It was my first photoshoot session event with Mss Yumiko. Although I have done a few indoor photoshoots in KL before, boudoir portrait photography is new to me. In fact, I am still experimenting and exploring the genre of boudoir portrait photography.
It turned out that I am actually struggling with the lighting at first. I was shooting with my Fujifilm X-T4, Fujinon XF35mm F2, Viltrox 56mm F1.4 lens, Godox AD200 Pro and the Moment CineBloom attached. I guess no one ever shot boudoir portraits with the Moment CineBloom diffusion lens filter before so I give it a try.
Some of my SOOC JPEG shots are ready to share instantly, with no editing needed. In terms of lighting, I was trying to find the best lighting position at first and ended up using my AD200 Pro as a fill light. I had intended to shoot dark and moody boudoir portraits, but it appears that I will have to change my shooting style.
Before the shoot, I tried to adapt by watching some boudoir portrait photography tutorial videos on YouTube. It was quite informative if you are in the same situation when only using natural light for the boudoir photo shoot. According to the video, we should use only one light source, either natural light from the windoe or off-camera flash, and form a triangle with the photographer, subject, and window light.
But in my case, the situation was quite different, so I had to figure it out and find the natural light source on my own. Because it was a group photoshoot, the indoor space was quite limited, and other artificial lights were turned on. Well, I don’t have to worry as the second outfit shoot was excellent. I get to choose the best light, and the model did an excellent job with her boudoir poses.
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The photoshoot features three outfits, and I particularly like the second and third because the model looks mature in them. When shooting in a group, it was a very fast-paced photoshoot. I didn’t manage to shoot more with my film camera, loaded with the Ilford HP5 Plus film roll. I tried to use the light metre app on my phone, but it proved difficult. As a result, I decided to shoot purely in digital format.
Also, do check out the second boudoir photoshoot session with Yumiko which I shot in both digital and analogue film format.
Using the Moment CineBloom Diffusion For Boudoir Portraits
By using the CineBloom filter, I am trying to achieve a dreamy cinematic and creative photoshoot. I was shooting with some of my own Fujifilm film simulation recipes such as the Noir Bloom, Cira 800, and LomoChrome Metropolis, it seems to work quite well for portraits and the result turned out amazing! Recently I have created a Boudoir Chrome recipe for boudoir shoots only, you might want to check it out.
Many photographers may dislike the grain in the photos, but it looks great to me because it gives the photos a film look.
I really like how the diffusion lens filter diffuses the Edison bulbs behind the model. It appears to be dreamy and cinematic all at the same time. It may appear bright to some photographers, but it did appear good to me. I always try to shoot in my own unique style.
Because I’m using the Viltrox 56mm, it looks a little tight when composing my shots, so I avoided cropping the limbs as much as possible. I also have explained cropping portrait photos in the advanced portrait techniques tutorial. While photographing portraits, I tried not to make this mistake.
Shooting Boudoir with Natural Light by the Window
Because of the natural light, shooting boudoir portraits by the window will create a flattering mood. This method appeals to me more than using an off-camera flash. Everything is dependent on the lighting situation. The image below was taken with natural light by a window and appears to be dreamy. Thanks to the diffusion filter, one of the best creative lens FX filters I’ve loved to use when shooting portraits.
Most photographers used black and white boudoir photography to create a different mood for their boudoir portraits. I was shooting with a pushed Ilford HP5 film stock and the Fujifilm Noir Bloom recipe, and the grain looks great in black and white portraits as well.
Thank you to Mss Yumiko for modelling and Lim for organising the photography event. You can find out more photoshoot events on Lim Photography Facebook page. There are numerous events, including both outdoor and indoor photo shoots. I kind of like the end results, after all, I might list it in my best SOOC portrait series of 2022.
