These boudoir photography tips and photos are so dang inspiring!
Boudoir photography is a special art. It requires not only technical skills and a creative eye, but a big ol’ bunch of vulnerability and trust. A serious connection. It’s just so freakin’ intimate.
This also means that boudoir photographers hold a special kind of power. The power to change how someone sees themselves. To break down walls. To help put an end to harmful stigmas.
And, of course, shooting boudoir photography comes with its own unique challenges and rewards, too.
We shared a post in the Pepperverse Facebook Community asking members to share some of their best boudoir photography tips and advice, along with one of their favourite recent photos.
As expected—since our Pepperverse community is so freaking rad—we received some absolutely stunning boudoir photos and very thoughtful pieces of advice for boudoir photographers.
From technical tips to offering inclusive boudoir photography to making people feel comfortable in front of the camera, we hope these insights inspire you as much as they inspired us!
Pepper would like to extend a ginormous thank you to all the boudoir photographers who contributed. You are all freaking amazing! 🖤
Boudoir Photography Tips, Inspiration & Advice From The Pepperverse Community
Teri Hofford on Inclusive Boudoir Photography
Teri Hofford is a boudoir photographer from Winnipeg, MB who “works with individuals to help them understand how their body image biases and beliefs may be impacting their lives and businesses.” Here is her beneficial boudoir photography advice.
“If you are going to be inclusive, make sure you take the steps to make the space inclusive: Buy furniture weighted to over 500 lbs, find accessible spaces, have a gender- and size-inclusive wardrobe, have a makeup artist/hairstylist that can work with all skin tones and hair textures, etc.
Also, set expectations about every tiny little thing.”
Check out Teri Hofford’s Website
Follow Teri Hofford on Instagram: @terrihofford
Amy Paine on Boudoir Posing for Different Bodies
Amy Paine offers body-positive boudoir photography in Seattle, WA. She’s all about empowerment photography for every body, and here are her boudoir photography tips for posing different types of bodies.
“You don’t need specific poses for plus-size bodies. Pose everyone the same and always remember to ask for injuries before starting. For example, many clients will have knees that hurt no matter their size or age.”
Check out Amy Paine Photography’s Website
Follow Amy Paine on Instagram: @amypainephoto
Darren Lightfoot on Medical Aids & Body Confidence
Darren Lightfoot is a the owner of Belle Boudoir Photography near Halifax, NS, and he shared two helpful tips for boudoir photographers.
“Clients do not need to remove ‘medical aids/devices’ to be sexy. This client is still wearing her diabetic testing device and her diabetic pump site…and obviously she is still sexy.”
“Many clients don’t have ‘body confidence.’ It is our job as photogs to start the session slowly and build their confidence up with words of encouragement so it leads to an awesome image for them.”
Check out the Belle Boudoir by Darren Lightfoot Website
Follow Darren Lightfoot on Instagram: @belleboudoirphoto
Olesha Haskett on Giving a F*ck
Olesha Haskett is the owner of Oh Experience Boudoir Photography, based in Maryland. Her work focused on “guiding black women in loving and honouring their bodies as they are now,” and we love her simple yet impactful advice for boudoir photographers:
“Gather all your fucks and give them away.”
Check out Olesha Haskett’s Oh Experience Boudoir Photography Website
Follow Olesha Haskett on Instagram: @oleshahaskett
Follow Oh Experience on Instagram: @ohexperience
Follow Boudoir for Black Womxn on Instagram: @boudoirforblackwomxn
Aroha McKaig on Holding Space
Aroha McKaig is the owner of The Boudoir Lounge London, located in London, ON, Canada. Her boudoir philosophy is that everybody deserves to feel sexy, and her boudoir photography tips speak to just that!
“Inclusivity matters! 
As boudoir photographers, it’s important for us to hold space for our clients where they can feel safe to embrace and step into their power, no matter what their size, shape, sexuality, gender, or ability. Be honest and candid in your conversations together. Be their biggest cheerleader so they feel (and are) seen, heard and represented the way THEY want to be.”
Check out The Boudoir Lounge London Website
Follow The Boudoir Lounge by Aroha McKaig on Instagram: @theboudoirloungelondon
Karina Marie on What’s Important
Karina Marie is the owner of Honeybee Studio Boudoir and she has found boudoir to be “healing, celebratory, uplifting, and transformational.” She hopes to deliver those same gifts to her clients, and that rings true in her boudoir photography advice.
“It’s about how you make them feel!”
Check out Karina’s Honeybee Studio Boudoir Website
Follow Honeybee Studio on Instagram: @karinamarieboudoir
Shelanne Justice on Hyping Them Up
Shelanne Justice is a Nlaka’pamux photographer in British Columbia and her advice is something that every boudoir photographer should hear.
“You are their hype girl so going in and reminding them how stunning they are is most important for me. 
”
Follow Shelanne Justice Photography on Instagram: @shelannejusticephotography
Molly Ashlie on Doing the Work
Molly Ashlie is the owner of Moss Photography in Victoria, BC and her goal is to help her clients “see themselves as powerful works of art.” Her boudoir photography tips go beyond the shoot, because we can’t take proper care of our businesses and clients if we aren’t also taking care of ourselves, too.
“My advice…is to be committed to doing the work. To doing YOUR work. Boudoir has so much attached to it—deep feelings around our bodies, shame, trauma, oppression. Do your inner work and be ready to listen with a heart wide open. Make your space accessible. Invest in your education (both technically and emotionally and mentally). Take days off. 
”
Check out the Moss Photography Website
Follow Moss Photography on Instagram: @mossboudoir
Joelle Bourque on Intuition
Joelle Bourque is the owner of Wild Earth Photography in Red Deer, AB. Helping others live their truth without being scared of judgement is her “calling in life,” and here is her advice for boudoir photographers.
“Listen to your intuition and create what you feel called to create. There’s no right or wrong way of being an artist. Do the work that speaks to your soul.”
Check out Joelle Bourque’s Wild Earth Photography Website
Follow Wild Earth Photography on Instagram: @wild_earth_photography_
SJ Gee on Making Clients Comfortable & Posing with Triangles
SJ Gee is the owner of Honey Pixels Boudoir Photography in Guam and her passion for “making people feel comfortable in front of the camera” is her drive to create art. Here are her boudoir photography tips.
“I love telling everyone who is willing to listen that everyone is photogenic and deserves to be in front of the camera and as their photographer, my job is to make them look effortless in front of the camera by creating a comfortable space, hyping them up, and guiding them with poses.”
“Triangles are everywhere in posing your clients. Some poses are for everyone, but most aren’t, so always practice poses and move each limb to create variations in photos even with the same stance.”
Check out the Honey Pixels Website
Follow Honey Pixels on Instagram
Stacey Owen on Following the “Rules”
Stacey Owen is the owner of Noir Stories Boudoir Photography as well as Meet Pepper! Her passion for photography and helping other photographers is what led her to build Meet Pepper, but shooting boudoir photography still holds a piece of her heart. Here’s her boudoir photography advice.
“Don’t follow any rules that you think may apply to what boudoir photography is or looks like. Do it your own way and watch the magic happen.”
Check out Stacey’s Noir Stories Website
Follow Noir Stories on Instagram
Join the Pepperverse!
We’d love to hear from you, too! The Pepperverse Facebook Community is free and open for anyone to join. It’s a safe space where photographers and creative entrepreneurs can share their work, tips, wins, questions, and struggles.
On top of that, Meet Pepper offers marketing services and education for photographers and we share hot tips in the Pepperverse alllllll the dang time, so it’s a rad place to learn how to grow your business.
We look forward to welcoming you to the group with lots of #fuckyeah energy!
PS: If you really want to take your photography business to the next level, check out the Pepper U Program!
Other Helpful Resources for Boudoir Photographers
- Top 11 Photography Marketing Ideas
- One-on-one Marketing Training
- Discounts on Helpful Tools for Photographers
- Customizable Boudoir Session Contract
- Boudoir Photography Blog Prompts