Boudoir shoot

[Manfred M]

I was at an interesting workshop on the weekend where the them was boudoir and implied nude photography. The latter is making the shot look as if the model is nude, but in fact is not.

Lighting was obviously quite important in order to get the mood, but what I found most interesting was learning how to pose to either emphasize or de-emphasize particular characteristics of the body. The part I enjoy most about working in the studio is that when one gets the lights right, there is minimal retouching required and one can almost get away with SOOC JPEGs.

[Manfred M]

Lighting setup:

Two strip boxes to light the background and two balanced rectangular modifiers to light the model.

[ClaudioG]

The material on her body is the best part of image for me. Great shadows and lighting. BG looks bit yellow...no disrespect to lady but she seems uncomfortable and forced. Cushions in back distract. Pretty lady but I still feel more of the material over leg would look better...only because lighting again on material looks so good.... I can't stress how good the material on her body looks...I think if she was more covered and looked a little towards camera you'd get a better look. I think the leg and foot distracts ultimately.

[Manfred M]

The material on her body is the best part of image for me. Great shadows and lighting. BG looks bit yellow...no disrespect to lady but she seems uncomfortable and forced. Cushions in back distract. Pretty lady but I still feel more of the material over leg would look better...only because lighting again on material looks so good.... I can't stress how good the material on her body looks...I think if she was more covered and looked a little towards camera you'd get a better look. I think the leg and foot distracts ultimately.

The BG is a bit yellow because the camera left light is old and the flash tube has yellowed. A new replacement light is supposedly going to be ordered shortly, so the yellow will go away when the new head arrives and the old lights can be retired. We are just waiting for the final approval to do so.

The cushions in the background are there to break up the background a bit and to make it look more intimate and less studio-like, but that is just personal taste.

In terms of the amount of leg showing / not showing, this was a workshop and we wanted the participants to come away with a variety of shots and posing techniques. Part of the approach was to show how to make a model who is clothed look like she is not wearing much under the sheet.

As for the model being uncomfortable, that is something that is definitely the case, as we were going for a particular look. She is a professional model who has been in the business for at least 3 or 4 years, so she can hold the poses.

Perhaps this is more the look you were after? I'm not 100% happy with it as she had too much weight on her camera right arm.

[Cogito]

With regard to lighting, Manfred, I find both images a bit bright!

[Shadowman]

I would've asked the model to lose some of the drape or at least pleat it so that it revealed a bit more flesh. Nicely composed.

[Manfred M]

I would've asked the model to lose some of the drape or at least pleat it so that it revealed a bit more flesh. Nicely composed.

I have plenty of shots with "a bit more flesh". I'm just a bit hesitant posting those here.

[Manfred M]

With regard to lighting, Manfred, I find both images a bit bright!

The bright is the genre I was shooting here. While not quite high key, certainly they are in that general direction; predominantly light shades, but too much shadow to be true high key.