Ottawa Beauty Blog

As many of you know, there are fabulous and talented photographers in Here is a bit more on the Ottawa Beauty Blog and Boudoir style Photography.

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1. Please tell us al little bit about how you got into photography? 

Photography started early for me. Most of my family including my father, brother, sister, and a few cousins were all avid amateur photographers so I was constantly exposed to mountains of photos and the act of taking them. By the time I was 8 I was taking my own and collected cameras from then on. While I worked in government and private industry my passion for the craft grew to the point where I needed to work on it full time. I started slowly and worked my way up to the point where I now have a full time studio.

2. What makes you stand out and above the rest from other boudoir photographers?

I'll try to keep this neutral and avoid phrases like "above". Boudoir photography has a huge variety of style and influence from other areas of photography. The styles that dominate in boudoir are the 70s-80s style with lots of red silk and lace and mottled back drops, to fashion and editorial styles that are much more slick and modern. My style leans towards the latter but with a heavy dose of personality and life. I'm not a fan of lifeless posses where the subject could be replaced by a mannequin so I like to pull out my subjects personalities and make the shoot unique to them. They can pick the location and under-lying style and I make sure it's about them. From what I have seen, most boudoir seems to be shot with a specific image in mind and the subject is just dropped into the scene. There are some great exceptions to this of course.

3. What is the most important thing to keep in mind when doing a boudoir photo shoot? 

There are 2 sides to this question. 

From a photographers point of view, the most important thing to keep in mind is your client's comfort. A photographer should never shoot a boudoir without being honest about their level of experience. By being open about everything, the photographer and client can enjoy the experience without trying to fake it. This is why if you don't have much experience, you should shoot with people you know. An experienced photographer will know that a client feels comfortable when you are confident, and completely yourself during the shoot. If you are not an experienced photographer to begin with, you can get caught up in the technical details and make the client uncomfortable if you get stressed out.

From a client's point of view, you should choose a photographer with plenty of experience and a good reputation. Never choose a photographer by price or gender since anyone can claim to be a photographer and the inexpensive ones are for sure inexperienced. It's a a good idea to meet with the photographer prior to the shoot to be sure that you get along very well since if you don't, you will not have a successful shoot. This also gives you a chance to discuss your expectations and ideas.

4. Do you do these types of shoots in peoples homes? 

On occasion yes when it is suitable, otherwise in studio or in hotels. This is up to the client and what they are most comfortable with and what environment suits their requirements.

5. What have you learned from your clients in the past? 

That's a great question. I have learned that there is a fantastic variety of people from infinite back grounds and cultures, shapes and sizes. They all have one thing in common and that is that they are all beautiful in one way or another. For some it's mostly physical, some mostly personality, but the majority are gorgeous when they are being themselves and feeling confident.  I have also learned that no matter how beautiful someone is externally, they are no more confident or happy than anyone else.  We all have our issues to contend with and are essentially the same.  That's a valuable lesson for every day life since it affects how we all treat one another.

6. Why is having a male boudoir photographer better than a female boudoir photographer? 

I would never try to label one as "better" than the other. This all boils down to personal preference and my personal favourites are male. These photographers all excel at bringing out the personality in a beautiful image. There are great photographers of either gender but males do tend to see things a little differently from women. You should not consider the gender when choosing a photographer but look at the style and the personality.  Of course there are women who just prefer to shoot with women for their own personal reasons and that is their business.