Boudoir Photography In a Small Apartment

I was asked by a friend to arrange a boudoir photography session with her, as a present for her boyfriend, back in 2012. I prefer on-location photography rather than using a studio because I like to work with what is present in an already familiar environment — it’s normally where people feel the most comfortable. Sometimes, I am not always able to scout out the location, prior to a shoot so I am often times presented with multiple challenges immediately.

For this particular location, the challenges were a very limited time window, a very small apartment / bedroom to shoot in, walls that were not a neutral color, and a very shy subject. Given the constraints, I opted to keep the photography composition close and tight and used a black blanket for the backdrop on the bed. After arranging the Speedlites around the bed, and making sure I didn’t knock any over as she lay down for different angles.

For her comfort, it was important to keep talking with her and showing her some shots as we progressed to keep her involved in the shoot. Thankfully, as shy as she was, she took direction very well, and the occasional distraction of viewing photos as they were taken helped her relax enough to let her natural sensuality come out.

Boudoir Photography Tip – It’s the worst thing in the world to just mechanically photograph while giving very little to no feedback to your client during the shoot. Keep the conversation flowing to keep the atmosphere lighthearted. It will make a very visible difference to your boudoir photography.

Overall, I am pleased with the results. Boudoir photography is completely focused on the model, and making her (or him!) feel comfortable in her own skin — it’s pampering the model and helping them to feel their most beautiful and then capturing those moments of beauty.

It’s a wonderful challenge!