CHAPTER THREEThe Psychology of the Woman
3. The Psychology of the Woman.
The key to successful boudoir or glamour photography is developing trust
between you and your client. Developing trust does not happen with just
one phone call or one consultation, it happens gradually over time. Many
aspects of my business are devoted to developing trust with all of my
clients, not just my boudoir clients. I have worked hard to earn a positive
reputation in my community. You need to do the same, and please under-
stand that it takes time to earn a positive reputation. For nearly thirty years,
I’ve been developing a relationship with my community. It doesn’t take
quite that long to get your first boudoir client, but you should always be
mindful that each volunteer opportunity, each networking event, each ses-
sion in your camera room is another chance to build your client base and
earn trust in the community. You must consistently support that reputation
by maintaining a clean facility, conducting business with the highest level
of integrity, and continuing to give back to the community.
Many women fear the way they will look in front of a camera. With the
exception of her high school senior year and wedding day, she probably
hasn’t been photographed by a professional. For years she has only seen
snapshots, and that affects her confidence level. The consumer cameras
(point and shoot) have built-in, on-camera flash, and those are the cameras
that wash people out or flatten the images, making the person look wider
than they actually are. It is up to us to create a stunning image with proper
lighting posing, clothing, and digital work to allow the client to have trust
in what we do from a professional photographer’s perspective. The por-
traits on your studio walls should reflect that style, and they should scream
“artistic.” The portrait that was taken twenty-five years ago should look
timeless and be cherished today.
The first thing out of my client’s mouth when I am setting up the very
first shot is, “Oh I’m so nervous and excited at the same time.” It is up to
the photographer to calm her and gain her trust. I start with the “before”
shot and take a few headshots to get her warmed up to the camera.
Every part of the session should be positive. There are no negatives
about a woman’s body. A lot of women will make the comment, “Oh, I’m
so fat.” I then explain to them, “What you have are curves, and we areEvery part of the session
should be positive.
There are no negatives
about a woman’s body.