110 ELLIE VAYO’S GUIDE TO BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY
There are a nearly infinite number of types of boudoir clients: big ones,
small ones, tall ones, and short ones will find their way into your camera
room. Introverts, extroverts, and all personalities in between will book ses-
sions with your studio. How do you deal with all of the complex issues
surrounding boudoir photography? Unfortunately, there isn’t a quick an-
swer, but I can provide a few tips to make your sessions more successful.
I’ve spent thousands of hours in my camera room with thousands of
different clients. This chapter provides a number of case studies to help
you learn about the different personalities you will meet as a boudoir pho-
tographer. Although I have changed the clients’ names and havenotpro-
vided their portraits in this chapter, each story is real. These women will
appear at your studio, and they will expect you to create timeless works of
art using them as your subject. Hopefully you will learn from my mistakes
and benefit from my experience.
Case #1
Boudoir photography is more than posing and lighting; it’s about build-
ing confidence, trust, and, of course, producing the highest-quality art.
The consultation is my first opportunity to gauge my client’s body type,
personality type, and confidence level. The questions I ask help me un-
derstand my client’s needs. For example, I had a somewhat heavy woman,
Ms. Posner, come in for a consultation. I figured she would be shy, intro-
verted, and uncomfortable with her body based on my initial impression
of her. My first impression couldn’t have been farther from the truth! She
was a confident woman who had worked hard to lose hundreds of pounds.
The body type that I considered to be heavy was actually a representation
of an important milestone in this woman’s life. She felt that her weight
had cost her the opportunity to enjoy long-term relationships with men.
After hearing about her struggle to lose weight, and her pride at her ac-
complishments, I couldn’t wait to give Ms. Posner an outstanding boudoir
photography experience.
When Ms. Posner returned to my studio for her session, I could tell she
was acting differently than she had during her consultation. At her con-
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Case Studies
Facing page—The veiled setup used in
this image can be seen on page 33. The
only difference was the fabric used.The consultation is my first
opportunity to gauge my
client’s body type.