Boudoir Mood Lighting

Hello everyone, and thank you for coming this week. I hope everyone is enjoying summer! I was thinking the other day about how lighting and posing effects how an image looks. With l&p, you not only highlight the favorite parts of a person, but can also set an entirely different mood with little adjustment. I want to take the next couple weeks to show some examples. Goodness knows I mention it enough, it's time to show it!

To begin our short series, I would like to start with window light. In these two images, Vi is standing in the same spot, or very close to the same spot. In the first image, the exposure is bright and shadows are softer. The image is warm and pleasant.  Her pose is elegant, with toes pointed to elongate her body. Her hands are relaxed which helps the image become inviting. Notice how almost every joint in her body is bent. The rule is "If it bends, bend it."  I love the pose because everything works to help her look taller which slims the body and shows her curves. With this pose, you can shoot from almost any angle and get a pleasing view of her shape. This pose and the lighting will flatter anyone. 

I love the first image, but like to add some variety. The second image is taken in the same spot, but a different angle. The different exposure and b/w turns warm and pleasant into a dramatic scene. When light like this, I need a pose that is not posed. The pose needs to be more non-posed looking. It needs to be like the photographer is not in the room, voyeuristic if you will. Vi does a great job in selling the shot. Part of boudoir photography is the emotion. That's when you can let go and be actress for a day! Notice again how her knees are bent, her elbows are bent and her wrists are bent.  She even acts like I was not in the room, but  I really don't take that personally! :)  The lighting and the pose work together to give a different mood and look than the first image, even though they are in the same spot but a different angle.

If you ask which I prefer, that is a tough choice. I love both. But I am happy that I can offer whichever a client likes. I like to include both in a photo session to show the different sides of her personality. Let me know which you like! 

Next week will be a short talk about what I call selective light. I have a couple samples to show how the light can show off the part of you that you like best. Hope you have a great week!