Then & now: how my photography has evolved

My initial interest in boudoir was spurred in 2018. I had been shooting fitness photography for a while, but I didn’t find it particularly interesting or challenging — not because it’s a dull genre of photography (it’s quite sophisticated and complex at its best), but because I have been in the fitness industry for nearly 20 years as a strength coach, and I just wanted to branch out.

I discovered boudoir through Los Angeles photographer Michael Sasser. I quickly realized how deep of an art it really is, and I loved that the value of body positivity jived with my values as a strength coach. I started putting out model calls, and I was surprised at the response — there was clearly a good deal of interest in boudoir.

My first couple of shoots went really well — I knew I was on the right path. But I also had a lot to learn as a boudoir photographer. I was afraid of pictures turning out blurry or poorly composed, so I’d take tons of pictures of similar poses. I might end up with 700 raw files from a single shoot, and I’d only use about 80 of them.

This is from one of my first shoots, and looking back I see all kinds of areas where I could improve:

In this photo, my model is a bit overexposed and there are quite a few shadows and some background clutter that I didn’t control — it’s not stuff I thought about or knew how to control. This was shot mostly with natural light, and a small LED as a fill. But I clearly had a lot to learn.

Here’s a more recent photo, shot with flash to control shadows and with considerably more attention to background detail:

This photo of my life/business partner Tabi captures more of the style I have developed: I like photos where the model fills the frame. Many boudoir photographers shoot more of a “scenic” style where there is a lot of elaborate staging of the background, use of props, and a camera that is pulled back considerably farther from the model. I like to focus the lighting and composition on my subject and keep the backgrounds simple and unobtrusive. Notice that the lighting is also much more controlled, with no extraneous shadows and more even, soft lighting on my model.

I love photography, and I love learning and growing and refining my craft. I’ve spent a lot of the past year studying photography in more detail because I want my photography to stand out. There are many, many boudoir photographers out there now, and mine does not come cheap precisely because of the amount of time I’ve spent on education, equipment, and software.

You can go with a cheaper photographer, sure; but there’s a good chance your photos will end up looking more like the top one than the bottom one. Whether you shoot with me or someone else, make sure the photographer’s style is what you want your photos to be, and that you’re dealing with a professional — not a hobbyist. Tabi and I shoot boudoir exclusively. It’s our jam, and we invest a lot of time into creating a unique and memorable experience. We’d love to create amazing art with you!