I love doing boudoir sessions, though I don't do as many as I'd like. I've done quite a few sessions with models, but there's just something special about working with "real women" instead of professional models. Models know how to pose themselves, but it can actually be hard to get them to break out of their normal set of well-rehearsed poses and facial expressions. It's different with non-models - real women with a variety of body types and who often feel awkward in front of a camera. ESPECIALLY if they’re scantily clad!
Women have boudoir shoots for a variety of reasons, most often as a gift to a significant other. Recently I had a boudoir session with Denise, who wanted to surprise her husband with a "for your eyes only" photo book for their 2nd anniversary. We took the photos in her suburban Philadelphia home, and had to plot the timing to make sure hubby would be out and not suspect anything. So we planned for a day when Dave, her husband, would be out playing in a golf tournament. She brought in a hair stylist and makeup artist and while they were "glamming up" Denise, I looked around her house to find the best backdrops. I also set up a portable background for some shots.
As it turned out, we had less time for our photo shoot than we originally planned for because Denise had to meet Dave for a 76ers playoff game, otherwise he'd be suspicious. So even though we had to do some rushing, the photos came out great. I don't like to rush with boudoir shoots, because I find it takes awhile for the ladies to settle down. The best photos usually come from the middle to the end of the photo shoots, at least in my experience. Denise's photos included not only the customary negligees, but also shots in her kitchen, wearing nothing other than an apron and smile, and shots with her pink golf bag, to appeal to the avid golfer that her husband is. It was fun with Denise because she even agreed to do some totally "in the buff" shots! I will only share the "PG" rated photos in this blog, and I'm doing so with Denise's permission. She is not only lovely on the outside, but she is most certainly on the inside as well! Thank you Denise for a wonderful photo shoot!
All photos © Colleen D. Gjefle, 2012
