While I am a boudoir photographer based in Dallas, Texas I do enjoy traveling to other states to shoot. One of my favorite places in the world is Los Angeles. What's not to love? Palm trees, great weather, and better food. Let me tell you, that the ladies out in LA did not disappoint!
The thing is, I did have each one of the ladies I captured complete a questionnaire for the blog after it was completed, but my dumbass didn't think to have them write their names on their forms so I don't know which woman wrote what. So, unfortunately, all the Los Angeles boudoir blog post will have to come through my perception.
I know! I love hearing directly from the clients as well!
I send out questionnaires after the sessions because I love to hear feedback. I also use those questionnaires to help write the blog post. However, I fucked up because I didn't ask for the names of each one of the contributors so I don't know who wrote what responses. LOL. What's crazy is all the ladies pretty much responded the same to each one of the questions so I'm just going to have to improvise for these next four blog post. LOL.
Ms. A and I have been trying to shoot together for a while now. I was supposed to come out to LA last year, but things just fell apart. When it came to this round I made it my priority to make sure she was the first person I told when I was coming out to LA. Let me tell you, she did not disappoint.
Having confidence in whatever you're doing ( even if you have no idea what it is) will have an amazing impact of how you work looks. For example, Ms. A exuded a level of confidence that is hard to find with most people. In that confidence, you can see how much she loves and appreciates who she is. That is what I love to capture in my photographs. When you have this level of confidence your sex appeal goes up at least 5,007%.
Let's be honest, self-love is the sexiest and most important love of them all.
One of my favorite parts about shooting Ms. A was her attitude. She was up for anything, had an open mind, but wasn't scared to voice her thoughts. Even when I directed her for a pose she took that suggestion and then brought it up one more notch and it made it her own.
Another thing I really enjoyed was putting the outfits together. I will have to be honest with you here. You can't EVER tell how big anyone is based on photos. Let me tell you, the girls in LA are all super small. They may be curvy, but they are small. With that being said I brought a number of items that I thought would be too big for her, but they ended up working perfectly. While I loved each of the looks one of my favorites was the undershirt that we cut to showcase underboob (cuz who doesn't love underboob) and paired with these super sexy tights that had rhinestones all over it. Geez. That look was fun, sexy, and out of this world.
HOW TO STYLE A BOUDOIR SESSION
Just a note, a lot of people think that for boudoir session you have to spend thousands of dollars on your outfits. Honestly, you could just come in naked and that would be perfectly fine with me. If you are too shy to bare it all for your first boudoir session then that’s not a problem. Keep in mind that when styling for your session you should think outside the box and not necessary rock lingerie for your session.
STYLE YOUR BOUDOIR SESSION BASED ON YOUR LOCATION
In Ms. A first look we used a comfy knit sweater and some cute but bright yellow panties. Since we were shooting in a studio apartment then I wanted the vibe to be more Saturday afternoon/Sunday morning lazy. Something sweet and cozy. The best way to accomplish that is by wearing a sweater in your boudoir session.
HOW TO COLOR BLOCK FOR A BOUDOIR SESSION
WHAT IS COLOR BLOCKING?
When you're styling for a boudoir session keep colors in mind. I am a huge fan of color blocking. Color blocking is the art of taking complementary colors on the color wheels and pairing them together.
Most people think that color blocking is just wearing opposite colors on the color wheel. In fact, it's not that simple. There are three ways to color block:
Complimentary: Using two colors opposite each other on the color wheel
Triad: Using three colors that are equal distance from each other on the color wheel
Analogous: Using colors that fall right next to each other on the color wheel.
In Ms. A case we used the Analogous formula of color blocking for her second look. Mind you, this look is sexy as fuck! Most of the shoots taken can't be pinned on Pinterest, but this is my website and I'll do what I want (Cartman voice). I love how purple and blue rock together.
Besides sweaters, robes are a sexy way to spruce up your boudoir session. The best part about using robes in your boudoir session is how they naturally fall on your frame. They always seem to know where to fall to flatter you the most. The sheerness of her purple robe just electrifies her look.
The last look was from an iconic American brand. Remember how I said that boudoir outfits don't have to cost you a whole mortgage payment? Well, this silver bodysuit from American Apparel was picked up for only $1! Yes, girl! I said one dollar! I am a WHOLE sucker for a closeout sale.
Maybe about a year or so ago American Apparel closed down most (if not all) of their US locations and became an online retailer. To liquidate their products they were having massive blowout sales and I picked up a NUMBER of items for only $1. This metallic bodysuit was one of them. When you're out shopping for your boudoir session make sure you keep an open and fun mind about what you want to wear. Not everything has to come from Agent Provocateur!
I have to admit that I had an amazing time shooting Ms. A out in LA. I cannot wait to get other again and shoot her. She was an absolute dream to work with. I couldn't have dreamt of anything better.
