Allure
Confidence is the sexiest thing you can wear and create an allure all your own. When you're confident, you shine and this lovely lady certainly was feeling...
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Confidence is the sexiest thing you can wear and create an allure all your own. When you're confident, you shine and this lovely lady certainly was feeling it when she came into my studio for the second time.
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Aug, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in my boudoir studio which is actually in my townhouse! I'm a wedding photography but have gradually been branching out into boudoir. They go hand in hand many times but I love them both for very different reasons!Time
This photo took place in my studio, under studio lights, so time of day shouldn't matter right? Well, it just so happens that on the day of this shoot, our air conditioning wasn't working too well and being on the second floor, the studio was hot. The session happened to be mid afternoon, of course the hottest part of the day. Between the AC malfunction and the studio lights, it was pretty hot in the room. We ended up bringing a fan in to help cool down Ms. A and it ended up being the best decision ever! Can you say wind blown hair? She rocked it despite the heat and since she had her hair and makeup professionally done, everything stayed in place really well!Lighting
Ms. A's makeup was on the darker side, so I wanted the images to reflect that. Instead of attempting to light the entire model, I went for a more shadowed, dramatic feel. I have two studio lights and several times during this session I simply turned one off and moved it around to increase the shadows where I wanted them at the time.Equipment
I used a Canon 70D and 2 studio flash units.Inspiration
This was Ms. A's second time in the studio with me. The first time had been to help me out with my portfolio and we got some amazing images! She is so fun to work with in the studio. The second time, she wanted to give her boyfriend something special for his birthday. This second time around, she ended up getting her hair and makeup done by one of my preferred makeup artists. This gave her so much confidence that a short time into the session, I stopped for a moment and said, "Who is this girl right now? You are absolutely rockin' it!" Her photos from her first session compared to her second session are night and day. Of course she's beautiful regardless but the difference in confidence is striking. This photo really captured that calm, self assured confidence that I always try and bring out regardless of who's in my studio.Editing
I did very minimal post processing on this shot, just a little fine tuning. I turned it black and white, messed with the contrast and used curves to darken some of the shadows and bring out the highlights. A little sharpening on her face and smoothing of her skin and there you have it!In my camera bag
When I shoot anything I always have my two Canon 70D bodies and a variety of lens options. My go-to being my 50mm 1.8, my second go to is my 55-250mm lens. I also carry a few others, one of which is a 70-200mm. An external flash, tripod, batteries, chargers and reflectors are also must haves. For weddings I carry it all. For boudoir, I always have my backups handy. For practice or pleasure, I carry it all. You never know what you may need to push your limits and create something magical.Feedback
For boudoir photography, don't be afraid to push the limits of your studio or location. My studio is small. There is really only space for a King bed and a little floor room. I have to get creative with my posing and sometimes shadows and getting up close and personal is best when you have a small space. The trick is to fool the viewer into not thinking about where the model or client is but who she is. You want emotion to speak through the photo eliminating all the rest of the noise. For me, pushing the boundaries with light and shadow, turning off all my studio lights to create something dramatic, playing with angles - all of this serves to create something unique that speaks to not only the woman I'm photographing but all who look at the photo as well. Finally, don't ever underestimate the power of confidence. Instilling confidence is a boudoir photographer's greatest asset and the most important skill. Practice it often, hone it to perfection and use it in abundance.
