Boudoir photography is an art form practised across the globe with women mostly being the subject. In India, the lockdown has seen more men featuring in it. So what exactly is boudoir photography? It is photography that features intimate, sensual and even erotic images of the model. It is one of those genres that not many talk about aloud.
In the lockdown series by Photo Bot (he did not wish his name to be published) on Instagram, he has noticed more men sharing photographs.
“I have completed six series so far and I get a minimum of 100 images a week. I post them during the weekends and the response has been phenomenal,” he says.
Men are hesitant to do boudoir because the photographers are also men. “And men here are quite homophobic. So if a male client wants to be photographed, it may be hard to find a photographer who is willing to do it without judgment,” he says.
In the Instagram series, Photo Bot has been asking followers to shoot their own images for sharing. “I go through their profiles and make sure they are genuine and not underage. Once verified, I upload the picture, I also share the stats of how well the image did and the positive comments it received. It’s great to see how excited the sender gets and gains the confidence to send better pictures the coming week,” he explains.
Barter system
Freelance photographer Shreya (name changed) became a fan of boudoir photography after she shot pictures of herself. She says the art is a great confidence booster and she can’t wait to try more.
“I have a petite body and I was always body shamed for that. One day, a photographer friend told me to try boudoir and after a lot of hesitation, I gave it a shot,” she says.
Though she found it a bit challenging to shoot on her own, she enjoyed playing with frames and light.
“A friend has asked me to model for him and I have agreed but since we can only do a virtual shoot now, I am not sure if I’ll be comfortable. I’m not completely over
my shyness yet,” Shreya admits. Some men have agreed to participate in her shoots. One just wanted to see how his body looks in pictures. A few want a female model and in return, are willing to be photographed.
How to do it
One of the most important aspects of boudoir is to be comfortable and make the model feel comfortable.
Photographer Soham Shoney says having an assistant (as the same sex as the model) is good when shooting boudoir. If you aren’t too familiar with your client, it’s best to warm up with non-nude pictures first.
Soham says, “Start off with clothes that she’s comfortable in and give her the confidence that you know what you are doing too. Eventually, you can ask her to pose the way you want to and give you a good boudoir image.”
He says it’s best to have an idea of the kind of shoot you want to do beforehand. “With one of the models I worked with, I had thought of lathering her in coconut oil and spraying water to get a wet look. I tried that method on my hand and did test rounds to make sure that the light was hitting it the way I wanted it to,” he says.
It may not be possible to always use natural light when shooting in apartments.
“You don’t want your curtains open and your neighbours peeping in. In such a situation, close all the curtains and doors and use artificial lights,” he says. Most importantly, stay professional. “A client is coming to you for a shoot because they want to feel empowered and confident with their body. Respect that and stay professional,” Soham advises.
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