Should my friend, who has a great new digital camera take my boudoir photos?

Boudoir photography is a lot of fun and a very uplifting and self affirmative process, when done right.

When boudoir photography is done poorly, images which show your exposed body in an unflattering light can damage self esteem, sometimes seemingly irreparably so.

Ever hear, “I hate how I look in pictures,” perhaps come out of your mouth?  In our Phoenix photography studios, I hear it all the time from my clients.  And, they always walk away pleased with our results.  Though it takes a bit of time, high degree of professionalism and ultimately performance on our part to build that confidence and trust.

If you are someone who hates how you look in your portraits, you may be a poor candidate for photography by friends or amateurs.

Why?  Because I and professional photographic artists like me are at points in our careers photographically where we can bring out the best in people in their portraits.

When they see themselves looking great in our photographic creations, people just plain feel great about themselves.

It just is a huge ego boost to look good in a picture for most people.

I know I love when I look great in a photo.

Don’t you love it as well?  That is, when you actually like how you look in a portrait of you?

It can be fun helping a newly minted photographer friend out, who is trying to develop their skills with their new camera, or who is so taken by your beauty they just wish to be able to photograph you and so you may wish to consider going for it and allow them to do your boudoir photo shoot.

Consider only saying yes if you’ve already a strong self image or have already had some great portraits taken of you.

That is, so your skin is thick enough not to be effected by your friend’s failures as a professional photographic artist, which clearly they are not yet.

If your skin isn’t so thick, and it isn’t so thick for many or most, then consider only having the best of the professionals photograph you.

Even a professional photographer can be a technician and not an artist.  It takes an artist to make you look great in your boudoir portraits.

That is, almost any professional photographer is glad for the chance to take your boudoir portraits for you.  Even many professional boudoir studios are the McDonald’s of boudoir, cranking out a one size fits all product, that isn’t bad on the budget menu, still they aren’t high art.

To look your best in boudoir portraits, you need a boudoir photographer who treats you with the uniqueness required to craft your likeness into a beautifully uplifting work of art.

Once you’ve gotten your own ego nicely lifted, through what ever your method, to a level where poor results will not curtail your self image, then you may consider sitting for a friend.

If they get a great shot, great.  If they don’t it was fun with a friend learning to take pictures.

Any failure in boudoir photography is twofold

• Wrong photographer
• You picked the wrong photographer

That is, the photographer is always responsible for the photographic outcomes.

Great photographic artists produce great outcomes, pretty much every time.

Great photographic artists make you look your best and provide the most consistently superior images and outcomes, regardless of the infinite variety of clients, body sizes, skin, eye and hair colors and the various ages of women who walk through their studio doors for boudoir sittings.

Ultimately, picking the right boudoir photographer is entirely your responsibility.

This is important, so let me repeat, the most important decision you make for your boudoir photography outcome is who your photographic artist will be.

When is it better to have a friend or amateur take your boudoir portraits?

For you, this is best done when you already have high enough self esteem, in how you look naked, enough so that you will not get put off or have self image damage by potentially poor boudoir photography results or outcomes.

Chances are, your friend will not have you looking your best in your boudoir portraits.

They may get lucky and get a great shot in or two.

In the majority of cases, there is a great deal that goes into creating a great boudoir portrait.

When a boudoir portrait is great, it is amazing.

Then again, there are so many ho hum shots out there.  Shots that make your blank look big and your blank-itty blank look just plain off.

These ho hum or just bad shots can be huge ego hits.

In fact, they can be so discouraging that you forever swear off having boudoir portraits taken of you, ever ever again… and with real tears even.

If you cannot take the ego hit, have a professional artist at the top of their game do your boudoir portraits, regardless of cost, you are worth it.  It is uplifting.

If you have the self confidence, and wish to help a friend out, then you may be an ideal candidate… Do be very sure however.  If you haven’t seen yourself looking great photographically, you may be discouraged by poor results, too discourage to ever try doing it right another time.

This is a great deal to give up, again because looking great in your art boudoir portraits is very empowering and worthwhile.

Ask any woman with great boudoir portraits, how did it impact their self esteem?  How did it effect their life?  How did it feel?

The other consideration is privacy of your boudoir portraits

There are also privacy concerns to consider.

The more shy you are, the more this is of potential concern.

Professional boudoir photographers are well versed and experienced with privacy considerations.  It’s just part of the job.

Whether by a friend, amateur photographer or loved one, with changing emotions and lack of experienced professionalism there can be unintended consequences with amateurs not fully appraised of privacy considerations, potentially including mishap years into the future with your boudoir portraits.

For more on who may see your boudoir portraits, see also Who will see my professional boudoir photos?