10 Misconceptions About Boudoir Photography You Should Forget

1. Perfection Body Myth and Lens Physics

First things first: the whole concept of the perfect body disintegrates the second you realize how focal length works. If your portrait is taken using a wide-angle 24mm lens from two feet away, your nose is going to appear disproportionate and elongated. On the contrary, if the photographer uses an 85mm portrait lens and takes several steps back, your features will become optically compressed, and there won’t be a perfect body in the picture. Only lenses and lights can do that trick!

Photographers know how to direct you in order to create a flattering look. The elongation of the torso, shifting your weight off-camera and creating certain angles in which your figure catches key lighting are the main tools used by professionals in order to achieve a flattering effect. In essence, there is no perfect body – only perfect physics of optics and light!

“Epic day shooting with Joshy. We covered a bunch of different looks and totally killed it. Cant wait to see the final images … actually I would like to add that I loved how you gave direction. Really helped in capturing the angles just right. Thank you.”
– Jes B Boudoir Photo Shoot Testimonial

2. Mandatory Nudity Myth

It should be noted from the outset that in order to take a boudoir photo, you don’t have to be nude. Of course, sometimes it’s possible to get even better shots while being nude. But what if the same image is created using some clothing? For example, you put on a lovably wrinkled man’s dress shirt. It is open and only half-buttoned on the left shoulder.

Or maybe you would feel more confident wearing some oversized sweater thrown carelessly on the side of your hips. There is absolutely no need to take all your clothes off to take boudoir photos! On the contrary, such a shoot would leave you feeling cold both literally and metaphorically. What if you are afraid of taking your clothes off? Well, photographers use implied nudity all the time. It is a kind of a puzzle where we show certain parts of the body and make the viewer imagine something else.

“It took me a while to gather my courage and go ahead for a boudoir photoshoot, but Josh made it feel so natural and fun. He is truly a professional and an amazing artist. It was a great experience that I most certainly enjoyed and I might even repeat in the future. I don’t think of myself as a gorgeous woman, but I left the studio feeling as if I was on Cloud 9. The photos were amazing and I can’t wait to see the final product.”
– Maha F Boudoir Photo Shoot Testimonial

3. Lingerie Only Myth

When entering a professional studio, you will probably expect to see only laces and silk. But there will be a lot of other pieces of clothing besides the lingerie in the dressing room. In addition to laces, there will be denim jackets, flannel shirts, and sportswear. Why should all the women wear lingerie if it does not look aesthetically pleasing?

First of all, there is the issue with cheap lingerie that causes problems in photography due to its quality. Moiré effect on such fabrics looks extremely unpleasant under studio lighting and is very difficult to deal with. Moreover, the bra, if it is too small, will simply dig into your skin and create undesirable shadows. In essence, there is no reason to wear only laces if it is not what you are comfortable with.

4. Inappropriate Content Myth

Another popular misconception about boudoir photographs is that they are borderline inappropriate and close to pornographic material. This misunderstanding may occur because of the fact that people have no experience of working in a studio and seeing a photo session firsthand. Shooting in a professional studio is a highly technical operation where you control your expressions and pose.

You adjust exposure, histogram, check your temperature, etc. All these activities do not relate in any way to the inappropriate content. The main difference between porn and boudoir is in the lighting used for each shoot: harsh and unfiltered light creates an unpleasant and unflattering image; diffused light in contrast produces shadows, and the latter can be controlled by a photographer.

“We have so many very good pictures, I really don’t know how he does this, but I look always better on photo then in reality. That makes me comfortable and we’ll have more good ones to come. Joshy you’re doing a great job, you’re good as an artist, strong in technical side and amazing editor. Same time shooting is always exciting, I can trust you and this is the most important part for a model.”
– Angela T Boudoir Photo Shoot Testimonial

5. Boudoir Is a Gift Myth

Many studios tell their clients that their photographs are a good gift for someone. Indeed, that is not the main function of boudoir sessions. Firstly, you have to face yourself in the photo because your partner will see only one angle in the bathroom – you in the morning light, with puffy eyes and messy hair. In a professional studio, you will see the other side of yourself that you don’t notice every day.

What is more important, during a two-hour photo session, you have to bear many uncomfortable moments of positioning. You will feel how tense your muscles become because you maintain a pose that you are not used to maintaining. Also, you may even smell ozone caused by flash. And the main reward for this physical effort is not sharing photographs with anyone else. It is your confidence that comes from the fact that you looked attractive on the photos.

“Few photographers have talent like Josh. Many photographers take an okay picture and then completely over edit and manipulate, creating a totally fake picture, but Josh strives for perfection from start to finish. He is friendly, intelligent and easily sets you at ease with his great sense of humour.”
– Nika B Boudoir Photo Shoot Testimonial

6. Must Lose Weight Myth

Weight loss before a shoot sounds reasonable to most people, but it is a big mistake that deprives you of energy needed to pose confidently and creatively for two hours. If you are deprived of enough liquid and food, you’ll lose energy, and it will become visible. Moreover, dehydration negatively affects your skin tone and makes it less elastic, which is a disadvantage in terms of shooting. You have to be energized and hydrated enough to cope with this challenge.

There are certain strategies used by photographers for slimming particular areas. For example, if we want to make you slimmer in the stomach area, we position you facing away from the key light. Moreover, the body shape is easily emphasized by using the rim light from behind you. Therefore, weight loss in preparation for a shoot is totally unnecessary because photographers are experienced in using light for that purpose.

7. Bedroom-only Studio Myth

The origin of boudoir term is a personal room in a woman’s house where she dresses up. As a consequence, everyone expects that boudoir photos should be taken in the bedroom. However, in practical terms, bedroom is probably the last place where you should conduct your shooting. Fans on the ceiling will create circles of shadows on your body, and there will be some distracting items nearby. Therefore, it is preferable to conduct shooting in the studio or even outdoors, utilizing stunning locations to capture your boudoir shoot.

Some professionals prefer an empty studio with a chaise lounge and nothing else except lighting equipment. Some photographers may go for natural lighting in case they shoot outdoors. In this case, they look for rooms with northern daylight and a nice color palette of walls. Industrial spaces are also interesting for boudoir shooting thanks to their texture and contrasting lighting that creates drama.

8. Total Baring Myth

Many people worry that they won’t have control over the process of shooting and will find themselves exposed too much in the picture. First of all, it shouldn’t surprise you that photographers are very precise in working with clients. They clearly define their wishes and boundaries before shooting, and this conversation continues in a shooting process. In addition to this, during the selection stage, you will look through the images and pick those that please you.

As you can understand, photographers don’t include in a final gallery those parts that make you feel uncomfortable. Therefore, if you want to hide your stomach, you just wear some high-waisted clothes and pose. You can also hide unwanted spots or scars with proper positioning and lighting. The editing process is also controlled by you since photographers use a watermark technology.

9. Limited Audience Myth

When entering a professional studio, people assume that they will meet some young girls of specific shape. But that assumption is totally wrong since the calendar of a studio includes ladies of all ages and sizes. Even more, some people think that only skinny women can have boudoir photos shot. But as you can see, that is far from the truth. Different skin tones are processed differently in shooting.

Lighter skin is protected from blown highlights by grids on softboxes, while darker tones require additional light sources that illuminate all the details. Therefore, age and size of your body determine only the way in which you should be positioned in order to look your best. Nothing else influences this decision and cannot exclude you from boudoir photography sessions.

10. Privacy Violation Myth

Indeed, people tend to believe that their pictures may be posted online without their permission because of the security breaches that are becoming more frequent these days. Nevertheless, if you enter a reputable studio, there is no danger in that because of all the agreements signed before and during the shooting process. The first one is a confidentiality agreement and a copyright one.

In addition, photographers usually ask for a model release before publishing images on their web pages. Otherwise, photographers will be prosecuted. In order to protect your privacy in boudoir photography, photographers create password?protected galleries and do not publish images online until receiving explicit permission from a client. The main reward for this physical effort is not sharing photographs with anyone else. It is your confidence that comes from the fact that you looked attractive on the photos.