[Part 04/23 | Module 1: STYLES & GENRES]

Boudoir Photography focuses on soft shapes and mainly soft light as well. You can put your interpretation of Boudoir Photography in practice right away. Start in your very own bedroom together with your partner/wife/friend.

Boudoir Photography is a subject that seems shrouded in mystery. It’s a genre not fully understood across the sexy women photography sector. This article will take you through the basics of boudoir, hopefully, remove some ambiguity surrounding this potentially (very) lucrative form of photography.

Boudoir Photography: A Marketing Term Got Pushed Hard

Boudoir photography has been around for a fair number of decades now. Boudoir motifs (pre-photography era) can be found in paintings, drawings, and more –  but that’s a lesson in art history and art history is not what this 101 is about.

Although, boudoir photography may still not be the most well-understood form (= style!) or sub-sect of sexy women  photography.

Boudoir gained quite a bit of popularity in last decade in more than a few photographic consumer markets and we in fact all got more aware of this subject since photographers like Christa Meola , the “Boudoir Divas” , and partly Sue Bryce with Kara Marie are teaching this style globally via the web.

The boudoir photography style can help provide you with another rather large niche market to explore and, quite possibly, offer you a chance to make some steady money as a side-venture to the photographic markets you often pursue (just think of the female private clients we talked about in the “101 Glamour Photography” article).

The increased popularity and demand mean there are many opportunities for photographers to create classy, tasteful, sexy, seductive photos of all sorts of women who may or may not have a model’s good looks.

What Are The More Recent Origins Of Contemporary Boudoir Photography?

The term Boudoir became quite popular about a decade ago. Some photographers seem to think of boudoir as a relatively new word or term. The term, however, as it applies to photography was being used by photographers as far back as the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The word “boudoir” itself comes from the French language. It refers to a lady’s private bedroom, chambers, sitting or dressing room (= private suites in a property). This French noun was originally derived from the French verb “bouder“,  which means “to sulk” or boudeur, meaning “sulky”. That doesn’t mean, of course, that boudoir photos should feature their subjects as if they’re in their bedrooms sulking or with sulky expressions on their faces. Although those sorts of expressions can be sexy even if, in real life, sulking isn’t usually considered sexy. Actually, it’s often considered annoying… but you already knew that.

What Are The Differences Between Glamour And Boudoir Photography?

The style of images which you create in a boudoir session should be the kind of images that many marketing and advertising companies would love. Even though no one other than you, the photographer, as well as your subject and whomever else your subject might share these images with will see them, it’s a good idea to approach boudoir shoots as if the results were going to a commercial customer.

For example, each time you see a perfume advertisement, a lingerie ad on a billboard, or a poster that utilizes romantic and sensual photos as part of its advertising campaign, it generally contains quite a few elements of a terrific boudoir photograph. It contains also many traditional glamour approaches, e.g., emphasizing the model’s sensual allure, and often with a heightened emphasis on seduction.

Because these types of images are not explicitly teasing, advertising companies can use them in a wide range of scenarios. Their softly provocative and alluring nature makes them the ideal marketing tool, and companies all over the world are beginning to turn to boudoir photography in ever larger numbers.

The Perfect Setting For A Boudoir Shoot?

As already mentioned, the word boudoir translates to mean a lady’s private quarters or bedroom.
It implies a place where most others do not normally have entry. A lady’s private quarters should give the impression that it’s a place where she enjoys intimacy. Boudoir photos, therefore, contain elements that are highly sensuous in pose and expression, along with the location itself. Many, if not most, shoots take place in a bedroom setting. Whether that setting is in the subject’s home environment or at a high-class hotel, boudoir photography is very much about a woman in a bedroom.

How To Get Started In Boudoir Photography

As with private glamour photography, you can begin shooting boudoir photos with a (newcomer) model, your girlfriend, or wife as examples. Don’t worry about location, your bedroom or living room might be ideal for beginning and practicing shooting your starter sets (though when working with a model you should probably rather book a simple hotel room…).

Your first foray into this genre should focus on lighting, styling, directing (subtle) pose, and expression. Simply let your imagination run free and you will discover that you can create a suitable setting in almost any room, although a bedroom with a bed usually offers plenty of space to photograph your subject from a variety of angles and for her to assume quite a few “sexy” poses.

Here’s a tip: Don’t overlook the value of props which may add to the seduction factors in a sexy boudoir setup. If your girlfriend or wife is your practice subject, she may already have some suitable props for your initial shoots. Just remember, the sorts of props you use shouldn’t cross the line from tasteful to something much less so. A blindfold, some lace fabric wrapping around her wrists, a (fake) pearl chain, a champagne glass… – you get the idea.

What Boudoir Is. NOT.

I put together a few samples I found within seconds of search using Google looking for “boudoir photography”. I thoroughly double checked the origin of the pics, meaning if they are actually for a photographer’s website. They all are, claiming to be “Boudoir Photography”, offered as a service for their clients.

Whilst “couple boudoir” might be a thing (??) the interpretation and implementation is def not. And all the others on this collage, well, – nope.

And last but not least: a little Quiz for you. Visit this external post. Despite the article’s title claiming “Boudoir Photos – Best of 2018”, just about 85% of the photos are not boudoir. Can you guess which ones?

https://www.lookslikefilm.com/2019/01/28/the-best-boudoir-photographer-of-2018/

Additional Knowledge, Style Inspiration & Props Ideas

• Michael Sasser’s Boudoir YouTube Channel (excellent!)
• http://www.coutureboudoir.com/website/boudoir-photo-props-top-ten-list/
• https://pinterest.com/nbpnicole/props-for-boudoir-glamour/
• https://pinterest.com/couture_boudoir/

Thanks for reading.