How to model for Boudoir

This will be a bit of a "everyone's got a different opinion" kind of thing. Every photographer has a different way of posing and all think it's right.

At least I can accept that I'm not the most correct, but these are a sure fire way FOR ME to get the best for clients and models. The best for other photographers can be different depending on their own styles. I like to highlight the body and create a sensual, mysterious mood through my lighting, which means I don't actually really focus on the face too much. Many women feel awkward about their face in photos, and for me, boudoir is about connection with the body and feeling good in our skin.

There are some photographers that ask you to open your mouth slightly... personally I think this should be a natural thing... but I'll go over this later in one of my tips.

These tips will be based around my most commonly asked questions from clients and newbie models.

TOPIC ONE

What should we do with our eyes?

I'll probably get in trouble for this one but it's a massive reality that no one knows where to look or what to do with our face.

For eyes in boudoir, I generally get clients and models to CLOSE 'em.

Closing your eyes can look so much more sensual and add that sexy bedroom look... teamed with tilting you chin slightly up, or looking down at your shoulder, it looks much more natural and adds a lot of comfort to the situation.

I've heard from many women that they can "fuck the camera" with their eyes, and honestly, I think this is a myth. Why? Because your mouth is your ultimate weapon. And now that you think that you can "fuck the camera" with an intentional look, I have to retrain you to pose in a sensual way rather than an angry "I'm going to eat you" kinda way. I personally just look drunk 🤣

Think about the times you were seducing a partner and the times were you were in bed. Were you really doing a "sexy smoulder"?

Ultimately, if you aren't looking at the camera, close your eyes. Unless you're looking out a window for storytelling purposes. If you do need to look at the camera, look beyond it. Smile with your eyes. Think about your partner (or an imaginary one) walking in to find you waiting for them. Imagine their reaction.

Of course, this is assuming that your photographer isn't helping you feel comfortable and making you laugh and enjoy yourself. A smile is ALWAYS sexier than "fucking the camera" with your eyes.

art themed boudoir pose lying down with paintbrush

TOPIC TWO

HOW TO FLATTER YOUR FACE AND HEAD

This will end up being a couple tips, which are a little better in bullet point form then explained.

Tip your chin up slightly, this will stretch your neck out a little and still look natural. DON'T poke your head out and tilt. That will put strain on your facial expression
When using your hand for mouth/lip photos, imagine you're holding something in your hand. You can bring out a finger, your thumb or a couple of fingers to hold your lips. Almost cup your chin (or rest against it if you have small hands and it's not really feeling that great)
If you are asked to open your mouth slightly, bite the tip of your thumb. This is generally how much the photographer is looking for.
When asked to put fingers in your hair - practice a couple times in-front of the camera the actual movement. They may see that what works best is NOT what they have as an inspo image, but your ACTUAL natural motion.

Now, the "mouth and fingers" pose is one of the hardest things to get. I've tried to include a few different examples below of different mouth shapes and lips so you can see how different things look.

Personally, I avoid mouth slightly open unless it's the below pose. I don't even ask models to open their mouths at normal "standard" portraits. The reason behind this is because it is NOT natural looking for majority of people. A lot of models will automatically strain the expression on their face when concentrating on opening their mouths in this way. As a photographer, I use my conversation to promote open mouths through smiling or laughter. But my preference is to natural looking posing and moments, rather than the stiff portraits that some people learn to. Boudoir is something that personality and creativity should really shine through!

With fingers in your hair. DON'T retreat back into your neck. Keep your head proud. When I suggest doing the movement, I get models and clients to run their fingers through their hair as they naturally would. Brush it over to one side. Floof it up a little. If the 'tog asks for two hands, imagine you're doing a ponytail and fluff up your hair. Getting messy will help add volume!

TOPIC THREE

Being aware of your body

Much harder than it sounds, this really depends on the kinds of poses that your are doing with the photographer. So for this segment, I'm going to list a few things that I generally instruct or notice during photoshoots.

Be aware of pain and discomfort. Let your photographer know of any injuries that may affect movement or flexibility. DON'T PUSH YOUR LIMITS!
Stretch your body out - think long! Much harder for us "fun sized" people!
Instead of arching your back in basic posing, think about having a "proud" chest. Puff it out a little. Same with your booty. You don't need to have a big arched back for these to pop and look good!
Practice in the mirror any communicated poses or things YOU would like to try during the session. This will not only help you find your body's limits, but how to pose and accentuate your body in a way that YOU like.
Point your toes!
One knee in front of the other helps to add more dimension and a much more natural and relaxed look. You'll know what I mean when going into "table top" poses or even standing poses. Shifting your knee in standing poses will help you hip pop.
Much like the last point, When standing, bring one foot in front of the other and stand up proud. Putting one foot in front of the other helps to create a triangle at the bottom of your body, effortlessly creating more emphasis at your hips and making an hourglass shape. Team that with hands through your hair and you'll have an incredible silhouette.
Don't go full side on to the camera. If a photographer asks you to be like that, they'll find it's not flattering at all. What you want to do in this situation is face away (like you're side on) but bring your hip around to the photographer slightly. Think "twist" with your body while keeping your chest up towards the original direction. This will mean rather than a bumpy stomach silhouette, you'll get a nice hourglass or soft curves which are much more flattering to your stomach area.
DON'T PUSH OR HOLD YOUR BOOBS TOGETHER! What you can do to support your chest is use your garment straps. Pull the straps up slightly and you'll have instant support. Pull up and bring in slightly to make them look bigger. If you don't have a bra on, you can use a "hand-bra" and apply gentle pressure in and up. Or if you are wearing a button up shirt, you can use the fabric to push them together slightly. *see below images for context and ideas