If you’ve ever searched “what is boudoir photography,” you probably saw a lot of lingerie, dramatic poses, and women who look very confident. And you may have thought, that looks beautiful… but that’s not me.
Boudoir photography is not about looking like someone else. It’s about seeing yourself in a way you never have before. At my boudoir studio, serving Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia, boudoir is not about lingerie, seduction, or performance. It’s about confidence, identity, and helping women see themselves differently.
This guide walks you through what boudoir photography actually is, what happens during a real boudoir photoshoot, and why so many women say afterward, “I wish I had done this sooner.”
What Is Boudoir Photography, Really?
Where the Term Comes From
The word “boudoir” originally referred to a woman’s private dressing room in French culture. A personal space. A quiet space. A space where she could simply be herself, away from expectations and judgment.
Modern boudoir photography keeps that same spirit. It’s an intimate, guided photoshoot designed to help you feel comfortable in your own skin while being photographed in a way that flatters your body, your energy, and your personality. The focus isn’t on performing or pretending. It’s on being present in your own body and seeing yourself through a lens that isn’t clouded by criticism.
What Boudoir Is Not
Boudoir photography is not glamour modeling. It’s not about heavy makeup, big hair, and looking like a magazine cover from the ’90s. It’s also not lingerie photography, where the focus is on the product you’re wearing rather than the woman wearing it.
Boudoir is personal. Editorial. Intentional. The lighting is moody and flattering, the posing is natural and guided, and the experience is designed around you, not around what you think sexy is supposed to look like. You’re not expected to know how to pose. Instead, you’re guided the entire time so you never feel lost or awkward.
Who Boudoir Photography Is For (And Who Thinks It Isn’t)
Common Fears Women Have
Most women who contact me say some version of: “I love your work, but I don’t think I could do this.” They think boudoir is for women who already feel confident. Women who already love their bodies. Women who are naturally photogenic.
None of that is true. Boudoir photography is specifically for women who don’t feel that way yet. The confidence doesn’t come before the session. It comes because of the session.
The most common fears I hear are: “I’m too awkward.” “I don’t know how to pose.” “I hate how I look in photos.” “My body isn’t ready.” Every single one of those fears is normal, and every single one of them dissolves once you’re actually in the experience.
Body Types, Ages, and Life Stages
Boudoir photography is not reserved for a certain size, age, or life stage. I’ve photographed women in their 20s celebrating a milestone and women in their 60s reclaiming their body after years of hiding it. I’ve photographed size 2 and size 22. Different heights, different skin tones, different comfort levels.
The session is designed around your body, not a generic idea of what looks good. That’s the whole point. What flatters a petite frame is different from what flatters a curvy one. What feels comfortable to one woman might feel too vulnerable to another. None of that is wrong. It’s just different, and the session adapts to you.
Plus Size Women, Moms, Brides, and Professionals
A huge part of my client base is plus size women who’ve been told their whole lives that their bodies aren’t worthy of being celebrated. Moms who’ve lost themselves in motherhood and forgot they’re still a whole person outside of that role. Brides who want something intimate and personal before their wedding. Professional women who are used to being taken seriously but want to reconnect with their sensual side.
All of these women walk in nervous, but all of them leave different. Because boudoir isn’t about fitting a mold. It’s about breaking the one you’ve been stuck in.
What Happens Before Your Boudoir Photoshoot
Wardrobe Guidance
Before your session, I send you detailed wardrobe guidance so you’re not guessing what to bring. You’ll get recommendations based on your body type, your comfort level, and the style of images you love. You don’t need a closet full of expensive lingerie. A bodysuit, a cozy sweater, a button down shirt, your favorite heels, those all work beautifully.
I’ll also let you know what colors photograph best (my favorite is jewel tones, black, and white), what styles flatter different body types, and what to avoid (like brand new spray tans that photograph orange). The goal is for you to show up feeling prepared, not stressed.
Prep Guidance (No Dieting Required)
You’ll also receive prep guidance leading up to your session, but none of it involves changing your body. I’m not going to tell you to lose weight, work out more, or go on some crash diet. Your body is ready now.
The prep I do recommend is simple: drink water so your skin looks fresh, moisturize daily, get good sleep the night before, and avoid trying anything new with your skin or hair right before the session. That’s it. The rest is already handled.
What You Receive Before Arriving
In the weeks leading up to your session, you’ll receive a series of emails that walk you through everything. What to bring, what to expect, how the day will flow, and answers to questions you didn’t even know you had yet. By the time your session day arrives, you’ll know exactly what’s happening. No surprises. No anxiety about the unknown.
What Happens When You Arrive at the Studio
Hair and Makeup
At my Washington DC boudoir studio, you don’t walk in and immediately strip down. You start with professional hair and makeup, which gives you time to sit, relax, breathe, and ease into the experience while someone takes care of you.
This part isn’t just about looking polished in your photos (though that’s a bonus). It’s about giving you time to transition from your everyday life into this space. By the time your hair and makeup are done, you already feel different. More confident. More present. Ready.
Settling Nerves
While you’re getting ready, we talk. We go through your outfits together, talk through any nerves you’re feeling, and we choose what to start with based on how you’re feeling in the moment. Not some rigid plan I decided for you beforehand.
Most clients tell me within the first 10 minutes, “I thought this was going to be so awkward. It’s actually fun.” Because the session is designed around guidance and connection, not pressure and performance.
Private Environment
Your session is completely private. It’s just you and me in the studio. No one else is there unless you specifically invite someone (and most women prefer not to). The space is calm, intentional, and designed to make you feel safe. This isn’t a chaotic environment where you’re one of five clients being shuffled through. This is your time.
How the Boudoir Photoshoot Actually Flows
You Don’t Pose Yourself
I don’t tell you to “look sexy” and then leave you standing there wondering what that means. I talk you through every single pose. “Shift your weight to your left leg. Drop your right shoulder. Tilt your chin down just a little. Now breathe.” It’s specific, clear, and constant. You’re never left wondering what to do next.
You move slowly from pose to pose. Nothing is rushed. Nothing feels chaotic. If something doesn’t feel right, we adjust. If you need a break, we take a break. The whole session is designed around keeping you comfortable while still creating images that are stunning.
This is why women who say “I’m so awkward” or “I’m not photogenic” end up with images that shock them. It’s not because they magically became confident. It’s because they were guided by someone who knows how to pose real bodies in flattering ways.
Why Women Who Say “I’m Awkward” Look Amazing
Because awkward doesn’t matter when you’re being directed. You don’t have to know what looks good. That’s my job. Your job is to trust the process and show up. That’s it!
Most of the “awkwardness” women feel comes from not knowing what to do. Once that’s taken off the table, the awkwardness disappears. What’s left is just you, being present, and letting yourself be seen.
Boudoir vs Glamour vs Lingerie Photography
This is a question I get a lot, so let’s break it down.
Glamour photography is all about high glam: big hair, dramatic makeup, perfect lighting, very polished and editorial. Think magazine covers. It’s beautiful, but it’s not personal. The focus is on the aesthetic, not the person.
Lingerie photography is product focused. It’s about showcasing the lingerie itself, often for commercial purposes. The model is secondary to what she’s wearing.
Boudoir photography is intimate and personal. The focus is on you as a whole person, not just your body or what you’re wearing. The images are meant to capture your energy, your confidence, your essence. It’s not about looking like a model. It’s about looking like the most empowered version of yourself.
At my studio, boudoir is dark, moody, and editorial. It feels like an intimate magazine shoot, not a bedroom selfie. The lighting is intentional. The posing is natural. The entire experience is designed to help you see yourself differently, not to make you look like someone else.
The Moment Everything Changes During the Shoot
There’s a moment during almost every session where something shifts. It’s usually about 20 to 30 minutes in, after we’ve moved through a few poses and the client starts to relax.
Their shoulders drop, they stop thinking “I have to suck my stomach in with every pose,” and stop overthinking every movement and start trusting the process. I will hear more laughing and move with more confidence.
That’s the moment I live for. Because that’s when the magic happens. That’s when they stop performing and start embodying. That’s when the images go from “pretty” to “powerful.”
You can see it in the photos. The difference between the first few shots and the ones taken after that shift are night and day. Not because the lighting changed or the pose changed, but because they changed. They stepped into themselves.
What It Feels Like After a Boudoir Photoshoot
You see your images the same day. This is the moment most women get emotional. Not because they’re sad, but because they can’t believe that woman in the photos is them.
They see a version of themselves they didn’t know existed. Confident. Powerful. Beautiful. Completely at ease in her body. And the realization hits: she was always there. You just needed help seeing her.
Most women leave saying one of two things: “I almost canceled” or “I wish I had done this years ago.” Because the experience changes something. Not just how you see yourself in photos, but how you see yourself, period.
You walk out standing a little taller. Feeling a little bolder. Carrying proof that your body is worthy exactly as it is. That’s what boudoir photography does. It doesn’t change you. It reveals you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Boudoir Photography
Do I have to wear lingerie?
Not at all. You can wear anything you feel confident in: bodysuits, bralettes, oversized sweaters, your partner’s button down, a cozy robe, even just sheets. Lingerie is an option, not a requirement. What matters is how you feel in what you’re wearing.
Do you edit the photos?
Yes. Every image is professionally retouched for lighting, tone, and skin smoothing while preserving your natural features. I’m not going to make you a size 2 if you’re not already or significantly change you. You’ll still look like you, just the version of you that makes you say “damn.”
What if I’m nervous?
Every single client is nervous when they arrive. Every single one. Yes, even the most confident ones. Being nervous is completely normal. Most women leave wondering why they were so worried. The nerves are part of the process, and they dissolve once you’re actually in the experience.
Can plus size women do boudoir photography?
Absolutely! Boudoir is designed around posing that flatters every body, not just one body type. Your session is tailored to your body specifically. Most of my clients, including plus size women, often tell me afterward they wish they’d done this sooner because they finally saw their body as beautiful instead of something to hide.
Where is the studio located?
My studio is located in the Baltimore area, and I serve clients throughout Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.
How long does a boudoir photoshoot take?
Plan for about 3 and a half 2 hours. That includes professional hair and makeup, outfit changes, and the actual photoshoot. There is time built in to take breaks if you need it.
Why Women in Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia Book Boudoir
Women in the DMV area book boudoir for all kinds of reasons. Whether they are celebrating a milestone like a birthday, anniversary, or divorce. Some are reconnecting with themselves after losing their identity in motherhood or a demanding career. Some just want to feel powerful in their own skin again.
Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia are full of high achieving, ambitious, professional women who are used to being taken seriously but rarely give themselves permission to be seen as sensual, soft, or vulnerable. Boudoir gives them that space. A space where they don’t have to be “on” for anyone else. They can just be.
Ready to Experience Boudoir for Yourself?
If you’ve been wondering what boudoir photography really is, now you know! It’s not about lingerie or looking like someone else. It’s about seeing yourself in a way you never have before.
Are you looking for an amazing boudoir experience? Then let’s chat! I am a Maryland boudoir photographer, and I adore working with my clients to plan sessions designed to build up their confidence. Send me a message today to find out more!
