How I Take Boudoir Selfies. Category: Editorial
‘Boudoir Selfies.’ That’s what I’ve been calling the sort of photos that I’ve been taking for this site. It’s quite a good name don’t you think?
I was asked a little while back about how I go about doing these pictures so I thought it might be good to talk about the process in case there are any other women reading my waffling’s who might fancy having a go themselves or guys, for that matter, who want to take pictures of their ladies. Or ladies who want to take pictures of their other ladies. Are you following this??!
My Photography Background.
I was a real photography geek in my teens. I took Photography A-Level at 6th form college.
Although everyone was using digital cameras, I had become a film ‘purist’ and had an old Olympus OM30, which I used to shoot on. I soon got bored of having to spend all of my money on film, although I was able to use the dark-room facility in college to develop and print my own black and whites.
I did eventually move on to digital and still have my first digital camera – a Nikon D40X – which is still capable of taking really good photos. I lost the bug, though, and only occasionally got my camera out. I guess I became a bit lazy and defaulted to using my phone to take snaps.
That’s until I decided to start taking pictures of my arse.
Gear.
You don’t need a whole pile of gear to take boudoir selfies. You can just use your phone if you like but you’ll need to either use the self-timer setting or get a blue-tooth trigger to make it shoot the picture without you needing to hold the phone.
I was mostly using my phone when I started my old site up, three and a half years ago. I began to get enthusiastic about photography again and wanted to get a camera with all of the modern whistles and bells. I also knew that I wanted top-class image quality.
A friend of mine is a pro photographer, although she has never, to my knowledge, taken pictures of her backside to post online. She suggested the camera, which I went out and bought – a used Fuji X100-T. It’s a few years old, but it’s still such an amazing camera. Even second-hand, it was not cheap but worth every penny. It will comfortably kick the ass of any phone camera, no doubt. Everything about it is tweaked for quality: the lens is top quality and fixed, meaning you can’t zoom, but this increases image quality. It has a full-frame sensor (that means a bloody big one to get loads of lovely crisp detail) and every aspect of your photography can be adjusted for maximum control and creativity. It looks as cool AF as well and when I have been out and about (not taking pictures of my arse) I have received several compliments about it from strangers.
Anyway, such a luxurious toy is not essential – a digital camera is ideal but your phone will do.
Let There Be Light.
A separate source of light is also good. Ambient light can be fine, but an extra source can just make everything look more polished. I got a tripod-mounted ring-light from Amazon for under £100 and it works great. Generally, I will use some ambient light (the window) and position the ring light to the front on the other side to eliminate nasty, unflattering shadows. Sometimes, the ring-light face-on can produce a really striking result.
A tripod to stick your camera or phone on is another good and inexpensive item to have. You have complete control over height and angle, etc, and don’t have to try and balance your device on a pile of books or whatever. I still have my old tripod from yesteryear – you only have to buy once.
To actually take the picture, I have a Fujifilm app on my phone. It connects with the camera and allows me to see in real-time, on my phone, exactly what the camera sees. I can adjust my pose until it is just right and adjust camera settings like focus point, exposure, etc, etc. It’s a complete game-changer. I think all of the other major camera makers have similar.
The name of the game, once you have your kit, is to experiment. I thought about giving you diagrams of lighting setups to supplement and enhance your ambient light. You can find plenty of tutorials about that online, but I think the best thing to do is play about, experiment and have some fun. You’ll soon find what works for you.
She's a Model and She's Looking Good.
Having some background with photography meant that actually being my own model was always going to be the hard bit.
What I have discovered, and this is the biggie, really, is that if you’re not at least in mild discomfort or, preferably, verging on actual pain, you’re not doing it right! Seriously, posing for boudoir selfies is not to be undertaken lightly. I’m a gym goer, and I can assure you that spending an hour doing boudoir shots is as good as any spin class and is great for flexibility and core strength, too! The reason for this is that for poses to look interesting and dramatic, you can’t just be standing or sitting there slouching. You have to make it look like you’re relaxed, whilst at the same time making the shapes look ‘big’.
You need to be arching things, sucking stuff in and pointing your toes.
The photo at the top is a good example. It looks comfortable enough, but I am really squatting down into my hips, which are very open, in order to press my, um, kitty to the bed. I am arching my back and, although you can’t see it, also arching my neck so my head is tilted back. In other words, my whole body is under tension while I’m getting into the pose and then holding it while I take the shot. My legs are tucked under me and feet angled so that the black heels are symmetrical against my milky white bum (you can see that effect better in this picture). I will probably do at least 50 pictures per ‘shoot’ and pick the best 4 or 5. That’s an hour or so, and it makes you sweat a bit, I can tell you! I’m usually a little stiff and sore the following day when I have spent a good hour or more posting.
I have a folder on my computer where I save ideas of poses that I like, which I harvest from all over, although Pinterest is a good source of ideas, especially.
Hiding the Wobbly Bits.
To add into the posing mix you need to be aware of which bits of you are happiest with and which you want to either hide or ‘disguise’ with artful posing. Like most girls, I have bits of me that I’m happier with than others. The list of body parts that I wish I could change is long.
At this point, I wish to state that I’m entirely against body-shaming. Unless it’s me shaming myself. I’m very good at it – the result of an abusive relationship – but I’m a lot better now than I was. The point of telling you that is if you’ve got a downer on the way you look, I know what that’s like. Trust me on this – you’re fucking awesome as you are and don’t let any asshole tell you otherwise.
So, that said, there are a few niggles which I try to work around.
I always wished I could be petite and willowy. Sadly, genetics were against me. I’m tall, and no one would accuse me of being dainty. I’ve been variously described as ‘robust’, ‘sturdy’, ‘amazonian’, and various other appellations which suggest a possible propensity to drinking pints with the lads rather than porn-star martinis with the girls. I have long but muscular and ‘chunky’ legs; my shoulders are quite broad for a woman, one boob is slightly bigger than the other, and I’m fighting a constant battle with a tendency to carry a little bit of ‘squidge’ around my middle.
In short, there are a lot of things I don’t want to draw attention to. There are other bits which I’m happier with, which I do want front and centre. Certain poses work well for this, and others don’t. This is largely a matter of trial and error, and I have gotten much better at striking poses which I know will be quite flattering. You will have to go through the same process yourself. Decide the bits you want to emphasise and look for poses which accentuate those.
Posing Tips.
- Unless you are like my girlfriend and have a figure like an underwear model (lucky me) remember to suck in and ‘brace’ before taking the shot. I imagine that someone is about to punch me in the stomach – it just gets you to contract and hold your core muscles;
- Point your toes. All of the time;
- Arch your back as far as you can:
- Look for certain angles and poses which flatter (or at least conceal) the bits of you that you least like. For example, if you are conscious of having a bit of a tummy, shots from the rear or where you are lying on your front are great.
- If it feels difficult and uncomfortable, then you’re probably doing it right.
- On a personal note, I avoid having my arms in shot, unless they’re in long gloves. Firstly, I don’t want the phone which I’m using to trigger the camera in the picture; I want the illusion that the picture is being taken by someone else. In other words, I want it to look as professional as I can manage on my own. Secondly, I have some distinguishing marks on my forearms which, in the interests of anonymity, I’d rather leave out or keep covered up. It limits some of the poses I can do, but so be it.
Extraneous Bloody Details.
This is an ongoing annoyance of mine. I will do a shoot, only to notice that something which I didn’t notice at the time seems really obvious and diminishes the quality of the image. I’m talking about stocking tops which roll over at the top or a crooked stocking seam. A suspender clip which has become loose, and so on. There’s almost always something like this in all of my pictures, and it annoys the hell out of me. I am getting better at spotting this sort of stuff, but things still sneak through. See the picture at the top? What is that dark, fluffy cushion doing there on the pillow?? WTF?! Why did it not occur to me to move it out of shot? I have no idea, but to me, it’s a distraction in what is a picture that I’m otherwise very happy with.
The only advice is just to check before you start taking pictures and eliminate the distractions as much as you can. Check for clothes dryers in the background, etc, etc.
And fluffy cushions, obviously.
Love, Jaimie xx
