Do you include your husband Rodrigo. Does he also shoot boudoir, or just you?
Jess: When photographing bridal boudoir, I insist that my studio is a male-free zone. I’m sure many women are perfectly happy with a male photographer taking their boudoir session but there are also some who are not. A boudoir shoot is extremely intimate, and many of my ladies are not professional models and have really plucked up the courage to trust in me to photograph them so that they can give their photos as a gift to their husband/husband-to-be/partner. They trust that I will make them feel as comfortable as I possibly can while still producing the images that they desire, and I do not take this lightly.
As a photographer it is imperative that you yourself also feel comfortable with photographing boudoir, and I know that my husband would not, which is totally fine, plus I feel having two photographers on a boudoir shoot would feel quite intimidating. Regardless of being a male or female photographer, the foundations of your shoot are based on your approach to these types of sessions, and when I’m photographing boudoir I see the body as an art form / a shape, and I look for the light and the shade, just as I do when life-drawing naked strangers. I don’t feel embarrassed, I don’t see the flaws, and it’s all perfectly normal practice for me; this is probably one of the most important assets I have as a boudoir photographer.