The art of boudoir

With the right gear, lighting skills and a few posing ideas, a boudoir shoot needn’t be a daunting prospect. James Paterson reveals all

Learn how to take tasteful boudoir photos in natural light

Boudoir photography is big business at the moment and, if you’re in to taking portraits, it’s a useful skill to master. You’ll find lots of technical advice over the next few pages, but first off it’s worth thinking about the style of shoot.

Page Three glamour has its place, but it’s not here. It’s not just about hiding the rude bits. We need a style that celebrates the shape of the model’s body without objectifying her. There’s an element of empowerment to boudoir photography, which is why more often than not it’s the women, rather than their partners, who seek out and pay for this type of photo shoot. It’s a boost for a woman’s confidence, and a chance for her to celebrate her shape now and to say “I can look this beautiful if I want to.”

So how do we get this sense of empowerment across in the photos? Firstly we talk to the subject – whether it’s a partner, a friend, a model or a client – and find out the kind of look she’s after and what she is prepared to show or not. The best portrait photographers learn how to emphasise a person’s most alluring assets and play down the unflattering parts. With boudoir, this is vital.

On the technical side, there are choices we can make to take our shots out of the Readers’ Wives category and into the realms of the pros…