Boudoir Editing Style

Professional editing. What is it? Why does it matter?

In boudoir photography it is one of the more important aspects of driving the experience home for our clients, and every photographer has a different approach.

I’m only referencing my approach and why I go about things the way I do.

This gorgeous red head below is Olivia! She was photographed in my friends natural light studio and as you can see from the photos she did not require much editing. Pay attention to her forehead, where I evened the skin shading, the area under her eyes where I softened the subtle dark circles, and her chin where I also softened the shading. Along with blemish control this is a typical approach to facial editing. I don’t want to remove all her freckles as those are a part of her. When we start taking away things that are naturally always there we can easily create a disconnect for our clients. Where they don’t see themselves in the photos but an altered version of themselves, and that is not the experience or take away I want for my clients. There is a difference between altering and enhancing what is already there.

The examples below here are from one of my favorite corners of my studio, where natural light flows in through a curtain of overhead diffusion. This diffusion creates what we call in the industry, “soft light”, and is a very lovely source of light. This soft light is complimentary to the skin and makes things balanced and even and yep, “soft”. Imagine going outside on a cloudy day, when you don’t have to squint and everything just seems to flow from one facade to the next, as opposed to a bright and sunny day where you can easily see the contrast between sun and shade. Both are beautiful types of light to photograph in, but each require different ways to go about it.

For the photos below, I toned down the blues on the painted wall behind her, and took out the little metal piece in the left corner as it was there to hold a different prop for a backdrop that I didn’t use in this set. By bringing down the shadows I created a little more contrast and then I duplicated the image and transformed it into black and white because I love giving that option. I do lots of black and white images in my work.

Here’s another example of facial editing where it shows that you can edit and enhance without largely altering your subject. She has a scar on her forehead, that scar is still going to be there two weeks from now, even a month from now, so getting rid of the scar is not an accurate representation of who she is.

When we claim to be able to build ones confidence through photography and empowerment photographers we should understand that every aspect of our service plays into planting a seed of genuine love. If we alter a person too drastically I don’t believe that will allow them to build the confidence that lasts the longest.

Because my focus is on creating an experience for my clients where they can love their bodies where they are at. I want to honor their minds, bodies and spirits with my approach. I’ve taken this approach with my own self portraits, from how I photograph to how I edit. I’ve stepped in front of the camera when the scale is telling me I’m 10 pounds over where I “want” to be, when I’m bloated and have pimples on my chin. I have found that by stepping in front of the camera, even when I feel a bit “less than” I realize I am in fact not less than, but more than I ever imagined.

If you’re thinking about boudoir, let’s chat, sometimes it’s just about getting the conversation started, you might be surprised what happens when you take a chance on yourself.