Chicago boudoir photography – How to perfect boudoir poses

chicago boudoir photography

Chicago boudoir photography

How to Perfect Your Boudoir Poses

One of the most common fears my ladies have is worrying about the different boudoir poses. Ladies fear that they will do them wrong and look awkward. But I want to assure you that there is no reason to have this fear. If you feel uncertain or uncomfortable, I will be there to guide you through the entire shoot. From the moment you book your session my goal will be making you feel comfortable. Before your session, we will go over what parts of your body you love and which features you want to highlight over others through a questionnaire. Through this questionnaire, you will be able to express all your questions and concerns, and I will get the chance to know you better and understand your vision.

Getting Comfortable with Poses

The process of getting to know you better will also help me figure out how to pose you in a way that fits into your comfort zone. I will tailor my expertise in posing to what I feel will best suit you and your vision for your shoot. From here all you have to do is watch me. I will show you how to do the poses, and then you will mimic what I do. I know the poses might feel silly or weird, but they look great and make for modelesque photos. The way we naturally stand or sit doesn’t necessarily make for the best pictures, but with the help of small adjustments and slight movements, we can make a huge difference.

Equally as important, try to relax as much as possible. I know the experience can be quite nerve wrecking and make you feel anxious. It’s very natural for your body to respond to this and embody those emotions. We can shift these nerves you are feeling by using your core muscles, to create a length in your frame.

Practice Makes Perfect

If you’re still a little nervous about how your body will move throughout the shoot, try practicing at home before your empowering day. Below are a few tips I will be giving you throughout the shoot.  But, I am giving them to you now so you will get the chance to practice and perfect beforehand. The more you practice these movements, the more natural they will feel.

Tip #1: Always try to create distance throughout your body. You can create this distance by elongating your neck to form length and structure in the face or creating space between the arms and torso to slim the body. Another simple way of doing this is by improving your posture. Try imagining a string pulling your head towards the ceiling and rotate your shoulders back.

Tip #2: Try to stay relaxed throughout the body, keeping your hands and feet in slight, gentle movements. Doing so will help make sure you don’t clench or tighten your fingers or toes.

Additional Tips

I also want to emphasize the need for a little physical fitness before your shoot. I’m not suggesting anything too rigorous, just a few easy workouts to engage the core and muscles throughout the body. During the shoot, there will be times when I ask you to suck in to help lengthen your torso and add to your figure. This pose might make you want to use your breath in order to suck. However, it will require you to use your core muscles and focus on engaging your abdominal area. That is why I suggest doing a couple of workouts that will help you learn to engage the core.

The same thing goes for your muscles. Throughout your shoot, I will ask you to do a lot of bending and arching of the body. With this in mind, I find it necessary that you stretch that way your body will not cramp up or tighten during the poses.

Have Fun!

The last thing is to remember that it is okay to laugh! Laughing is natural and versatile. It can be sexy, sweet, flirtatious, and innocent all at once. I want you to have fun during your shoot and feel comfortable in any way you see fit. To help, I will be playing some of your favorite music that we can dance to and use to play around with poses. Again, your questionnaire will help me help you through this shoot. This experience is your day, and I will go along with whatever will help you feel more secure and confident in your body.

Add me on Instagram and Facebook!

https://www.instagram.com/chicago_boudoir_/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/chicagoboudoirphotography/?ref=bookmarks

chicago boudoir photographychicago boudoir photographychicago boudoir photographychicago boudoir photographychicago boudoir photographychicago boudoir photographychicago boudoir photographychicago boudoir photographychicago boudoir photographychicago boudoir photographychicago boudoir photographychicago boudoir photographychicago boudoir photography

How to prepare for a boudoir photo shoot

how to prepare for a boudoir photo shoot image of victoria chavez by emily gualdoni photography

I know boudoir can seem intimidating the first time around, but there’s no reason to worry. Here are some helpful tips on how to prepare for your boudoir photo shoot.

It is important to go into your shoot with a positive and confident mindset. Practice looking at yourself in front of the mirror in your lingerie outfits. Remind yourself that you are beautiful. Sure, you’ll be posing in front of me, a complete stranger, but I can assure that I’ll make you feel like we’ve known each other forever. I’ll be there to guide and encourage you every step of the way.

Boudoir will capture all of your amazing qualities, both inside and out. So, it is important that you prepare for your shoot both mentally and physically. Here are some skincare tips I wanted to share before you step in front of the camera. One of the most important things I tell my clients is to stay hydrated in any way you can! Give your skin some love by drinking plenty of water and exfoliating. Doing so will make your skin glowy and radiant the day of the shoot.

Some products I recommend are: (Just click directly on the products to view where you can purchase them.)
Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe Cucumber And Green Tea
Biobelle Sheet Mask
Deep Cleansing Pore Strips
Elf Lip Exfoliator
The Body Shop Drops of Youth Liquid Peel
The Body Shop Coconut Exfoliating Cream Body Scrub

Here are some images from my photo shoot with beautiful Victoria taken at my studio in downtown Chicago.

Blog post edited by Xavy Perez

How to feel sexy every day

chicago boudoir photography of noel by emily gualdoni photography

When you look good, you feel good. Learning to be comfortable and confident in your skin is a process of self-love and empowerment. From mentally to physically, it’s important to know how much of a gem you really are. Below are some tips I have come up with to help you feel sexy and secure in your beauty.

Dress to impress
Spend every day as if you were dressing to impress that really good-looking stranger you passed on the street the other day. Spend a little extra time pampering yourself in the morning. You deserve it. Wear that low-cut v neck that shows just the right amount of cleavage. Own your look.

Treat Yourself
Everyone deserves a little pampering. Learning to love yourself and your skin requires that you treat and care for yourself in any way you can. Try doing a homemade facial and giving yourself a spa day. You could even go to an actual spa and get it done! Show yourself that you are worth the special treatment.

Find your Staple
Find that one thing that really empowers you and makes you feel luxurious. Whether it be your favorite lipstick shade or those elegant pearl earrings, find your staple and work it. Find that one thing that gives you a little extra oomph no matter what you’re wearing so you’ll always feel like you’re working it.

Reflection
One thing I find extremely helpful in finding comfort in how you look is being able to look at yourself in the mirror and feel empowered rather than ashamed or shy. Take a moment before you step into your shower to admire yourself in the mirror. Appreciate the curves you might have or slimness of your frame. Love the stretch and beauty marks imprinted on your skin. Adore the scars and imperfections. Find that fondness for yourself wholly bare and watch how your opinion of yourself blossoms.

Secretly Sexy
Go out and buy yourself some sexy lingerie to wear under your daily outfits. Even if you know, you won’t be showing it off to anyone tonight, just having that little sexy secret will leave you feeling strong and confident. Then when you are ready to reveal your seductive mystique, you’ll have no doubts about how great you look in that little silk slip or ruffled corset.

Below are images of my beautiful client who would like to remain anonymous. She booked a shoot to create an album to give to her husband as well as a gift to herself so she could look back on and remember what she looked like at this point and time. Talented makeup artist, Iza Maka did her makeup and hair.

Blog post edited by Xavy Perez.

chicago boudoir photography of noel by emily gualdoni photography chicago boudoir photography of noel by emily gualdoni photography chicago boudoir photography of noel by emily gualdoni photography chicago boudoir photography of noel by emily gualdoni photography chicago boudoir photography of noel by emily gualdoni photography chicago boudoir photography of noel by emily gualdoni photography chicago boudoir photography of noel by emily gualdoni photography

Chicago boudoir photography – An empowering experience

What can I say, I’m a girl who loves boudoir and good lighting. Recently, I have been shooting more and more boudoir photographs with some fantastic women. I have found that boudoir photography not only gives these lovely ladies a gift for their significant other but an uplifting and empowering experience. Promoting body positivity, these photos leave ladies head over heels in love with who they are and how they look. Boudoir Photography is an experience like no other that every woman should treat themselves to.

In early October, I did a fun and quirky shoot with college student Xavy Perez. Xavy is a blogger here in Chicago who was looking to shoot some photos that would embody her blog statement about self-love and body positivity. She told me that she came across my website on Yelp and absolutely fell in love. As Xavy would put it, it was a time filled with love, laughter, and lingerie. Here’s Xavy’s blog, http://www.healthfashionfitness.com/.

“I am blown away by the work Emily has done and how my photos turned out! She truly captured and brought every vision I had to life. I can’t wait to share these with my viewers and show how great it can be when you indulge in yourself!” – Xavy Perez

Here’s a fun behind the scenes video that I created from the shoot.
Makeup and hair by the talented Iza Maka ( http://www.izamaka.com/ )

Behind the Scenes of an Emily Gualdoni Photography Boudoir Photoshoot from Emily Gualdoni on Vimeo.