The Boudoir "EXPERIENCE"
(Long read!)
It began as an idea nearly a year ago - I'd been asked by one of my Brides from a wedding I photographed a year before that if I could do a Boudoir Shoot for her - as a surprise present for her husband. We dud the shoot and whilst I was pretty nervous, it being the first time I'd done anything like this, I found I really enjoyed it.
Here was a chance to really "Create" photographs.
Weddings I love, but they are more about documenting the day with lovely photos, being in the right place at the right time and seeing what "normal" people probably miss. There will usually be a staged shoot with the Bride and Groom to get those really special photos but I'm always conscience that this is their wedding and they'd really like to get back to their guests.
With that first Boudoir Photo Session I discovered the possibility to really "create" images from scratch - where it was ll down to me to use what was available in the very best way.
Over the following year I asked all my brides if they'd like a Boudoir shoot - several did and I also did a lot of "tfp" shoots with models to improve my skills and refine the "style" I wanted to create.
Then it was spring and the Wedding season was here with 7 day weeks and 12 hour days so no chance to progress the Boudoir work.
Finally weddings slowed down and I began the long search for a suitable location to do future Boudoir sessions. I wanted somewhere where my clients would immediately feel comfortable and relaxed. Somewhere away from normal everyday life and a place they could, for a few hours, be someone different. I needed somewhere secluded, private, easy parking, and more importantly great light, simple decor and the possibility to shuffle things around to enable me to create different scenes.Long story but I finally found the perfect location.
Following some advertising and emailing people I got several women booked to do what I'd named "The Experience" I called it this because I wanted it to be not just about doing a Boudoir photo shoot but I created something they'd remember for more than just the beautiful photographs - hair and makeup to make them feel really really special, Champagne and chocolates, a video of their day, the entire day to do the shoot so absolutely no pressure, as many outfits changes as they want, a album with their favourite photos in. And of course finally, beautiful photos they'll look at for the rest of their life and feel beautiful when they're down, confident when they're fearful and know that anything is possible.
Finally (btw thanks for getting this far!) my style.
I started out a couple of years ago with a very light and bright look to all my photos - I usually used a couple of strobe lights. This is complicated. After several shoots like this I felt I was having to put too much emphasis on technique at the cost of creativity.I cut down on the technical side of things and maybe just used an on-camera flash or bounce flash techniques. Still not the "look" I wanted which by now was becoming quite "arty" I absolutely did NOT want photos of women in their underwear like most "boudoir photographers" do. Stay with me as yes, of course the photos are of women in their underwear (or occasionally not even that) but I wanted to create photos where that is not the focus - the focus is the beauty of this woman, the light, the unanswered questions. I want to create emotions and feelings - to go way beyond "a woman in her underwear"
This is "THE EXPERIENCE"
https://www.boudoirbyallen.co.uk/