Glamour and boudoir
photography modele

Working as a boudoir model

Let say it now, after 10 years of photographing models, the boudoir is definitely the most special area of ​​photography. And it is not just by chance I chose this field: it is the area of ​​photography where there are the most amateur photographers, and the least professional photographers!

Amateurs, professionals, let's start with that : a professional is someone whose main job is photographer, he makes a living with it. An amateur is an enthusiast, he does it by hobby, and he has another job to make a living. For a model, it's the same : there are amateur models, who do it for pleasure or for pocket money, and professional models that make a living with it.

For passion, or for pocket money

Professional models work most often with professional photographers, for campaigns, catalogs or editorials, while the amateurs will work rather with amateur photographers, on series called personal and artistic. For a boudoir model, it's slightly different because she may also be working for sexy magazines also. But the main activity will most often be to pose for amateur photographers of any level , helping them realize their artistic or personal projects. And to be clear, boudoir is the field that inspires the most artistic creation, considering the incredible amount of amateurs in this field.

You want to become a boudoir model ? Let me give you some tips. First of all, maybe you do not find yourself physically good enough? You shall know that nature is well done: there is room for everyone and for all physical appearance. And it could be a good experience to see you in a better angle. Then you will have to set your own limits: lingerie, nude, erotic, porn. These are in short the 4 areas that everyone will understand. But still, let's go a little in detail, because the borders are somewhat dubious sometimes.

Are you ready to go?

Lingerie is the first stage of boudoir. But be careful, lingerie can mean also, just panties, and thus topless! So you shall discuss it with the photographer. The second level is the nude: the famous artistic nude, or not, depending on photographers. Because let's admit it, many amateur photographers do it only to see naked women, there is no art here ... Next level is eroticism. Legs spread, hands and fingers become curious, positions are really explicit. And finally ,the extreme level, the porn. Solo porn is when you start to use accessories of any kind, or even to explore in detail the inside beauty of the model ...

To get yourself into the boudoir field, first step will be to make you a portfolio : a first experience, and maybe, a first set of pictures to show. Find a first photographer, if possible specializing in boudoir, it will be easier for you. Study the portfolios, the proposals, the conditions. Be a psychologist : try to identify the professionalism and the eye of the photographer. It would be a shame to start with a bad experience.

The second step will be to publish your book. You will be able to create an account on book.fr (the best known but not free as well) or the free versions like Model Mayhem, BookFoto, Focal31 and Freshnude. And finally, why not also the countless Facebook groups. Do not be surprised: you will certainly be contacted very quickly: many amateur photographers are on the lookout for the freshness and naiveté of a beginner. So do not hesitate to contact the other photographers yourself and ask them for that little help.

Then comes the question of remuneration. It obviously depends on the projects, but know that some models never make free sessions, and therefore sometimes have no interesting photos in their portfolio. So why not doing some free sessions from time to time, to improve your book, with good photographers you will have chosen. Because yes, most opf the time, good photographers will not pay. In this field, the worse photographer you are, the more you will have pay to get a model.

If all goes well, after a month you will have done already several shootings, you will then have about fifteen beautiful photos in your book, which will be enough to introduce you to any photographer. Also, you will begin to understand the true specificity of this domain: each photographer is different, and no shooting is the same. In a way, it can be exciting not to know what's going to happen. Each session is a new experience, and a breath of fresh air in the everyday boredom.

Slow and steady wins the race

Until the first bad experience happens... Because it will happen, if you are not psychologist enough. Amateurs photographers sometimes have no professionalism, and some of them have even no restraint. But the worst thing that can happen is to come across a talented psychopath who will manipulate you to his own end, and who knows how deep it can go down ... If you're not sure of a photographer, the ultimate and infallible technique: tell him you will certainly come accompanied at the session. If he refuses or changes radically his behavior, it is clearly doubtful. But you will easily avoid bad experiences by being attentive to the exchanges with the photographer, by identifying his personality, and above all, by appreciating his eye as a photographer, because one can read so much of the personality of a photographer just by scrutinizing his photos.

Nicolas