“Where do you get your inspiration?”

 Some clients come to me wanting to put on their sexiest lingerie and pose for the camera, taking a classic approach to boudoir photography: dreamy lighting, black lace, and white sheets. I love working with these clients! I also love working with clients who come to me with a specific idea that doesn’t align with the stereotypical boudoir approach. While I want to showcase you, rather than making you look like any given celebrity, it helps me to have a sense of what you’d like your artworks to look like. Moody? Romantic? Bohemian? As the “youths” might say, it’s great to start with the general “vibe” you want for your Boudoir session. 

For example, one client of mine was passionate about fitness, so we did some fitness inspired poses and outfits to highlight her unique interest. 

I once had another client who gifted herself a session for her birthday, and she chose her birthday cocktail dress as one of her outfits. 

So, if you already have an inspiration for what you’d like your artworks to look like, please let me know! However, if you aren’t quite sure how you want your boudoir session to turn out, check out our outfit guide to help you find useful sources of inspiration. 

Your Favorite Films

What kinds of movies are you interested in? Are there any that you continue to go back to? These can be a great source of inspiration. 

For instance, if you love Joe Wright’s 2005 Pride and Prejudice, your boudoir session could incorporate beautiful simplicity: white lace, golden light, and natural hair and makeup. Or, if The Fast and the Furious is more your style, your shoot could feature you in a leather jacket posed with your adored vehicle. Do you like The Notebook? Why not do a vintage-themed boudoir session? 

Our goal here isn’t cosplay (unless that’s what you want to do), but these films can give us a good sense of what you’d like your own artwork, starring you, to look like. 

Album Covers

Any Swifties out there? Each of her albums has a unique aesthetic, and whether you like her music or not, the styling and mood of any musician’s given album might be a great place to start looking for inspiration photos. In your Lover era? We could work with pastels and glitter – two of my personal favorites! Feeling more like Folklore? What about a woodsy session in nature? 

If you’re not a fan of Taylor, what about taking inspiration from amazing artists like Amy Winehouse, Selena, Stevie Nicks, or Whitney Houston? 

Historical Eras

Sadly, I don’t have a time machine, but if I did, I’d love to take a quick trip to the Renaissance. It’s when the greats emerged! I love how art in the period shifts in its depiction of women (have you seen work by Artemisia Gentileschi?), and I love the realism combined with the deep contrast in paintings. The Renaissance is just one of the periods I’ve allowed to inspire my art and photography, even though the Masters of that time didn’t have access to a lens and an editing studio.  

What’s your favorite historical time period? If you love the 1920s, why not incorporate a long strand of pearls, some fringe, and gold accents? If you would consider yourself a child of the 1970s, let’s groove and put on that crochet bikini! Love the glamor of 1930s and 40s starlets? Let’s photograph you in soft waves and silks. 

Classical Art

I taught art for a decade, and I’m completely in love with the history of art. Some of my favorites include “The Nike of Samothrace,” “The Swing,” by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, and Michelangelo’s Pietá. These pieces of classical art and sculpture can be great inspiration for our sessions. For instance, draped sheer fabric, like that in the Winged Victory, could beautifully highlight your features, too! If Rococo lighting is more your style, why don’t we put you in pastels on a swing? Your favorite pieces of art, as well as mine, can be deep wells of inspiration for our photoshoot. 

With all of these, it’s helpful to remember that our goal in your session is not to merely replicate our inspirations. Instead, they are resources that help us shape the way you, the beautiful subject of our session, will be framed and celebrated! Your inspirations set the mood for your shoot and help me plan so that your artworks celebrate you … 

So, what inspires you? Reach out and tell me – I’d love to talk with you about it!