty at times felt I never really had. Can’t wait to see the finished product, what a wonderful experience!
(Her kitties are super cute too, one of them kept me company in between poses)!!

I had boudoir photos taken as a Valentine’s/birthday gift for my boyfriend — and he says it’s absolutely the best present he ever got in his life. It feels like I gave him even more of myself, and his response makes me feel treasured. I really recommend this as a wonderful gift if you have someone wonderful in your life.
But I also recommend doing it just for yourself, if there isn’t anyone worthy of the gift! Karina is so talented — I could not believe how beautiful she made me feel and look. I’m actually not very photogenic, but I looked so pretty and happy in just about every single picture! Karina is warm, knows how to put you at ease, and makes the whole session so much fun!
She made me feel like a supermodel, and I had a blast — and I made my wonderful boyfriend so happy. It doesn’t get better than that! I highly recommend Karina!

About a year or so ago, when my husband and I were still just dating, I threw him what his friends have since called «every man’s fantasy birthday weekend». No, I didn’t rent out a bordello nor participate in a threesome with a Victoria’s Secret model. Even better (at least for my husband) — I took him on a surprise weekend getaway to a golf resort in Arizona.
Now, I absolutely hate golf (despite my Korean genes) — the ugly outfits and shoes and the totally inefficient use of time versus calorie burn are just some of the cons — and my husband had been trying to get me to play with him for a while back then (he’s since given up). So he thought the gift was a weekend of me doing something I absolutely detest just to make the birthday boy happy.
What he didn’t know was that I had a beautiful red Ferrari waiting in front of the hotel lobby (his for the weekend!) after our round of morning golf. I think he would have proposed right then if he had a ring :)
Anyways, fast forward to today and it seems that I’ve sort of screwed myself over. How do you top a present like that? Unless I actually bite the bullet and buy him a Ferrari (and then, after that?!), I’m forced to think outside the box every year/​occasion. So this Christmas, I came up with the FANTASTIC idea of giving him a dirty black book of naked pics of me for Christmas. :) I figure, all guys like naked pics right?
I found Karina on Unilocal and from the first moment we talked on the phone, I knew she was the one. Yes, that sounds a bit cheesy, but hey, when you go out to find the photographer who’s going to spend a few hours with you while you’re nude or semi-​nude (I went with mostly the former), you really want to feel comfortable with him/​her. Karina is ridiculously sweet and fun. I HATE taking pictures but the whole experience was absolutely painless — fun, even! She’s great about coaching you and putting you into poses (necessary for me, as I tend to freeze up in front of any camera) and she’s SO great at making you look hot. Plus, if you go with the makeup option, she’ll make you look fabulous (and you get a bit of time to chat and get comfortable: P).
In fact, the whole experience was so fun and rewarding that a week later, I booked a second round of photos. I felt a little guilty about this Christmas gift for the hubby because after the 2^nd session, I started to feel like this was more a gift for me. :) (Plus, now I have photos to show my grandkids one day as proof that Granny was hot. Um, maybe not the completely nude ones…).
So how did the hubby like the gift? He was floored. He said it was the best gift ever, and that it topped the Ferrari weekend. Now, he freakin’ dusts the book every week like a nut, takes it with him when he travels, and can’t stop telling his friends and colleagues about it. :) (And told his parents about it — now his dad wants his mom to do one!).
*** For those pole dancers our there — Karina also does fabulous pole pics so brush up your pole tricks and book her for a session. I plan to do that soon — maybe birthday gift for hubby? :)

There are those people you know who have 50+ Facebook profile pictures. They look awesome in every shot. They are not afraid of the camera.
Then there are the rest of us, hesitating in front of cameras, harboring memories of bad bangs in 4^th grade class photos and awkward hand-​under-​chin Glamour Shots.
This year I needed portraits done for two reasons: one, I needed an updated headshot for my business, and two, I had a rough few months and felt a little blah. Following the advice I give coaching clients all the time, I knew the cure for the blahs was to put on a party dress and be fabulous to snap myself out of it. It was time to call in the expert for mojo reinstatement, and that expert is Karina Marie Diaz.
Karina is an absolute doll. She bubbles over with love and vivaciousness, which is exactly what you need when you’re in a very awkward position while sitting on a credenza. All previous school-​picture-​day fears are dissolved as she swirls around you like a burst of supportive happiness, recommending flattering ways to sit, turn your head, etc. (Seriously, on a bad day, I could enlist Karina to flit about me and squeal «gorgeous! fabulous!») She does all the work. All you have to do is bring some cute outfits, jewelry and be ready to play.
But don’t let my description of her joyfulness lead you to believe she isn’t meticulous. Karina employs laser-​focus on every last detail, stopping to adjust the tiniest thing. She takes great pride in her work, and wants to give you the best results possible.
As far as setting appointments and ordering prints, working with her is simple and easy. I thought her prices were fair, and she consults with you in advance to make sure you get what you want out of the experience.
I can’t recommend her enough. Love her!

AMAZING!!! There are so many words I can use to describe Karina, she is fabulous, funny, sweet, thoughtful, tasteful, honest, and supportive! She really is like the girlfriend every gal OUGHT to have.
For my 24^th birthday, I decided to do something for myself, you know spice life up a bit… What better to do than to remove all inhibitions for a day and love yourself a bit through boudoir photos? so that’s exactly what I did under the guidance and talent of Karina! She was able to book me in even though I had a very tight time frame, I gave her only a few days notice… don’t do that to her! she doesn’t deserve it, haha.
I had my worries about the whole idea in the beginning, but I quickly learned that she is extremely prompt and professional via email/​phone and in person.
Shortly after booking the shoot, she gave me «optional homework» to do which was to pick photo inspirations I wanted to recreate, and go lingerie shopping! PSH, HOMEWORK?! IT WAS SO FUN! I enjoyed this part almost as much as I did on the actual shoot! I spent time picking out my favorite itsy bitsy outfits, poses, and backdrop ideas. I loved that there were so much room for my creative input throughout the entire process. She always made sure that I had the freedom to choose exactly how I wanted the photos to turn out. There is surely something amazing about being able to be part of the production of art!
I absolutely adore the studio that we shot at, so beautiful with lots of natural light and furnished with a fusion of vintage and contemporary touch. At the shoot, I presented the goods I brought and she was able to give me feedback on how to pair the outfits with the backdrops, poses, etc. I started off giggling and at some points, just laughing out loud at myself, but she definitely coached me into posing more naturally and getting in the zone. It was definitely like sexy yoga! And like Yoga, it was an experience that brought along calamity, spirituality, and self empowerment — just what I needed. In retrospect, I’m really proud and surprised at myself for being so brave.
The end product exceeded all my expectations to say the very least. The turn around time to view and select my 200 something photos online was lightening fast! It was available within a few hours. I still don’t know where I’ll be displaying these photos, but I LOVE that I have them so when I’m all wrinkly in 50 years, I can remember how I used to look at 24. Oh, the boyfriend loves it too! haha
I would recommend any of my friends to shoot with Karina! I can’t wait to shoot with her again one day. THANK YOU KARINA! You inspire me.
Here’s to finding and celebrating the beauty within us all,
Cheers!

Jenny

I’m so excited to finally be able to write this review. I met Karina about 4 years ago through a mutual friend and once I saw her work at a show, I mentally put the Colette photography session on my list of things to do one day, Karina’s work is truly a work of art, I have seen her shows several times and am always in awe in how she’s able to capture someones portrait.
It’s definitely a treat and something that should be done when you’re comfortable and ready to embrace your inner sexy, playful you and celebrate your body. Karina truly sees the beauty in everyone, is really honest and direct and has a really fun personality that I think is essential for a photographer, especially since we’re baring ourselves to her.
So I decided to take the plunge before my wedding and do a session. First of all hands down, my fiancé will love this but what a treat for me and I couldn’t be in better shape. So I did a little shopping and looked at her past work to get an idea of what I wanted and then got myself all ready and came over. I’m very comfortable with my body, being naked for me is fun and natural, and I don’t have any major hangups, but the camera does tend to capture the good and the bad, so I was a little worried and self conscious.
This was definitely something new for me, prancing around in lingerie or nude is something I reserve for my man, so I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect and how I would feel. She made me feel so comfortable and everything about the session was fun. She has an amazing eye for light, lines and what poses look good, how to get the expression out of you and how to bring the playful side out that I might normally reserve for my fiancée in the bedroom. I was able to let my mind wonder, laugh, and get lost in a fantasy all during our session.
Result: I have about 500 images. I can’t stress enough about the outfits, buy what makes you feel sexy, go out of your comfort zone a bit and have fun with it. This is what it’s all about, no matter who else you’re doing this for, you need to do it for yourself first.
Now the hard part, how do I chose a few images out of the 500 that will be in my book? Well Karina did make suggestions, which I pretty much followed, and can’t wait to see the book and give it to my future husband.