LI Boudoir Photographer susan answers: What is boudoir?

There are two questions I get asked just about all the time.

For the uninitiated it’s, “What IS boudoir?!”

And for those familiar with the term it’s, “How the heck do you pronounce it?”

Do a quick search online and it seems that yes, indeed this French word is a bit challenging not only to understand, but also to say, and most certainly, to spell for us Americans!

In this blog, I share the answers to these common questions.

How do you say boudoir?

Let’s start with the easy one first. Boo-dwahr. That’s how you say it. I’ve heard all kinds of pronunciations including boo-dee-ahr. Boo-dee-ohr. But no. It’s Boo-dwahr. Two syllables. You’re welcome. :D

What is boudoir?

Boudoir, in French, means a woman’s bedroom or private room. (Often misspelled as boudoir or budeaux.)

Different photographers adopt different approaches when shooting this niche, so it becomes important for those considering a shoot to explore the different styles, approaches and interpretations. Some photographers adopt a highly sexualized approach, while others take a softer, glamour-approach.

When I first began shooting this niche way over a decade ago, boudoir was a “thing” on the west coast. Not so much here on the east coast. Although other studios may try to claim it, fact is I was the first photography studio specializing in this niche. The proof: when one of my early clients shared her experience with a Newsday photographer back in 2011, the reporter immediately reached out to inquire about this “new thing.” It resulted in a feature article and serendipitously, one of my images ended up gracing the ENTIRE cover of the Lifestyle section one particular Sunday. It was so exciting to see my image on the cover - taking up the ENTIRE cover of a separate section of Newsday. The reporter, however, wanting to do her due diligence, had attempted to find other photographers shooting this niche here on Long island. It was hard to find because there were so few photographers specializing in this at that time. We did manage to find two others who shot boudoir among other things. But that was it. If you search Newsday archives, you can find the original article. But by the time the article came out I’d already been shooting boudoir for some time. I never had a clue that boudoir would become the huge trend that it is today.

how do i define boudoir?

As boudoir became more popular, I’d hear other photographers tell me that I didn’t really shoot boudoir. They thought if a bed wasn’t involved, well, it wasn’t boudoir.

What they didn’t realize is that I had a slightly different definition of boudoir. To me, boudoir represents who a woman is in her personal space, in her quiet solitude, at her core.

How a woman chooses to express herself is everything. Beauty, sensuality, sexiness, glamour, personal style - all of these things are fair game in my studio. I don’t impose what boudoir should look like — instead I allow each woman to tell me.

Shooting Body & Soul

Having a Master’s degree in psychology meant I approach boudoir radically different from my peers. My book Body & Soul, published in 2016, features 39 stories from clients who experienced transformation through this process. I have no desire to treat women the way society at large does — as an object. Far from it! My goal is to help her express herself body AND soul. Prospects who are paying attention will reach out and tell me they feel the authenticity of each person featured in my gallery of images. They can feel the energy of the person in the photograph. Bingo! That’s my goal. And when significant others call me to share how incredible the images are because they capture the essence of the woman they love, I know we were successful in creating meaningful images documenting who my client is at this very moment in her life.

Boudoir photography is hardly new!

Is Boudoir really new?

Nope!

I love to point out to those who’ve just learned about this fascinating niche that this kind of thing has been around for a very long time! In fact, some of my favorite images are from the 20s, featuring stylish flappers, draped in pearls and their period negligees.

So fun!

Why do women pursue boudoir?

The whys are as varied as the women I shoot. Whether it’s an upcoming wedding, spouse’s anniversary or birthday, or her own milestone birthday, weight loss journey, triumph over illness or struggle, boudoir photography enables a woman to celebrate wins, express herself, explore who she is becoming, and strengthen her relationship with her body.

Boudoir is almost never about the vanity pursuit. In my studio, it’s ALWAYS about something deeper. Much deeper. The images we create become a beautiful mirror for the journey my client is on. It reflects her growth in a way that actual mirrors cannot. In mirrors we see what our minds tell us to see. In photographs, we see our truth.

And in the hands of a capable, skilled artist who truly listens to what her clients are saying the result can be truly transformative.

If you’re on a journey to becoming…reach out and let’s discuss how a boudoir photo shoot can help build a bridge.