” I have no idea what to wear for a boudoir shoot ” is something I hear all the time. And I get it. If you’re not a dedicated lingerie fan, it’s hard to know where to start. You want to feel like yourself, but let’s be honest, not exactly like yourself either – the goal is you on your best day, not you on a random Thursday, staring bleary eyed into the mirror at 6AM. You might be worried you’ll show up with the wrong thing and waste the whole session. Or maybe buying lingerie is well out of your comfort zone in the first place, and this feels like a step too far.
Here’s the truth: you don’t need a bunch of expensive lingerie to have a great shoot. What you need is a small, considered selection of things that work, allow us to cover a range of moods, and that you actually like. And FIT.
The other day I put together a wardrobe plan for a client, M, who felt completely lost on this. She’s petite, has a classic, understated sense of style, and didn’t really know where to start. Her body has changed a lot recently, so she’s truly starting from scratch. I thought I’d share what I suggested for her, and why.
Everything has been guided by her mood board, her sizes (petite, UK4, 32A), and the overall look and feel we’re going for. Her mood board looked like this:
What to Wear for a Boudoir Photo Shoot – The Basics Look
It was immediately clear to me that at least one look should be built around simple, beautiful basics. Think a great-fitting bralette and briefs, nothing complicated, nothing overdone. It’s the kind of thing that photographs beautifully because there’s nothing competing for attention. It’s the boudoir equivalent of “no makeup” makeup look, you know the one that actually takes 17 products but looks effortless? A bit easier than that though!
For M, I pointed her toward Calvin Klein. They invented this genre after all, so it’s a great place to start. The fit is reliable, the aesthetic is clean, and it photographs really well in both black and white and colour. Skims and Intimissimi are also worth a look for this category.
The key thing I always tell clients: don’t buy anything for this look unless you’d actually wear it in real life. Start from your own wardrobe if you have something that might suit. A great pair of knickers and a simple bralette you already own will often serve you really well.
For variation on this look we can layer things over the top – a white t-shirt, a men’s button-down shirt left open, a big chunky knit, winter socks. These are all things you might already have and they add a different dimension to the shoot without requiring a lot of extra work.
Props can add a nice touch here too – a camera, a mug, a book, etc.
This is where things get a bit more intentional. It’s still simple and understated, but there’s more texture and detail – lace, satin, maybe a little colour. I think for M, this look should feel a bit more special than the basics. It’s not your everyday wear, but also not over the top.
I specifically avoided anything that felt too dramatic or like it was trying hard to be sexy. M’s mood board is mostly elegant and refined, so I kept the suggestions in that zone.
M&S is honestly so good for this type of thing. For most people the sizing is inclusive, the quality is good, and there’s a huge range of options. Their Rosie for Autograph line has been a fav for years. ASOS can also be a good place to look.
For M specifically I pulled together several options across sets and separates, mixing lace and satin, some black and some softer colours. You don’t need all of these, you need ONE. 32A is a little hard, which is a situation many clients run into if standard sizing doesn’t suit you. My advice is to look up your sister sizes, because often one of those will be more widely available. 30B is a sister size for 32A, and including that nearly doubled our options.
For a robe or wrap layer, the For Love and Lemons Delaine robe is beautiful if you want something that photographs well and feels luxurious. There are lots of other places you can find similar things though, so it’s worth having a look around.
This one needs no wardrobe planning and is really fun, so I always include it if we’re shooting somewhere with a good tub. We can use a towel and maybe even a bathrobe to extend the story a little too.
You can wear lingerie or a swimsuit, but we often do these nude or faux nude (with enough bubbles you can show as much or as little as you’d like). Sometimes we do flower petals or a bath bomb too.
Props can be really fun here. A pair of sunglasses. A book. A glass of champagne. A piece of cake. A piece of pizza. Whatever really, somehow it all works in a bathtub lol!
The lowest effort way to do this is lingerie and heels in the tub with no water. The highest effort way is probably a milky flower bath (with water, about 5x the number of flowers and milk you think you need, and 20 minutes to fish all the petals back out when we’re done). You know what no, actually I take that back – the glitter bath bombs are the most effort. If we’re using water, we always do this at the end of the shoot because it’s easy to ruin hair and makeup.
The Wild Card
This is optional but worth throwing in if you’ve got something. The idea is you bring a look outside your normal style – a piece you found on sale that you couldn’t resist, something wildly over the top, or something that you love but it doesn’t match the rest of your looks at all. Or nudes, which are mercifully very easy to prepare wardrobe for.
It doesn’t have to be expensive. It doesn’t even have to make sense lol! It just wants to have that “but what if it’s actually amazing?!” potential.
For M, I mentioned Bluebella as a direction – it’s a step up in drama and more in your face, but still wearable and refined. A trench coat also works brilliantly in this slot if you have one (or you can borrow mine if you’re a bit taller than M). Another idea for this is the outlet sale at AP; all kinds of madness on there.
A Note on Wardrobe Planning: What to Wear for a Boudoir Shoot
If the thing stopping you from booking a shoot is wardrobe planning, please email me immediately because there is NO NEED. I am more than happy to walk you all through it, you certainly don’t need to spend weeks worrying about it or letting it stop you. We always chat about wardrobe during your pre-shoot consultation, and if what to wear is stressing you out just tell me and I’ll make it easy.
It’s also worth remembering that it’s not that big of a deal. I once had a client turn up with nothing. Literally nothing. She had pre-packed her bag with everything the night before, it ended up in the wrong car, and she didn’t realise until it was too late. And do you know what? We had a knockout shoot anyway! We used the well worn basics she was wearing for the journey there, my oversized jumper and a coffee mug we found in a cabinet, a trench we borrowed from the makeup artist, and faux nudes with a curtain and some bed sheets. We did miss having some heels, but she just did a lot of toe pointing and it was absolutely fine. So don’t panic about this, you can turn up starkers and we’ll make it work.
It’s also not a think you need to set aside a bunch of the budget for. Most of the time, you end up buying maybe one or two new things (and often it’s more because it’s such a good excuse rather than you actually need them lol!). Shoes are a non-issue. If you have some killer heels, great. If you don’t, you can go for a premium luxury brand or a Primani special and both will get the job done well.
So don’t let this hold you back! Just get in touch and we will go through what to wear for a boudoir shoot together – complete with links and picture references as needed! You can drop me a message anytime.
I’ve started bringing a little video camera along to shoots. This is my method: shove it at people on set and tell them to film. It’s not the most professional arrangement, but so far everyone has managed to get something useable, and it’s fun. I know a boudoir shoot can be intimidating and a little scary, but hopefully a peek behind the scenes will help you realise that 1) we’re not that cool and 2) you can totally do this.
Here’s one from Lainara’s London boudoir shoot last month at the Courthouse Hotel in Shoreditch, with Sadaf on makeup, Natalia on hair, and yours truly behind the lens.
It’s been hectic, but really good too. We’ve had some great women to work with, a few fun ideas for new sets and props, and plenty of good laughs. Unfortunately, lots of shooting means lots of editing. You can currently find me buried under a mountain of retouching work, so please don’t invite me out anywhere fun. I cannot go, I am in retouching exile until further notice. Send snacks.
Anyway, I thought I’d share some behind the scenes snapshots from the last two weeks. These are straight from the camera so please don’t judge.
Springtime flowers for the win. Clearance roses are my new favourite photo prop.
I made this flower crown in about 15 min out of a wire coat hanger and some fishing line. It was brilliant, everyone wanted to wear it, and it photographed like a DREAM. Here’s a few shots of Gemma and I “working” with Chrissy.
We also DIYed a wedding dress out of some fabric and ribbon. It’s obviously no good for full length, but with a little extra pinning it worked great for bridal hair and makeup shots. We shot some great bridal themed lingerie with Chrissy too, can’t wait to show you those.
This idea needs a lot more work, but doesn’t Chrissy’s makeup look stunning?
A super hot sneak peek for Sarah;) Her shoot is turning out great, and I think she’ll probably be okay with sharing some of it publicly, so you might even get a look if you stay tuned!
This is lovely Anna, who came to shoot portraiture with me for a few days. Anna and I met on set at the TeamGlam photo shoot a few weeks ago. When we realised how much we had a lot in common and that we shared a lot of the same goals for our portfolios, we set up a few days of shared shooting. It’s always more fun to learn with a friend.
Curvy girls in the house! Gorgeous Katie, Jazmine, and Amy bravely came down to be our guinea pigs.
I have also fallen in love with using the hair dryer for creating faux breeze. It’s amazing, I can’t believe I haven’t been using it this whole time.
Makeup artist Hayley manning the wind machine for Eleanor’s set.
Another flower crown, and a comfy & cozy set from Katie’s shoot.
I’m also hoping to be able to release two new lingerie shoots soon – both are slated for publication in magazines so I have to keep them quiet for the time being. I’m told the images will be published “soon.” Your guess is as good as mine on what that sort of timeframe actually means lol! It’s always an honour to see work in print though, so Debbie, Sadaf, Olivia, Katie and I are happily practicing the virtue of patience.
One last thing, we have a really cool location arranged for tomorrow’s shoot. Follow me on Instagram for behind the scenes sneaks: @stormy_rebelandromance
I joined forces with TeamGlam recently for a day of bridal and wedding boudoir. It was great fun playing wedding dress up and prancing around a few million pound flat like we owned the place;) Final images and a full film to come soon! For now, check out this teaser film, which is the exceptional work of Alex at Black Frog.
I’m four days back in London, and I’ve got some great stuff cooking from the trip. In the meantime, here’s some behind the scenes sneaks and some general randomness from the trip.
Our Idaho boudoir set. I’m so happy we’ve finally made this idea come to life. I honestly forgot how incredible the late afternoon sun can be when it isn’t hidden by miserable clouds. It made for easy easy easy shooting.
Things are not always as they seem. After some last minute schedule changes, we ended up shooting in my client’s backyard and her neighbour’s pasture. That’s me perched atop a fence. Idaho style.
I hired my little sister as my assistant since I was so close to home. She schlepped all my bags, and then I gave her my camera set to auto and gave her about thirty seconds of guidance. She still managed to get some really great stuff! Love this shot she got of me photographing Miss. S and black beauty.
My sister Autumn. You can call her “Horse Whisperer” for short.
RZRs, our transportation to shoot location number two in Swan Valley. I really dislike these things (imagine a 4 wheeler on steroids and you’re on the right track), but there’s no other way to the top of the mountain.
A few behind the scenes prep shots with makeup artist and hairstylist Tia (who is amazing) and Miss S.
Tia and Thena at the crack of dawn, on top of the world, freezing. Neither of them were in the mood to be photographed.
Bwah…look at my sister’s face! She soooo loving her new job right now.
I was lucky to spend a few days with my family before heading home. We made a day trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. If you’re not familiar with it, this is the place you go to get your cowboy on. Or, to buy a giant bronze otter. Or, the tackiest, most blingtastic belt you’ve ever seen.
Or, maybe you just need a very large bear chair in your life?
Also, food is different in this part of America. For one, the fish counter workers are more creative (props to you, lemon crab/octopus maker), and people apparently eat a lot more corn dogs than I ever realised, since they now get their own section in WinCo. Did you know you can actually buy a corn dog that is made of a sausage wrapped in a pancake with maple syrup already applied? I mean…I don’t even know what to say about that except the obvious, “MURICA!”
And, I ate some really dirty gas station food. It was terrible. I remember it being waaaay better.
Then there were the flights. The very long, no good, why is there only ONE customer service centre in the entire airport open, most-of-the-way-around-the-world-flights. I would like to thank everyone in middle America who looked at me like I was an alien for doing a teensy bit of yoga on the airport floor. I would also like to commend United for failing to get me to anywhere on time, “upgrading me” to a middle seat on my redeye home to London, and making me wait in the longest customer service line known to man. Honestly – just as I got to the front of this 55 minute line, United was kind enough to send me a text to say that my delayed flight had just been delayed a further three hours because of “no aircraft.”
I thought maybe I was on that “Boiling Point” show and that I was going to win a car or something if I didn’t lose my sh*% at the customer service lady, or maybe I’d stumbled into a non-celebrity version of “Punked.” Buuuut no. No car, no Ashton Kutcher popping up from behind the counter. Just a seat far worse than the one I booked originally.
This is the lovely Miss M, who is a past client and friend. The original plan was for us to squeeze in a proper boudoir shoot while in New York, but we got so busy catching up and making plans that it slipped our minds until midnight.
No problem – I had a rooftop and an amazing view, and our roommate Christie (also a photographer) had this crazy lighting tool, an Ice Light, with her. As a side note, the Ice Light looks exactly like a light saber, and would be exceedingly popular with young boys and nerds alike.
We climbed to the roof, pushed open the door, and…it was raining cats and dogs. Serious rain. It was also very cold, and everyone was tired and jet lagged.
At this point, both girls were ready to throw in the towel. I just knew if we didn’t do the shoot that night it wasn’t going to happen, so I put on my most charming smile and begged. Luckily, they agreed to humour me for 2 minutes. If you make friends with a photographer, this sort of thing is bound to happen sooner or later. You’ve been warned.
Can you see the rain?! These girls are troopers.
With no time and minimal equipment, the only way I was going to be able to get the image I had in my head was to combine several frames in post production. This gets technical so I won’t bore you with details, but due to the circumstances I wasn’t able to get Miss M and the background both in focus in the same image. Instead, I used the image above as my cityscape background, and a separate image for the best pose and expression from Miss M. Later on, I combined the two images in Photoshop.
It’s not the ideal way to work, but when you have literally two minutes and are also worried about giving your client hypothermia and flooding your very expensive camera, sometimes you just have to cut a few corners;)
Our final image:
Big thanks to Miss M and Christie – you girls are amazing! Christie, I’ll happily hold light for you in the rain if there’s ever a chance for me to return the favour:)
So! I’m back from NYC. It was a manic, exciting, fantastic four days.
It was surreal being back in America again, but I met so many wonderfully creative people this trip. There’s an energy in NYC that is like nothing else – it’s aggressive and defensive, but also exciting and welcoming in it’s own won’t-say-I-love-you-out-loud sort of way. You get the sense that everyone is an outsider, but that very fact is what makes people belong. That feeling, combined with the fact that basically everyone I met is trying to make something happen, build something, create something, or make an impact, is addictive.
I’m currently incommunicado while I get caught up on this mountain of culling, editing, and retouching work I’ve created for myself, but I wanted to share a few behind the scenes images with you this week. There were mostly shot with my iPhone so please don’t judge:)
I flew Kuwait Airways. That’s like a trip in and of itself. Everything was late, everyone got frisked, no one spoke English, and they play an Islamic prayer set to music and meditative images as the lights go off in preparation for takeoff. I’m sure this prayer is meant to be comforting, but as a non-Islamic white girl, I suddenly felt like…uh…do I NEED to by praying right now? Should I be worried this plane needs Divine Intervention to get off the ground?! This, as I notice half the plane is empty and the tray tables are falling apart. Eeesh. On the upside, we didn’t die, I had no one sitting next to me either flight, and the food and service was good.
They also give you printed menus. On the right, NYC greeted me with the most beautiful sunset at touchdown.
I managed to get to Brooklyn by myself, via the subway, with a huge suitcase. I’m not going to lie – NYC public transport is cheap, but it isn’t pretty. By the end of the journey, which featured an assortment of people who looked tired, angry, and/or were singing loudly to no one, I understood why people just take a cab everywhere. Anyway, I made it in the end, and was welcomed by this stunning view.
Our “home” for the trip. This space was a dream, full of eclectic details and gorgeous light.
As luck would have it, my homegirl Jada happened to be in the city at the same time. We got together for a shoot and a catch up, and it was so nice to see a friendly face and talk shop. Here’s Jada’s best Kim Kardashian impression.
One more cityscape.
A sneaky sneak of what Jada and I got up to on the roof;)
Introducing my UK dream team – Katherine on hair and Gemma on makeup. It was such a pleasure having these girls along. Here’s a few outtakes from our shoot with Lauren, who was an absolute bombshell.
Gemma was looking ever so chic…
….and Katherine wasn’t having it.
It was my pleasure to work with a gorgeous woman called Philomena too. A back of the camera preview of her on the left, and a random street shot on the right.
I have decided I would like to switch my gym membership so I can become a “Chinatown Dragon Fighter” club member.
Me, Michael (previous client & friend), and Christie (fellow photographer) in the Stanton Social for dinner. Obligatory selfies ensued, I don’t know why I’m making crazy eyes. Kate (fellow photographer) joined us later, but somehow managed to escape having it photographed.
Michael and I planned a day of sightseeing before I left. This photograph commemorates the time the cab driver dropped us off about a mile from where we asked him too. We had suitcases with us, it wasn’t fun.
I mean, when in Rome…you eat the pizza.
Lady Liberty:) I feel like a proper American now.
The boat tour is definitely the way to go if you want to see the sights in a relatively short amount of time. Michael and I were both fighting exhaustion by the final morning of the trip and we almost didn’t bother, but we were both really glad we did it in the end.
We even walked to Times Square (with bags). I think if you’ve ever been to Vegas, it’s a little underwhelming. I’d like to thank this random guy on the right for photobombing us though. Well played sir, well played.
And finally, me in a cab on the way to the airport, and then on the way home.
I just want to make sure I say a massive thank you to everyone I met in New York. Each one of you were dynamic and interesting and gracious, and it’s an absolute pleasure to be in the company of such good people. It was an honour to work with you and photograph you. I also owe a big thank you to my tireless team, who flew across the ocean and battled a strange city, exhaustion, and sickness to work their magic far from home.
That said, I have SO MANY IMAGES to show you from shoots I did while I was away. I’ve got Jada, a curvy blonde bombshell; Perci, a beautiful vegan brunette in a $1200 AP jacket; Lauren, a redhead covered in tattoos; and Philomena, the most beautifully dark skinned woman with a shaved head and dangerous curves. Plus, several amazing and unique clients who might just let us have a peek at their images too:)
Just you wait and see!
xx
Stormy
P.S. I’m going back. If you missed this trip but want in on the next one, drop me a line!
International Boudoir Photography: a Destination Photography Session in Paris
So, I was recently in Paris for work….if you can call doing a destination photography session with beautiful people (Natasha & Derek) in the most romantic city in the world “work” that is:) Although it was a very quick trip, it was such a great experience and I thought I’d share a few travel pictures with you here, ahead of showing you all the gorgeous proper images of N&D of course.
It was my first trip to Paris. Despite lots of warnings about the attitude of “The French,” I’m happy to report that only one waitress was excessively rude to me. Everyone else was fine, nice even! Seeing as I speak exactly two French words (Bonjour and Boudoir), it was a pleasant surprise. I did spend quite a lot of time in a panic that someone would try to talk to me, but it’s still a city after all, and people mostly keep to themselves. I’ve spoken to a few friends about this since returning, and we’ve all agreed that if you can survive the complete and total unfriendliness that is living in London, Paris is no worse.
One of the first images I took in Paris. This was just outside our hotel. Basically, the whole city looks like this – the WHOLE city. You have to see it to believe it.
The Louvre, the Seine, and that time my husband said his famous last words, “It’s only about a ten minute walk.”
Such a perfect street.
La Tour Eiffel.
I call this “The Belly of the Beast.” The Eiffel Tower is way, way bigger than you expect it to be. Precisely the opposite of Big Ben.
The Lock Bridge….
…so glad I did my nails. Unfortunately, orange doesn’t seem that romantic on second thought. Oh well.
This guy was amazing.
There must be a thousand great locations to plan a destination photography session, but I’m glad this one was in Paris.
This is the Bato Bus. The Bato Bus is my friend, especially after walking the whole day prior to our shoot. This is the time where I almost fell of the back of the boat.
Awww. Big dress. Romance. Paris. Photography. All things I like:)
My husband took these. I think he’s trying to put me out of a job.
Luckily, as long as he keeps getting distracted by pigeons, I think I’ll be okay:)
So that’s it! A little roundup of my first destination photography session in Paris. Stay tuned for finished images of Natasha and Derek, you won’t want to miss them.
I love the idea of doing more destination photography sessions like this, so if it’s something you’re interested in please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Boudoir, anniversary, engagement, birthday, just because – I’m not picky! All excuses are good excuses in my book, and flights in Europe are pretty cheap at the moment – let’s plan something amazing:)
xx
Stormy
Ready to start planning your very own Destination Photography Session with me?
I’d love to chat with you about all the details of how a London Boudoir Photography session with me works, or how we can arrange to hold your session in any major city worldwide. We’ll go over what you can expect, how to prepare, and talk about the beautiful imagery we can create for you. Destination Photography Sessions are so much fun, and they make the perfect surprise gift for a partner, or even better – as a mini holiday and a big confidence boost for yourself. Please feel free to get in touch, you can reach me (Stormy) at 07799 390468, or just drop me an email here. We’ll plan a Destination Photography Session that will thrill you:)
London Boudoir Photography: A video debrief of our “dream shoot” at a Victorian Mansion in London
Just a quick video today to fill you in on how our London Boudoir Photography dream shoot went on Wednesday!
It was, in a word, FAB. Such a busy, crazy day but totally worth it. The venue was gorgeous and exceeded expectations, we all kept finding new things to gush about. I spent the day surrounded by beautiful, powerful women and, basically, squealing with excitement:)
I’m just getting started working on the mountain of culling, editing, and retouching ahead of me, but stay tuned for images soon. Also, I’ll have some behind the scenes footage to share soon as well. Hopefully it will give those of you who haven’t yet had your first session an idea of what a London Boudoir Photography shoot with me is like.
If you’d like to be in the know for our next dream shoot location, make sure you sign up to the newsletter. You can subscribe on the website and blog, or also through Facebook. Subscribers get first dibs on the limited places available, so getting on the list is your best bet to get a spot at the next one. I struggle to get even one newsletter out a month at the moment, so no need to worry about spam! You’ll only hear from me when I’ve got something important to tell you.
Ready to start planning your own London Boudoir Photography session with Rebel & Romance Boudoir Photography?
Please feel free to drop me an email at [email protected] or give me a ring anytime. You can reach me at 07799 390468, and my (real) name is Stormy. I’d be delighted to fill you in on all the details and discuss any questions you might have about what a London Boudoir Photography Session with me includes and how it all works. If you’re a soon to be bride and interested in a London Boudoir Photography Session with me before your summer wedding, the time to get in touch is now!
