Boudoir photography is not just about taking images that look sexy. From coming up with photo ideas to crystal clear communication and making her appear drop-dead gorgeous, a lot of things need to be done when shooting boudoir photos.
By definition, boudoir refers to a woman’s private dressing room – an intimate place that she has all to herself. It is thus the job of the photographer to break any barrier of discomfort and make her expressions come to life.
So, besides having an arsenal of poses and ideas for a boudoir photoshoot, the photographer must also be confident in terms of directing and communicating.
In this article, we’ll discuss the essential skills for a boudoir photographer and go through the 20 hottest boudoir poses you can use in your photoshoot.
How to Prepare for Boudoir Photoshoot
On the surface, you can say that a boudoir photoshoot session is not too different from a regular portrait photography session. However, there are certain aspects where the two differ a lot.
1. Establish a Comfortable Relation With the Client
Boudoir photography sessions can be intimidating for clients. After all, it’s not easy for anyone to be in front of the camera while being in revealing, and sometimes even no clothing.
Begin by having a comfortable relationship with the client by establishing clear goals. Have a thorough understanding of what they want to achieve from the shoot and share your plan of action with her.
During the shoot, appreciate the positive efforts that they put in and constantly share the results with them to boost their confidence. Also, when directing the client, you don’t want to be too assertive; instead, guide them. Pose yourself, if need be.
2. Plan a Boudoir Photoshoot Appositely
A boudoir photoshoot requires that both the client and the photographer sit together face-to-face (highly recommended) and plan rigorously. As the photographer, pay close attention to the following points:
- The purpose of the shoot
- Location for the shoot
- Wardrobe, hair & makeup
- The kind of look that the client is aiming for
- Lighting (will be based on the look that the client is aiming for)
3. Get To Know the Client’s Perspective
When planning for a boudoir photography session, always keep the client’s requirements on top. It is quintessential to understand what is it that they want to achieve from the session. For instance, some clients may want their wedding boudoir photos to exude elegance and intimacy, serving as a cherished gift or personal keepsake, while others want to get sexy and alluring images.
Here are two simple things that you can do:
- Ask them what boudoir photography means to them
- Assign them to create a Pinterest board of the looks they’d want to achieve
4. Camera and Lighting for Boudoir Photography
Camera Gear for Boudoir Photography
No specialized camera is required for a boudoir photoshoot, however, having a camera with some decent resolution like 24MP will be helpful for taking detailed shots.
If you’re thinking of taking a tripod along, we’d suggest not to use a tripod as you and the subject will be moving around quite a bit. A tripod will only slow you down.
Lens for Boudoir Photography
As for the lens of choice, either a 50mm prime, or a 24-70mm zoom should be the bare minimum. For creative purposes, you can opt for wider lenses in the range of 24-35mm but you’ll need to be very wary about the distortions.
If you do end up using wide-angle lenses, be sure not to get too close to the subject. They’ll appear very unflattering.
Lighting for Boudoir Photography
You can decide on what sort of lighting to use after carefully considering the look that the client is aiming for. Some would prefer a high-key look while others would opt for a mysterious and low-key look.
For clients who choose a high key look, you’ll need to take a couple of flashes with modifiers such as a beauty dish and a softbox to use as the key light and fill-light respectively. If need be, you might also want to take another light along to work as the kicker light.
For low-key shots, choose a venue with ample natural lighting; some place with a large window. You can even work with the lighting in the room for your purpose.
20 Steamy Boudoir Photo Ideas
Now that you have an idea of the things to consider when planning for a boudoir photoshoot session, let’s have a look at 20 sensational boudoir poses that’ll make the client appear at her best.
1. Photograph Just a Body Part
Create a sense of mystery, and cultivate anticipation by photographing just a small portion of the subject’s body. Let the imagination do the rest.
2. Use Light & Shadows for Emphasis
With a clever interplay between light and shadows, you’d be surprised how you can emphasize certain parts of the subject’s body. It’s a great technique you can use to accentuate the curves and highlight the sensual part of the body.
3. Shoot Near a Window
Whether you’re shooting just with natural light or using flash, one of the best ideas is to shoot at least one boudoir photo near a window. The soft natural has the best quality that wraps around the body so well.
4. Shoot in Black and White
When it comes to shooting a boudoir photo in black and white, the idea can’t go wrong. Depriving an image of the colors emphasizes the subject more and gets rid of any distractions – exactly what we need in boudoir photography.
And don’t worry if you have all of your boudoir photos in color. You can easily convert the images to black and white using the black and white filters in Colorcinch.
Step 1: Upload your color image to Colorcinch.
Step 2: Navigate to Filters – Black and White. You’ll see a list of various black and white filters you can choose from.
Step 3: Choose the black and white filter that best suits your image. Fine-tune it by clicking on the Settings icon, and adjust the filter strength using the Slider. Then click on Apply.
As you can see below, the image appears less distracting once the colors are gone.
5. Add Motion To Your Boudoir Photos
Adding motion to your boudoir photos will make them appear more lively and dynamic. Ask the model to move around and shoot using a slow shutter speed for a ghostly image, or ask her to fling her hair and freeze the motion with a fast shutter speed.
You can also ask her to play with curtains and dresses for a similar effect.
6. Photograph a Silhouette Image
Silhouette images have a beautiful trait of emphasizing the outlines and shape of the subject – a perfect idea for a silhouette photo. Have the subject stand against a bright light source and shoot away
7. Shoot From Different Perspectives
The fun thing about boudoir photography is that you can get some amazing shots while shooting from different perspectives. Shoot with the subject standing, kneeling, lying on the bed, and shoot from above, from the side, and whatnot.
Don’t keep it monotonous and try out as many different shooting angles as possible.
8. Use the Power of Red
One of the brilliant ideas to add heat to a boudoir photo is by using the color Red. Ask the subject to wear red-colored lingerie, or red lipstick, or even hold a red rose and see how powerful the image immediately becomes.
9. Hide and Seek
Instead of revealing the entire body, have the model stand behind a wall or a door with only half of her body visible. This gives a feeling that the subject is either shy or teasing the viewer.
10. Use a Mirror
Mirrors can help you take some fantastic boudoir photos. By placing a mirror in your frame, angle the camera in such a way that you can photograph multiple sides of the subject’s body at once.
11. Use Props
Using props cleverly is another great way to make boudoir photography fun. Use props that either add to the subject’s beauty or those that tease the viewers.
12. Tease the Viewers
Think of poses that will keep the viewers waiting with their jaws on the floor. Of course, the image won’t move, but let their imaginations run wild.
13. Don’t Miss Those Detail Shots
Remember that boudoir photography doesn’t essentially mean that there needs to be flesh involved. Even taking a detailed shot of the dress, lingerie, or makeup can make for a tasteful boudoir image.
14. Use Colorful Lights
If you plan to use flash for your boudoir photoshoot, then this can be a great idea for you. Use red, pink, and purple gels on your flash and see how sensual the vibe of the image becomes.
If you’re not using flash, then you can use colorful LED lights for a similar effect.
15. The Classic Kneeling Pose
Kneeling is one of the simplest and most effective poses to try out for a boudoir photoshoot. Try this first if the subject is really struggling to pose for boudoir photography. Simply ask the subject to kneel on a bed and look slightly away from the camera.
16. Implied Nudity
Cross the arms and the legs in such a way that the subject’s body is obscured in a tasteful manner. This can still be done without the subject having to go fully nude but when posed cleverly, nudity is implied.
17. Boudoir Photoshoot in a Bathtub
One of the hottest ideas for a boudoir photo is to shoot it in a bathtub. It doesn’t matter if the tub is empty, filled with water, a bath bomb, or it’s a milk bath, there’s something really different with a boudoir photoshoot in a bathtub.
18. Arch the Back
Now, this is again a classic boudoir pose one must try. Have the subject lay on the floor or the bed with her arms stretched beyond the head, and her back arched. This reveals some of the best curves in her body and makes her appear absolutely stunning.
Also, make sure that her head’s turned slightly towards or away from the camera and that the knees are bent. This adds to the shape of the subject’s body.
19. Leave Everything up to Imagination
Cover the body with a thin translucent sheet while revealing as much as you can underneath. This trick works even better with the silhouette technique that we discussed earlier.
With this boudoir photoshoot idea, you are leaving everything up to the viewer’s imagination; perfect if the motive is to be a tease.
20. Boudoir Photo in Nature
Now, this is something that not everyone will be comfortable with. That’s why we’re suggesting it in the end. For the bold and the adventurous ones, go ahead and reveal the devil inside you amidst some natural beauty.
When shooting in the open lighting will be key, so we highly recommend that you shoot during the golden hours. Shoot in the woods, on the riverbank, on the beach, or even take a dip in a lake. The opportunities are endless.
If you already have a stunning boudoir image taken outdoors but with poor lighting, the skin won’t glow as it really should. You can easily improve that using the various Skin Tone filters Colorcinch.
Step 1: Upload the image to Colorcinch.
Step 2: Navigate to Filters – Skin Tone. You’ll see a list of skin tones filters to choose from. Choose the skin tone filter that best suits your image and fine-tune it by clicking on the Settings icon. Adjust the filter strength using the Slider then click on Apply.
As you can see in the comparison below, the image appears much better after the skin tone adjustment.
To Sum It Up
In boudoir photography, it’s important that you establish a sense of comfort for the client and get the best out of her. The more confident she gets during the process, the higher chances of having a superior keeper rate.
The majority of the clients feel stuck when it comes to posing for a boudoir photo, so it’s a great idea to refer to the boudoir poses that we shared here in this post. We’re sure the ideas here will help you take better boudoir photos.
