5+ Posing Tips for Boudoir Clients

Bozeman BoudoirBoudoir in MontanaWomen's PortraitsSensual PortraitsMontana Women's Portrait photographerBoudoir Posing Tips
Written By Susan Beth Breuner

When you think of posing for a boudoir session (or any photography session really) your first thought is: “I don’t know how to pose.” And it is very possible that makes you feel stressed.

And stessed is not how you want to feel, nor is it how I want you to feel.

“You don’t need to know.” is the easiest answer because posing is something I will teach you, talk you through, and even demonstrate for you.

But, I suspect you’d like some hints so you can come into your session with fewer nerves and more confidence. It’s always helpful to have a bit more information to calm your nerves.

The tips below are general concepts. They will really help you implement poses well. And they give you the space to put your own authentic personality onto the poses we do.

With these tips, the results will be beautiful images that you enjoyed making!

BOUDOIR POSING TIP #1: If it can bend, bend it!

Boudoir style image of a woman standing in a Montana lake wearing a wet clingy chiffon short gown.
Black and white boudoir style image of a woman getting into a mountain lake near Bozeman Montana. She is wearing a short chiffon gown and pulling it up above her thighs to keep it from getting wet.

From your ankles to your neck, its a good idea to allow your joints to do their job and bend. Straight knees, elbows and fingers never appear very relaxed, and in my experience they don’t feel relaxing either.

So, lets go with what your body was made to do and bend.

Besides, bending your joints makes you more curvy in exactly the right way for looking feminine and sensual!

Boudoir style image of a woman in a white t'shirt wet from the Montana lake she is dipping in.

Voila! Perfect for the whole point of a Strong Confident Femininity photo session.

BOUDOIR POSING TIP #2: All about eye contact!

Direct eye contact sends so many amazing messages - you are powerful, you are engaged in what you are doing, you are in control, you are confident, and you are inviting someone into your space. Those are just a few of the common messages of direct eye contact.

Woman looking into the camera while playing with her hair. She is wearing a chunky metal necklace and a relatively sheer white knit tank top.
This woman is wearing a white knit top that hugs her breasts. She is against a dark backdrop, and her long dark hair is flowing down her chest. Her face is looking to her right, with her eyes slightly down.

But, equally powerful are purposeful choices to look away - expressing your shy, flirty feelings.

For the viewer, a looking away pose can be so suggestive of getting a little sneak peek into your private world. A bit of tasteful and permissive voyeuristic appeal if you know what I mean.

Before your session, think about what kind of messages you want to send with your choices about eye contact. Then, be sure to tell me what you’re thinking on that subject - yes, I will usually ask.

And, I promise, there is no right or wrong answer! It doesn’t have to be all one way or another. “Both and” is a great answer. See samples of “both and” above and below!

Black and white image of a woman in a levi jacket. Her hands are asymmetrically holding the lapels of the jacket. Her long blond hair cascades down towards her bustline. The jacket is open to show her bare skin above her cleavage line.
Black and white image of a woman on a dark background holding the lapel of her denim jacket with one side of the jacket slipping open to reveal a dark lace bra on that side. Her right hand is up near her jaw line, and her left hand reaches across her

BOUDOIR POSING TIP #3: Hand Position Matters!

There are several basic truths about hand position and any posing for photos, not just boudoir.

My favorite? A hand is as big as a face. Therefore it can be a distraction if it is made to look bigger in the pose.

Don’t worry, there are incredible things to do with your hands to enhance the emotional expression and the impact of an image.

Blond woman on a cliff side in the mountains wearing a peach colored slip dress. The sun is shinging on her hair, her hands are touching her dress
blond woman in a sheer long white negligee. Her hands are holding her gown out from her body.

Here are a few basic “rules,” all of which can be broken in the name of good artistic expression:

  1. Barbie hands are great because the finger tips are together and the hand is slightly cupped. The cupped fingers idea is a perfect example of Tip #1 above - if it bends, bend it. But, don’t make a fist!

  2. Avoid the boring perfectly symmetrical hands. Make your hands do something different from each other, even if it is only a slight difference. One hand higher than the other when holding a robe or jacket together (see image below) is a perfect example of this.

  3. This may be just me, but a limp wrist, or a wrist that is pointed at a 90 degree angle can begin to look like a claw. Avoid the Claw. It is not a very attractive curve on a beautiful woman like you.

  4. Finger tips that are softly moving down your jaw, across your hip, thigh or abdomen - those are some finger tips that are creating sultry and suggestive vibes for your images. Do that!

BOUDOIR POSING TIP #4: Leave Something to the Imagination!

The curve of a breast or bum are perfect sultry suggestions without having to bare it all. This can happen with both your pose (think arms or hands across otherwise bare breasts) and with your lingerie (demi cup bras, slits in a flowing gown, etc).

Incorporating a draping fabric, a perfectly placed slit in a gown, a sheer fabric, a peek around a flowy curtain in such a way as to suggest what is not actually show - that is Perfection in a Strong Confident Femininity session.

A black and white image of a woman with tattoos on her arms crossing them over her otherwise bare chest. The only clothing visible is her tlle and pearl gloves

All of this is in line with the Strong Confident Femininity ethos of capturing you how you want to be seen - especially if you can appreciate being seen as a little bit mysterious!

BOUDOIR POSING TIP #5: Facial Expressions are Important!

From joyful to flirty to even a bit pouty or moody, the biggest thing about facial expressions is you want to have one that shows you are engaged in what is happening. That is what will engage the viewer as well - even when that viewer is you!

This is probably the most challenging part of posing. And what many women really worry about.

Here at Strong Confident Femininity, I use story prompts to get great expresions. So, yes, we basically play pretend and you get to try out lots of options.

Boudoir style image from a session at a lake near Bozeman Montana. Woman is standing half immerced in the water with a smiling face.
Woman doing a boudoir style photo session in a Montana Lake near bozeman
Woman sitting in a shallow part of a Montana lake, wearing a slip dress with the straps falling off her shoulders.

That means you might hear me say:

  • Look in that direction as if you are anxiously awaiting your love’s return for a long trip - and you have a surprise for him.

  • Look into the camera intently, as if you could look through the lens and see right into my eye.

  • Imagine you are in the one place on earth that you have always wanted to go. Everything is just as perfect as you thought it would be. Breath in, breath out, and enjoy!

These are just a few examples of how we use your imagination to bring about a facial expression that you might not be able to pull out of a hat with out a detailed prompt.

Black and white image of a woman in a Montana Lake, posing boudoir style with her white t'shirt lifted a bit. She's looking back to the camera over her right shoulder, with her bum pointed at the camera.
A brunette woman standing in a Montana lake, back to the camera, looking to her left and laughing just a bit. She's wearing white boy shorts and a white camisol.

Also, for some reason, when I’m behind the camera I say funny things. And I’m not talking about dad jokes.

The resulting smiles and laughter and even sometimes surprise, make for authentic expressions of joy! And you definitely look great wearing expressions of joy.

OTHER BOUDOIR POSING TRICKS AND TIPS:

You don’t want to look dead:

Sometimes when you lay on your back we have to do something to keep you from looking like a victim in a CSI crime victim. I’ve got a breathing technique that keeps you in the land of the living!

Good posture is still important as you show off your curves:

Boudoir in a Montana lake. Model iswearing shorts and a wet see-through white tank top.

Something I’ve learned from my workout coaches is the benefit of bring your shoulder blades together and down towards your tail bone. Not only does it correct your posture, but it prevents your shoulders from trying to touch your ear lobes. And it helps to assure we don’t put too much stress on your back during the posing.

One pose goes a long way:

A single pose can be shot from multiple different angles. That is a quick and efficient use of poses to get a deep and diverse collection of images.

Movement helps with nervousness:

Woman in high mountain meadow for a boudoir session using movement to keep the flowing skirt interesting

Movement can be an amazing posing augmentation. In fact, I use it much of the time.

Movement allows you to relax and not feel stiff. If you feel stiff, you will look stiff.

Swaying, running your hands and fingers across part of your body, shifting body weight, slowly looking from one direction to another, swishing a flowy skirt/gown are all amazing ways to incorporate movement that will keep you more relaxed and create authentic and dynamic images.

And moving in response to my prompts takes your mind off of your nerves.

You ALWAYS are in control!

If a pose doesn’t feel good to you or is not your style, you are always in charge and can say “let’s move on from this, it doesn’t fit me or my vision.

Close up boudoir image of a woman's chest, with her Levis' jacket helping to keep the image suggestive but modest.

There is no excuse for you to be made to feel physically or emotionally uncomfortable by a pose.

Lastly, posing should accommodate you and your body type:

Not all women’s bodies are created the same. But they are all created beautifully.

Using posing that emphasizes your best features is far more important to me than running you through a standard posing flow. You and your body will be respected with individualized attention to the details of who you are and how you want to be presented.

Posing can feel so intimidating. But, with good directions and a method that takes into account your body type, purpose, personality and comfort level, you and I can find a posing style that works for you. And that style will build your confidence.

If you think you want to have an experience that allows you to find a way to express your sexy while creating authentic boudoir images, click the button below and let me know.

ABOUT STRONG CONFIDENT FEMININITY:

Susan Beth of Strong Confident Femininity, is a boudoir photographer with a unique perspective. She photographs you how you want to be seen, instead of how you think your partner or anyone else wants to see you. That’s the way you will feel best about your images and yourself. She celebrates the uniqueness and intimate beauty of your strong confident femininity with flattering, classy, tasteful, and stunning boudoir photographs.

Susan Beth Breuner























Susan Beth Breuner
Previous

REDEEMED: AN INTIMATE PORTRAITURE EXPERIENCE
Next

THE VALUE OF AUTHENTIC BOUDOIR IMAGES