Rachael’s Feminine, Elegant Boudoir Portraits
Rachael joined me in the studio to create bridal boudoir portraits, and in my initial phone call with her I could tell that she had a clear vision and knew what she was looking for. She wanted some portraits that would feel romantic and soft and others that would feel more casual and candid.
After an initial phone call and officially booking a session with me, nearly all of my clients come into the studio to meet me before their photoshoot. This is a helpful step in the process for several reasons. For some clients it is helpful to meet me ahead of time, for others it is helpful to see the space and talk through what the day will look like, for others yet it is helpful to talk about wardrobe choices and direction (especially if they are debating what to wear - people have brought in potential outfits, we’ll look through pinterest boards together, I’ll offer suggestions on where to shop, or we’ll just talk about wardrobe ideas or questions. This studio meeting is also an opportunity to see (and hold!) examples of my albums and boxes in person. This is a great way to begin considering what they may want to order.
And, it can also be an opportunity to talk through their vision for the session, often by looking through example boudoir pictures in my portfolio or on pinterest. When we look at the pictures, whether they are portraits I have taken or not, we are never looking at specific poses or pictures to recreate. Rather, we are looking at overall themes. Of these pictures that are their favorites, what is it that they love? Is it expressions, the posing that’s happening, how someone’s body looks, or the feeling or atmosphere in the picture? Then we can translate those same style elements into their own pictures, and it becomes a helpful way to talk about what they want and don’t want.
In Rachael’s case, this was helpful to go through together in expanding on our initial phone call conversation - in looking through examples, I realized she was drawn to so many different kinds of pictures. This totally informed how we approached the session! We found that she was drawn to a variety of things: some pictures that would feel candid and casual and atmospheric, also some pictures that would feel dramatic and poised and confident, and others that would feel happy and light and soft, and a lot that felt pretty and elegant.
As we talked more, Rachael loved the idea of not having one super specific focus, and instead a focus of capturing these multifaceted sides of her personality. This came through in several ways during her session and especially in her outfit choices. She had a romper with a fun floral pattern in a deep navy blue color that was casual feeling, a lacey lilac bodysuit with panels and a strappy back detail, a pale pink bodysuit with some soft lace and a high neck detail with a peek-a-boo element in the front that she paired with a sheer floral robe, and a black lace bodysuit that was sheer with a deep-v in the front that she opted to wear over a black bra. This last bodysuit had some long lace sleeves and lovely texture. We also took a couple illusion portraits with her wrapped in a simple white sheet.
Amanda from SM Hair + Makeup did her styling. Rachael wanted a natural makeup look overall and Amanda looked at her wardrobe and suggested a subtle pink lip color that fit with Rachael’s color palette. Rachael wanted her hair to be down and curled so Amanda kept the curls really soft and voluminous, and throughout the session they loosened up to create a “bed head vibe” that added some great texture to some of her portraits.
The variety of feelings Rachael was looking to capture came through so effortlessly in her portraits. Everything fit together seamlessly in a cohesive color palette and style to create a variety of emotions with overriding feminine and elegant themes.
Rachael, working with you from our initial phone call all the way through your album pick-up was a joy. I loved collaborating with you to capture so many different emotions and sides of your personality, thank you!