Last year, I had my first boudoir session, a departure from my ten-year freelance photographic career. Although I've taken nude self-portraits and worked on semi-nude projects like my ongoing Adam & Eve series, boudoir was new to me. A friend asked if I'd ever done it - and thinking she meant for someone else - I initially hesitated. But it turned out she wanted to do it for herself & as an anniversary gift to her husband.
Marina, my friend, wanted to commemorate this moment in her life. I admired her decision to celebrate herself and wished more people did the same. She considered doing the photos herself, but decided to put me in the “awkward” position of making photos of - and for - her. How could I say no? I always feel honored when people trust me enough to make an intimate photograph of them, I mean, that’s kinda my modus operandi the last couple of years. Even a simple portrait is a most intimate encounter.
After planning logistics and scouting locations, we faced a hiccup on the shoot day. More on that in a bit. My intention for this shoot was to not have it feel sexual or provocative. Basically I didn’t want it to feel like boudoir photography. No bum pushed up in the air whilst lying on your stomach. I wanted something a little more understated, soft, shy & also playing into the awkwardness of it all. I said to Marina before and on the day, we’ll be awkward together and I think that it strangely helped us both to be more comfortable in the end.
Back to the day of the shoot. We had booked a specific room one the day of the recce, however upon our arrival of the actual photo day we were told: the room we booked wasn't available due to AC repairs. Determined to use its ideal lighting and space, we persuaded them to get the AC repairman outta there and give us the space and despite the delay we managed to make work together that we are both proud of and happy with.
Note: Marina and Dan did get a complimentary stay for a later date of their choosing for the inconvenience and not letting her know earlier that there were issues with the room.
Enough words already I can hear you say. Show us the photos. Well, for the two people left still reading this, without further ado, my first attempt at boudoir, “not boudoir” and Marina’s as well. I think we did okay.
Some technical things for the photographers reading: To give the images a soft and dreamy feel without editing I bought some cheap UV filters, rubbed some Vaseline on them and attached that to my lenses. I used this technique especially when photographing with the light coming from behind Marina. That way it feels like the light ‘bleeds’ into the image. Other times I shot without this effect. To limit myself a further and take the guess work out of lens choice etc. I only used my Fujifilm X100V with the Teleconverter lens attachment and without. That’s it. Everything was photographed in black and white on the day, with Lightroom conversions done later in post. Simple.
Marina was kind enough to provide a document with tips. A lot of this can also be applied to just a regular photo session. Following are Marina’s shoot tips.
Here are a few tips to help you prepare for your boudoir shoot. This type of shoot is really a collaboration between the model and photographer. I think you will find that the prep work will be an exciting personal journey if you’ve never done something like this before. Your comfort is the most important part of a successful shoot. If you are not comfortable, it will show in your photos. To ensure that you get the best out of your shoot have a look at the tips below.
POSING:
If you are not used to posing, then this can seem like the most intimidating part of your shoot. We don’t move around like this every day, so it doesn’t always come naturally and will feel quite different to pose in a way that accents certain parts of your body. To prepare, have a look online; Pinterest is a good place, to find examples. You will probably find that you’ll save too many photos so try to group the poses you like, for example:
Standing pose
facing the camera
back to the camera
side to the camera
Sitting posefront
back
side
Lying down
on your tummy
on your back
to the side
Kneeling down
Front
Back
Side
Choose your top 20 poses that you like and practice them. Have them handy on photo day too as a reference. Practice posing, using the examples you liked/saved. Do this in front of a mirror and try to get comfortable with how you look in these poses with your outfits. When you’re more confident with these poses, try practicing them without a mirror.
CLOTHING:
A lot of women find lingerie uncomfortable and think that this is what you have to wear for a boudoir shoot. This is not the rule at all. You can wear underwear that you use all the time. You must wear (or not wear) what makes you feel comfortable, desirable and confident. To avoid strap lines on the photo day, wear loose fitting clothing to sleep in the night before and don’t wear tight underwear on the day of your shoot. Commando is the best way to get to the shoot. If you are going to take nude photos, start with those shots. Comfort takes preference here so if you’d rather start clothed and work your way towards your nude shots; then no problem!
Choose 3-5 outfits as your main attire for the shoot but bring along a few other items you love as back up. This is just in case you feel different about an outfit choice on the day or if you have extra time to try something else. If you are comfortable in heels bring you favourite pairs too. A kimono or gown is also great to bring along to move between shots or even pose with. Make sure you try on all outfits when practicing your poses.
SKIN PREP:
If you are planning on waxing before your shoot, please do so about 3 days before your shoot. This will give your skin enough time for any red rashes to fade away. If you are planning on having a facial, this also needs to be done at least 3 days before. If you do not go for facials regularly then rather avoid this if you are not sure how your skin will react. Rather stick to your regular everyday face wash routine.
Avoid fake tanning if this is something you do not do regularly. Nerves are real and your body naturally reacts by surprising you with a random facial blemish on the day. Don’t stress. We can always use Photoshop to clear this for you on your chosen shots. Drink lots of water and moisturize your body in the week leading up to your shoot.
HAIR, MAKEUP & NAILS:
Getting your nails done is a must. Treat yourself to a manicure & pedicure the day before your shoot. Everyone has their own preference but if you’re not sure what to do, neutral colours and a clean look will look the best. Getting hair and makeup professionally done is totally up to you. Just avoid shiny/glittery makeup.
TL;DR: I did a boudoir photo session with a friend last year. We were both nervous and excited and clueless and it turned out great. For both of us. Marina also gave some tips and thoughts on the whole process.
Thank you for reading.