Become a Maestro Posing Women for Boudoir

I watch a lot of photographers struggle moving from portrait to boudoir photography. Most often, the challenge is directing and posing your client. However, I don’t believe that posing women for boudoir has to be hard. Follow these fundamentals to build flow into your posing and directing.

Fundamentals of Flow Posing

Flow posing keeps your boudoir shoot relaxed and productive. Moreover, flow posing makes easier for your client to feel beautiful and comfortable during an intimate portrait shoot. Flow posing is a technique that enables you to methodically capture a series of looks. Each look is a minor adjustment that makes a large impact.  By using flow posing, you will have a formula to build a successful boudoir session for your client and your business.

I’ve learn flow posing from my portrait photography mentors. Plus, I’ve also researched several authors’ works on the topic. In the end, you have to develop a “flow” that works best for your portrait workflow. For me, I start from my client’s end-product and work backwards. Then you can create a three-to-five-step posing flow for the looks you want to create for each set. A set is simply the looks that you want to create in each outfit, scene, or lighting combination. Once you complete the set, move on. As the name implies, flow posing keep your total client experience flowing from set-to-set.

Standing—Posing Women for Boudoir

Generally, I like to being with Standing Poses. From there, I work my way down to the floor. Your set design plays a major role in this type of posing. Additionally, the styling for the shoot will influence the standing poses.

There are three primary variations when posing women for boudoir while standing :

• Standing Straight or Angled from Camera

You’d be surprised at how many variations of a pose you can create while standing towards the camera. For curvy women, slightly twisted torso and crossed legs accentuate those curves. High heels shoes always add lift to the butt and definition to legs muscles. Additionally, you can change the angel. Turn your subject to one side for a slight profile. Even better, should from a back angle to capture the curvature of her backside.

• Leaning at an Angle or Against a Wall

Leaning is easy if you have walls, windows, or doorways for your subject. However, let the lighting craft the scene. For example, windows are great for both silhouette and side-lighting. Conversely, you can create a more dramatic look with walls and doorways. The pose and the lighting will guide the level of engagement and drama.

• Using Props, Accessories, or Furniture

I keep a cane, several umbrellas, a foot locker, and flowing dresses in my studio arsenal. I love the simplicity of just playing with the dress fabric to create a sensual look. Likewise, having a chair or apple box, can create more engaging poses without a lot of work.

Sitting—Posing Women for Boudoir

My second flow posing set is seated posing. Posing women while seated allows your boudoir client to relax. This is among my favorite poses. You can do a seated pose on a bed, chair, or any you can comfortably place your bum. Don’t overthink your posing.

Depending on what’s practical, I move around my client to create a different look. Other times, I move the lighting to change the look. Finally, I ask my client to reposition her body to create a new look on the set. All of these choices add variety and drama to each set. In your own space, practice the looks that work best for you over time. If the set doesn’t enable you to move, then change your lighting or your client’s position.

Reclining—Posing Women for Boudoir

The laying down, also known as reclining, pose is quite popular for posing women for boudoir. A simple three point turn creates beautiful poses when lying down. By starting in prone position, you can accentuate the clients legs or butt without revealing too much. Next, have your client turn on their side with the back to the camera to capture the curves of spine to the butt. Finally, rollover on their back to create a new look.

I prefer my clients lay on a hard surface versus a soft mattress. Soft mattresses cause the body to sink into the coils. As a result, it hides the curves below the camera view. Floor posing, ottomans, and tables are great alternatives to soft surfaces.

Storyboard Your Boudoir Experience

In cinema, filmmakers make an edit every seven seconds. The story cuts from one view to another to keep the audience engaged. Furthermore, it keeps the narrative flowing. Likewise, each frame of the movie tells the story from a different vantage point. These motion pictures are commonly made with storyboards in pre-production. The storyboard gives the filmmaker a visual guide to create the film. A boudoir experience is a story of a celebrated woman. It’s not just about posing women for boudoir. By using flow posing, you’ll keep the celebration flowing into every frame.

Know the End from the Beginning

My storyboards include posing and that often becomes a shot plan. In fact, I plan my lens selection, focal length, and perspectives for each shot. I create these steps based on pre-consultation with the client and the final portrait prints. For example, the shot plan is based on the images printed as a wall cluster or a 30-page album. By knowing the end from the beginning, if let’s me know what poses will look amazing for that specific client. I don’t use flow posing to put each client into the same repeated looks. I use flow posing to create looks that keep that singular experience an amazing moment in their lives. Moreover, the final product reflects that comfort, beauty, and celebration of her life.

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Cam Evans, MBA. Photographer

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Want to Learn More About Posing Women for Boudoir!?

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