The Mystery of Boudoir

I love that boudoir photography can be so many things. I flew to Denver, Colorado last week to work on some new lighting techniques with my mentor Don Hales. Don has become a great friend and I love his work. I got to work with a few different models, and while I realized that I loved the new look from my lighting, I did not realize the different results from the same lighting patterns.

I don't like to get into technical stuff. but i do like the emotion in portraiture. As I went through the images, I saw that each one is her own personality. By using the same technique, I was able to see the different personalities in each individual. Looking at the images above, I saw that one shows a flirty attitude, another shows a sexy elegance, and the third is assertive sexuality. I have learned that even though the stage is the same, each player has their own personality. I learned that a person should not try to be like another, because their own personality is alluring and sensual.

My wish is that I can help anyone and everyone I photograph to be comfortable enough in front of the lens that their personality exudes from the album. Sure, there may be times, like at the beginning, when they feel a little nervous. I may be a little nervous, too! But a little nervous can be a good thing. When a person is a little  nervous about something, it shows that they really care. I just heard a story of an athlete, and I forget who it was, who was asked if he was nervous before the game. He said that no, he was excited. Your body goes through the same emotions whether you are nervous or excited. Your heart rate goes up, you feel a burst of energy and the palms may get a little sweaty. He was saying it feels the same. It depends on how you approach the situation.

When I booked to go to Denver, I thought I was learning tech stuff. And now I realize I learned people stuff! I started portraiture because I love showing personality in an image. When I began my boudoir photography I wanted to show each individual's femininity and personality. I want to help you realize your beauty and sensuality no matter what your inhibitions may be. (And you know what I'm talking about!) 

To me, that is the mystery of boudoir. The mystery is that each of us has some sexiness about us. You may not show it every day, and may not feel it every day. But you can let that part of you come out during that hour or two boudoir session.  No matter what the media or world tells us, we know that we feel good about ourselves and can let our sexy show!