10 keys used by today’s best boudoir photographers

Boudoir photographers are able to recreate the most intimate moments of women and show them in photographs that are truly elegant and sensual where the photographers, in addition, manage to highlight the beauty and personality of each one of them. The secret of this type of intimate reportage lies in creating seductive and provocative portraits, but always with a classy and elegant approach.

In order to achieve these elegant photographs and avoid any hint of vulgarity, boudoir photographers have to convey to their clients the empowerment and self-esteem they need to look at ease in front of the camera. Because as a general rule, models in these shoots are not used to posing in a reportage and it is important that they feel beautiful, confident and feminine so that the experience becomes transformative for them. If you want to know these and many other tips, don’t miss today’s article.

 

 

Boudoir photographers are able to capture the feminine side of their clients.

 

 

What is the work of boudoir photographers like?

 

This time we would like to talk to you about how boudoir photographers approach boudoir photography, a type of reportage that has been “on the rise” for some time now and which is increasingly in demand by the female public and lately also by the male public. Whether you want to specialise in this subject to become a great boudoir photographer or if you are thinking of expanding your business and starting to offer this type of reportage, it is important that you discover all the secrets of these special sessions before you start doing them.

The important thing in boudoir photography is that you learn to create certain moments of intimacy during the session so that the model feels totally comfortable. In these shoots, scenes are usually recreated where the woman is dressed in her “bedclothes” and the photographer has to transmit in the images a very sensual atmosphere that enhances the feminine side in a more subtle and elegant way.

What is the day-to-day life of a boudoir photographer like?

Boudoir photography is very much associated with a female audience and although this trend is slowly changing, most boudoir photo shoots are done with women in a boudoir setting, where they prepare themselves for dressing, make-up and hair styling.

It must be said that in the first boudoir shoots that came to light, the protagonists were usually professional models, where they posed with intimate garments for major lingerie brands. But nowadays, a new public has emerged around this type of sessions. The ordinary woman who seeks to enjoy an experience and images of herself in a much more intimate and subtle environment where her femininity is enhanced.

Whether it is a professional model or a woman who has never done a photo shoot before, boudoir photography is synonymous with guided or posed sessions. Moreover, for a boudoir shoot to be perfect, the choice of wardrobe (lingerie or clothes in which the model feels most attractive), the accessories (heels, necklaces or earrings), as well as the location (indoors or outdoors), will play a very important role in these sensual shoots.

It is also true that this type of reportage is starting to become fashionable among the male public with semi-nudes or full nudes. Because nowadays men don’t want to give up expressing their sensuality either. And another variant of these sessions that is also gaining momentum is the boudoir photo session with a couple. A new trend that is beginning to take off.

What do the boudoir photographs look like?

In boudoir images, close-up shots are often used to highlight the female body and the finest lingerie. In this type of session, the setting is essential to recreate a more intimate atmosphere for the woman. The boudoir photographer has the task of advising and guiding his model to achieve more elegant and natural poses.

It is also important not to confuse boudoir sessions with other types of more explicit photographs, such as nudes, where the purpose of the images is usually to convey a more transgressive message that is totally different from that of boudoir photography.

Within this discipline you can find many variants such as: semi nudes, full nudes, couple sessions or thematic reportage. The idea is always to show the most intimate side of the woman with elegance and class.

A guide to high-quality boudoir photography

 

As we have already mentioned, the work of boudoir photographers is based on creating a series of intimate and elegant images, usually of women, in a way that enhances their beauty and makes them feel much more sensual and self-confident. These photo shoots are usually done when the clients feel good about themselves and want to have a different experience in front of the camera. This doesn’t mean that most of them don’t know how to pose in front of the camera or they are unsure about what kind of clothes are the most appropriate for the session. Hence the importance of the photographer knowing how to advise them, directing the reportage at all times with closeness and decision and managing to transmit confidence and security to their clients. And although currently the highest percentage of clients requesting this type of session tend to be single women, there are already many men who want to go through this experience or even live it as a couple.

To plan a photo shoot in this style, it is important that you schedule a meeting with the model beforehand to establish the style of the photographs and study possible ideas for the day of the shoot. To better organise this session you can also take into account this small guide that we have created in Arcadina with 10 simple steps to make your boudoir photoshoot a success.

1# Choose the most appropriate place for each vanity session

Boudoir photography is usually associated with interior spaces, such as a hotel room with a certain aesthetic touch, in the photography studio or even in the model’s own home. In these spaces you can play with different scenarios such as: the bed, an armchair or simply using a simple background in the studio.

But increasingly, both boudoir photographers and models are opting to take these exotic shoots outdoors, where femininity and sensuality blend more spontaneously with natural landscapes such as a forest, the banks of a stream or even the exteriors of an Indian-style house.

Study possible locations, both indoors and outdoors, depending on the style your client wants to recreate and check the type of lighting of the place you finally choose.

2# Check that your equipment is the most appropriate for this type of reportage

When setting up your equipment for portrait shoots, it is important to choose lenses that are as bright as possible, such as prime lenses with wide apertures (like a 50mm f/1.8 or an 85mm f/1.4). This type of lens will allow you to focus on the model and create a bokeh effect (or out-of-focus background) with the rest of the decor.

If you will not be able to take advantage of natural light, use soft lighting, e.g. softboxes and reflectors to minimise shadows as much as possible.

And in case you organise the photo shoot in your studio or, for example, in the client’s private home, where the decoration may not be the most appropriate, you can use a neutral background placed next to the bed or an armchair to eliminate the excess of elements in the images.

3# Advise your clients on the importance of make-up and hairdressing

When planning the photo shoot with your client, you have the obligation to leave a series of points to be well thought out beforehand so that there are no unpleasant surprises on the day of the boudoir photo shoot. The choice of make-up and hairstyle together with the clothes will be fundamental for the success of the photo session and will have to be well thought out if you want your client to be pleasantly satisfied with the final result.

Depending on the type of look you want to enhance in the images and which will be marked by the model’s personality and the place where the session is going to take place, you will have to set a very specific make-up and hairstyling aesthetic.

This doesn’t mean that you have to tell your clients exactly how they should style their hair for the shoot, but you can guide them with recommendations by showing them some examples from other shoots you have done or even by looking at fashion and catwalk related photos.

To make this easier for your clients while ensuring that you get the results you want, you can collaborate with several stylists.

4# Wardrobe and accessories must also be looked after

As we mentioned in the previous section, the model’s aesthetics are essential for the shoot to be a success and talking about the clothes she will wear in this shoot will also be very important for the images to be to her liking. If she doesn’t have a definite idea, you can do the same as with make-up and hairdressing and show your client part of your boudoir portfolio so that she can see what kind of clothes she can wear and which ones will suit her best. Keep in mind that this kind of intimate garments have to have a certain relation with the aesthetics of the place where the photo shoot is going to take place.

At this point, the most common is to use fine lingerie, but this is not the only option. You can propose other types of clothing depending on the style you want to give to the photo shoot, such as: men’s shirts, lace gowns, garter belts, sports underwear, etc.

Other elements that can be very useful in boudoir shoots are the accessories that the model will be able to interact with during the shoot, for example: stilettos, long pearl necklaces, lipsticks, earrings, ties, hats, gloves, etc. The possibilities are almost endless.

5# Learn about decorating rooms for this type of boudoir photography

As part of your pre-advice service, you also have to discuss the space and decoration with your clients. If, for example, you agree to carry out the shoot in a hotel, you can propose to your client a list of hotels in which you have already worked or in which you know that the decoration of the rooms is in the style you were looking for.

If, on the other hand, it is agreed to hold the session at home, it is ideal that you go to the home beforehand to see the style and type of decoration and propose some adjustments.

And if you choose the option of taking the photos either in your studio or outdoors in the middle of nature, having a series of elements ready, such as a boa, a feather fan, cushions, an antique coat rack, a large mirror, a wooden chair, a top hat, etc. will give your session a much more refined touch. Ideally, don’t overuse this type of elements either, so that the main protagonist remains the model.

When it comes to advising on these issues, avoid strong colours in the decoration and accessories. A hotel room with large windows overlooking the city and a white duvet can be a great option to plan these reports without too many complications.

6# If you can, use natural light to create a more intimate atmosphere

When choosing, if you can use the natural light of the sunset with those soft and warm tones at the right moment when it enters through the large window of the room, it will be much better than using artificial light, since you will be giving an extra point of warmth and romanticism to the boudoir photos.

But, as you might expect, not every time you are going to have large windows or your clients are not always going to have the opportunity to meet at that time of day. For these cases, as we mentioned in the section on preparing your equipment, softboxes and reflectors will be essential to try to simulate an indoor sunset so that the light is as high quality and indirect as possible.

7# Learn to manage your models

For this type of session to have good results, especially if we are talking about clients who are not models and have no experience in posing in front of the camera, the ideal is that you try to create a bond of trust with the model and set certain guidelines when posing so that on the day of the session everything goes according to plan.

To do this, it is essential that you meet with your client before the day of the shoot so that she has a detailed explanation from you about how the session is going to take place, if there are going to be any changes in wardrobe, etc. The idea is for her to have as much information as possible so that she can go to the shoot calm and relaxed.

On the day of the session, try to start the shoot with simple poses in which you see that your client feels comfortable, then, little by little as the minutes go by, you can try other types of more elaborate poses. For the latter you can have a gallery prepared on your Tablet so that the client knows what you are referring to in a much more graphic way.

And when it comes to being creative with this type of boudoir photography, try to take a series of shots that are a little different from the expected ones with close-ups of hands, lips or, for example, highlighting the expression of her eyes looking out of the window.

8# Create creative and fun women’s features

It is clear that the most typical boudoir shoot is done by a woman, but nowadays all photo shoots advance along with people’s thinking and offering a series of boudoir shoots that are different from what is expected can bring you pleasant surprises. Here are some examples of boudoir shoots that are a little different to the more traditional ones that you can promote on your photography website:

• Photo shoots with the couple. It can be a variant of the couple sessions or even pre-wedding sessions.
• Boudoir pregnancy sessions. If you already do maternity shoots, you can get started in this discipline by creating more sensual pregnancy shoots.
• Male boudoir photography. These sessions are becoming a trend and a great opportunity to break into a new market.
• Boudoir themed: in addition to creating a boudoir ambience, you can propose some kind of theme that is in keeping with this type of sensual imagery.
• Boudoir in the water: you can organise these sessions next to a swimming pool or by the sea. The result can be surprising.
• Etc.

9# Retouch your boudoir images

Once the boudoir shoot is over, it’s time to start the post-production process. In this type of images where sometimes very close shots are taken, small touch-ups on the skin and correction of small imperfections are unavoidable.

In these photos, retouching the highlighting of the eyes or lips can also be a common step in post-production, or even if the model opts for loose hair, giving the hair a shinier and more voluminous touch. In addition to the typical retouching of any type of portrait photography, such as: adjustments of contrasts and tonalities, elimination of imperfections, etc.

Keep in mind that for all photos you take, it is important that you ask permission from your clients, but for these types of images, requesting prior permission for publication is essential.

10# Explain on your website what boudoir sessions consist of

For those clients who are clear about it, this type of shoot is just what they need at this stage of their lives, but on the other hand, there are other types of clients who want to do a session of this style but have their misgivings and may think that this type of images are too explicit.

So that there are no doubts about your type of work in these boudoir shoots, the best thing to do is to take care of the type of images you take on your website and create a gallery only with boudoir photos. In addition, these photographs should be accompanied by a services page where you can explain to your future clients how the dynamics of this type of report is and you can solve their most immediate doubts.

Finding information about it or even testimonials from other clients will reinforce their desire to try this type of photography and you will get them to book more of these types of photos for you.

10 boudoir photographers with impeccable portfolios

Here we are going to share with you the work of 8 fellow photographers who are dedicated to (among other sessions) boudoir photography.

Creativity, sensuality, femininity and a large dose of elegance are some of the ingredients you will find in the following boudoir photos of some of our clients.

1# Vicente Estaban: “live a unique experience that will make you feel empowered and beautiful”

 

 vicenteesteban.com

We begin this compilation of boudoir photographers with Vicente Esteban, a photography studio with some great professionals behind them who are dedicated to children’s photography (Christmas, communions, pregnancy, newborn, smash cake, children, families), portrait, corporate, advertising, couples, pets and, of course, also boudoir photography.

On their website, you will be able to get an idea of their elegant and sophisticated style by visiting their boudoir image gallery and consulting their services page where they explain a little about how they work.

2# Sara Alarcón Fotografía: “feminine and elegant images“

 

 saraalarconfotografia.com

Sara Alarcón is a photographer from Lleida who, in addition to boudoir photography, offers all kinds of family sessions (pregnancy, newborn, communions, families, children, smash cake, mum and me), pets and boudoir.

In this type of sensual photo shoots Sara and Carla take care of bringing out the most natural side of women with a touch of sensuality. In their gallery of boudoir images you can see a sample of their work.

3# Víctor Toribio Fotografía: “sensual boudoir photography”

 

 victortoribiofotografia.com

Víctor Toribio’s photography studio is located in Colmenar Viejo (Madrid), a team of photographers dedicated to family and children’s photography sessions, books, weddings and special reports such as boudoir photography.

On their website, as well as getting to know them a little better and seeing all the photo shoots they offer, you will also have the opportunity to see a small sample of their boudoir images.

4# Fátima Sanz: “I photograph women through my eyes as a woman”

 

 fatimasanz.es

Fátima Sanz is a photographer based in Madrid who does all kinds of fashion and posing related shoots such as her books, editorial photography, self-portraits and sessions for women.

On her website, you will be able to enjoy a boudoir gallery that highlights the sensuality, provocation and strength of each woman interpreted under her own vision of womanhood.

5# Agminuesa: “boudoir photography, lingerie and artistic nude”

 

 agminuesa.arcadina.com

Agustín, the photographer behind Agminuesa, a website that is currently dedicated almost exclusively to boudoir photography, works in Zaragoza.

In the galleries of her website you will be able to find several of her nude, boudoir and erotic photo shoots as well as her other fashion and beauty reportages, fantasy, portraits and concerts.

6# Estudio boudoir: “photographs that insinuate without showing the obvious”

 

estudioboudoir.es

Another of the boudoir photographers that we would like to introduce you to today is the boudoir studio website formed by Estela and Raúl, a couple of photographers who, as well as organising this type of session, also specialise in other types of photographic reportage, such as advertising, fashion and weddings.

On their website, as well as introducing themselves, you will also be able to enjoy some of their image galleries of individual and couple boudoir photography where they manage to create photos that insinuate without showing obviousness.

7# Fotograma Vitoria: “a boudoir experience”

 

 fotogramavitoria.com

In Fotograma Vitoria you will discover a great team of photographers in Vitoria who are dedicated to making photo and video sessions for weddings, children, pets, books and boudoir reports.

In the gallery of images on their website you will be able to enjoy images that insinuate and only reveal the most refined side of women.

8# 2nphoto: “intimate and sensual boudoir sessions”

 

 2nphoto.co.uk

2nphoto’s photography studio in Barcelona is dedicated to children’s photography, maternity, weddings and boudoir. In addition to providing all kinds of training.

If you go to their website you will find a gallery just dedicated to boudoir images where they show perfectly what a boudoir photo session in this studio is like.

9# Maru Serra: “photographic reports that make you fall in love”

 

 maruserra.com

Maru is a great photographer and friend who in addition to doing children’s photography sessions (communion and children) and reports to falleras, also devotes much of his work and creativity to make boudoir photo shoots in Valencia. Currently her portfolio in this discipline is characterised by black and white photography and highlighting the most feminine side of her clients.

If you visit her website you will be able to see that besides being a fantastic photographer she also teaches boudoir photography.

10# Torres & Torres: “birthday sessions for adults”

 

 torresandtorres.com

And we finish this fantastic compilation of boudoir photographers with the website of Torres & Torres, a team of photographers from Cartagena dedicated to children’s photography (Christmas, communion, pregnancy, newborns, smash cake, christening, birthdays and baby follow-up) and boudoir.

Within these boudoir photo shoots, they wanted to merge a birthday session for adults with this type of boudoir photography. If you want to see the result, be sure to visit their image gallery.

Learn from the best boudoir photographers with this essential guide

If your goal is to become one of the best boudoir photographers of the moment, this compilation of colleagues along with the tips we’ve given you here today, can help you find your own style within this creative and mostly female branch of photography.

Learning how to direct each scene in boudoir photography and recreate a relaxed, refined and classy atmosphere is essential for your clients to bring out their most sensual side during the session. To do this, always look for elegance in each photo, take care of the details and don’t be afraid to innovate. This is the only way to become the best boudoir photographer of the moment.

In Arcadina we offer you all the business solutions you need to show your different photo shoots, keep doing business through the Internet and save you many hours of management with clients. You can try our services for free for 14 days.

 

 

Finally we are going to share with you the interview of the photographer Eugenio Piña from GNO Foto.

>> Eugenio Piña of GNO Foto talks to our team

And to finish this article, we would like to ask you a question: do you know any other boudoir photographer from Arcadina that we should include in this list? We’d love to hear about them in your comments.

 

Arcadina goes with you

Fulfil your dreams and develop your career with us. We offer you to try our web service free for 14 days. And with no commitment of permanence.

Arcadina is much more than a website, it is business solutions for photographers.

If you have any queries, our Customer Service Team is always ready to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We listen to you.