I always stress to clients that there are no expectations of them in boudoir; you can express yourself in whatever ways feel true for you. So even though some clients want to show nudity in their photos, others don’t — and that’s absolutely ok! But for those in the latter category, there’s a fabulous middle ground if you want to be bold without showing too much: implied nude photos. And there are several creative, fun ways to achieve them.
Unbuttoned shirt / unzipped jacket
I often describe boudoir as “the moment before the moment.” Showing something that is about to happen amps up the tension and allure. Unzipping a jacket or unbuttoning a shirt and holding it open just enough to reveal that there’s nothing underneath can add to the mystery. In these photos, my clients grip their garments, which adds to the energy. Holding a shirt tightly against the body can both show off curves and highlight texture and shadow in the shirt, which makes the image feel more immediate.
Under the covers
Implied nude boudoir — really any form of boudoir — doesn’t need to be seductive. As these three photos show, they can be reflective, moody, gentle. Plus the main collage at the top of this article shows how playful it can be. Quick tip: when covered up, gather the sheet or comforter around you. It creates ripples for extra depth and texture. Plus, kicking a leg or two out can emphasize the suggestion of nudity.
Bath and shower
A shower door can make an image more abstract, either with texture like this or steam. A bubble or milk bath also suggests nudity without showing anything. Here my client arches out of the water, but rose petals subtly hide enough to make this implied boudoir.
Careful posing
A carefully placed hand or arm not only makes the hand more active but also adds mystery and tension. Pro tip: when posing like this, don’t press your hand on your body too hard. All it needs is a very light touch to cover, while preserving the shape of what’s underneath.
Strategic cropping
This sounds like the careful posing strategy but allows the client to use their hands more expressively. When done well, shooting in this way results in highly suggestive images that still don’t quite cross the line. Facebook still won’t look kindly on them, though.
Strategic propping
Finally, you can get creative with any number of items to block explicit details. Here we used a feather tickler, but other clients have used flowers, a champagne bottle, a jar of peanut butter, a motorcycle helmet — the list goes on. Think about using something specific to who you are — I always recommend that clients bring things to heighten the uniqueness of their session. (I wrote about that here.)
As you can see, if you want to ride the edge of bold imagery that don’t cross over into actual nudity, you have many creative options to make stunning implied nude boudoir photos. Have any other ways to achieve amazing implied nude photos? Let me know!
