The Boudoir Shoot

The term "boudoir" by dictionary definition means a woman's bedroom, and in 18th century France, a "sulking place". Today, a boudoir photoshoot would have an objective of making the subject feel their sexiest and their most empowered selves. It's a time to show off for my client and a time for me to get inventive.

Lingerie is ever-present at this kind of session but if the opportunity for photographer and client to share information and get creative is there, then the boudoir shoot will become a truly meaningful and personal endeavor. So I'll ask, "what is this for?" and "who is this for?" I'd like to think that I've acheived this with Holly who wanted me to image her for a photo book that was to be a wedding present to her future husband. She brought a couple of different sets of lingerie including a teddy, a satin robe, a delicate lace set, and her fiancé's striped button down shirt. There is an added fun and flirty element with the men's shirt.

Obviously I can't post most of the photos from the session but I can include some that aren't as revealing. Since my focus was concentrated on the appreciation of the female body and personality I took the opportunity to capture faces and small aspects of her being. Think of it as the sum of parts making up a whole. Taking a variety of different angles and zooming in at several focal lengths gives me possibilities for collaging images in the print format.

Articles of clothing, accessories and shoes can be just as sexy as the human body when placed in the right context. Glimpses leave something to the imagination which makes the result sophisticated.

My choice to use daylight as my primary light source gives the images a soft feel, but I would love to try this again with flashes and strobes potentially. Thanks for reading!

#boudoir #portrait