In the
words of Jessica Rabbit, “I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way.”
I believe that this could perfectly describe the reputation of
boudoir work; remember that this is not pornography even though there
is an influx of those images. Just as the famous burlesque dancers
and performers of old vaudeville are a class above today's topless
pole dancers... boudoir is not soft-core, but in a class all of it's
own.
Now
I will take a moment to talk to the models and brides out there who
might be reading this before we go any farther...
Please,
please, please... visit every one of the sites I have listed and
remember to do your own research before you shoot or pose. As a
client, you must be absolutely comfortable with your photographer and
your settings. Expressions will not come across the same and shoots
will fall apart if there is no flow between photographer and model.
Never agree to a session if you feel pressured or have that “creepy”
feeling. I say this with love and experience, you must put your
emotional and physical safety first, and remember that this is meant
to be a fun experience.
Long
before I was a photographer, I worked as a model. On one occasion
while I was in college, I took some paid work doing photos for a
company promoting a new night club opening up near the school.
Thankfully the shots were clothed and had a good group of models and
assistants. But there was one particular assistant photographer that
gave off that unsettling vibe. Everything was professional and
perfect, but I would never have stayed to shoot if it had been a
smaller crew or a private session with him.
All
of the photographers I listed in this posting have a record of
professionalism, and so do most of those who continue to get work.
You should look for a studio or a person with good reviews and who is
willing to communicate with you before the session so that you can
get a feel for them and their business. And remember that you always
have the right to say no.
Boudoir
Photography has an undeservedly bad reputation thanks to the common
mixture of explicit poses and obvious pornography that are often
passed off under that label. For this reason I am going out of my
normal pattern by using images found through a search on Google
simply using the key words “boudoir photography poses”. Here
again I state that this is an adult topic and should not be shown to
those under age because of the suggestive nature of some of the
images.
Each image
has a credit to the photographer and a link directly to their site
for those interested in their work. I am not affiliated with any of
these sites or photographers, and have made all effort to credit them
under the requirements of fair use. Remember that doing your own
research on each of them is highly encouraged because no photographer
knows everything, but we can learn much from the work of others. I
have only included images that are clothed or implied nudity, but
remember that this is all about seductive pose and tasteful
expression.
Notice the
lovely lines and curves in this pose. Though the model's face is not
included, the whole image just flows with seduction. This studio
actually has a lovely comment about making sure that shots are not
completely contrived, but rather have a bedroom feeling through the
thought put into backdrop and the use of natural window light. Visit
them in San Diego, I would if I could!
Here
I find that color and flow are just lovely. This pose lets the eye
find points of sharp focus on the beautiful blue eyes of the model
even while the brilliant red draws you deep into the frame. Bravo
for a lovely outfit selection on this entire set, but this red works
wonderfully to get the point across even while being beyond the focus
point. This studio is located in the Seattle, Washington area; look
them up for weddings, portraits, and boudoir!
I
adore the classy feeling of leg and shoe images and this blog is rife
with them. The use of space and spread are wonderful in these shots.
Again I must complement the lighting and angles, wonderfully
creative while clearly done without contortion acts on the
photographer's part. I suggest their services to anyone in the
Savannah, Georgia area and their blog to everyone who adores
beautifully shot photography. These are some masterful works.
As
I have said many times, nobody knows everything, but I wish I had
even half the talent and color knowledge that appears in some of the
fantastic work on this blog. If you are in the Hartford, Connecticut
area, these are the people you want shooting your scintillating
sessions. The image above is one of my favorites, not for color, but
because it is just a perfect example of the flirty feeling that can
be captured when model and photographer have that moment of
perfection and coordination.
I
know there are just a tiny sample of studios and poses here, but to
place everything I love on this blog would take a year. Do your own
searches and remember that there is no substitute for
experimentation. Thanks to all of the studios listed here for having
been an inspiration for some of my work, and for their contributions
to the artistic world as a whole.
