A Boudoir Photography Lesson Took Me to New York
New York wasn’t on the calendar until a photographer got in touch about a private boudoir lesson. I said yes, and my wife, a couple of friends and I turned it into a weekend away. It’s about an eight-hour drive from Toronto — close enough to make a trip of it, especially with a studio shoot already waiting at the other end.
The road in
We left early on Friday with our new passports, and the border crossing was the quickest I’ve ever had. The roads on the other side were less impressive. Potholes followed us for much of the drive, while we tried to work out what the speed limits meant in kilometres. At least the scenery was good.
We stayed in New Jersey, which surprised me with its hills and steep rock faces. Somehow, that wasn’t how I’d pictured it. New York also turned out to be cosier than I expected. The crowds were there, of course, but so were trees, bike lanes, cafés and all those very different buildings squeezed together. Even the subway was cleaner than the version I’d built up in my head.
A walk above the streets
Saturday morning started with bagels, followed by a walk along the High Line. There were plenty of people, but still enough room to enjoy it. We walked most of its length, surrounded by greenery with the city’s windows and brick walls close by.
Then we headed towards Little Island. The park’s unusual shapes above the water were interesting to photograph, but I also liked the idea of the place: trees, paths and somewhere to stop in the middle of such a busy city. We had until Sunday night to get back to Toronto, so this was never going to be a trip where we saw everything. Still, we had enough time to walk around and get a feel for the city.
In the studio: light, angles and trust
On Sunday morning, before the drive home, it was time for the lesson that had started the whole trip. We worked with a model in a studio, using both natural and artificial light. I showed the photographer the lighting setups I would try, what each one changed and how to choose camera settings for the light in front of us.
I think the advice on angles and posing was especially useful to him. It’s one thing to have a pose in mind; where you stand with the camera changes how that pose looks. We worked through framing, body position and how to give the model clear direction. A one-on-one lesson gives us time to work through those choices during an actual shoot.
The portrait by the white doorway used natural light. The doorway frames the model, the mirror adds depth behind her, and the turn of her body gives the pose its shape. There are several decisions in that frame before we even get to the camera settings.
We also talked about what’s appropriate during a boudoir shoot and where the boundaries are. Giving useful direction, checking that the model is comfortable and respecting what she’s agreed to are part of the photographer’s job throughout the session.
The glass changed the picture
Some of the most interesting photographs came from shooting through textured glass. For those frames, we combined window light with an artificial source. The texture broke up the figure and softened the details, while still leaving the pose visible.
In the colour photograph, the dark pattern in the glass becomes part of the composition. In black and white, the raised arms, ribbed glass and dark background make a very different picture. We were photographing a nude model, but there was room to suggest more than we showed.
For a photographer, that’s a useful option to explore: how much of the person needs to be clearly visible for the photograph to work? Here, the glass gave us another way to use the pose and light already in front of us.
We made plenty of photographs that morning, and he was happy with the lesson. My impression was that the lighting setups and advice on posing and angles gave him the most to take away.
Then it was time to head back to Toronto. One lesson had turned into a weekend with my wife and friends, walks around New York and a mix of city photographs and studio portraits. A fairly good reason to spend eight hours in a car. Twice.
If you’d like to work on light, angles or directing a model, write to me about a one-on-one photography lesson and tell me what you’d like to practise. My Boudoir Posing Guide is also there if you’d like ideas to try on your next shoot.
