Looking to add a new skill set to your online photography portfolio? If so, why don't you look into boudoir photography? Shooting for boudoir photos can help you express your photography style, imagination, and knowledge.
In this article, we will explore boudoir photography, its different types, and how to prepare for a boudoir photoshoot.
What is Boudoir Photography?
So, what’s boudoir photos? The word boudoir is French and refers to a woman’s private dressing room. It’s an intimate place that she has all to herself.
In the same way, boudoir photography is intimate photography taken for the subject and her own personal reasons. In the eye of your client, boudoir is fashion or glamour photography, but to the photographer, a key difference exists.
Fashion models are professionals who have done this a million times, but with boudoir, you are posing subjects who have likely never done it before. Boudoir shoots require a lot of the photographer in terms of skillset in directing, posing, and communicating.
Female models are usually featured in boudoir photos, but male models pose for boudoirs as well. Nowadays, couples boudoir photography is gaining traction as well.
As mentioned before, a photographer must possess a diverse range of photography skills. Boudoir photography is a niche of its own that delves into the private lives of everyday people.
While a majority of boudoir photos feature female subjects, men pose for boudoir too. And couples boudoir photography is also becoming popular.
What Are Some of the Reasons to Choose Boudoir Photography?
A boudoir photoshoot is an experience in itself, it helps to boost your confidence and help you find the self-love you may have been missing. It is also a great present to give you loved ones to celebrate a landmark in your life.
Boudoir photography showcases your beauty and shows you the most glowing version that you may not even know existed.
Let's explore a few reasons to choose boudoir photography:
Rediscover your confidence
Boudoir photography allows you to rediscover yourself and helps you see a side of yourself that has gone unnoticed. See, most of the time, we are our critics and sometimes we forget how uniquely beautiful each one of us are.
Boudoir allows you to celebrate yourself, your beauty and flaws, it shows you a story of who you are. Learn to appreciate yourself and redeem your self-love with boudoir photography.
Helps to get you out of your comfort zone
Basically in our comfort zone life is good and safe, however, in this stage we remain unmotivated to change which hinders growth. Boudoir helps you to get out of that comfort zone. For instance, wearing a corset and getting camera ready will put you out of that phase whether you're ready or not. You'll get learn more about yourself, discover things or opportunities you've never come across.
Create or restore the glow
Boudoir photography helps you to reconnect with the individual you once were. We all have gone through a stage where we don't recognize ourselves anymore. Boudoir removes all the insecurities, past fear and help see you - a stunning, charming and strong individual brimming with self-love and confidence.
Perfect gift to pamper yourself
Boudoir photography gives an opportunity to be under the spotlight. Every session will be focused about you right from the clothing to posing. It is important to pamper yourself and with boudoir you are treated like a celebrity.
Styles of Boudoir Photography
What is boudoir style? There are as many styles of boudoir as there are photographers. Classic looks for boudoirs include dramatic (low-key), luminous (high-key), playful, and vogue. New boudoir photography ideas include vintage, pin-up, maternity shoots, and fine-art nude.
Let’s take a closer look at some of them:
Dramatic boudoir photography
It is perfect if your clients want a bold, powerful look. This involves intense poses and leverages deep shadows, rich colors, and dramatic lighting to create a sultry mood.
Luminous boudoir photography
Luminous boudoir photography is perfect if you want to capture the sexy softness of natural light, like the bright, airy images with a soft, daydreamy feel. This involves relaxed and natural poses.
The whole idea of luminous boudoir photography is to create attractive and mysterious images without being inappropriate. How? By correctly utilizing props, posing, and lighting, a photographer can showcase the subject's curves and natural glow.
Promoting body positivity is what luminous boudoir photography mainly stands for.
©NU
Playful boudoir photography
Playful boudoir photography mainly involves showcasing sensual or intimate moments in a fun way. By incorporating humor and laughter, you can deliver more personalized pictures that celebrate an individual's body.
This type of photography is perfect if you're looking to mark or celebrate a special moment in a stunning and unique way.
Vogue boudoir photography
One word to describe vogue boudoir photography is luxurious. It involves focusing on stunning poses and attractive lighting, all under a luxurious setting.
Want to feel like you're modeling for the best fashion magazines? Vogue boudoir photography is the way to go. It helps to put more emphasis on an individual's personality while highlighting their best features.
With its charming aesthetics and lively approach, vogue boudoir photography will make you feel like a top model in your very own fashion editorial.
Pin-up boudoir photography
Pin-up boudoir photography is inspired by old-fashioned photos from the 1940s and 1950s. Models usually wear vintage lingerie or clothes, with photos being often taken in black and white.
This type of photography is all about celebrating and expressing yourself, making it an ideal option for those who want to beautifully capture their looks and personality.
Vintage boudoir photography
This type of boudoir photography is a combination of pin-up with a modern twist. For example, you'll be wearing corsets with bold liptick. The locations for these shoots are very diverse, it can take place in a luxurious hotel or in your bedroom. Whatever matches your personality and style, the shoot can be tailored accordingly.
Fine art boudoir photography
Fine art boudoir photography mainly involves trying out various lighting combination, techniques and posing variations. More emphasis is provided towards creativity and grace with a focus on the models attractiveness and sensuality. This type of photography allows individuals to view themselves in a unique and different way.
Check out more Pixpa-powered Boudoir photography portfolio Examples
What is Boudoir Photo Shoot?
So, what the meaning of a boudoir shoot? Boudoir photo shoot is a style of photography that captures intimate, sensual, and often romantic images of a person, typically in a private setting like a bedroom or a studio designed to look like one.
These shoots are often characterized by their focus on flattering poses, elegant lingerie, and soft, flattering use of light to create an atmosphere of sophistication and allure.
Boudoir photography aims to celebrate the subject's beauty, confidence, and sensuality in a tasteful and artistic manner.
For those wondering, "What are boudoir shoots?" They are essentially personalized photo sessions that emphasize intimacy and empowerment, making them a popular choice for gifts, personal keepsakes, or special occasions such as weddings or anniversaries.
Setup and Preparation for the Boudoir Photo Shoot
When looking at what is boudoir photography and researching how to do it, it is easy to see it as simply another form of portraiture. But boudoir is an entire process, and it is easy to get it wrong. There are many steps along the way, and messing even one up can lead to cheesy or tacky photos.
Perhaps more than any other niche in photography, boudoir photoshoots demand a comfortable client-photographer relationship. The client must be totally at ease in front of the camera, while in little or no clothing.
They must be comfortable sharing an intimate part of their life with you, one that they probably show very few people. And there must be constant two-way communication between you and your client about what they want and how to get it to show in the photos.
To have a successful boudoir photoshoot, you’ll want to ensure that the following boudoir photography themes are considered.
- Communication with clients
- Makeup and hair styling for boudoir photos
- Wardrobe for Boudoir Photos
- Equipment Choices
- Posing Methods
- Lighting Considerations
- Post-Processing & Retouching
- Pricing for boudoir photography
- Build an online boudoir photography portfolio
1. Communication with Clients
At its core, shooting boudoir photos is simply a specialized form of portrait photography. But before you go making preparations for a high-key fashion shoot, be sure to have a sit-down consultation with your client. What are they looking for? Don’t assume they want beauty dishes and a glamour magazine look. Many people prefer the low-key look of natural light for boudoir images.
Perhaps more than any other form of photography, boudoir is a personal choice on the part of the client. Your client has probably thought long and hard about the decision to do a boudoir photoshoot. There was something that inspired them to do it, maybe a particular photograph or photographer. You need to ask them, “What is boudoir photography to you?”
Phone calls and emails are easy but aren’t enough when prepping for a boudoir shoot. You need a face-to-face meeting. This allows you to build a comfortable relationship with your client, help them be at ease with you and your style, and help you fully understand what they are hoping to get out of their boudoir session.
Don’t rely solely on verbal communication. A Pinterest page or other mood boards with boudoir photography ideas is invaluable. Give your clients homework and make them show you boudoir photo examples of what they like or dislike.
For a successful shoot excellent communication is key. Remember, they are most likely not a professional model and have probably never done this before.
It’s up to the photographer to direct their pose with helpful, clear instructions. Always avoid unhelpful and useless phrases like “work the camera” and “be relaxed.” Keeping your client at ease is one of your most important jobs because any unease will show in the final photos.
Try to think of things you can do to set the mood and make them comfortable. Ask them what their favourite music is, and then play that in the studio. You can even offer snacks, water, or champagne as part of the shoot.
2. Makeup and Hair Styling for Boudoir Photos
As with any fashion or glamour shoot, makeup and hairstyling can make or break the final images. The difference is that most people seeking out a boudoir shoot may not give it enough thought. So the burden of providing it lies with the photographer. It’s essential that you work out a system for getting your clients to access professional help.
The most successful boudoir photographers work with professional stylists. They are part of the team, and their fees are included in the package price. The subject starts the day in hair and makeup and then moves on to the wardrobe. This might seem excessive, but it means that clients will get the entire package, and the photographer can be there for advice and help along the way.
Even if you don’t have the facilities like a big studio, be sure to plan out stylist choices with your client. Will they visit separate facilities on the day of the shoot? Is there a plan in place of what look they are going for and what they are going to ask for?
None of this implies control on the part of the photographer. The boudoir shoot is owned and controlled by the client. Your job is to take the photos they are looking to get, and your advice on how to get it is critical each step of the way
3. Wardrobe for Boudoir Photos
Clothing choices are really up to your client. However, part of the boudoir experience should be mimicking the looks they love. As such, the most successful boudoir photographers have a large wardrobe selection from which clients can pull boudoir photo ideas.
Lingerie is the go-to for boudoir images, but it’s hardly the only option. Many fun pictures come from mimicking the retro pin-up look or the golden age of Hollywood look from the 40s and 50s.
Some clients may be looking for nude (or implied nude) shots. In short, these choices coincide with the stylistic choices you make with your client during your consultations. They go hand in hand with the hair and makeup decisions made and the lighting and posing techniques used.
One final note about the wardrobe: Have an emergency kit on hand with a needle and thread. Lingerie is designed to accentuate curves and make your client look good, but it’s not very durable. Some fashion tape can come in handy, too, to avoid unwanted wardrobe malfunctions.
4. Equipment Choices
Your camera and lens choices for boudoir will likely not be different than a standard portrait session. A quality DSLR or mirrorless system that can handle a variety of lens and lighting setups is a must-have.
Chances are you will be hand-holding the camera for easier posing and movement. This not only enables the photographer to move around easier, but it also removes barriers for the model to be more fluid and move.
Being mobile means you must keep your shutter speeds higher to avoid handshake, and you will need a wireless strobe setup for any lighting you’ve got.
The 50mm is the most popular lens and great for shooting boudoirs because of its focal length, which sits right about at mid-range and is best for practical reasons. 30mm is the second-best choice of lens.
Unless you are always working in a studio, you will likely want a variety of lenses to suit your boudoir shoot. Many photographers prefer to remain mobile and to use fixed focal length lenses.
Popular choices include fast 35 or 55-mm lenses. You might notice that these are wider than lenses typically used for portraits, and this is because you are going to be shooting more full-body wide-angle shots. Just remember, anything less than 35 mm is likely to cause perspective distortions that can be unflattering. Use super-wide focal lengths with caution!
If you’re looking for one all-around lens that can get you through a boudoir session, a workhorse zoom lens like a 24-70 mm f/2.8 will do the trick nicely.
Another fun option is to try using perspective control lenses for boudoir. Tilt-shift lenses enable you to control the plane of focus in every direction, allowing for some really interesting, unique, and creative images.
5. Posing Methods
Posing your subjects is one of the most challenging tasks, and it becomes crucial that it all comes out sexy and beautiful. Everyone’s body is different and each have different comfort levels to deal with.
It’s essential to figure out and discuss the poses with your client and make the shoot feel more collaborative.
Maternity boudoir photography and plus-size boudoir photography, for instance, may need some in-depth discussions to make sure that the client feels comfortable and sexy when they pose.
Similarly, planning couple poses in advance can help ensure that both partners feel at ease and look their best during the shoot.
In some cases, playing music in the background can also help pose and make clients feel relaxed.
Therefore, consider the following ways to create beautiful boudoir photography moments with some fantastic poses:
- Create an inspiration board
- Listen to your client
- Keep it simple
- Plan the poses
- Focus on hand positioning
- Less is more
a. Create an inspiration board
Posing boudoir isn’t very different from any other type of portrait. Standing, sitting, and reclined poses are similar. Look for inspirations from fashion and glamor magazines, but don’t forget that boudoir gets influence from fine art. Look at classic pieces from the renaissance, baroque, or romanticism movements.
b. Listen to your client
You must look at your clients' requirements. Carefully study the boudoir ideas with reference images and poses they’ve found online that they love and want to try. And hopefully, these have spurred some creativity to try a few similar things.
c. Keep it simple
You should start with simple, flattering poses. For instance, clients on their knees, with their feet tucked underneath, can make for a good starter pose.
d. Plan the poses
What does your client want to show? If your client wants to show off their legs and hips, find poses that emphasize them. When posing women, focus on soft curves. Bent limbs, an arched back, or a twisted torso can be used to highlight curves and postures.
Men are different and should be posed differently. Try to show a sharp, strong jawline and a vee-shaped torso with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Getting the couple's boudoir photography pose right requires a little more work. Take your time and get both poses right, but the guidelines for men and women above remain the same.
Ask your clients to move naturally from one pose to the next to keep the boudoir photoshoot loose and comfortable. This helps in capturing the natural movement of the clients.
e. Focus on Hand positioning
Don’t forget their hands. As with all portraits, hand positioning is critical for a relaxed and to maintain a natural look.
f. Less is more
Remember, in boudoir, less is more. This is another variant of the KISS rule, so keep it simple. Props are generally not needed beyond a chair, a couch, and maybe a mirror.
The wardrobe should be simple. Backgrounds and settings should be simple. Fewer distracting elements and less clutter are always encouraged. Keep the focus on what matters: the client.
As a boudoir photographer, you are there to show the parts of their bodies that they love and hide the ones they don’t.
6. Lighting Considerations
As has already been discussed, the choices you make regarding lighting and setup will be set by your model's choices, not necessarily by you. It all stems from the type of photos you’re looking to get.
But let’s suppose that you are just starting, and you are looking to build your online portfolio for future business endeavors. Where should you start? The best place to start is as simple as possible, with natural lighting and relaxed poses.
Some techniques to improve your silhouette boudoir photography:
- Shoot against the source of light, like sunsets and sunrises, for outdoors.
- Find interesting and unique subjects, like people, followed by trees, birds, and buildings.
- Pay attention to the outline of your subjects.
- Set exposure manually.
- Capture movement.
- Hide the sun behind the subject.
- Look for interesting clouds.
- Take from a low angle.
- Shoot against doors and windows.
- Emphasise silhouettes in post-processing.
Once you have mastered communicating with and posing your clients with natural light, you can begin to add additional lights. It’s usually easier to build up in a natural progression. Start with only the window light, then add a fill light. Consider adding a beauty dish or other diffuser system. Add lights as necessary, but always remember practice makes perfect.
The fact of the matter is that a more complicated setup leads to more work. You don’t want to divide your attention away from posing the model and capturing the experience, which are the things most likely to show in the final photographs.
Boudoir photography is all about capturing the mood, and if the mood is “the photographer’s playing with that light again,” then it will show in the photos. And not in a good way, even if you got the lighting perfect.
7. Post-Processing & Retouching
Post-processing is a given in boudoir. Expect even the most perfectly captured image to require some editing, usually in the form of skin smoothing, wrinkle or blemish removal, or other basic retouching. Most professional boudoir photographers include this as part of their package.
Once the shoot is over, you can do some light retouching using tools like Adobe Photoshop to remove any blemishes or rectify minor imperfections.
If your client wants a natural image, they may prefer you not to do any retouching at all. So, do have that clarified beforehand. If they insist on retouching, ensure that you make your client look their best.
8. Pricing your boudoir photography
Pricing for boudoir photography is commonly charged by the shooting hour. The average pricing can range from $90 to $250 an hour.
Another strategy is to create and offer different packages based on pricing tiers. Always ensure to include unique services when you increase the pricing.
For instance, your pricing packages can start at $350, wherein you provide 1.5 hours of shooting, different styles of images (portrait, close-up), and post-processing services.
Whereas a $1000 dollar package may include 3.5 hours of shooting, an in-house makeup artist, studio services, retouching and more.
9. Build an online boudoir photography portfolio
Professional portfolios are a great way to highlight your strengths in boudoir photography and demonstrate your ability to grow. It’s fantastic to see how a professional has developed and embraced creativity to draw in a client.
An online boudoir photography portfolio website can be beneficial in compellingly telling your professional narrative. It showcases your commendable achievements and generates credibility. It also helps potential clients visualize what it’s like working with you and possibly improves your chances of gaining customers.
Why is Pixpa best for Boudoir Photography Portfolios?
Pixpa, an all-in-one no-code website builder, is tailor-made for boudoir photographers. Pixpa lets you showcase, sell, and share your work easily with a drag-and-drop interface, a built-in store, a blog, ecommerce galleries, a client gallery, and a mobile gallery app. Let’s look at its offerings briefly:
- Drag-and-drop tools: They help you quickly build a website without any coding expertise and start selling in minutes.
- Templates: It offers gorgeous, mobile-friendly, customizable templates to choose from. You can even switch to a different one after the site is live.
- Online store: You can easily build an online store with the same visual look and feel as the rest of your website.
- Blog: Its built-in blog platform helps you create a full-fledged blog or easily add a blog to your website to share your boudoir photos, ideas, and more.
- Ecommerce galleries: You can sell your work online in prints and digital downloads.
- Client galleries: Enable your clients to view, proof, purchase, and download photos.
- Marketing tools: Grow your business with its built-in marketing and SEO tools like SEO Manager, Marketing Popups, and Announcement Bar.
- Third-party integrations: Extend your website’s capabilities. Integrate with leading payment, social media, and marketing tools.
- Get 24/7 live chat and email support for guidance.
Looking for the best website builder for a boudoir photography portfolio? Read what hundreds of photographers who benefitted from Pixpa for 10+ years have to say about Pixpa on Capterra, Trustpilot, G2, GetApp, and SoftwareAdvice.
Let’s look at some examples of Pixpa-powered Boudoir photography portfolio websites:
Melts Media
Melts Media specializes in boudoir photography and is based out of Southern California. The homepage includes the photographer’s best work in grid view. The gallery section is a gorgeous display of storytelling through boudoir photography. It presents a different style of boudoir photos against different backdrops, each with its narrative.
Zegarra Restani
Zegarra Restani specializes in boudoir, fashion, architecture, dance, and theater photography. The gallery section offers a glimpse into each of these different photography styles. The boudoir images have an abstract portrayal and look as if they were taken straight from an artist’s mind. It leverages Pixpa’s multilingual capabilities and built-in blog.
Drcupidxo
Based in Perth, Drcupidxo specializes in portrait and boudoir photography. The homepage presents a slideshow of the best closeup shots that attract viewers. The gallery is brimming with creativity. The photos capture moments, and each plays like a video on your mind.
Valentina Buerkli
Valentina Buerkli has a wide range of photography collections, from boudoirs to weddings. The boudoir images, especially, have a lot of sensuality and vintage elements. It leverages Pixpa’s multilingual capabilities and is available in Spanish and English. It also uses client galleries to share images professionally with clients.
Conclusion
Boudoir requires a bit more planning and research when compared to other forms of photography. It also requires the most intimate and professional relationship with your client. The unique mix of skills, from creative, technical, and interpersonal, means that boudoir is not for every photographer. For those that master it, however, it is a truly modern fine art.
FAQs
How much does boudoir photography cost?
The average price can range from $100 to $250 an hour. This will include 2-3 hours of shooting and processing. You might also offer a $500 package comprising 2 hours of shooting and processing/retouching. This can also include a range of different shots.
Sometimes, you can also ask for $1000 for 4 hours of shooting and processing. This can also include a boudoir photo book with the best shots.
What should you not wear to a boudoir photo shoot?
There are no rules when it comes to getting dressed for a boudoir photo session, and you choose anything ranging from going naked or topless to wearing a bikini. You should go with what you are most comfortable with. Your personality should be visible through your outfit.
What is boudoir style?
The different types of boudoir photography styles include luminous boudoir, playful boudoir, vogue boudoir, fine art boudoir, and vintage boudoir.
What are the typical poses for boudoir photography?
There are several poses, but the most common ones include lying on the back or side, sitting on a sofa, leaning against the wall, or sitting on the knees.
How do you style a boudoir photoshoot?
Pay attention to client requests always. As a general rule, keep the props to a bare minimum and have the best possible lighting arrangement. It should be as flattering as possible.