What is Boudoir Photography? Boudoir Photo Ideas & Tips For Photographers

This post was last updated on June 18, 2024.

Nowadays, doing boudoir photography has become a popular way for both women and men to feel positive about their body’s image. It’s a portrait that is powerful yet sexy at the same time. As a boudoir photographer, taking personalized boudoir photos can enhance the self image of your clients. This article offers some boudoir photo ideas and tips that can help you inspire your photo shooting sessions.

Communicate With Your Clients Before Boudoir Shoots

Everyone wants a unique boudoir photo shoot, so meet with your clients to find out what style of boudoir photos they want. It’s a good boudoir photo idea to have a face-to-face meeting with your clients before taking boudoir pictures, and learn about what makes them feel most at ease with their bodies. Encourage them to look their best in front of the camera, but at the same time don’t stress and emphasize the goal is to look authentic rather than “perfect”.

Apart from this, it’s best to learn more about their preferred backgrounds, poses, hairstyles and make-up ideas. All of this can be handled with an intake questionnaire. Once all of this is done it will be easier for you to choose the location and lighting for the session, as well as the shooting and retouching styles.

Determine The Location For Boudoir Photography

Generally speaking, we recommend shooting in an intimate setting such as a bedroom, bathroom, hotel room, or studio with soft natural light. Your clients will be more at ease and such a setting inspires more natural shots with an intimate feeling. If you choose to take boudoir photos indoors, you can have them lie down on a bed and make sexy poses. However, it is important to note that you should not place too many items on the set, less is more rings true in this case.

On the other hand, some people prefer to take their boudoir photography in an outdoor setting. This is certainly a great boudoir photo idea, for example you can get your clients to pose for pictures in their swimsuits in a private pool.

Once you’ve confirmed the location for your boudoir shoot, it’s also important to add spruce it up a bit. You can use props such as silk sheets or vintage furniture to add elegance. What’s more, the bathtub is an excellent tool for clients who want to take boudoir photography in a luxury bathroom setting. They can lie in the tub in all their favorite poses and also take photos with a petal bath.

Provide Styling and Makeup Service For Boudoir Photography

You can provide styling and makeup services before the boudoir photo shoot. It is an excellent boudoir photo idea to enhance your client experience. For clients who are trying boudoir photography for the first time, it can make them more relaxed rather than jumping into the shoot directly. It’s ideal if you are skilled at doing makeup and styling, but if not, don’t worry—hiring an expensive makeup artist is not necessary. You can often collaborate with a local hair stylist and makeup artist in exchange for networking busing with each other.

Choose Creative Clothing For Boudoir Photography

When it comes to boudoir outfit ideas, we always think of lace, lingerie, more revealing clothing and nudity. However, those are not the only options. Some people will choose to wear dresses or loose pyjamas which also show off their beautiful curves and create a cozy vibe. It’s best to choose outfits that show off their personality, plus the best choices one that makes them feel confident and beautiful.

Boudoir Posing Guide For Photographers

Poses play an important role in boudoir photography. In order to help your clients look more confident in front of the camera, encourage them to practice poses in front of the mirror before the boudoir session. If your clients won’t be able to pose by themselves, you can explain each pose to them or even demonstrate it for them yourself. Here are some boudoir photo poses that are very popular in boudoir photos:

From Behind

When taking boudoir pictures from behind, your clients usually look over their shoulders towards the camera. This adds a mysterious vibe to the photos. Their faces are barely visible in this pose, everything is designed to accentuate the curves of the back and hips, making the photo look more elegant and sexy.

From Above

Many people like to be in the supine position, so you can also try taking gorgeous boudoir photos of your clients from above. Choose a clean and tidy bed as a background for your clients to lie on at various angles, or you can ask them to raise their legs to create a visually appealing silhouette that accentuates the lines of their legs. The trick is getting high enough to capture the photo, which may require a ladder.

Use Mirrors

Mirrors can be used to capture unique angles and reflections, which adds depth to the shots. Mirror props are very universal, so you can use them in your home, studio, or other indoor shooting space. Cleverly positioned mirrors that capture only a section of the body can produce a provocative and artistic effect. In addition, it allows your clients to make their preferred expressions and gestures in front of the mirror, making the photos appear more lively.

Outdoor

In addition to indoor scenes, your clients may also choose to take their boudoir photos outdoors. Natural light and outdoor scenes can give the photos a romantic feel. Encourage them to show off their bodies in their swimming suits in an outdoor setting such as a pool or similar setting. The key thing with outdoor settings is dealing with weather and having enough privacy to make your clients comfortable.

Respect Your Clients’ Privacy During Boudoir Photography

When you are ready to send the stunning boudoir photos that you have taken to your clients, you must think carefully about the privacy of the photos. If you don’t want anybody else to view them except your clients, you can put them in an online photo gallery such as Zno Gallery™. You can require your clients to enter a password to view and download their stunning photos from this online photo gallery. This not only protects your clients’ privacy, but also gives them a sense of professionalism in your photography services.

About Zno Gallery™

After finishing your boudoir photo shoot, just send galleries to your clients and let them proof, share, and download images. Our client gallery can protect your clients’ privacy, while elevating your boudoir photography business at the same time. Sign up for a free account and try the amazing online photo gallery now!