So why would someone be interested in boudoir photography? Lots of reasons, but first, let’s take a look at what boudoir photography is and what it isn’t.

The word “boudoir” comes from the French for sitting room, bedroom, or dressing room. By definition it’s a place where a woman can be at ease, possibly lounging, and most likely more intimately dressed or undressed than she would be in more public areas of a formal home. The boudoir was a woman’s domain, a place where she could be herself.

As the term has evolved in the art and photography worlds, it has come to be associated with elegant, and often tastefully erotic images of women (and sometimes men), either scantily clad, or artfully nude. These images, whether paintings or photographs, are often set in a bedroom, where the subject may be posed on a bed, divan, chair, or sometimes on a carpet or in a bath.

Modern boudoir photography has evolved into a medium where everyday women can express their sexuality, and embrace their sexiness, no matter their body type or age. It’s a chance for them to have their hair and makeup professionally done, and to have a professional photographer use lighting, posing, and angles to help them express their unique beauty.

Odalisque, Francois Boucher, 1745

What Boudoir Photography Isn’t

Boudoir photography isn’t about being a flawless, professional model. You don’t have to be skinny. You don’t have to have perfect skin. You don’t have to be young. You don’t need to fit society’s definition of beauty.

Boudoir photography celebrates women of all shapes and sizes, and at different stages of their bodies and their lives. 

Everyone that comes into our studio is on a journey for self love, and each of them is on a different point in that journey.

As a boudoir studio, we’re very aware and respectful of the fact that not everyone is at the point where they're completely comfortable with their bodies. We support the very beginning of that process, and it typically will take some time to feel comfortable looking at themselves naked or in lingerie. Our goal is to challenge clients to see themselves in a different way. To question society’s messages about what may be “wrong” with them.

The dialogue we encourage sounds something like, “Why is something wrong with me? I don’t need to change my body to make society happy. I can embrace how I look. I can still look beautiful and sexy at this weight, at this age, no matter what others may say.”

Because of this, you’ll find that during your boudoir session, we don’t actively hide body parts. We will use lighting and the pose itself to focus and highlight certain parts of your body, rather than “hiding” part of your body that you may feel self conscious about.

Who Does Boudoir?

Just like boudoir photography celebrates all body types, our client’s come from all walks of life, and all stages of life. 

Many of our clients have recently been divorced, and need something to help make them feel sexy and worthwhile, or to help them move on for years of neglect or abuse. 

Some clients are pregnant, and want to record how beautiful that moment in their lives was. Or recent moms who are trying to come to grips with how their body has changed so dramatically now that they’ve been pregnant and given birth.

We have clients who have recently lost weight and want to celebrate their achievement. Or women who have gained weight over the years and want to show just how sexy those curves can be.

We have clients who are about to get married and want to create a sexy gift for their fiancé. Or newlywed clients who want to celebrate that moment and share it as a couple.

We have clients who just want a day to themselves to get their hair and makeup done, and to spend a few hours feeling pretty.

Summary

It should be said that REAL people don’t expect REAL women to look like what “society” is telling them they should look like. They know that real people have cellulite. That they have stretch marks, pock marks, scars, and other evidence of a life lived. And all of that is still sexy. Boudoir photography captures that, and captures what makes each woman unique and special, no matter where they are in life’s journey.