Boudoir Photography How To

A lingerie photo shoot might sound simple to some photographers. Put a model in lingerie and click the shutter. That's all there is to it, right?

Wrong!

The key to a successful lingerie shoot whether it's for boudoir photography or for clothing advertising is to create an image that has atmosphere. Atmosphere, aka mood or drama, is how you produce a lingerie image that truly stands out.

But how does a photographer go about doing that? Working pro and educator Karl Taylor explains it all in the photo breakdown video below.

"When I captured this shot in the studio, I was happy with how it looked but I’m a perfectionist, as you know," Taylor says. "And when I came back to it later, I wished I’d made the lighting a bit more atmospheric. In this video, I break down the original lighting setup, showing you exactly how I lit the model and the props. But first, I take you through the simple post-production work I did to create the authentic dappled light effect so crucial to the impact of the final image."

In the video below, Taylor explains how he captured the photo you see at the top of this story including the lighting diagrams, the techniques he used and how he was able to add atmosphere to the overall photo.

"What he tried to achieve with this small set we built was a French Moulin Rouge style look with the décor, the wall that was constructed, the furniture and the whole feel and the vibe to go with the campaign," he notes. "And in this particular shot, it felt like our model was sort of leaning deep in thought, leaning against the wall of the apartment and I felt that the lighting could've been a little bit more atmospheric."

What was missing? Taylor explains that the image needed "dappled lighting" to appear like there was sunlight coming through the window. Watch his tutorial below where he shows how he was able to add that in to create a lingerie image with atmosphere.