Vintage Lingerie

What is Sue-Style Boudoir?

Sue Bryce’s interpretation of boudoir photography focuses on boudoir as a study in femininity with beauty and fashion interpretations where the personality shines through.

In this lesson, with a beautiful model and a gorgeous set of vintage lingerie, Sue shares how to achieve romantic silhouettes with natural light and no reflector. Her posing captures a sensual mood. Above all, photographers want their clients to feel comfortable even when they are at their most vulnerable, so Sue shares important communication etiquette for giving appropriate positive affirmations with your clients when they are wearing little to no clothing.

Set Up

This French-inspired setup is simple, elegant, and frugal. It will match the vintage aesthetic Sue is going for and can be accomplished quickly. To create this look, you’ll need heavy-duty clips and inexpensive lengths of fabric to control the light from a window with net curtains. Other set pieces include a v-flat, sofa, and apple boxes.

Photo-Shoot Part 1: Standing Poses

This standing pose sequence moves through flow posing that flatters the face and vintage lingerie wardrobe. Sue shows you how to move your clients and move around them to create body shapes and capture images that are most flattering for them.  She shares insight into body language and touch points, showing where and how to touch the body to emphasize the gorgeous vintage fabric and design of the lingerie and where and how not to. All the while, she offers tips on framing and controlling the light, so you can achieve a variety of beautiful images your client will love.

Photo-Shoot Part 2: Sitting and Lying Down

We don’t need to be in a bed to shoot boudoir. Bringing apples boxes, chairs, and couches in allows you to get more variety in your shots because you can bring legs into the frame, and then we have a reason to bring hands and arms into the frame as well.

In part 2 of this photoshoot, Sue begins with seated poses on a small grouping of apple boxes and then brings in a sofa for more seated and some lying down poses that flatter the model. Touch points are very important in boudoir photography because they draw attention to the body and the beautiful wardrobe, in this case, vintage lingerie. Mood, expression, and lighting are also key to keep in mind. Most important of all is making your client feel comfortable and at ease, and Sue shares her tricks for getting her clients to relax and pose themselves naturally. When your client feels comfortable, they will look and feel their most beautiful.

Selection

In this lesson, Sue goes through the images from her shoot and shares more of her philosophy on what makes a photograph beautiful. Whether it is a glamour shoot or a boudoir shoot like this featuring vintage lingerie, what is most important is the eyes, the mouth, the person and that person’s energy. Showing a wide variety of beautiful faces in your portfolio promotes inclusivity and broadens your client base because women who feel represented feel worthy of being photographed.

Additionally, Sue analyzes her images critically, giving pointers on how the set could be improved, how lighting choices affect each image, and how posing choices affect how many shots you can take and potentially, your final sale.

You might also like:

• Vintage Pinup
• Glamour vs Boudoir: Find Your Style 
• White Sheet
• Vintage French Top
• Black Lace
• Boudoir with Sue, Jasmin Jade, and Kara Marie