Fit this around a work trip?
Your boudoir photoshoot in London can be a secret business trip one if you’d like! We can sneak a shoot into an otherwise busy work trip, and honestly…why not? Work hard, play hard, if you ask me.
If you’re only in the city for a limited time, there’s an art to scheduling. The ideal time, if possible, is as soon as you’ve recovered from any plane-induced kankles and most of the jet lag. If it’s a long flight, this may not be possible, but we can at least aim to match your shoot time with your home timezone so you feel as well as possible given the circumstances. Also, consider a pair of good compression socks for the plane. If you have any stressful things on the agenda, I like the idea of arranging your shoot a day or two after that (a treat for getting through the keynote maybe?). Early mornings and late nights are possible, especially if we use hotel locations. Even with a crazy schedule, there’s almost always a way to make it work – espresso may be required though!
S was in the city for a few days, happily for a holiday rather than work. We discussed a bunch of ideas for where to do her shoot, but in the end we opted for the hotel suite she was already staying in. It’s important to conserve energy where you can when already low-key exhausted from travel, and sometimes one just cannot be bothered to trek all the way to the outskirts of London when there’s a really lovely, comfortable bed two feet away.
Also, she massively undersold her hotel to me anyway. She was like “Oh, we have a nice hotel suite. We could just use that.” And then we turned up to such a stunning property with a full sitting room, separate bedroom, floor to ceiling windows, and a giant terrace – all impeccably decorated and with more light than any photographer in this city can hope for.
Hair, Makeup & Keeping Wardrobe Simple
I really love what Katie did with S’s hair and makeup for this boudoir photoshoot in London – it’s giving a sort of Audrey Hepburn but on a modern Russian sort of vibe. We paired her wardrobe of nothing with some beautiful jewellery, and a simple bed setting. For portraits like this, I don’t think you need anything more. The point is you, and how great you look, not dramatic lighting or crazy wardrobe.
Shooting through glass
But you know I can’t resist some drama, so we also did these! I’m never going to tire of delicious golden light like this. It’s such a rare occurrence naturally, and so annoying and cumbersome to try to fake on location. There’s something about shooting through glass that I like – an aura of mystery and a bit voyeuristic maybe?
Something I hear all the time is, “I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard,” and I 100% agree. In fact, I think the older we get, the more we feel this way. Adding layers to the image via things like windows and fabric is one of my favourite tricks to make sure you look natural in the frame – one among many elements, where maybe you can be bothered to look at the camera and maybe you can’t.
On doing a boudoir photoshoot in London with an audience (or not)
Congratulations to the construction workers opposite this balcony, who had the work highlight of their year watching, I mean not watching us. If you’re not comfortable with an audience it’s 100% fine, we will adjust. But if something unexpected like this happens on your shoot, you may find yourself thinking, “Well, F it. I’m never going to see these people again anyway.”
Touch wood, but in my experience, unexpected onlookers are generally harmless and actually quite fun. We’ve only every had very nice hecklers – most of whom cannot believe their eyes or their luck, and would probably fall all over themselves bringing us drinks and snacks if we let them.
A moody London skyline
We were going for a very moody London skyline here. This dress was actually hot pink and I couldn’t see how the colour was going to work in real time. I had an idea of what I might do in post-production, but in the end I didn’t like it as much as this. When all else fails, it’s black and white to save the day. Besides, all I see is killer arms anyway.
A couple of mirror/mantelpiece nudes to finish, and another reminder that wardrobe doesn’t have to be complicated. S you were so great to work with, thank you again!
If you’d like to chat about your own boudoir photoshoot in London, please get in touch. I’d love to talk you through how it all works:)
xx
Stormy
