Boudoir photography strides the fine line between fashion portraits and glamour photography. “Boudoir” derives from a French word that means a woman’s private salon. Boudoir shoots are usually for women, but men are also welcome to explore different aspects of their personalities.
These shoots are meant to exude sensuality and are intimate. That’s why one usually wears racy lingerie and poses seductively to profess ownership over their sexuality. Unlike other genres, Boudoir’s subjects are often not professional models—anyone can do a boudoir shoot. Indeed, Boudoir photography is a niche of photography that highlights and embraces the intimate and sensual beauty of one’s body.
What Are The Different Styles Of Boudoir Photography?
There are as many styles of Boudoir photography as there are photographers. From classical looks that are dramatic, luminous, or playful to vogue images with the addition of vintage, pin-up, maternity sessions, and fine-art nude ideas.
With these many ideas of Boudoir photography, there is also a required skill set for the photographer to communicate with their clients. From researching different photographer portfolio websites for some inspiration to operational and technical preparation. Indeed, the key to success in Boudoir photography depends on the photographer’s clear vision of what the model wants and a touch of what the photographer can offer.
Who Is Boudoir Photography For?
As mentioned, Boudoir photography is for everyone; may it be for an individual who wants to discover another side of their personality that they never knew existed or had enough of the naysayers and realize it’s time to prove their worth it. Or those who want to do something special for their partner. There is something extraordinarily empowering about stepping out of the meek shell and owning their sensuality.
What Is The Point of Boudoir Photography?
The most straightforward answer is that everyone is discovering their true beauty and is also treating themselves to boudoir sessions because they are confident enough to do so. Below are some reasons to go for this type of photography:
Feel More Confident In Their Own Skin
Imagine feeling confident, radiant, alive, and being the best version. That’s what boudoir photography can do. It can literally help a person see themselves in a whole new light. By seeing themselves through a camera lens, they’ll be able to appreciate their beauty in a way they never thought possible.
For Themselves
A boudoir session is a chance to focus on the person and their needs. It’s an opportunity to show self-love and appreciate the unique beauty – something that will make them feel good. In a world where we’re constantly giving time and energy to others, it’s essential to do something that’s just for them.
Celebrate The Body and All Its Curves
Through boudoir photography, it celebrates the body and all its curves. The photographer will help with the pose to make the client feel comfortable and confident. Anyone can look beautiful in boudoir photos regardless of their shape or size.
A Unique and Special Gift
Boudoir pictures are the perfect gift for the partner. It’s a unique way to show their love and desire.
To Have a Fun, Unique Experience
Boudoir photography is the one way to have fun. It’s a chance to let loose, own oneself, and have fun. Not only will the photographer have a great time during the lingerie photoshoot, but clients will also have a lot of fun looking through the photos afterward.
The Best Pre-Wedding Gift
Boudoir photography is the perfect gift for any bride-to-be. It’s a unique way to celebrate the upcoming nuptials and get excited for the big day. The photographer will help capture beautiful photos to look back on for years.
Celebrate a Milestone
Whatever the milestone is, boudoir photography is the perfect way to celebrate it. Individuals can reflect on their boudoir pics and see how far they’ve come. Moreover, they’ll be able to appreciate their strength and beauty.
What’s The Beauty Of Boudoir Photography?
Most often, wedding photographers can easily offer Boudoir photography as an add-on to a wedding package and marketed as a groom’s gift. Moreover, Boudoir can be easily added to a portrait photographer’s business as it’s a type of portraiture.
As a matter of fact, Boudoir photography is trendy amongst military families where the husband is deployed overseas for long periods. Also, since it’s growing in popularity and everyone does not offer it, it’s relatively easy to rank in search engines, getting more clients looking for this type of session. Indeed, it’s a great time to add this to the services.
How To Make Boudoir Photography A Profitable One?
Boudoir is much more private than any other type of photography, so to get a profitable boudoir photography business off the ground, several hesitations may need to be overcome.
- Learn how to pose women flatteringly and share some techniques to make them look their best. The types of poses in Boudoir are unlike any other kind of posing out there, so it needs to be studied before doing it, or it might become a mistake that’s an instant sales killer.
Learn tasteful posing that beautifies a woman and doesn’t just objectify her. Make sure to differentiate it from porn and provide an experience that makes a woman feel safe, beautiful, and comfortable.
- Rent a hotel room for the session. Make sure to collect a non-refundable retainer fee that will cover the hotel costs if clients cancel, but this is an easy place to do Boudoir. Also, have certain days available for boudoir sessions to do several sessions all in one day and cut costs. Or consider partnering with a local bed & breakfast to rent rooms by the hour during weekdays, as many places are booked for weekends but sit open during the week and could pitch it as extra income for them.
- Have a separate website or division of the website where it can be shown to people for them to view and learn about the boudoir photography sessions. Or, don’t post images online; only talk about what is being offered online. Think of a very profitable business without having any images easily accessible to the public.
Also, adjust the online marketing for conservative areas and ensure that the Boudoir is not mixed in with the regular website.
- Build a portfolio with women of all sizes
The best way to do this is to offer a few sessions for free for friends or for models of all sizes that will allow sharing these images with other women to see. Please make sure they sign something that gives this right, or it won’t be worth doing the session for free. This will allow practice the posing and create a portfolio so that when the size 24 woman comes to book a session, images of another woman of similar size can be shown and how amazing the photographer made her look.
- Take advantage of social media.
With today’s technology, there’s no better way to connect with the target market than social media. There is no need to be present on every platform, but only stick to one or two channels and be consistent with posting content.
Photography is about capturing moments, so there is nothing wrong with sharing photos on Instagram. Many photographers have utilized this platform to share past works and engage with their target market. Also, create accounts on Facebook, Pinterest, and whichever other sites are popular with the target audience.
What Makes A Boudoir Photography A Profitable One?
A person will pay for what they place value on since it is an intimate and private method of expression. As such, boudoir photography is a unique and personal style requiring intricate attention to detail to give the subject a fantastic experience. As well as something timeless and classic they can be proud of for years to come.
Boudoir is focused on self-care, empowerment, recovery, and celebrating the best version. That said, the planning and preparation behind the scenes take a great deal of investment and capital. A good and competent Boudoir Photographer will have a professional Hair and Makeup Team and may provide lingerie for the client.
In addition, collaborating with local vendors could help spread the word about the boudoir services. Boudoir photographers most often have partnerships with local vendors aligned with their brands, such as salons, florists, wedding planners, and lingerie and maternity stores, through the enticing offers and how a partnership can lead to more exposure and a steady source of leads for both businesses.
Final Thoughts
Boudoir photography profits from a marketing plan that showcases the photographer’s skills, professionalism, and unique personality. Captured By Lexi offers Boudoir Photography for anyone who sees themselves as “beautiful” while rebuilding their self-esteem and confidence. Ultimately, this is not only creating a pretty picture, but Boudoir photography is much more.
