So you want to be a boudoir photographer?I am, and I absolutely love it. Unfortunately, you can not become a great boudoir photographer overnight. You have to start somewhere and finding that starting point can be a difficult task if you do not know where to look. So to help out, I created my best 7 tips on how to become a great boudoir photographer and how to take amazing boudoir photos. The photos in this blog post were taken at a boudoir workshop that I attended in 2010. Some of the photos were edited using my editing skills (or lack of) back then, while some are not edited at all. These photos are an example of what to avoid when shooting boudoir as well as a look back at some of my work when I first started. Hopefully you will find these seven boudoir tips beneficial and help you become a successful boudoir photographer! Tip #1- Attend a boudoir photography workshop This is what gave me that extra push into a career of boudoir photography. I was attending college in pursuit of a commercial photography degree when I attended my first boudoir workshop back in 2010. The workshop cost about $250 and it included two days of learning about boudoir photography, lighting, photographing a nude model, a few in lingerie, and hands on shooting with established boudoir photographers. It was quite an experience photographing my first nude mode and other women in lingerie. However, looking back, this workshop was really not that impressive. The students only got a few minutes each to photograph the models. Most of instructors sat back and just said to take pictures of the models in the rooms instead of actually “teaching” us anything. To makes things worse, one of the instructors was behind all of the students snapping away pictures at the model too. Workshops are great, but now a days it seems like anyone with a camera has one. My advice, do your research before spending a lot of money attending a boudoir workshop. Make sure that the instructors are knowledgeable and have a style that you can relate to. Tip #2- Learn your camera It is very difficult to take a good photograph if you do not know how to work your camera. At the boudoir workshop we were shooting in a room with two different lighting setups. One setup used hot lights, while the other used strobes. The class was split in half. One half of the class shot with the hot lights first, while the other half shot with the strobes. I was in the half that started with the strobes. We were told by the instructor to set our cameras to ISO 100, f8, at 1/125 for our exposure. A fellow classmate had no idea how to set her camera to this. I was shocked. The camera she was using cost nearly four times as much as the DSLR camera I had and she had absolutely no idea how to work it. I felt embarrassed for her watching her fumble around with the camera and pressing random buttons. I asked if she needed help, and she handed the camera to me. After moving the camera from fully auto into manual mode, I made the adjustments for the proper exposure and showed her how to change the settings. Know how to work your camera inside and out. Auto mode will not cut it. Tip #3- Having an expensive camera does not make you a great photographer When I first started going to college for photography I had a Canon Rebel XT DSLR. It is an 8 megapixel camera that had a very small preview screen on the back of it. I purchased this used camera from ebay for $300. It included two lenses and a camera bag. This was a great starter camera and it took amazing pictures. Since then, I have purchased better and more expensive cameras because my skill and knowledge of photography grew. I get asked by friends that are not photographers and even some new photographers about what kind of camera to get. My advice, start with something basic and then invest in something better once your skill has outgrown the camera. Tip #4- So I am ready to be a boudoir photographer, but where do I find nude or lingerie models? This was a question that I asked myself a lot. It is hard to become a boudoir photographer when your portfolio has zero boudoir photos in it. Family portraits, landscape, and flower pictures will definitely not help you. Attending the boudoir workshop helped me capture a few images to get my portfolio started, but if you do not plan on attending one, simply use your available resources. I asked my wife to model for me, but you can ask your girlfriend, best friend, sister, mother, or even a random woman you meet while walking your dog. There are women everywhere. All you have to do is open your mouth and ask. You can also try Model Mayhem. This is a site that helps model, photographers, and other creatives meet to create photo shoots. To join, simply create a profile and upload four of your best photos. You can search for models that have the specific look you want, or you can create your own casting call and have the models come to you. New models always need need pictures, so set up a trade shoot and offer your photos for their modeling. This is a fast and easy way to build your portfolio. Tip #5- Alright, now I have models for my boudoir photo shoot, but where do I photograph them? This is a popular question that I always see asked in the boudoir Facebook groups I belong in. The answer is quite simple. Anywhere you can. Photograph them in your home or at theirs. If that will not work out, rent a hotel room and do your photo shoot there. And no, you do not need to inform the hotel staff that you are a photographer and plan on using their hotel room for a boudoir photo shoot. Just pay for your room, get your key, drag all your gear to the room, set up, and start shooting. Besides, lots of crazy things happen in hotel rooms and taking a few pictures is no need for alarm. Tip #6- I have a hotel room to do my boudoir photo shoot, but the room looks horrible No worries. Living in Las Vegas, I have done boudoir photo shoots in many hotel rooms and about 75% of them all look the same. The room you get usually has ugly furniture, artwork, carpet, drapes, and a comforter that has not been changed since the mid 80's. This is what you do. HIDE EVERYTHING! Take down the distracting artwork from the walls. Stick the telephone under the bed. Hide the room service menu, phone book, alarm clock, ice bucket, and glasses. You may even need to move a lamp or two. Definitely remove the comforter from the bed. Those things are absolutely hideous. Just use the white sheets and pillows. Some hotels try to be cute and bolt down everything. If you are faced with this problem, simply work your angles and shoot tight. That way no one will ever know your photos were taken in a hotel room and not in a fancy boudoir studio. A word of caution. Lighting in hotel rooms suck! If you are planning on doing a shoot in one, I recommend doing it in the afternoon and let in some window light. If not, you will definitely want to bring some extra lighting. Tip #7- Practice, practice, practice
This is the most important tip of them all. Practice photographing women of different size and race. Practice your boudoir posing with models and then use the poses that looks best with your clients. Do not be afraid to try new things and do not be afraid to fail. This is the only way to become a better boudoir photographer. Thank you for reading my 7 for boudoir photographers. If you found this helpful, please share with others or leave a comment below.
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A bingo agent experiences a sexy boudoir photo shootI recently did a boudoir photo shoot with a beautiful young woman named, Kiki. She is a student at the College of Southern Nevada, in pursuit of a Business Management degree. I had a great time chatting with Kiki during our shoot. She was full of energy and so much fun! After our photo shoot, I asked Kiki if she would like to do a Q&A session to share her story, experience, and photos on my blog. She loved the idea and agreed to do it. Q: What kind of activities do you like to do to stay in shape? A: I am a fitness fanatic and enjoy lifting weights and HIIT cardio. I'm also really into clean eating. Q: What type of work do you do? A: I just accepted a new position at Zappos! I'll be working in their call center. I'm also a bingo agent part time. Q: What made you want to do a boudoir photo shoot? A: I just turned 29 years old and I really want to escape my sweet girl image. Q: How was your boudoir experience? Were you feeling nervous or excited about doing it? A: I felt a mixture of both. It's been awhile since I've been in front of a camera, but after that first click from the camera I became more relaxed. Q: Are you giving the photos to someone as a gift, or is it something special that you want to keep for yourself? A: I did share them with my boyfriend, but the shoot was something I did for myself. Q: How did you prepare for your boudoir photo shoot? practice in the mirror? A: Besides shopping, I did a little research on boudoir shoots. I tried practicing a little, but I knew once I got in front of the camera I wouldn't remember any of it. Then I just focused on my wardrobe. Q: How did you decide on the outfits you wore? A: I tried to stay away from the typical boudoir lingerie and focus on bringing out my personality. I just thought of what made me feel sexy. Q: Is a boudoir photo shoot something you think every woman should experience at least once? why? A: Yes! I believe it helps build confidence. A boudoir shoot can reveal little things about yourself that you never knew existed. Q: Using 4 words, how would you describe yourself in relation to beauty? A: Getting better with age. Kiki also left this wonderful testimonial about her boudoir photography experience;
“My shoot with Bryan was more than I expected. From the beginning he was respectful and professional. He's extremely knowledgable about his passion. I found his guide to shooting a boudoir shoot very helpful since it was my first one. He gives direction well and it was easy to follow. He makes you feel comfortable and ensures your whole experience is enjoyable.” Thank you Kiki for allowing me to share your story and photos, as well as the the kind words. It was an absolute joy photographing you. Being the first boudoir photography studio in Las Vegas to accept the newest form of payment, Bitcoin, is another reason that sets us apart from our competitionBitcoin is a fairly new peer-to-peer payment system that operates with no central authority or bank and is one of the simplest ways to exchange money. Much of our boudoir photography business comes from tourists visiting Las Vegas. Some live within the United States, but many come from other countries and find that converting foreign currency can be a real pain. We understand the needs that our customers have and now proudly offer Bitcoin as a payment solution. This payment method can be processed in minutes without the hassle or outrageous fees that are charged by a bank or a currency exchange. Las Vegas Glamour Boudoir photography prides ourself in customer service by offering the best photography, the best photo packages, the best prices, and now the best payment options available.
You best option for glamour and boudoir photography in Las Vegas just got a whole lot betterIntroducing our new $100 gift card. Our elegant gift cards come delivered in a black envelope, wrapped with a sexy black and white lace ribbon. As a special offer to our amazing customers, we are offering these $100 value gift cards for purchase for only $50 through the end of May. A glamour photo shoot would make an amazing Mothers Day gift. Buy one today and give it as a gift to that special someone or use it for yourself! Redemption policy: - Only one gift card is redeemable per photo shoot. - The $100 value can be applied towards any photo shoot package or add-on product like our gorgeous folio boxes. - Gift cards can not be combined with any other offer, discount, or applied towards professional makeup, ,travel fees, and are not redeemable for cash. - These cards do not expire. To purchase your $100 gift card for only $50 now through the end of May, please contact us.CONTACT
Payment can be made by cash, credit, or Bitcoin. Save $50 Off Boudoir Photo Shoots In Your Hotel Room All April LongMost people come to Las Vegas for vacation, work, or play. They gamble, see some amazing performances, attend a trade shows, watch the Bellagio fountains, dine in fancy restaurants, party all night, and occasionally sleep. With so many things to do and experience in Las Vegas, why should the fun stop inside your hotel room? Sure, you could order room service if that is your idea of having fun. Or you could contact Las Vegas Glamour Boudoir and experience your very own boudoir photo shoot in the privacy of your own hotel room. Now that is definitely more exciting than watching T.V. and ordering a cold piece of chicken and green beans delivered to your room. For the entire month of April, we are waiving the $50 travel fee on all boudoir photo shoots that are done in the comfort of your hotel room within 25 miles of Las Vegas.
We also feature same day viewing of your boudoir photos and packages that start as low as $225. Do not sit around bored in your hotel room. Instead, try something fun and exciting. This is Vegas, live a little! Mothers day is approaching soon!Sunday, May 11th 2014 is the day this year when we pay tribute and honor our mothers and the influence of all mothers in society. Many of us will give our mother or the mother of our children a card, flowers, candy, a fancy dinner, perfume, or if you are really distant, a phone call. It's the thought that counts, right? Although this post is about all of the amazing mothers, I want to talk about my father. I lost my dad to cancer three days before his 60th birthday back in 2010. Even though we were somewhat distant and didn't talk that much, I still found him to be a great guy. He was a rare of his cancer and mentioned that when it was his time to go he didn't want a fancy funeral, he just wanted to be cremated. I never dealt with anything like this before. When he passed I contacted the crematorium to follow out his wishes. They asked me to write a short obituary and to give them a recent photo of him so they can post it on their website. Writing the obituary was fairly easy, however I found to be difficult was providing the crematorium a good photo of my recently deceased father. He really wasn't much the type to be in front of a camera a lot. The only photos that I had of him were from way back when I was a kid. I searched his computer and found one that was about ten years old and looked decent at best. It really sucked that the last memory of my father would be an old crappy snapshot. But as I was saying.... Every woman should have at least one beautiful photo of herself. A great looking portrait of that special person in your life may not seem like a big deal to them, but it will definitely be priceless to you, and something that you can hold on to and remember forever. If you would like to schedule a beautiful glamour portrait photo shoot for yourself, your mother, or both please complete the form on the contact page or call Las Vegas Glamour Boudoir at 702-714-0469.
Modern Women's Portraiture My Valentine's day was perfect this year. I received a gift that is truly priceless. I woke up to an email from Creative Live stating that I was selected to be a part of the live audience for their upcoming class titled, "Modern Women's Portraiture". If you are not familiar with Creative Live, they host informative workshops that are streamed live online for free or available for purchase at a later time if you miss the live show. Creative Live features many different types of workshops including many that feature glamour and boudoir photography.
The Modern Women's Portraiture workshop that I will be attending is in Las Vegas, March 3-5. This three day instructional class will feature four of the best photographers in the glamour and fashion fields. There were only ten spots available to attend this workshop, and to get selected you had to complete an essay stating why you should be picked. I wrote about my fear of quitting my secure, full-time day job and jumping in headfirst, either sink or swim, into my passion of doing glamour and boudoir photography as a full time career. I am afraid of failing, so thats why I still hold on to what is comfortable, but there is no way to know how great I can become unless I ACTUALLY DO IT! I believe that this opportunity will give me the confidence that I need to move forward and make my dream become a reality. The four women teaching this workshop, Sue Bryce, Lou Freeman, Laura Jade, and Emily Soto are all amazing. Each of them specialize in making women look beautiful, but in different ways. I will learn so much from each of them. Each instructor specializes in the fields of contemporary glamour, boudoir, fashion photography, or a combination of all three. This is going to be so awesome! During our mentoring session, Sue Bryce will help push us audience members into defining our true purpose and set an actionable roadmap to make it become a reality. I truly can't wait to make this happen. Ever wonder what it's like to experience a boudoir photo shoot?Well here is your chance. Here is a behind the scenes video from a recent bridal boudoir photography shoot. The video starts out with the beautiful bride-to-be, Karina, getting her hair prepared by the very talented hair stylist, Larry Thielen Jr. He places a few clip-in hair extensions into Karina's hair and begins to curl and shape it. Next, Karina moves on to get her makeup done by the fabulous, Sonja Soun. Sonja applies her airbrush makeup, eye shadow, and lashes with perfection. Once the makeup is complete, Karina is back in the chair to have Larry place the finishing touches on her gorgeous hair. Now you can really start to see the transformation taking place. Larry removes a few hair pins and sprays Karina's hair. Everything is looking great! Now, it's photo shoot time. First, we started the bridal boudoir shoot in what I like to call "the white room". This room is all white and has only one window in it. The white room allows the sunlight shining through the window to bounce all around the room, creating a giant soft-box. I also placed a large white reflector close to Karina to bounce more light onto her face and body. The light in this room is flattering on all women and definitely make Karina look amazing! Next, we moved to a different area of the studio. Karina was wearing the same white bra and panty set, along with the bridal veil that she was had on in the white room. I wanted to capture some images of her looking into a mirror. That way I can create some portraits of her beautifully made up face and hair, as well as capture the detail from the back of her bridal veil. I really love the contrast from the black, white, and gray of this set. It makes Karina and the bridal bouquet that she is holding really stand out. After the mirror, we did another look. This time it was against a white couch. Karina changed into a white body shaper and panty for this look. I placed her in a few glamour type poses while she was sitting. I then had Karina lay down on the couch and posed her into a few sexy bridal boudoir poses. Finally, we moved to the last look, the bedroom. Karina changed outfits again. In addition the her bridal veil, she wore a all white bra and lace panty set with white lace-top stockings. Again, I placed her into more fun and flirty glamour and boudoir poses. Karina has a very beautiful smile and her laughter was quite infectious. By the end of the shoot I found myself laughing almost as much as she was. Your soon to be husband will certainly love this wonderful gift you are giving him. Congratulations again on the wedding! I hope you enjoyed this behind the scenes look from a very fun and sexy bridal boudoir photo shoot. Las Vegas Bridal Boudoir PhotographerIn Las Vegas, “The marriage capital of the world”, many brides-to-be are in search of an experience that most wedding photographers simply do not offer. Bridal boudoir photography has become so popular in the last few years that many brides are saying, “I do” to a sexy boudoir photo shoot prior to their wedding. Being a photographer in Las Vegas, I get asked these questions frequently from brides interested in doing a photo shoot. What Exactly Is A Boudoir Photo Shoot? A boudoir photo shoot captures the pure beauty and elegance of a woman that is either partially clothed, in lingerie, or wearing nothing at all. So, Will I Be Wearing My Wedding Dress In The Pictures? No. The photos of you posing in your wedding dress will be done on your wedding day. The images I create are much more sensual. You will mostly be wearing lingerie or a lot less. It’s your decision on how revealing or not you want to be in your photos. What Type Of Lingerie Looks Best For Bridal Boudoir? You will want to wear white lingerie. Off-white is acceptable and so is white with colored trim. A matching white bra and panty set also look great. Another sexy style is a white garter belt with stockings. Definitely do not wear any bright colors or animal prints. Save that lingerie for your honeymoon. What Else Should I Bring To My Bridal Boudoir Photo Shoot? White shoes are always plus. Don’t forget to bring ear rings, bracelets, and necklaces. Diamonds and pearls look great. Most important, make sure you bring your engagement ring and veil. Should I Do My Own Hair And Makeup? You certainly can. However, I recommend using a professional makeup artist or hair stylist. This experience will be one of the most memorable days in your life. You will be glad that you did. Can I Bring My Girlfriends Or Bridesmaids To My Boudoir Shoot? Definitely. And If you book a shoot with 4 total or more, I will give a 15% discount. I Have Never Done Anything Like This Before, Will You Help? No problem. I am here to make you look beautiful. I will help guide you through every step and place you in flattering poses that will make you look amazing. But I Am No Supermodel, I Look Like The Your Typical Girl Next Door. You do not have to look like a super model to do a bridal boudoir photo shoot. I specialize in making women look beautiful. It doesn’t matter if you are slim or curvy, tall or short, I will make that shy girl next door look like a sultry diva. What Kind Of Products Can I Purchase? My most popular product for my bridal boudoir clients by far would be the beautiful hand-made 11x14 folio boxes. These folio boxes contain up to twenty of your favorite portraits mounted inside a high quality mat. Ten image folio boxes start at $450. But I Seen Other Photographers On Craigslist Charge $100 For A CD With 100 Images. I know. I have seen them too. There is a reason why you are reading this now and have not contacted them to do your shoot. I specialize in glamour and boudoir photography. Period. I am also a licensed business with the state of Nevada and I have a college degree in commercial photography. Price is only an issue in the absence of value. What exactly is the value in 100 images on a CD when most of them look could look bad? Can I just Get A CD Or Digital Images Of My Photos? I appreciate that you are concerned about digital images, and YES, you can receive the digital images of your photos. This allows you unlimited printing (up to 8x12), the ability to view the glamour or boudoir images on your cell phone or tablet device, and to share on social media. I do also offer beautiful and high quality mounted prints, wall art and gorgeous handcrafted folio boxes. Alright, I Want To Do A Bridal Boudoir Photo Shoot With You. What Do I Do Next? Complete the contact form with your information. It is recommended to schedule your shoot at least two weeks in advance. A $100 retainer in required to hold your scheduled date and time. I Gave My Husband The Bridal Boudoir Folio Box As A Wedding Gift. He Absolutely Loves It And Says I Look Hot!
Thank you. Glad I could help. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This is very true with art.I purchased four of these beauties from a local Las Vegas hotel furniture store. If you do not have a store like this in your area, basically, they sell old furniture, artwork, lamps, etc from hotels and casinos at really low prices. The majority of these items they sell are very rough on the eyes. Odd colors and designs. Seriously, it looks bad. That is why you need to have some creativity and an imagination to make them look great! I am sure that the artist who painted these does great work, however this painting is simply not my style and will not go with anything in my studio. However, at $5 for a 4 foot by 3 foot canvas painting, it looked beautiful. I saw past the 80's style hotel artwork and visioned my modern Las Vegas boudoir photo studio masterpiece. This is really not a difficult project to do. Anyone can do it. You just need to see and appreciate the true beauty of something hiding on the inside and not accept it at face value. This painting was screaming to me, "Make me look hot!". Here is how I made mine. First, get yourself a canvas - the bigger, the better. Large canvases can get quite expensive, so try to find a cheap one like I did. If you do not have a hotel furniture store, check out some yard sales or thrift stores. Remember, it doesn't matter what it looks like, because you are going to make it look beautiful. Second, get a damp rag and clean it. My painting was covered in years of dust and cigarette smoke. Extremely disguising. Third, cover it. I used only one coat of white acrylic paint. It did not cover the image below completely, and thats ok. This coat is mainly to mask the majority of distracting art below. Fourth, I applied some acrylic gel medium randomly across the art. I did this because the original art has many raised surfaces. It looked appropriate for what the original artist intended, but would look out of place for what I was planning on creating. It also helps to completely disguise the image below. Fifth, I decided to make squares for my masterpiece. I didn't want them to be too large or too small so I went with a 3 inch square. I used a tape measure and pen to draw lines every 3 inches horizontally and vertically. If you are wanting to do something similar to what I did, make sure you do the math first and calculate the amount of squares before you start drawing lines all over your canvas. Sixth, Start painting. I mixed black and white acrylic paint to make fifty shades of gray. Just kidding. However, I did come up with quite a few shades. I mixed in a metallic silver acrylic paint thinking it would look cool, but the paint was somewhat of a let down. It did not mix well with the white or black acrylic paint and the color was not what I expected once I applied it to the canvas. I still used it, just not a lot of it. Seventh, Allow a day to dry and than hang your artwork on the wall. I know it sounds easy, but this was beyond the most difficult part for me. I put countless nail holes in my studio’s wall because I could not get the art evenly leveled or at the proper height I wanted. There you have it. A very fun and inexpensive project to create some beautiful art for your home or studio. Good luck!
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