What is Boudoir?
Many assume that boudoir photography is akin to pornography. Though it stings a bit to hear, it’s an understandable assumption. Sexy, scantily clad women, who cares what you call it?! It’s HOT!
It is hot, but, boudoir and pornography are not even a little bit alike and I’ll tell you why.
I’ll start with the basic definition of each.
por·nog·ra·phy
printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings.
bou·doir
1) a woman's bedroom or private room.
2) niche of photography that highlights and embraces the intimate and sensual beauty of one's body.
Porn is “intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings”
That sentence is what makes all of the difference.
I can’t speak for every other boudoir photographer, but my work is intended to create aesthetic & emotional feelings. I always say, when my clients cry, I know I’ve done my job. My goal to help the client see herself the same way myself, her partner(s) and family see her, a strong, beautiful, whole woman who is allowed to explore every aspect of being human and is not limited to her perceived role in the world.
My clients are not porn stars, in fact, most of my clients would NEVER consider pornography in a million years. Not because they think it’s wrong, but because they think they don’t have the body or the ability to be sexy.
Boudoir is an expression of the whole self.
I encourage my clients to push the boundaries and incorporate their passions and interests in their session. Plants, colored feathers, paint, fake blood, musical instruments, a bull whip, tarot cards… It’s about getting in touch with the parts of you that you keep hidden away from the world because it’s “not normal.” Like stretch marks and cellulite, expect every single person I’ve photographed has had stretch marks or cellulite, it is normal, we just tell ourselves it isn’t.
Do you think that producers of pornogoraphy ask their actors if they’d like to bring a bunch of their plants to be in the movie? I don’t think so.