Boudoir photo sessions are become more popular for brides, women and even men. Clients might decide to try a photoshoot but be unsure what happens next. New boudoir photographers might also wonder when or how to share their work. Here are a few creative uses of boudoir photos for clients and photographers!
What Do You Do With Boudoir Photos?
Boudoir photos are often gifted to the subject’s romantic partner, or displayed privately to empower the subject about his or her body. Boudoir photos are often printed, but can also be shared in other ways. We’ll discuss a few things to do with boudoir photos, including:
- Large format prints or canvas
- Small prints
- Photobooks
- Digital presentations
- Heirloom boxes
These ideas will help you make suggestions to clients on what to do with boudoir photos!
Large Format Prints or Canvas
Boudoir photos look beautiful in a large format, either framed as a print, printed on metal, or printed on canvas. The format the client chooses is a matter of personal preference and the qualities of the image itself.
Prints can be dressed with a frame that compliments the client’s decor and subject matter, such as a sleek black metal frame or wood. Canvas is often more forgiving for grainy images, for example. And metal prints enhance the deepness of blacks and helps images with lots of contrast really popl. Be prepared to make some suggestions to clients as to the kind of paper finish, framing, etc. so they’ll love their images even more!
Where clients display these large format prints is also a personal preference. Many clients like to display boudoir photos in the bedroom because it’s more private. Master bathrooms or private offices are also a popular display location.
Photographers may also want to display large prints of boudoir clients in the studio. As a photographer, you should always make sure your client is okay with public use of these very intimate photos. Choose a print style or framing that compliments your studio or order several different formats to show clients all the options they have for their images.
Small prints
If a client isn’t comfortable displaying prints on her wall, suggest several smaller prints such as 5x7s or even 4x6s. These prints can be stored discretely in a beautiful box or leather folder and only enjoyed by the client or her formantic partner in private.
Small prints can be a lot of fun because they can be shared all together or one at a time over the course of several days, weeks, or even months. Clients can get really creative in how to use them, such as tucking one away in her partner’s suitcase before he leaves on a business trip, or leave one on her partner’s pillow with a romantic note before a special occasion.
Smaller prints can also be a great asset for your studio. Keep them stored away until a potential boudoir client arrives. Then use the series of small prints as examples of your work. If you shoot multiple genres and don’t want your boudoir work mixed with family sessions, for example, smaller prints might be the way to go.
Photobooks and Albums
Photobooks and albums can be stored discreetly as well and are a beautiful way to present boudoir photos. Clients can choose from different paper types and dress up the album with a leather or linen cover or personalize it with romantic notes or phrases for their partner. If the photoshoot was completed to empower the subject, add inspirational words or messages to the photo album as well. Miller’s signature albums and photobooks are just two examples of products available for you to offer clients.
Digital presentations
Boudoir photos may be presented digitally, too! Create custom slide shows or videos for clients with their images. These presentations can be a great lead-in to an in-person sales session, or as a special thank you to the clients. Motion from video footage or the right music can amp up the emotion or sexy factor and make for a more immersive experience for viewing the images by the client and his partner!
Clients can also share images with their partner one at a time via a private text or email.
Heirloom or Keepsake Boxes
One of my favorite ways to store any special occasion prints is with an heirloom box. These are one step beyond a simple gift box of prints. The box is larger and ready to be filled with gorgeous prints and other mementos and items of significance to your client and her partner.
Items that would be a great addition to an heirloom box might be a garter belt used in the session, dried flowers, a bottle of champagne to enjoy later, journals, love letters or notes, cards, or other mementos important to your client. The box becomes a treasure trove of empowering or romantic memories ready to be enjoyed later. Something like this small cedar chest, available on Etsy, makes a great keepsake box.
What do you do with boudoir photos as a photographer?
Most boudoir photos are meant to be a private gift, not shared with the world. So what should you, as the photographer, do with the images you take? Any of the ideas above would
Always discuss sharing and archiving with your clients. Some may be okay with you posting their images on social media or displaying them in your studio. Others might only consent to images that don’t show faces. And some clients want complete privacy. ALWAYS respect the clients wishes to keep your credibility and trust as a photographer.
Conclusion
Boudoir photos are meant to be appreciated and enjoyed, just like photos from other genres of photography. Clients may want to keep them private, but with a little creativity, these images can be displayed beautifully while still maintaining discretion!
