INTIMATE COUPLES BOUDOIR SHOOT
What is a couples boudoir shoot?
Boudoir photography is a style of intimate portraiture that captures a person's beauty, confidence, and sensuality.
Now add your partner into the mix ;)
A couple’s shoot highlights the trust, romance, strength, chemistry, love and laughter between you. Sometimes that might include some nudity and varying levels of sexual acts.
Why do a couples boudoir photoshoot?
Why not ;) What a fun way to celebrate your relationship! Whether you are doing it for a milestone (anniversary, birthday, engagement), to reconnect or break routine, a bucket list, or just for funsies, a couples shoot is a beautiful way to connect and have your partnership captured in a safe, fun and encouraging space. Your shoot can be as tame or as spicy as everyone is comfortable and consenting with.
I had a couple recently, who exclaimed (with glee!) that this was the longest foreplay they had ever done.
So what’s involved in a couples boudoir shoot?
Let’s split this into two phases - before your shoot and during.
Before:
It’s important to do your research on what photographer you wish to go with and what levels of nudity and / or intimacy you wish to be at. Some things to consider when comparing photographers:
Privacy of the space - is the shoot at an open studio, shared by other photographers / artists?
Privacy of your photos - it is 100% up to you what level of sharing of your photos you are comfortable with. Many couples prefer to keep their photographs private. Check with the photographer what their policy is. You should never feel any pressure to share photos if you do not want to.
Inclusivity - is the photographer inclusive of varying sexual preferences, body sizes, genders, ethnicities, disabilities … does this matter to you? An easy way to find out is just to see if they have variety of people in their portfolio - that should tell you heaps. At Poledoir, all are welcome here! Unless you are an ass.
Style - do you like a no frills, studio style work with light and shadows and little props or furniture? Do you like the hotel look? Do you like props and varying furniture pieces. How about their editing style?
My personal rule of thumb when looking for an artist (usually my context is a tattoo artist), is that I like around 90% of their work and they are consistent. If I found an artist who did a handful of different styles but only one style well in my opinion, it would give me big pause.
Inclusions - what is on offer for what you are paying? You may find a cheaper photographer but it’s a timed in-and-out 60 minute shoot, no hair and makeup included, no lingerie included and you are to work out your own posing. Is that ok with you or would you prefer all inclusive? If it’s not obvious, you should be able to ask the photographer - if you don’t feel comfortable doing so, why? Maybe you are pausing for a reason.
How does the photographer identify - this might not matter to you but it matters A LOT to a lot of people. Maybe you feel safer with a male photographer. Maybe you feel safer with a queer photographer. Maybe you don’t mind.
Experience - does this photographer have many years and clients of this style under their belt? (excuse the double entendre). Everyone must start somewhere and a newbie boudoir photographer might not matter to you. You should still keep in mind all of these points raised. The photographer also might not have a lot of couples in their portfolio, but perhaps they have worked with many - the couple have just opted for privacy. Ask!
Price - we all care about the price of things! The price should ultimately reflect the value you are getting (how many photos, for how long, any products included, hair/makeup/lingerie included etc), with the experience not only of the photoshoot, but the experience levels of the photographer. Boudoir - couples or not - is a super vulnerable thing to do and the photographer absolutely must hold a safe container for you.
Once you have decided to contact a photographer, the correspondence starts. I can’t speak for other photographers, but at Poledoir, we start with a Google Meet - this allows all of us to start the breaking of the ice, to see that I, Katie, am a RegularHumanBeing™ and love birds (I’m in my 30’s aka my bird era), and to see if we like each other and get along! In this call I ask you about your relationship and why you are looking to have a photoshoot, what you are looking for in terms of poses/spice/nudity, I talk you through what shoot day looks like and if we are all vibing, we book a date and package in for you!
The next phase is the Meet & Greet. This gives you the opportunity to see the space and have a lingerie fit out. This hits a few different points:
a face to face meeting
you know easily where to go and what to expect on the day (less stress), and
you have your lingerie and outfits ready on the day of your shoot - no sweating about what to wear, no literally getting sweaty trying a bunch of outfits on. You just show up on the day ready to be pampered.
What happens during a boudoir photoshoot
We have you arrive at a designated time, starting with hair and make up while the other person waits for their turn in the makeup chair (if they are getting hair and makeup done) by reading a book or getting a coffee with me. We just take turns. There will be some individual shots while one is busy with hair and makeup, then we swap.
Then, you put on your first outfits!
We have a fun warm up - this helps immediately relax any tension, both in body and mind, while we are doing some cat/cows ;)
You are then in my trusted hands for posing. Before this, we have discussed and agreed to levels of undress and spicy. While it’s your shoot and we do what you are comfortable with (I will never press you to do anything you don’t want to do), it’s important that I am comfortable too. So we are always checking in with each other.
It is natural you will have body reactions. You may feel embarrassed, and that’s ok! If you need a minute to centre yourself or just have a little pash with your babe, please say so, though I am good reading a room ;)
Things will go sloooooow. As some clients said “longest foreplay ever!” and you will laugh and have fun. This is celebrating your relationship, we should be having fun!
After all outfits and shots are achieved, we have a wee break so I can get your reveal ready! It’s super exciting seeing your pictures on the same day. You are riding that high, you get to take home some prints and you also go knowing how HOT you both looked.
How is it different to erotica / porn?
It can be hard to find consensus on the difference between erotica and porn, so I will treat them as one - though it is not uncommon to view pornography as explicit and erotica as often more a strong implication, usually more artsy and can have nudity and sexual acts. Perhaps described as brazen, lustful, overtly sexual.
Boudoir is something that is more socially “acceptable” and consumable - perhaps considered more tasteful, subtle, and suggestive. It's all about communicating emotion and teasing . And of course, it has become more of a liberation for women, a feminist movement, doing a boudoir shoot for confidence and body acceptance.
A couple’s shoot highlights the trust, romance, chemistry, love and laughter between you, and sometimes that might include some nudity and varying levels of sexual acts.
So you can see that there’s definitely some grey areas with a couple’s boudoir shoot. It’s incredibly important to have open conversation with your photographer, on everyone’s comfort levels with full understanding that could change at any time - enthusiastic and informed consent from all parties. And if you want full erotica, power to you. You might need to find explicitly that kind of photographer, or a boudoir one you are keen on might very well be ok with it. All you have to do is ask.
And I emphasise again from a privacy point of view, to check about how your photos will be treated afterwards, and how private the space you are shooting in, is.
What to wear for a couple’s boudoir shoot?
Like with a solo boudoir shoot - whatever you like! I have had shoots where both start in full dress - a nice dress shirt and pants for the guys, a nice dress, shirt & pants for the ladies. Or casual af for both!
Sometimes the women start in lingerie and the guys start dressed. Sometimes the ladies are clothed while the men have a collar and leash on and not much else ;) Whatever you like, as we have a few outfit changes. Most will get nude or near enough for the last ‘outfit’. At Poledoir, I carry a lot of different options for women, and men are provided with a men’s underwear voucher from a local vendor.
I will help you coordinate your outfits.
A couples shoot with Poledoir is one that is slow, intentional, loving, intimate but often not erotic - though I guarantee my clients have certainly felt erotic together! And honestly, most importantly for me, is safe and fun. You will never feel pressured to do anything or go further than you wish to go. And laughing and talking with your partner helps you relax into the space (and gives some beautiful and fun photos showcasing the nature of your relationship). Being a party to how absolutely obsessed you are with each other is so beautiful and a great honour. Plus the gasps when the photos are revealed just a few hours later are an extra bonus.
Keep scrolling to see more from two gorgeous couples who have given permission to share their photos.
