Today is #anythingcanhappenday on the Blog. Last year I expanded the number of portrait-related posts that appeared on Thursdays and based on an increased number of page views, people seem to enjoy them, so my plans are to continue this theme for 2026. It’s also National Freethinkers Day that encourages people to have the freedom to think and express themselves, which is something I try to do with this blog every day
Today’s Post by Joe Farace
Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.—Steve Jobs
“Boudoir photography dates from the mid-1980s and is characterized by the empowerment of its female subjects, who now are typically the photographer’s clients rather than being hired models.” —from Wikipedia.
Although I don;t see why “hired models” cannot also be photographed in this genres too. Case in point: Today’s portrait of Pam Simpson.The boudoir photography genre seems to be practiced by many portrait photographers and features the kind of portraiture that women will give as gifts to their significant others for Christmas, Valentines Day, anniversaries or other gift giving occasions.
Mirrorless Boudoir Photography
It turns out before the major manufacturers figured out that mirrorless cameras were not a gimmick, that the cameras were useful for all kind of genres, including boudoir photography.
How I made this portrait: I photographed Pam Simpson lounging on a love seat in my family room as part of a series of images we created for an album that was going to be a gift. The camera used was a mirrorless Panasonic Lumix GH4 with and Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lens. Lighting was from a Paul C Buff DigiBee 800 with 18-inch Omni reflector with a diffusion sock attached. The DigiBee was placed close by Pam and at camera right to create a dramatic lighting effect. The exposure was 1/30 sec at f/7.1 and ISO 400. The RAW image file was converted to monochrome using Silver Efex.
Deciphering the nuances of boudoir photography sometimes means you’re dancing on an edge between the portrait or figure photography genres. Much of the final effect of this kind of portrait depends on the subject, what they are wearing and their pose. I think a successful boudoir photography includes the following elements.
- Sexiness: Boudoir photography focuses on the depiction of a subject with a strong emphasis on sensuality with today’s trends leaning toward a more natural look.
- Technique: In pursuit of the ultimate boudoir image, photographers use make-up, camera techniques and soft lighting to produce an appealing, romanticized and even idealized vision of the subject. While some photographers prefer realism in their intimate portraits, put me in the idealized camp.
- Sharp focus: Some photographers also prefer crisply rendered images. Others, like to add a touch of softness and to the image with Photoshop. Ultimately the style of the portrait is up to you because ultimately it all comes down to…
Having an open and ongoing communication with the subject. This is a must for creating a successful boudoir portrait. Establishing rapport with the subject helps create the kind of uniquely collaborative environment that’s required for successful intimate portraiture. That approach ensures that the subject is comfortable being photographed when they are unclothed or nearly so and it’s the photographer’s job to make sure the subject is comfortable in the setting. This will make the session go smoothly and allow both of you to create the best possible portraits.
Postscript: For another view on a similar, often confused, genre, please take a look at my post It’s Your First Glamour Shoot. What’s next? when you have time.
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My book Joe Farace’s Glamour Photography is full of tips, tools and techniques for glamour and boudoir photography and includes information on all of the cameras used as well as the complete exposure data for each image. New books are available from Amazon for $23.82 with used books starting around ten bucks.as I write this. The Kindle version is $19.99 for those preferring a digital format.