Tips for Boudoir Photography

Tip 1: Create a Safe Environment

During a boudoir shoot, your model is incredibly vulnerable. Your model is wearing very little and has to pose in front of the camera. Sometimes they don’t even know the photographer well. It can quickly feel like standing in your underwear on a busy shopping street—uncomfortable, to say the least.

That’s why it’s important to act as professionally as possible and create a safe environment. Make sure there aren’t ten people walking around on set without discussing this with your model beforehand.

Also ask whether your model is comfortable with a certain pose, take an extra break if you notice your model is cold, or demonstrate a pose yourself. This can break the ice and make things a bit easier for them. By doing so, you build trust and create a safe environment where your model can feel more relaxed.

Tip 2: Use the Right Terms

Boudoir photography is all about respect—respect from the photographer, but certainly also toward the model. As mentioned, a model is extremely vulnerable during a shoot. You don’t want to refer to their boobs or butt. These kinds of words can make your model feel very uncomfortable.

Do you want your model to adjust the position of their hips? Try to describe how they can shift their body to achieve the desired effect. Want your model’s chest to be highlighted in a specific beam of light? Then give tips on how they can tilt their shoulders and upper body.

If you’re unable to clearly explain what you mean or what pose you want, we recommend demonstrating the pose yourself so the model can mirror you.

Front Light

Front light is perfect for images where you want to draw attention to your model’s face. With front light, the light falls directly on the model. As the photographer, you often stand with your back toward the wall with the window, while your model faces the light. The soft daylight illuminates the model and you’ll notice that their eyes begin to sparkle, making the face stand out.

Backlight

Backlight is ideal for emphasizing your model’s body shape. In this setup, you form a triangle with the light source and the model.

There’s plenty of room to experiment! For example, if the photographer in the illustration were standing further to the left, the angle would become sharper, changing how the shadows fall.

Silhouette

If you want to add mystery to your boudoir photos, capturing your model as a silhouette is a great choice. Since the viewer has little information to go on, their imagination can run free. To create a silhouette, the light source, the model, and you as the photographer should form a straight line. You then shoot toward the light source, causing the model to appear as a dark silhouette.

Tip 4: Prepare Different Poses

If your model has no posing experience, it's important that you give the right guidance. That’s why it’s smart to look up some poses in advance so you have something to fall back on. For example, find inspiration on Pinterest.

Then try the pose yourself so you know how to explain it. This way, your model knows exactly what to do. Also focus on the small details: capture the bow of a lingerie set or the hips just peeking above a pair of boxer shorts.

Tip 5: Boost Your Model’s Confidence

As mentioned before, confidence is essential in a boudoir shoot. It doesn’t matter whether you’re photographing a man or woman, whether they’re curvy or slim, or whether they prefer implied nude shots or a beautiful lingerie set—boudoir photography stands or falls with confidence.

During the shoot, keep giving positive feedback by saying the photos look great and show a little sneak peek. This helps your model pose with confidence.