3 tips for Confident Boudoir Photography Posing

Confidence in boudoir photography posing is something client’s expect from their photographer. Unless you’re photographing a seasoned model, most women have no clue what the heck to do in front of a camera, especially if they aren’t wearing many clothes!

Clients need to be confident in YOU.

I have a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene, maybe the farthest thing from a boudoir photographer as possible.   I went to SIU-C in Southern Illinois for FIVE years for a degree I don’t even use. But I do believe that degree helped me get where I am today. As a hygienist, I learned how to help patients get super comfortable really quickly in a situation that makes most uncomfortable.

As a boudoir photographer, we transform the way women see themselves, usually in less than two hours by creating an experience that they honestly can’t get anywhere else.

But we have to be able to make them super comfortable really quickly in that time period.

You HAVE to give the client confidence in your boudoir photography posing ability as soon as you pick up your camera and give them direction.  You have to show them they can trust that you’re helping them look their best throughout the whole session.

So how do you show your boudoir photography posing skill?

I have three tried and true methods that I teach in my Boudoir Studio Accelerator course to help your clients gain confidence in your boudoir photography posing , but I’m going to share an overview of them here.

1.Show them the back of the camera images.

This is something a lot of photographers disagree on.  You’re taking away the excitement of the session if you show client’s back of the camera shots.  But you know what? I don’t care. If it helps my client get comfortable faster and build confidence in my ability quickly, I’ll show her those images.  It’s only going to make the rest of the session better!

2. You need a posing sequence that you shoot every single session.

A posing sequence is a sequence of poses you photograph every session for every client.  These poses should work for the majority of body types and are the ones that you sell the most in your albums.

A posing sequence gives client’s more confidence in your boudoir photography posing ability because you know exactly what you’re doing, and it results in higher sales averages since these are your most purchased poses.

3. Use Icebreaker poses

Ice breaker poses are poses that you start every single session with.

Here are some rules for these poses.

• These are poses you can do in a bodysuit type of lingerie so the client is more covered up, but doesn’t have a lot of material she needs to mess with.
• You should be in the best/easiest light source so that you can do these quickly without a lot of adjusting on your part.  This will show confidence in your own ability, which puts the client at ease.
• They should be relatively easy for the client to do while she’s still nervous.
• You shouldn’t have more than 4 Ice breaker poses before moving on to the next outfit/set.

Preparation for boudoir photography posing

You need to be completely confident in your ability to show your client that you KNOW what you’re doing.  The only way to be confident though is with strategic preparation and lots of practice.

Go into the session with your ice breaker poses and your posing sequence nailed down and show your clients the back of the camera.  They NEED to see it, and it will make thejob so much easier.

Need some help?

And if you need some help with your boudoir photography posing, my course Boudoir Studio Accelerator not only helps you create a scalable six figure studio while working less than full time hours, it helps you master your photography skills, lighting, posing, and even post production as well.

I’m here to support you! If you have any questions about any of this, please email me at tracylynncoaching@gmail.com. 🙂