Revealing Boudoir Photography

Boudoir photography is usually typified by soft and sensual images of the model (always female) in a state of undress. Revealing boudoir photography goes a little further and shows the model nude, though in the same soft and sensual (rather than overtly sexual) style.

While professional photographers will always shoot boudoir photography in a studio, if you are still an amateur it’s probably far easy to shoot your boudoir photography in an actual boudoir (i.e. a bedroom)! Even better if your model has an appropriate bedroom for the shoot. Don’t forget that boudoir photography is all about lush sensuality, so add drapes, fluffy pillows, overstuffed furniture and so on if you need to, and if your budget allows.

The biggest thing that a boudoir photographer needs to overcome is the nervousness of their model. While some people have some exhibitionist tendencies, and so don’t mind getting undressed and posing in front of strangers, most people will be nervous with the process at least at first, and this will translate to an expression on the model’s face that won’t allow the shot to work.

One of the first, best ways to overcome model nervousness is to shoot in a location your model knows and is comfortable in (another reason to use the model’s bedroom, as above). We are all able to relax better when we’re in a place we associate with relaxing.

The second way to overcome model nervousness is simply to take your time with the shoot. Allow 3-4 hours if you need it, so that your model really has time to get used to being directed and being photographed. If you want to do a revealing boudoir shoot, this also allows your model to get undressed in stages rather than all at once.

Revealing boudoir photography treads a fine line between art and pornography, so make sure that your images don’t step over it. Remember that it’s all about what you can almost see in the photo rather than what is obviousness. Direct your model to pose in ways that will tease and tantalize the viewer.

If after the shoot you find that the images you have shot are simply too revealing for what you are trying to do, it should be relatively easy to change this using image editing software such as Photoshop. You have a large range of tools to accomplish this, such as cropping, using a high contrast effect, converting to black and white, the Clone and Stamp tools, adding film grain or blur, and more.