My advice to those preparing for a boudoir session is simple: be yourself.

I’ve been photographing boudoir for years now, and I’ve seen a shocking number of portfolios that are solely catered to the male fantasy…whatever that means.

 

You know what I’m talking about: the photos that have little to do with the woman herself and everything to do with what they think men want to see. They are overly photoshopped and unnaturally lit. Nothing about it feels real. Despite this, these same photos are paired with words like “this will empower you!” and “become confident in your skin!”. Well, I don’t believe in that.

 

For every boudoir photo I take, I keep the woman standing in front of me at the heart of it. Boudoir is about capturing your beauty, just as you are. At the end of the day, I believe your photos should look and feel like YOU — as imperfectly perfect as you may be. You’re stunning as you are and the right boudoir photographer will celebrate that. You don’t need to transform into something else.

 

And guess what? Your significant other doesn’t want to see a stranger in the photos either. If you are considering gifting your photos to your love as an extra bonus, I promise you they already love the natural beauty they sees in YOU every day. Show them that and I guarantee the boudoir photos will be a gift they treasure forever.