I often get asked by ladies, who would like to book a shoot, if I will assist them with posing during their shoots as they are self-conscious or not sure what they are doing. My answer is always the same: ‘do not worry I will be there with you, every step of the way and help you with all the different poses’.

This, therefore, inspired me to write a blog post about the classic poses in boudoir for those ladies that would like to be ‘prepared’ when they arrive at their shoot.

The purpose of posing is to make you look fabulous by accentuating your assets. Some of the poses below, will highlight your legs or bust, while some hide a tummy, etc. Not every pose works for everyone, as we all have different body types and  personalities. I take all of that into consideration and guide you as to which poses will best suit you.

Below is a list of common/classic boudoir poses. I have included images to give you a better idea of what the pose can look like.

Pose 1 – Lying on your tummy

This pose is done by lying down on your tummy, bending and bringing your knees up and finally crossing your ankles. This is the basic pose, however, there are obviously variations of this, such as where you put your hands, the angle of your face, etc. When I photograph this pose, I will take a few different angles, crops, etc. This pose can accentuate your bum (depending on how it is shot), legs and hide a tummy – it will all depend on what we want to highlight and how I photograph the final image.

Pose 2 – Lying on your side 

This pose is comfortable and can be flattering, as it elongates your body. All you have to do is lie on your side with your face facing towards the camera, use one arm to stabilise yourself and the other can be placed on your hip, your legs should not be straight but rather bend, lift and bring your top knee over your other leg…this will give your body a great sensual shape. As mentioned previously, this is the basic pose, however there are variations.

Pose 3 – Lying on your back

This pose is done with you lying on your back, your head facing towards the camera and your legs are either against a wall, bent or flat…depending on the location. The shot will mainly focus on your face but can show the rest of your body, however, it will be slightly out of focus. This pose can lengthen your legs and or hide a tummy, again depending on how it is photographed.

Pose 4 – Close-ups

I guess this is less of a ‘pose’ in the traditional sense and more of a photography  technique. I have included it, as it is the kind of shot that you will definitely get if you book a shoot with me as it is part of my style. I have a great fascination and love for people’s eyes – they are the window to our souls after all – and like to get a few shots where they are the focus of the image. This kind of shot will accentuating your eyes, upper body and face.

Pose 5 – Sitting/kneeling

The kneeling part of this pose is pretty self explanatory and involves kneeling on a bed, couch, floor, etc. However, the sitting part is two fold, it is either sitting on a surface or on the edge of one of the surfaces mentioned above. It works both facing towards and away from the camera and creates a very sexy pic by showing off your entire body.

Pose 6 – Full length/standing/leaning

These poses are often done using a wall to lean against, a door or window frame to stand in, etc. As you want to create curves and shapes, it is best to turn your body away from the camera slightly and bend, lift and turn one knee slightly toward the other. This will accentuate your shape and create some very sexy curves. Lastly wear some sexy heels to elongate your legs and lift your bum – creating a curvy and sexy shape.

Lastly, please do not think you cannot smile, your smile is beautiful so show it to me