# Boudoir lighting



## Lmphotos (Jan 12, 2013)

I am going to help me friend out for a wedding present for her Fiancé. She wants a Budoir shoot and I am completely lost when it comes to lighting. I have one external flash and at this time I can not use it off camera. I could have a window to light one side and then manipulate my external flash from there. What would anyone recommend? I am wanting soft looks along with some more edgier looks. Do I kill ambient lighting? Or work with it? Any experience out there?


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## KmH (Jan 12, 2013)

Light quality is a function of the apparent light source size.

A hot shoe flash (speedlight) on or off the camera by itself, is a small light source and produces hard, sharp edged shadows.
Small apparent light size - hard, edgy light, sharp shadow edges.
Large apparent light size - soft, creamy light, diffuse shadow edges.

Use that same speedlight in a 24" x 24" softbox, or with a 32" photographic umbrella, and it's apparent size will be greatly increased which will soften the light and produce much more diffuse shadow edges.

Umbrellas, softboxes, brolly, diffusion panels, beauty dishes, etc are all know as 'light modifiers'. They are used to modify the quality of the light.

The light modifier size needed is determined by the size of the subject in the image frame. 

A head and shoulders shot can be lit by a 24" or 32" modifier because the subject in the frame is about 24" to 32" wide/tall.
A standing full body shot would require a larger modifier more on the order of 5 to 6 feet in size.

A window is a larger apparent light source than a speedlight, but you can't move the window around, and you can't make it any brighter than it already is.

For photography like Boudoir, controlling shadows become very important. We need to control where, and how dense the shadows are.
Shadow control, along with posing and camera perspective, determine how svelt, or not svelt, endowed, or not endowed, your boudoir subject will look in the finished images.


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## Derrel (Jan 12, 2013)

Ummmm...as a guy and a photo enthusiast, I can suggest you do three things. 1) have her put on decent makeup...a little more than her daily normal, at least. and 2) get her in some sexy clothes 3)aim camera at her and press shutter repeatedly. Most men are pretty easy to please when it comes to boudoir photos. The general population of men world-wide would not know good photography from bad photography when it comes to photos of semi-clothed ladies in sexy poses.


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## Tee (Jan 12, 2013)

Watch your backgrounds and use her body as leading lines. Please, for the love of Cool Whip, do not use a sheet as a back drop.


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## e.rose (Jan 12, 2013)

Tee said:


> Watch your backgrounds and use her body as leading lines. Please, for the love of Cool Whip, do not use a sheet as a back drop.



I'm doing a boudoir shoot in 1.5 hours.

What if I don't like Cool Whip?


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## 2WheelPhoto (Jan 12, 2013)

e.rose said:


> Tee said:
> 
> 
> > Watch your backgrounds and use her body as leading lines. Please, for the love of Cool Whip, do not use a sheet as a back drop.
> ...



No licking-


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## Derrel (Jan 12, 2013)

Seriously...get a can of Reddi-Whip canned whipped cream and use it as a prop in a few photos...


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## Tee (Jan 12, 2013)

If your flash is going to stay on the camera, work the angles and consider a diffuser cap.  I took this image with the speedlight on the camera and bounced off the ceiling.


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## kundalini (Jan 12, 2013)

A lot can be done using an open window as the Main, one speedlight for Fill and a generous use of diffusers and reflectors.

Check this out from the latest issue of Rangefinder magazine.

*Rangefinder - January 2013*


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## Lmphotos (Jan 12, 2013)

Point taken. But, I thinking pleasing her is just as important and I really want to do the best job I can.


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## TATTRAT (Jan 12, 2013)

Tee said:


> If your flash is going to stay on the camera, work the angles and consider a diffuser cap.  I took this image with the speedlight on the camera and bounced off the ceiling.
> 
> View attachment 32268



fantastic sharpnes on her face, and I love the light falling off as well as good DOF. . . but, having her head cropped just that bit would drive me bonkers.


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## TATTRAT (Jan 12, 2013)

Lmphotos said:


> Point taken. But, *I thinking pleasing her is just as important and I really want to do the best job I can.*




Well then, just remember that she has a beau. CAMERA ONLY.


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## kathyt (Jan 13, 2013)

For boudoir, alot can be done with just window lighting and a reflector if you can shoot earlier in the day. Then you can just use your flash on camera if you really need to for fill light. I am so for all natural light whenever possible because it is so much softer.


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## TATTRAT (Jan 13, 2013)

kathythorson said:


> I am so for all natural light whenever possible because it is so much softer.



Indeed, especially with the topic at hand. just because it's boudoir doesn't mean it has to be dark. . . the subject should be able to pull off sultry, dark, sexy and fun. . . even if it's lit well.


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## Lmphotos (Jan 13, 2013)

TATTRAT said:


> Lmphotos said:
> 
> 
> > Point taken. But, *I thinking pleasing her is just as important and I really want to do the best job I can.*
> ...



I think I should make known this is my best friend and I am a girl?


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## TATTRAT (Jan 13, 2013)

Lmphotos said:


> TATTRAT said:
> 
> 
> > Lmphotos said:
> ...



 I was hoping I wouldnt have to make it known, it was just a joke :er:


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