Boudoir photographs are intimate portraits, flattering the curves and beauty of the client’s body; a genre that’s come a long way since its emergence in the 1890s, becoming more popular in the 1920s and now, a standard in many wedding photographers’ packages. With styles and trends forever changing we decided to explore the topic and give you a few tips to create beautiful boudoir photos.
Fun fact: Although some women do boudoir shoots for their partners, women are more likely to do this kind of shoot for themselves, to celebrate and embrace their bodies and where they’re at a certain stage of life.
Rethink sexy
There is a strong contrast between styles with women exposing more and others opting to cover up more, only showing a little bit of skin – leaving the rest up to the viewer’s imagination. We still see straightforward sexy, but there’s no denying that there is a rise in what is simple, making use of understated underwear, locations and photography styles. There is also a lean back into the feminine, with lace and silks being incorporated in boudoir shoots. Women are also embracing their scars, stretch marks and other “flaws” that make them unique.
Artistic aesthetic
We’re noticing photographers playing around with artistic techniques. From creative angles, unconventional poses and tight crops – it all makes for interesting, suggestive imagery. Out of focus and blurred is good when it comes to intimate shoots like these. Photographers still make use of props, but not the naughty kind we’ve come to know… think mirrors, towels, bed sheets, chairs, wine glasses and books; natural elements that make it seem as though the photographer is simply documenting a woman in her private space.
Flattering light
With the rise of natural boudoir styles, lighting has evolved too. Although some shoots still rely on studio lighting, a lot of photographers are opting for natural light, beautifully filtered through windows, diffused by sheer curtains. Photographers also make use of shadows to create a mood or shed light onto a particular part of the body. Depending on what time of day you are shooting will depend on the warmth of your lighting source. Candles can also be used to introduce a warm light, while setting the mood.
Couples united
Another interesting trend is the rise of couples opting to do intimate boudoir shoots together. This can be a great way to reconnect and capture moments between partners. From photos of the couple in the bath, in the bed and even on the floor… this is all about capturing the couple in their natural habitat, oblivious of the camera.
Location, location, location
Instead of heading to the studio, which may come across as cold and “set up”, clients and photographers are heading out and exploring different areas, nooks and crannies of a home, and even the great outdoors. Baths and showers, balconies, gardens and even the beach – the world is your oyster. Tip: Explore cool locations on reputable sites like Airbnb and find a place that perfectly suits the look you have in mind.
Gear
With regards to cameras, you want something that has excellent low light capabilities to take you from bright, daylight scenes to darker scenes shot with very little available light. We suggest the following models, ranging from entry level to pro.
Canon EOS RP
This full-frame mirrorless camera is compact and lightweight and offers the ideal balance between high-resolution output and low-light performance. It’s compatible with the complete range of RF and EF lenses and with our rental options, you can really play around with lenses to see what works for you.
Sony Alpha a7 IV
Perfect for professionals and high-end enthusiasts who expect beautiful image rendering with low noise, making it ideal for working with a variety of lighting scenarios. It offers soft, natural-looking skin which is exactly what you want when capturing boudoir photos.
Nikon Z8
This full frame mirrorless camera features a compact, lightweight build and boasts powerful features for stills. It offers enhanced detail for portraits by creating a skin-softening effect while keeping the eyes and hair, tack-sharp. You can also control hues and brightness and benefit from an improved auto white balance.
For lenses, basic portrait lenses are good, but don’t be afraid to try something different.
A 35mm f/1.2 lens is a classic wide-angle lens that allows you to include more of the surroundings in the image. Although it can cause distortion, this might just be a creative tool you can use to your advantage, perfect for creating edgy, dramatic photographs of your subject.
One of the most versatile prime lenses, the nifty 50mm f/1.4. This lens allows you to work in tight spaces as you can zoom in or out by moving closer or further away from your subject, depending on the image you want to create. A wide open aperture allows for beautifully blurred backgrounds, or even foregrounds.
The 85mm f/1.8 is loved by portrait photographers around the world as it doesn’t cause distortion. Since it has a reasonable focus distance, this lens is great if you want to create some space between you and your subject, giving them more privacy, or if you want to capture up-close, artsy, detail shots.
More controversial options are larger focal length lenses like the 100mm, 105mm, 135mm lenses. They offer higher compression resulting in little distortion and a lot bigger, and softer bokeh, which provides you with a softer look and feel – perfect for when you’re looking to take sensual closeups.
Editing
This depends on what your client wants. You don’t want to take away any imperfections unless the client specifically asks for it. Some women prefer showing their flaws. So make sure to consult with your client beforehand what they’re looking for with regards to the end result. Grain is good, contrast is good, dark moody edits are all good. These all tie back to the artistic aesthetic mentioned earlier.
Tips and tricks
Listen to your client! This is the most important tip of all. Ask your client to go to Pinterest and make a moodboard of all of the images they like. Thereafter you can compose a shot-list of images she’s comfortable with, and then a short list of images she likes, but may be a bit apprehensive about. As the shoot goes on, clients usually become more comfortable and may be willing to go for the more daring looks.
This may be a bit of an informational overload… so the biggest tip will be to talk to your client. Understand their particular style and outcome of the shoot.
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