“Boudoir, What’s That?”

When people ask me what kind of photography business I run, I’m never sure what kind of reaction I’m going to get…

“So you take sexy pictures of women in their underwear?”

“Oh wow, that sounds interesting…”  – but their face says the opposite

“Isn’t that like glorified porn?”

“Oh, really?” – and they obviously have no idea what I’m talking about

“Cool, my friend did one and had a blast!”

“I’ve always wanted to do one of those….”

But the most common response is, “Boudoir, what’s that?”

Honestly my reaction could have been any one of those had I not been exposed to boudoir in the photography community. It was not a type of photography I set out to do, but it has become my passion and  I truly believe if every woman could see boudoir as I do, they would want to try it for themselves.

History of “Boudoir”

If you Google ‘boudoir’ you’ll see it literally means a woman’s bedroom or private room. Boudoir photography can be traced back to the 1920s when it was illegal to photograph nudes. Images from that era often showed curvy women in front of elaborate backdrops. In the 1940s it shifted to more of a pin-up style with women in corsets and men’s ties. It took another turn in the 1970s when photography was starting to find its place in the “art world”. While it didn’t happen overnight and had to overcome cultural and societal taboos, boudoir is now widely accepted as a respectable art form.

Boudoir Today

To me boudoir is an empowering form of self-expression for women (or men). It has the power to help women peel away layers of self-doubt and insecurities. It has the power to remind a woman what it looks and feels like to be sexy and confident.  Like any other art form, it has the power to tell a story whether it be one of celebration, renewal, perseverance, overcoming obstacles, or finding oneself again. It has the power to show a woman the way the rest of the world sees her, beautiful inside and out.

While boudoir photography has become more and more popular, it can still be difficult to take the first step in experiencing it for yourself. Finding the right photographer is only part of it. Like anything new, it is easier to make excuses why you shouldn’t do it, but I challenge you to look at why you should!

“Anything you do to stretch yourself outside of your comfort zone will ultimately enable you to take larger risks and grow.” ~Leslie Evans

If you are ready to take the next step, here is my advice to you. I highly recommend finding a photographer who specializes in the genre so he or she is experienced in posing, lighting, and wardrobe selection specific to boudoir. The style of boudoir images also varies greatly depending on who is behind the lens, so be sure to look through sample images on a photographer’s website to make sure it is what you are looking for.

If you are interested in seeing examples of the more artistic variety, I’d love for you to check out my work! My style has been evolving since I started, and I finally feel like I have found my niche and the types of images I am most passionate about taking for my clients. You’ll see I am drawn to images that are minimalist, classy and often monochromatic. I love using light and shadows to accentuate the beauty of a woman’s body.  I believe there is a style of boudoir for every woman so if you haven’t seen images that inspire you to do a shoot for yourself, maybe you haven’t found the right photographer yet!