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Boudoir has become one of my favorite shoots within the past year. I have always enjoyed shooting with the average person who had nothing to do with the photography or modeling fields. It allows me to help shape their perspective on photography and they usually come in with no expectations. These shoots are really about the photography and their personalities. Boudoir by definition means a woman’s bedroom or private room. These shoots are for the average woman who are not models or glammed up. They are usually showcasing them in a natural, sexy, sensual and intimate way. This is a big part of why I love these shoots. My boudoir shoots have usually been in a bedroom setting. They are preferable done with natural lighting. I encourage anyone to bring their significant other or someone they are comfortable with because I can only imagine how nerve racking it can be to be almost completely naked in front of a stranger. I also encourage it because it helps me get the subject comfortable with posing. I prefer little to no makeup, however, I know some women are more comfortable with having makeup on. I usually leave the styling and makeup part up to the subject because I need them to feel as comfortable as possible. When we are shooting, I prefer to use conversation to ease any nerves. Before they know it, they are just posing on their own accord. I just continue to move and shoot from different angles. Occasionally, I walk them through posing, but I usually just let things flow naturally. The subject usually becomes so immersed in the moment that they don’t realize how many photos I have taken. The most important thing to remember, as the photographer, especially during this type of shoot is, professionalism! Treat people with the same respect you would want in return and respect any boundaries set. In conclusion, I would absolutely recommend this type of shoot to all women. It is a means of celebrating you and from what the women I have worked with tell me, it is an overall enjoyable experience. At the very least, you have created a memory that will last forever. 
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I shot my first wedding. It was exciting, difficult and amazing all in one. I believe it went well especially considering I shot it by myself. Unfortunately, I was only hired to do the ceremony, however it was great. Everything came together as planned. I did face obstacles with the church, but my experience with events helped me to work around them. I got there at my scheduled time to shoot. The first thing I did was shoot the bride and bridesmaids preparing for the wedding. The area they were using was small and I was shooting with my 50mm lens. This places limitations on the type of shots I could get. The room itself was big, however it was being used to store things. I compensated by getting creative with the angles I shot from and utilizing the depth of field. I also did my best to avoid the clutter occupying the space. Next, I shot the groom and his groomsmen. They were outside. It was at this point I realized how many people were in the wedding party. There were about ten bridesmaids and groomsmen. Shooting the groomsmen was fairly easy, especially since it was more so candids of what was happening behind the scenes. I was concerned about shooting the ceremony in the church because of it being small and there being such a big bridal party. Once I came inside to prepare for the ceremony I noticed the windows were half covered and there were white pillars throughout the isle. This makes shooting more challenging because of the glare from the pillars and windows. For those that may not know, light bounces especially off of things that are white. The ceremony started and I was able to get decent shots of the bridal party entering. Shots of the bridal party were difficult for the reasons I previously said, however, I made it work with a ton of relocating.Constantly moving to find the right angles. As the bridal party was leaving I was able to get some more great shots. I was also able to breathe a sigh of relief because the hard part was over. We took some posed group shots outside of the newly married couple with their family and friends. This was my first wedding experience as a photographer.  For a few years I stopped shooting events. During that time photography had become more of a chore than a passion for me. I was trying to eliminate all the things that kept photography from being fun. In retrospect, I realize that I had become frustrated with the process of building a business. After some much needed refocusing an opportunity presented itself for me to start doing events again. A close friend reached out to me to shoot a wedding. Her friend needed to find a replacement photographer to shoot the ceremony at the last second. I agreed as a favor for my friend who was also in the wedding. The wedding was less than a week away so I was probably the last option. Nevertheless, I was excited for the opportunity to return to events by shooting my first wedding. I had previously been approached to shoot weddings, but turned them down out of fear of not being ready. This time around I was fully prepared and confident in my abilities. In that moment, I realized that self-doubt had prevented my progress. I can only imagine how many weddings I missed out on shooting. I guess the timing was wrong before.  I can remember as the popularity of Instagram grew trendy phrases like "selfie" and "no filter" came along. It was astonishing to me how this photography app. was growing to be such a huge platform for any and everyone. It was shocking that Instagram had caused some level of interest in photography by the average person. It brought attention to different aspects of photography from landscape to HDR images. I don't think we honestly realize how much it actually taught us and impacted our lives.
It is amazing to see this new interest in photography but disheartening that people don't see it as such. The best example is the woman who takes tons of selfies, has a following and does not believe that she is a model or influencer. You have taking self portraits, provided some quick glimpses into your life and unintentionally created an audience who likes it. You have done what some model/influencers do on either a smaller or larger scale. The traditional perception of what models and photographers are has evolved in large part due to technology. Embrace your influence and talents. See how far you can go. The same thing goes for the bloggers and photographers that don't see themselves as such. Even if you are just a hobbyist that people love, embrace it. Aside from taking us down new creative directions we have learned some of the technical side as well. We have learned about how important color or lack thereof can be to a photo. We have learned how it brings a certain dramatic feel as well. People now pay more attention to composition and quality. I think it is amazing what has transpired and I cannot wait to see how things continue to grow. I hope people use this opportunity to explore their talents instead limiting themselves. Embrace what you are and be great. |
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