The Boudoir Divas, San Diego

The Boudoir Divas want to make the "ultimate supermodel experience" accessible to every woman, and the website's testimonial page offers happily tearful proof of that mission's success. For example, client Susan wanted to shed her everyday style for a day of flashbulbs and glamour. She starts her anecdote by describing the consultation she had in the jazzy, girly dressing room, and finishes her story by confessing that when she saw her prints, she cried. Susan described the experience as life-changing, saying, "it was just one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Second to my wedding."

Creating these unforgettable experiences is an all-female staff of photographers, makeup artists, and image editors, who run a 6,500-square-foot studio that houses a dressing room, more than 16 sets, and an area to review subjects' proofs. Spangled with vanity lights, the crimson dressing room is lined with a wall of shoes, and opposite, a wardrobe rack is strewn with leopard print, tulle, fringe, and lace, offering a variety of mix-and-match outfit choices. Numerous packages are available, and the Divas' portfolio is divided into Romantic, Supermodel Sassy, Fine Art, and Simply Beautiful categories.