You’ve finally booked your boudoir photoshoot but now the nerves are kicking in and you are nervous about whether you will know how to pose to create sexy + flattering images for yourself.
No worries, my beautiful friend! I’ve got you! I’ve been directing and guiding women all over the Tampa Bay, St. Pete, Clearwater areas, and beyond for 16 years on how to pose during their boudoir experience with me. But I know some of you ladies like to come prepared + ready for your photoshoot so below you will find my top 9 tips to get you feeling confident AF when you walk into your session and we can make the most incredible + beautiful photos you’ve ever seen of yourself! Keep reading below to learn more!
1. Think Ballerina Hands + Toes.
It happens…you are so focused on trying to suck the gut in or make sure you are making a sexy face and you end up clenching your hands all funky like a pterodactyl and don’t even realize it! And let’s be honest…that’s not very sexy! haha. I always coach my clients to think “Ballerina hands + toes”. If you’ve ever watched a ballerina, her hands always look soft + graceful and she’s also usually always pointing her toes – which emphasizes the length of her legs + elongates the body overall.
2. Remember to Breathe.
When you’re nervous, you sometimes end up holding your breath! And if you are doing that during your boudoir shoot, you are going to appear stiff + uncomfortable. So I always try to remind my clients to breathe…take some deep breaths if you are nervous. Once you do this, it will allow you to engage your parasympathetic nervous system which helps you relax + be calmer. Remembering to breathe will also help to eliminate any “deer in headlights” kind of images. Take a big inhale in, close your eyes, and then exhale through slightly parted lips while opening your eyes again will give you a MUCH more natural + more seductive image.
3. Create S-Curves + C-Curves with your body.
“But Tami, I don’t even know what you mean!?” Think about when you write out the letter “S” or “C” in comparison to the letter “I”. You see curves. Curves are SEXY! So pop those hips. Create angles with your elbows and your knees. Create that arch with your back so you can elongate your torso. Pop that hip out to the side. Do all the things to create the curves and avoid you looking like a stagnant “I” that feels awkward and uncomfortable. 😉
4. Separate the Limbs.
A bit of a continuation of #3, separating your arms from your body will help to minimize you looking like a “thick tree trunk”! Haha. You also want to stagger the arms so they aren’t mirroring each other on both sides. So if you have one arm up in your hair, have the other one resting gently on your inner thigh. This allows for a more dynamic feel to your images.
5. Find the light.
Working with light + shadow is what so many women love about my work! So we are going to make use of it! So I will often have you close to a light source (usually a window or a softbox), and I generally will direct my clients to start by looking towards the light source, then guiding them to look down and engage with the curves of their body, and finally, I will guide them to look toward me. This allows me to do the work by moving myself around to get the best lighting + angles that are flattering for you.
6. Actions > Poses.
I find when I have my client focus on “actions” vs. “poses”, the images feel MUCH more natural and they turn out SO MUCH better! Most of us feel the anxiety rise when we zero in on how to place this hand, angle the back, where to put the hand, etc., and then the resulting images look stiff + unnatural. So instead, let’s shake/twirl your hair, play with your bra strap, hike up those undies on the side, un/hook your bra or garter, crawl towards me, or close your eyes and just start feeling the sensual curves of your gorgeous body. Close your eyes and let your mind wander. THIS is where those magical images come from!
7. Make love to the camera!
I like to have clients imagine their celebrity crush standing directly behind me or imagine that their partner is watching via the lens of my camera. I want you to woo them! Forget it’s me and my camera but the hottest specimen you’ve ever laid eyes on and they as so digging what you are putting out there!
8. Laugh + have fun!
So often, women think they need to come ready with the perfect duck lips + smoldering eyes and yeah, that can be part of it, but laughing + having some fun with your shoot also makes for some great images! The smiling ones are oftentimes a partner’s favorite images from the bunch. What can we say, we usually LOVE to see people happy. Your inner radiance will explode in these photos!
9. Trust me to guide you.
And my last tip is to trust that I will guide + direct you in the most flattering poses for YOU! I’ve been photographing boudoir since 2008 and have had hundreds of women in front of my camera so I have a LOT of experience under my belt! When you loosen the reigns and let me guide you, you will get to enjoy your experience so much more and the results images are going to blow your mind!
We will also prepare together beforehand with a detailed questionnaire so I can learn more about what you love and what about yourself you are insecure about, and then go into all the planning details with hair + makeup and I will help you find outfits that are the most flattering for you. We will make these photos the BEST PHOTOS you’ve ever had taken of yourself!
Are you interested in getting the sexiest and most beautiful photos taken of yourself?
Let’s get you scheduled for your own boudoir experience! See my pricing page or contact me today to book your sexy boudoir session!
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