At every boudoir session, I hear the same sentences. If you are hesitating, chances are you are already telling them to yourself. Here is what really happens behind each one.
“I’ve never done this, it’s going to be awkward”
The first one, and a classic. My answer is always the same: you just have to be yourself, I take care of the rest.
And every time, the same thing happens: fifteen minutes in, it feels natural. We laugh, trust builds, and “awkward” often turns into “I don’t want this to end”.
“I don’t know how to pose”
I hear it at every session, and it always makes me smile. Because posing isn’t your job. It’s mine.
I guide you at every step. I explain the pose, I show it to you myself, and all you have to do is watch, copy, breathe and enjoy the moment. After a few frames, your confidence rises all at once.
“Is that really me?”
That one comes when we look at the images, first on the back of the camera, then on a large screen at the end of the session. And it comes every single time.
We all carry a picture of ourselves in our heads, but we never see ourselves from the outside, through a kind and artistic eye.
Three posing tips you can try today
During your session you don’t need to remember anything. But if you want to try them on your next selfie, these are the three details that come up in almost every boudoir shoot.
Your chin
- The angle: if the camera is lower than your eyes, you will almost always get a double chin. Keep the lens at eye level, or slightly above.
- The turtle: lengthen your neck and bring your face slightly forward, toward the lens. From the front, it defines your jawline. From the side it looks strange, but it doesn’t show in a front-facing photo.
- Tongue to the roof of your mouth: your throat tucks in slightly, and the difference is immediate.
Your hands
- Ballerina hands: a soft hand follows the movement all the way to the fingertips.
- Soft side to the lens: show the side or the back of your hand, not your palm.
- Always an action: adjust your outfit, brush your skin, run your hands through your hair.
- If they stiffen: shake your hands gently and watch how they fall. That is often the most natural position.
Your eyes
- Chin very slightly down, then the turtle: your eyes come closer to the lens and look bigger.
- Open your eyelids, not your eyebrows: your forehead stays smooth and your gaze wakes up.
- Look through the lens: don’t stare at a piece of glass. Think of the person who will look at this photo later.
How the session works
- A first call to get to know each other and answer your questions, with no commitment.
- At my studio in Waterloo, near Brussels: a coffee, then hair and makeup by a professional.
- The session, with three outfits, guided pose by pose, in English if you prefer.
- We look at your images together on a large screen.
- Your album arrives a few weeks later.
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Already telling yourself the first sentence? Maybe that’s the right sign. Let’s talk about your session.