Boudoir photography has grown in popularity in the recent past despite its existence for decades.
However, if you are just a beginner photographer you may not have heard about it as there are some obvious styles of photography you can specialize in. These include wedding photography, street photography, and wildlife photography.
Trying to penetrate such concentrated niches may give you a hard time. That is why tapping into the least-discovered niches such as astrophotography or boudoir photography may give you an upper hand.
Do not be shaken if it is your first time hearing about “boudoir photography” as this article is all about that.
What is boudoir photography?
Let’s dive into the interesting part now and define boudoir photography.
Boudoir is a French name that means a woman’s bedroom. Traditionally, a boudoir was an exclusive room where a woman could be intimate with herself.
Boudoir photography is a style of photography where you portray a client in an intimate manner. This will include showing the curves and beauty of your subject. In that case, the client will wear sexy outfits such as lingerie, braless, or just skimpy dressing to cover the private parts.
Why do women take boudoir photos?
There are various reasons why clients will call you for a boudoir photography session. However, the main reason women go for intimate photography sessions is to embrace their bodies. Having the confidence to go for boudoir photography helps a woman grow more self-love. This can also inspire other women to do the same leading to the growth of boudoir photography.
Other reasons include;
- A gift for your spouse/loved one
- Celebrating a milestone(such as overcoming a trauma)
- Keeping a memory of your young self
- Boudoir photography is fun!
Preparing your client for a boudoir photography session
Boudoir professional photography sessions may feel awkward if you are a beginner. It is therefore important to have a discussion with your client to ensure you are both comfortable before the session.
During the consultation, you will have a clear idea of what your client expects by the end of the session. Ask your client if they have any favorite poses and outfits for the boudoir session.
Advise your client to try the various outfits they have packed for the boudoir photography session so that they are comfortable before the session begins.
In most cases, boudoir photos are natural but your client may prefer light makeup. So have a makeup artist ready if your client will prefer a glamorous look.
How to set up for boudoir photography at home
Since boudoir means a woman’s bedroom the setup should be easy right? Well, you might need a little more than just a bed and a camera. And to break the mentality, a boudoir photography session must not always take place in the bedroom. There are studios that are specifically set up for boudoir sessions.
However, going for such studios may be costly, and assuming you are just a boudoir photography beginner you may not have funds for that. This section will guide you on how you can build a scene to take your boudoir photos.
Factors such as lighting, outfit, and props will play a major role in the general outlook of the photos.
When picking the props to use in boudoir photography, you need to keep it simple. Readily available tools such as pillows, fluffy rugs, white bed sheets, or books can be used.
When creating a themed boudoir image gallery, you can use props that align with the session. For instance, if you are doing boudoir photography with a wedding theme, you can add props such as accessories (wedding rings) and a gown in the background.
In most cases, net curtains will create an ideal background and the light from the window is just enough for the boudoir session. Remember to turn off other sources of light in the room for consistent white balance in the photos.
Accessories you need for boudoir photography
When going for boudoir shoots, we must always prepare in case lighting works against us. This is especially because boudoir photography sessions take place in private rooms which may not have enough light. Carrying these photography tools will result in incredible boudoir photos;
Standard prime lens
Having a standard prime lens with you is the best bet you can have to take great boudoir photos. A standard prime lens is among the types of lenses which have a focal length of between 50mm-100mm. The lens should have a wide maximum aperture (f1.4) to allow as much light into the camera as possible.
Fan or hair dryer
Give your boudoir images some sense of life by using a fan or hair dryer. These photos will appear more creative than just the flat images of a posing subject. The fan can also be used to cool the temperatures when there are many lights in the room. A hair dryer on the other hand can also be used to warm your client who has little to no clothing.
Wireless flash trigger
When you are on a budget but still need that extra lighting, you can use an off-camera speed light. However, you must know how to set the light sensitivity, angle, and distance of the speed of light to make the light soft on the skin of your subject.
Lighting modifiers and lighting stand
Using the camera flashlight may result in high-contrast images. This is because the flashlight produces hard light. Lighting modifiers such as umbrellas and softboxes will improve the lighting in your scene evenly resulting in stunning boudoir photos.
A lighting stand is used to mount the various lights during the set-up. The positioning of the sources of light will play a major role in the final outlook of the boudoir images. Therefore, you should make an effort to study the various lighting techniques used in photography.
Video light panel
A video light panel will give you continuous lighting in the room. With this, you have a preview of how the environment will be lit before the boudoir photography session begins.
Best camera settings for boudoir photography
The best camera settings for boudoir photography heavily depend on the scene. There will be a difference in the camera settings when the scene is dark compared to a well-lit scene.
However, I will give you a cheat sheet of the best camera settings which you can use for a successful boudoir session.
The first thing you should consider is opening your lens to the widest aperture. Normally you will use a lens with an aperture between f/1.4-f/2.8 for maximum lighting in your photos. The ISO settings will fall anywhere between 200-800. The last component of the exposure triangle will be the shutter speed. This is not a priority as I assume your subject will be stationary. Therefore you can set your camera to a shutter speed between 1/100sec to 1/200 sec.
Remember boudoir photography is not limited to creativity. Try various camera settings, poses, and wardrobe, with time you will capture the best boudoir photos.
Check out this video by Foxlow Academy on how to get started in boudoir photography;
