Laid Bare Week ~ Boudoir Photography, Would You?

Emma Jones, Miss Boudoir®

Well, a very happy Monday morning to you my friends. If you checked in yesterday, and if you are a follower of Love My Dress on Facebook and Twitter, you will probably know already that this week is 'Laid Bare' week on Love My Dress, my first ever 'themed' week. Aside from the regular real wedding features, you can expect to see a few extra special posts with the same shared theme this week; the female body, and without wanting to raise your eyebrows too early on a Monday, I'm gonna delve right on in and embrace my theme people. Because I fancy looking in to the topic of boudoir photography.

Boudoir photography is something that has fascinated me for a long time. A style of photography that aims to do for us mere mortals, what stylists can do for the A-list stars. I've never had a boudoir shoot, but that's not to say I'm too prudish or that it isn't my bag – I actually looked into a boudoir shoot just before I got married around 3 years ago, but at the time, it was something I couldn't really afford. I've watched in fascination over the past couple of years as boudoir has become more and more popular, and sub-genres like Vintage Boudoir^TM have been established and I've seen various views emerge, from the free spirited woman who wants to be liberated, to the more feminist view that boudoir sexually objectifies women.

In an effort to explore more about boudoir photography, I spoke to sevearal of my industry contacts, starting with lifestyle blogger Rebecca Norris {see below} of Florence Finds. Rebecca had a boudoir session shortly before her own wedding and presented her Husband with a book of the images as a gift…

"For me, boudoir is an opportunity to have some real 'you' time when you're probably in the best shape of your life and need a confidence boost!

I knew I'd not be so slim again in a hurry (stress related) and it kind of seemed like the only time I would justify the expense. I've always been all about celebrating the female form and I just knew my husband would love it. He still has shots from mine on his phone as a wallpaper ;)"

How did the experience differ from your expectations?

"It was a lot more enjoyable. I had a makeup and hair package first and had a glass of bubbles to relax then it was a really intimate experience (- I had mine with Nicola of NGM Photographic) She does the shoot against various backdrops in her own home and it just felt really relaxed, no pressure.

I think it's all about finding a photographer who's style is sympathetic to you too – I didn't have my wedding photographers do my boudoir shoot, for example, as I liked Nicola's style and really didn't want the girl in mans shift/football shirt type of shots. Thats just not me at all but it might be what some people want in which case there's always someone out there right for you…"

The following images are from different models, but shot by the same photographer…

Did you enjoy the experience?

"I loved it. I must say, I've never been shy or body concious and did go the whole hog taking everything off. I'm glad I did, it didn't bother me at all. Nicola was incredibly professional, didn't bat an eyelid and in fact said it was great to have someone so open as not many people (understandably) are!

The other thing that was great is that Nicola knew what she was setting out to achieve and gave me a lot of direction to get the shot exactly right – and I appreciated that as it was her who could see how it was turning out – lots of 'raise that arm; Higher, higher!' She encouraged me to bring inspiration photos and had a bank of images from adverts that she recreated and if something wasn't working we just moved on."

Would you encourage other girls to have a go and why?

"Definitely – I have never regretted the money spent and it is such a liberating experience – realising you actually look great (with a bit of lighting help) is a real confidence boost before you walk down the aisle. ;)"

What would you say to those girls who may be image conscious – is boudoir worth the fear/stress?

"Thats a hard one. I would always say do it if you want to… and think you'll regret it if you don't. That said, I'd love to go skydiving to be able to say I've done it, but you won't catch me taking that leap any time soon! It's all relative and I think if it's just embarassment stopping you then pull yourself up to your full height, get some flattering smalls and high heels and a slick of lipstick and go for it, you won't regret it!"

So Rebecca was already a body-confident women. Is that what it really takes to enjoy a boudoir session to it's full potential? Photographer Eliza Claire, who's work has featured many times on Love My Dress, doesn't think so. Eliza has recently launched a new boudoir photography service, Le Vrai Boudoir. I was keen to know her thoughts about boudoir from the clients perspective, and how she relaxes her clients who are much less comfortable about their bodies…

"My philosophy behind my boudoir business is quite different to many others photographers – I don't market to brides-to-be by suggesting that they buy an album for their fiancés, and I don't suggest that it should be an anniversary gift or a way to spice up your relationship.

I believe that boudoir photography is not something that a woman should do purely to make her man happy. I believe that women should have their photos taken so that they can see their own beauty, so that they can feel wonderfully sultry, elegant, sensual and powerful…"

Now Eliza is on my wave length. I like the idea of doing a boudoir shoot for me. Sure, the photographers would inevitably end up somewhere precious – a secret location decided by my Husband, but I'd want the reason I was going to do boudoir in the first place to be about me, and as a nod towards my ability to be brave enough to put my inhibitions aside, to liberate and empower myself, before I set about trying to please anyone else through the process…

"My style for boudoir is exactly the same as my style for weddings – soft, romantic, fun and flirty. I process in a soft, vintage style that I find incredibly flattering to all skin types, and I like to use the environment to tell a story as far as possible.

No blacked out rooms with harsh directional lighting here, no glamour-model-esque blur and no kitsch poses. Because you're beautiful the way you are, and less is ALWAYS more when it comes to feeling good…."

"My boudoir shoots last between one and two hours, plus a consultation time at the beginning of about 30 mins when I get to know the client, chat to her about what she wants, what's motivated her to book the shoot, what she hopes to get from the shoot, and – of course – what she's most comfortable about and least comfortable about with regard to her body shape…"

And that's reassuring isn't it? The reason ladies 'do boudoir' isn't supposed to be like joining Trinny and Susannah to step inside that room with it's ghastly 360 degree wrap around mirror designed to put a spotlight on all our lump sand bumps?!? Isn't it to learn to see our bodies in a more glamorous, sensuous, sexy light, without feeling like we're being objectified? It sounds like it could be a wonderfully liberating experience…

…but I still think I'd be nervous as hell moments before my boudoir shoot was due!

How do you relax a client during a boudoir shoot?

"It's all about having fun! The one thing I hear from clients most often is worries about not knowing how to pose, how to "be sexy" – I reassure them that they don't need to worry, that it's my job to coach them and work with them to find poses that suit them best, that they're comfortable with and that make them look amazing.

During the session, we have a glass of bubbly or two and have a lot of giggles – it's like playing dress-up, and more like getting ready for a girly night out than a photo session!"

What would you say to the lady really keen on boudoir but who lacks confidence in her body images and is too nervous to participate?

"I would say she should call me! Having had two children, I know how she feels about lacking confidence in her body image, but I also know how amazing she'll look after the session – it really is an empowering experience, and one that every woman should think about doing!

All of the photos on my site are of real women, not supermodels, and they all had issues of one type or another (don't all women??) but they all felt great after the shoot and when they saw the images afterwards…"

I love Eliza's boudoir style, it's so elegantly shot and just discreet enough. As Rebecca Norris said earlier, it's really imprtant to find the right kind of boudoir photographer to work for you.

A sub-genre of boudoir photography that I super love is Vintage Boudoir^TM – which was pioneered by the wonderful Julia Boggio, Creative Director at Julia Boggio Studios. I got chatting with Julia about her inimitable Vintage Boudoir^TM style…

"Boudoir is a celebration of your self. It's liberating, confidence-building (in the right hands), and, most importantly, fun. I think every woman should experience a boudoir photo shoot at least once in her lifetime…"

Swit-swoooo…

How and why did you come up with the concept of Vintage Boudoir?

"I looked at the types of boudoir that were on offer from other photographers at the time and thought it was all taking itself a bit seriously. It was all lusty looks down the lens and models posed to look like they were in the middle of a sexual act. I could easily see why some women would be completely turned off by it.

I created Vintage Boudoir^TM because it was what I'd want myself (in fact, I did a Vintage Boudoir^TM shoot when I was pregnant! {…..SO much fun!}…"

"Vintage Boudoir^TM is about having a ball, expressing your personality, and being cheekily sexy. Maybe I'm wrong, but, in most cases, I think the men who marry us don't do it because we look like lingerie models; it's because we make them laugh.

Vintage Boudoir^TM is sexy photography that will make him smile. For this reason, a lot of our pin-up clients give an album of their portraits to their husbands-to-be on the morning of their wedding – it guarantees that he's going to turn up at the altar! ;O)"

Ahhaaaaa! smart call!

Can you briefly describe the experience for your clients?
"When I created Vintage Boudoir^TM, I wanted it to be a fun, once-in-a-lifetime experience with only the best hair, make-up, photography, and props. After you arrive at our boutique Wimbledon-based studio, the session lasts for four hours, starting with a pampering session by our hair & make-up artist (she'll chat to you about all the best products to use and show you tricks for doing your own make-up). Next, it's time to shimmy into your first costume, complete with vintage pull-ups, and jump in front of the lights. What follows can only be described as two hours of the best fun you can have in high heels and garters.

A couple weeks later, you come back to us to see the fruits of your shoot. Prepare to be amazed and relive the laughter. The final step is deciding how you'd like to display your portraits, whether it's as an album or as wall art. This year, we're creating some new incredible ways to show off your pin-up portraits. Watch this space!"

How do you relax a client during a boudoir shoot?

"Most women are both a little bit nervous and majorly excited about their shoot. When you arrive at our studio, you're greeted by your photographer, who will sit and chat with you while you settle into your pampering session. You'll talk about the different looks you want to do (you'll get to do at least five).

At this point, you'll feel relaxed because you realise that we are professionals and know what we are doing. You are in very safe hands! When you are transformed into a vintage vixen, it's time to get shooting. Our photographer will guide you on how to stand, where to look, and when to smile. Clients who arrived nervous are definitely relaxed and in the mood for cocktails and dancing by the end of the shoot…

What would you say to the lady really keen on boudoir but who lacks confidence in her body images and is too nervous to participate?
"We have had ladies of all shapes, sizes, and ages in the studio for Vintage Boudoir^TM. Our costumes are specifically designed for real women and, what the costumes can't do, we sort with clever posing and lighting. And don't forget the wonders of Photoshop! Every portrait is retouched to perfection. I truly believe this is an experience that women should be treated to at least once in their lives…"

It's encouraging to read the photographer's own perception of boudoir photography and what drove them to offer this service in the first place. I loved reading through the words that Boudoir photography specialise Miss Boudoir®

Emma Jones, who runs Miss Boudoir® told me what boudoir photography meant to her. I was really touched by her response…

"In general boudoir photography is a sensual and atmospheric type of photography that people undertake for a variety of reasons; a gift for their partner (wedding, birthday, anniversary etc), as a confidence boost, to remember their bodies before they have children, sometimes for promotional use and so on.

When I think about this personally, boudoir means many things to me and has changed drastically over the years. When I first started shooting this type of photography, my interpretation of boudoir was sensual imagery shot tastefully in a beautiful and private setting, capturing the personality and beauty of the subject. Having specialised in boudoir photography for almost five years now the word has evolved to mean so much more; for a star, 'love', because I see people doing it for this reason so very often and an expression of the feelings for another. 'Strength', as in the strength needed to take the step and book the shoot. For some people low body confidence means the idea of boudoir is terrifying and it takes real courage to make that first contact with me. And finally, to me, boudoir is about 'excitement' – the excitement of the happy and liberated women who walk nervously through my door and leave having conquered a fear and gained a new-found confidence that they didn’t previously have."

Love, strength and excitement. Where is the objectification in that?

How do you put your clients at ease and do you find most clients really nervous, as I imagine I would be?

"It’s very normal for people to be nervous, excited or both. The client has never met me before, never done anything like this and more often than not I see more bare skin than most partners do so it’s natural to feel nervous. Danielle, my co-photographer and I are completely normal, down to earth girls who are naturally bubbly and love a giggle. Straight away people can see this and feel very comfortable around us so we never have a problem as nerves vanish quickly..."

"The one thing most people fear is the posing, even more so than appearing in their smalls. I direct the client from start to finish so they don’t even need to waste time worrying about this…."

"We’re able to relax clients so well that their comfort shows resulting in fantastic images. In doing so my clients are very often mistaken as models, I’ve only photographed two professional models in my time as boudoir photographer; we can help that people look so stunning and this is because they are comfortable. Once the shoot is completed clients don’t want to leave because they’re having so much fun and there is a huge and noticeable leap in the level of confidence my clients leave with compared to when they first arrived."

What would you say to the lady really keen on boudoir but who lacks confidence in her body images and is too nervous to participate?

"We all have insecurities and people worry about various things like cellulite, tums, boob size but we are ALL beautiful in our own way. Beauty means different things to different people and I am a firm believer that beauty comes from within and isn’t skin deep. One of my first ever boudoir clients was a lady in her 50’s, had just overcome throat, neck and chest cancer and was about to get married…"

"There were three very good reasons she wanted to experience a shoot with us; to accept her scars, cross it off her “to do list” in case the cancer returned and finally to give the photos to her groom on the night of their wedding.

It’s a reason like this that highlight how small and insignificant skin-deep insecurities really are.
And it goes without saying that I feel very privileged to be part of such processes that help people in the deepest ways. Never say never. You don’t know what can be achieved until you try and life is too short to not have tried."

So what is the experience for the client, exactly?

"As soon as client books in they get access to my pre-shoot prep site, Boudoir Backstage which has mountains of advice on what to bring, lingerie, available sets, how to arrive ready for the styling, mentally and physically preparing for the shoot and much more. I believe the more people are prepared, the better their photos.

All photo shoots take place in my studio as I have everything there needed to cater for my style of vintage shoots.This means they arrive fully prepared, they’ve already told me the sets they’ll be using, the styles they require and everything will be set up ready to go. With all that out of the way, it’s brew time (or champers for the client) and into styling where we’ll chat about what styles the client likes, the feel we’re going for, if there are to be any changes in styling through the session; maybe the client wants a mix of styles and a general get to know each other while that is taking place.

We have a walk in dressing area in the studio, Marilyn Monroe inspired with floor to ceiling racks of lingerie, props, jewellery, shoes and all sorts of treasures. Clients are usually stunned when they go in and one said it is like walking into a sweet shop for adults! As you’ve probably guessed, I’m a massive collector of lingerie and props and they are there to use if people wish. I’ve even loaned outfits to past clients for vintage parties..."

"Now the actual photo shoots can last anything from 30 minutes for the people who want a taster or only a few specific shots up to two hours and 30 minutes. Sometimes people have custom requirements and so we build the shoots around them. This doesn’t include the time spent with my stylist Danielle being pampered and polished ready for camera or the additional time for changes, refreshments and giggles. When you build all these things in, people are with us for around two and a half hours minimum to up to 6 hours.

When you’re having so much fun, time really does fly and I’m known for running over and not realising!"

"After the shoot is where the majority of the work comes in, photography is only 10% of the job. Images are sorted though, each digitally hand developed and a selection retouched with all the different finished I offer so people can choose which suits them best. We have the highest quality digital and traditional print albums available, loose prints, canvases, calendars and digital images covering a variety of requirements.

I personally do all tasks myself apart from the styling, basically I am my business and believe only I can truly give the 500% needed for each of my clients. I like knowing that I’ve taken the parcels to the post office and every step of the way it’s been a personal service that I’ve started and finished. Also, due to the bespoke nature of my service, I have limited availability as I can only fit so many shoots into my week and quality always comes first…"

I've purposefully not contacted any more people who have undergone a boudoir shoot in my research for this feature, because I specifically wanted to hear back from my readers via their comments. So, ladies, get your typing fingers at the read, because I'm looking for some comments on this one!

Have you had a boudoir shoot already and what was the experience like for you, would you recommend it? Did you have any body hang-ups before and how were you left feeling after the experience?

…and, if your boudoir shots have been published anywhere online, would you be brave enough to share a link? 😉

Has this post featured changed your view of boudoir photography at all?

What's your favourite style of boudoir photography?

What's your general opinion of this genre of photographyphotography?

Would you do boudoir? What would put you off and what might convince you if you are a doubter?

Do you consider boudoir photography a liberating thing, or doy you feel it is rather more a tool for the sexual objectification of women?

Wow, pretty serious stuff for a Monday morning huh? Get your coffees and morning's out the way then come back here and join in the discussion at lunch time. I'm really keen to get some boudoir chit-chat going and engage with my wonderful community of readers this week 🙂

Huge thanks all those who contributed to this feature – I've tried to feature a range of the different styles of beautiful, sensitive boudoir photography that I know about, and you can visit the supplier websites for further information here:-

♥ Le Vrai Boudoir by Eliza Claire
♥ Miss Boudoir®
♥ Vintage Boudoir^TM by Julia Boggio
♥ Boudoir photography by NGM Photographic

You might also want to check out For Your Eyes Only – I have met Alex the founder of this brand of boudoir photography and she's super lovely. For Your Eyes Only specialise in 'body sculpt' using lighting technique. Pop on over here to see a video on how it all works.

You can see more boudoir related features here on Love My Dress.

Annabel

♥