# First attempt at a boudoir shoot CC welcome



## Crabwok (Mar 17, 2013)

Just a few from a shoot we did with our good friend Kate. Shot on a D7000 w/ 17-50 2.8, a continuous set with an SB700 over head left 
C&C welcome!
Cheers




KD3 by AberrantWorks, on Flickr
KD1



DSC_4736 by AberrantWorks, on Flickr
KD2



DSC_4723 by AberrantWorks, on Flickr
KD3


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## Austin Greene (Mar 17, 2013)

First, welcome to TPF  One thing you'll learn here is that people can be quite honest in their CC. Take it for what you will. 

*I'm not a Boudoir shooter, but here's my 2 cents:*

     - In general the colors seem bland. 

     - There is very little depth to the shots, a wider aperture would have helped with this to provide some seperation from the background. 

     - The posing or shooting angle could have been better in the first one. I'm not one to care, but she seems a bit, how might you say...flat? 

     - In the third shot her feet look like they're dirty. The pose isn't bad, but compositionally you have something creeping into the top right. Also her fingers are oddly spaced. 

     - The background is distracting in #2. 

     - The setting could have been used more effectively. I've seen some great shots come out Hotel rooms, in  which there is very little control over the shooting environment. Here it looks like your in someone's home, so maybe manipulate it a bit. For one, the bed looks like it was just slept in. 

Not trying to be harsh, just trying to effectively point out things as they come to mind  Regardless, its not at all a bad first try


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## techniker (Mar 18, 2013)

togalive said:


> - The posing or shooting angle could have been better in the first one. I'm not one to care, but she seems a bit, how might you say...flat?



Yeah I don't see any boobs in #1 either but I know they're there. Maybe it's the lighting or the angle...something just aint right.


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## Universeal (Mar 18, 2013)

Use open aperture and don't use at all wide lens. You can always make some abstract photos, be sure you have details on her on what she likes most. Make her boobs bigger and her ass. Be sure that you do that in camera.


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## cgipson1 (Mar 18, 2013)

Poses are uninspired, reminds me more of amateur porn than good boudoir! Her expression is vapid, and never changes.. like she is just there, and could care less. Make your model part of the shoot... get her involved!


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## DiskoJoe (Mar 18, 2013)

Some better angles are definitely needed here and some DOF.


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## amolitor (Mar 18, 2013)

Lens seems a little too wide for this. The wall behind is kind of eh, backgrounds are always tough for this kind of thing.

The last one seems pretty good, it's a classic "tastefully erotic" pose, but notice how small her feet look? Wide lens.

She is nicely styled and looks very good. Don't let her relax like she does in #1, everything goes slack and loose, and unflattering. She can relax if she's gonna sprawl out, smile, and look wanton and "inviting". Poses on all fours like #2 are always very very iffy, since this is such a classic porn pose, and also incredibly unflattering.


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## Granddad (Mar 18, 2013)

Boudoir photography is hard to do well. I tried once and I don't think I'll be going there again. Finding the line between tasteful and porno and staying the right side of it must take a very discriminating eye.

The young lady is gorgeous, perhaps you could try something more along the lines of "fine art lingerie"?


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## Derrel (Mar 18, 2013)

In the first three originals, the color looks like there is a green tint. Moving the tint slider to +37 units produces this much warmer look:




Adding a vignette and dinking around a bit in Lightroom gives a different look:



I think that the soles of the feet need to be lightened up...they are the most-distracrting element. Oops! In the shot below, I see I accidentally over-sharpened the daylight out of the B&W file!


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## bunny99123 (Mar 18, 2013)

I erased her legs and feet and left the upper body. The background needs to be brought down on the right.  Anyway this gives you idea.  This is a good pose for the upper body.  Shoot so her leggs are not shown.


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## hirejn (Mar 18, 2013)

I don't see a quality of light. You need a custom white balance and color correction. My monitor is calibrated and the sheets have a greenish hue as does the skin -- very slight. That could come from the paint. In the first pose the right arm and hand should be doing more and the left leg should be doing more.


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## Derrel (Mar 19, 2013)

I think Bunny's idea of just cloning out the torso and feet is an excellent idea on this one pose!


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## DGMPhotography (Mar 19, 2013)

Hahaha, such an entertaining thread. "Classic porn pose." LOL! Funnies aside, I agree with the others. The best thing you can do is to agree with them as well, and try again, and don't be afraid to experiment! Practice makes better!


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## desmondlewissmith (Mar 19, 2013)

I too think they poses are the issue here.  I would try looking up the work of other artists and find poses that flatter what appears to be a pretty killer body.  Sideways?  Curves, back angle...


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## Pallycow (Mar 19, 2013)

I read some, but not all.  I just want to say, with all of the negative...yet constructive feedback.  I will say good job.  First times can be tough...even with friends.  So you did well.  Take their feedback and use it, they gave great feedback and advice.

Secondly, the man in me says "I'm in love"  lol, she's hot.  You could do soooo much more with her...tastefully I mean, to really show her beauty and features.  ;-)


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## 2WheelPhoto (Mar 19, 2013)

1st thing that grabs my eye is the bottom of her feet. If they are dirty clean them or fix them in post 

When I was in studio lighting class, I thought the instructor was full of $#^& when he told us to keep some wet ones around because some models will need their feet wiped, until I hung around there for some of his real shoots


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## bunny99123 (Mar 19, 2013)

Derrel said:


> I think Bunny's idea of just cloning out the torso and feet is an excellent idea on this one pose!



Thank you, Derrel


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## Crabwok (Mar 26, 2013)

Wow! Thank you all for all of the feed back! Sorry I've been a distracted with work/moving to spend much time on here. Anyway all of the advise is very helpful. I totally agree that the angles/choice of focal length are defiantly something I need to work on, especially when shooting something like this. That wide lens is just too much fun


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## Photographiend (Mar 26, 2013)

You got a lot of valuable critique here. I know it can seem harsh at first but you will find when you are experimenting you will get a lot of praise from friends and family who don't know much about "Photography" and to balance that out posting here will help nudge you in the right direction to build on what you already have. 

The 3rd was the best of the bunch for me.


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## SamiJoSchwirtz (Mar 27, 2013)

People noticed dirty feet but not the scab/cut/shave cut whatever/ right below her feet on her ankle? Lol, gorgeous mosel


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## 2WheelPhoto (Mar 27, 2013)

SamiJoSchwirtz said:


> People noticed dirty feet but not the scab/cut/shave cut whatever/ right below her feet on her ankle? Lol, gorgeous mosel



I noticed it, but compared to the dirt it was sorta' irrelevant.  And i suspect you meant "model"  =)


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## Photographiend (Mar 28, 2013)

I thought that was a blister from uncomfortable shoes...


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## o hey tyler (Mar 28, 2013)

DiskoJoe said:


> Some better angles are definitely needed here and some DOF.



More DoF? Everything is pretty much in focus as it is.


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