Welcome to the Beyond Boudoir Photo blog!
The Adventures of Beyond Boudoir!
The Latest Episode:
Down By The River
Down By The River
Sorry I haven't been posting to the blog lately. I've been doing some private shoots for clients, but mostly I'm creating photosets to sell on Bentbox. Yesterday, I did a private shoot for a client who needed some tame, but sexy photos for social media marketing. There is a river about a mile from my house that can be pretty photogenic at certain times of year. Yesterday was one of those uniformly cloudy, but fairly bright days that we get in May and June.
The soft light is almost perfect for portraits, but you have to remember that the sun is still up there in a specific location. It's important to keep your subject looking toward the sun to get even lighting on the face, even if it takes you a minute to figure out where the sun is.
These shots were all taken with my usual Canon 5D Mark 4 using a Tamron 85mm F/1.8 lens at F/2 to blur the background. I liked that lens so much that I bought its little brother, the Tamron 45mm F/1.8.
I really like the way these two Tamron lenses render the background, while the subject is extremely sharp. It's almost a 3D effect. I call that subject/background separation and it's something you can do with expensive, large aperture lenses that you can't do as well with consumer grade lenses. These Tamrons are also stabilized for sharper hand held shooting which helps with that subject/background separation, in my opinion.
Collecting lenses is fun, but my collection of lenses for my Canon EF mount cameras is pretty much complete and I haven't purchased one in many months. Canon recently created a new lens mount for their new line of mirrorless cameras. I suppose in a few years my current lenses will be obsolete. So until I switch to a mirrorless camera, I think my lens collecting days are about over. We shall see.
Thanks for reading!
PDXScene Magazine
PDXScene Magazine
As you can see, I haven't been posting a lot here on my blog lately. Not only am I staying busy doing private photoshoots, I recently started a new gig that I'm rather proud of. I'm a staff photographer at PDXScene Magazine. It's a great place to find information about the complex sexuality scene in Portland. If you are planning to visit, PDXScene is a great place to start your research.
I did the photography for the November cover and the related article that features a person from the Portland sexuality communities. My friend Sgt. Miles got to be featured this month. The publisher wanted to use a term like playmate or pet, but those were taken. So the eye candy person is called the Temptation of the month.
Don't worry, I still do private shoots for women, men and couples who need intimate photos and absolute discretion.
Here is the November cover. I hope this is the first of many!
Erotic Photoshoots in Hotel Rooms
Erotic Photoshoots in Hotel Rooms
It's been a long time since I talked about hotel room shoots on this blog. One reason I don't discuss it very often is that I generally do hotel shoots with private clients, so I can't share those pix with you. Recently, I did a hotel shoot with a professional model, Mimsey, at a nice hotel in downtown Portland. That means there are lots of sexy images to post here on my blog!
Hotel room shoots are great fun for me. To start with, I get to play undercover photographer as I walk past the front desk with my photo gear in nondescript bags. I try to dress like a businessman and act like I belong there, so I've never been questioned.
Once in the hotel room, I find that my clients are usually pretty relaxed. They are in their own space and didn't have to drive across town to my studio, so they have less reason to be nervous.
The technical aspects of a hotel shoot are quite interesting. Not only do you have to work in a limited space, but you often have a fair amount of daylight coming in from one end of the room. You can pose the model(s) next to the window for some great soft portraits, or pose on the bed and have directional light from just one side. After that, things get a bit more complex, because you start adding in artificial light. In my case, I bring a couple of Alien Bees studio strobes with umbrellas to spread and soften the light. Then you have to decide how to deal with the fact that the daylight and the strobe light are different colors. In this shoot, it didn't seem to make much difference, which was nice.
This particular hotel had great semi-private balconies and the sky that morning was a uniform light gray. That's like having the world's largest softbox to bathe your lovely model in the softest light.
I did this shoot with my trusty Canon 5D Mark IV. The lens I used most was the EF 24-70 F/2.8 L Mark 2, which is an amazingly sharp zoom lens. A few shots were taken with the Canon EF 35mm F/2 IS lens, which isn't as sharp as the 24-70, but has image stabilization - a handy feature for shooting in dim available light.
The strobes are great too, especially when you want to stop action.
Believe it or not, Mimsey and I created over 1,000 usable images in about 90 minutes. The purpose of this shoot was to create two photosets to offer for sale on Bentbox.co, where I've been selling photos I've shot with professional models. It helps offset the model fees and hopefully some of my equipment costs, so I can keep my rates for private clients low. If you'd like to consider purchasing these photos, you can find the first of two Mimsey photosets at this link.
The Arizona Shootout, April, 2018
The Arizona Shootout
April, 2018 NSFW
The Arizona Shootout is a very large group photography event that's been going on for over 20 years. It brings professional models and photographers together in a sunny desert setting near Wickenburg, Arizona. In most years it's held in both the Spring and Fall, when the desert weather is ideal.
I attend for three main reasons: First, it's good to get out of the rainy Pacific Northwest and soak up some desert sun. Second, I get some great images that I can share with you or sell to collectors on Bentbox. The third reason is the amazing desert light.
Most of my AZSO photos are taken indoors with window light, or outdoors in the shade. The sun is reflected off the sandy desert surface and reaches into shady areas to provide a soft, warm light that is ideal for portrait photography.
The models are great to work with, but I have to pay them to pose for me and of course photographers pay a substantial fee to attend, so it can be an expensive event. That's why I'm happy that I can sell my images on Bentbox. If you click on the model's name below each photo, the link will take you to the high-resolution photoset of that model which you can purchase if you wish. Your support is much appreciated and will help me create more sexy images for your future enjoyment!
There are roughly a dozen old buildings available for photography, as well as the open desert itself. The buildings are filled with old machinery and general antiques. It's like doing a nude photoshoot in a museum for three days.
All but one of these photos were taken using available light and they were all done with my trusty Canon 5D Mark IV. Mostly, I used the Canon EF 24-70 F/2.8 Mark II as my lens of choice. I love prime lenses, but this zoom is so amazingly sharp that I tend to just leave it on the camera unless I have a creative idea that needs a telephoto or a large aperture prime.
Want to see more? Here is a free gallery with some more photos from the 2018 AZSO.
Thanks for dropping in to visit the Beyond Boudoir Photo Blog!
Common Mistakes When Planning an Intimate or Erotic Photoshoot
Six Mistakes People Make When Planning an Intimate Photoshoot
and How To Avoid Them
I love my work and I've been doing it for a long time. Over the years, I've come to notice patterns in the way many people go about researching and planning an intimate or erotic photoshoot. As you might expect, the same mistakes keep coming up over and over, so this blog post is devoted to helping you avoid wasting time and energy going down the wrong path.
Please allow me to list the most common mistakes that I see so that you can try to avoid them.
1. Looking through the photo galleries of other photographers for photos that you want to duplicate exactly.
Unfortunately, you can never duplicate those photos. For one thing, the model(s) you see are not you. Also, the photographer probably retouched the photos heavily with Photoshop in ways that we can't determine. I think the goal should be to create unique images that capture your spirit in the moment, not duplicate the work of others.
2. Assuming that I won't photograph a particular sex act if you don't see it in my portfolio.
Humans are very creative when it comes to sex and there's no way I can display photos of every naughty thing you can do. Please take my word that I will photograph anything that's legal and doesn't get fluids on me or my photo gear! OK, that's not entirely true... I really don't like shooting blood play or snakes.
3. Falling in love with a particular outdoor location that you see in some of my photos.
Outdoor locations come and go. The biggest reason that one might not be practical is weather. You can't do a naughty photoshoot in the rain or cold. You can't shoot at the nude beach when the regular crowd calls the cops on you. No matter how sneaky you are, you can no longer do guerrilla nude shoots in downtown Portland now that the city is packed with hipster condos, security guards and homeless folks. I always keep a few possible outdoor locations in mind from May to September in the Columbia River Gorge area, but I just can't guarantee access to a particular site when you need it. The most reliable place to do an intimate photoshoot is your own hotel room or, even better, an upscale Airbnb vacation rental house. My studio works, of course, but it's a photo studio, not a bedroom.
4. Trying to pack too much into your photoshoot.
Most people who are not professional models or actors get tired of being photographed after about two hours - less if you are engaged in sexual activities. It's OK to prepare a list of poses for your shoot or even bring some example photos on your phone. Just keep the list reasonable so you won't feel rushed. I recommend no more than six poses per hour if you are doing a posed studio shoot. Consider scheduling two shoots on different days, especially if you have more than one theme you wish to include, ie: artistic posed studio photos and raunchy sex photos. That way you can easily make use of two locations as well.
5. Asking if I can provide a male model to have sex with you during your photoshoot.
Please, ladies, that just isn't possible and probably isn't legal. When I see this question, my experience tells me the person asking isn't really serious about booking a photoshoot, they just enjoy fantasizing about what could happen.
6. Not having a backup plan.
It's always good to have a plan B. Sometimes your partner backs out, the weather doesn't cooperate, your period starts unexpectedly or some other minor disaster. A sexy photoshoot is a complex project and you can't count on everything going according to plan. A good professional photographer will go with the flow, work around the surprises and still create great images.
If you have any mistakes to add, please drop me an email. I'm sure I've forgotten a few!
A Tribute To Devi
A Tribute to Devi
NSFW
As regular readers will know, the photos I take for paying clients are not generally posted on this site. The rare exceptions occur when clients are so proud of their images they insist that I share them with the world. For the most part, the images you see on the site depict professional or amateur models who expected to have their images displayed online.
There are a few pro models that I've worked with multiple times. I don't mind paying their fee, because I get so many great images that I can share with my readers. One of my favorites is the amazing Devi. We've worked together three times over the last few years. If you're a photographer, be advised that she's based in the Bay Area and you can find her on Model Mayhem. Like all of the top travelling models on MM, she is very businesslike and reliable.
Here's one of my favorite photos of Devi. It's actually a hand-held HDR shot processed in Photomatix.
Enough talk... I'm just going to load a bunch of Devi images into a gallery and let the collective impact hit you right in the face. In a good way, I mean! Take a deep breath and click here.
PORTLANDIA
PORTLANDIA
The Last Outdoor Photoshoot of 2017
NSFW
About every three or four years, Portland is blessed with an Indian Summer. In October of 2017, we had many days of dry, sunny weather as the leaves began to turn. I didn't have any outdoor photoshoots lined up to take advantage of this amazing weather, but I could not just let it go to waste. I had to scramble to arrange one.
There is a hidden place on the edge of a rocky cliff that overlooks part of Northeast Portland. You can't see it in the photos, but there is a busy freeway directly behind the model and about 200 feet below. I've been watching this place for a while to see if had enough privacy for a nude photoshoot. As is usually the case, it depends on when you go there. In this case, we did the shoot on a Sunday evening just before dusk.
I needed a model who I could trust not to get too frisky on the edge of the cliff. She would need to be OK with semi-public nudity and hardy enough to handle the cool breeze for a while. The freeway noise would make it hard to communicate, so I also wanted a model who could instinctively create good poses. One name came immediately to mind, Floofie! She's something of a local treasure who is very active in the modeling community. Fortunately she said yes and I then had about 24 hours to plan the shoot.
While I was trying to think of a theme for the shoot, I happened to look at a photo of a popular statue in downtown Portland that I'd used as a backdrop for photoshoots in the past. It's called Portlandia and is considered one of the many quirky things found in the city. I checked in with Floofie the morning of the shoot and told her I wanted her to dress as Portlandia. I promised to pick up a trident at a local costume shop and she immediately loved the idea.
For this shoot, I used only one lens, the Canon EF 24-70 L Mark 2, which was mounted on my trusty Canon 5D Mark 3. Although there was a little bit of light from the setting sun behind me, most of it would be blocked by trees. I knew I'd need some pretty powerful fill light to balance the fairly bright background. I used two of my AlienBees monolights, each powered by a Vagabond Mini battery and nicely diffused by a small umbrella. I didn't want to use big umbrellas due to the wind.
First I took several shots to determine the best exposure for the background, making sure that the shutter speed was below the flash sync speed of my camera (1/125th was my choice). Then I turned on the strobes and adjusted their power output to give me just the right amount of illumination on beautiful Floofie. Some people call this technique "dragging the shutter" but I don't think that's a good description myself. By the way, this was all done manually, no TTL flash metering for me!
It's always good to have another person along when you are doing naughty outdoor photoshoots. This time I brought along my photobuddy Jeremy and we shared the AlienBees by each having a trigger on our cameras. The AlienBees cycle pretty fast so this worked most of the time. Here's Jeremy next to one of the strobes, so you can get an idea of the setup.
Occasionally, I'd trigger a shot right after my friend had done so and the strobes would not fire. The background still looked the same, but Floofie was quite underexposed, at least two, maybe three stops. Since I shoot RAW, I was able to brighten her up, but it really changes the tones of the image. you can see what I mean in the image below.
The strobes fired just fine at least 90% of the time, so I got some nice shots like these of Portlandia in super hero mode protecting the city.
Before we wrapped up the shoot, I removed the trigger from my camera and moved to a position where I could get shots of Floofie against these trees. There was a little daylight coming through the trees from the setting sun to my right.
I'm pretty sure that's the last outdoor photoshoot for me in 2017. If you'd like me to photograph you nude outdoors, we will have to wait until around May of 2018. Unless of course, you'd like to pay me to come to your place in the lovely desert Southwest. Thanks for reading!
Erotic Couple's Photoshoot
An Erotic Couple's Photoshoot
Warning! NSFW! 18+
One of the main reasons that couples come to me for intimate photography is my strict privacy policy. If you pay me to do your photoshoot, your photos will never be posted on my website. You will receive the only copies. I delete my copies after one year or sooner if you ask. That has been my policy for several years.
In the last couple of years, I'm finding that some couples will decide after their shoot that they want me to post some of the images from their shoot anyway, regardless of my privacy policy. Being a bit obsessed with my client's privacy, I often discourage them, but recently a couple convinced me to post some of their images that conceal their identity reasonably well, but still have substantial artistic impact. They traveled quite a distance to get here so I was predisposed to granting their wish. We hope you enjoy the photos!
Out of the 400+ images this couple received, we picked out eight that we feel are safe to reveal. I believe these will help give prospective clients a reasonably good idea of what a typical couple's shoot looks like in my new studio. As always, remember that these images are what this couple wanted and of course you don't have to do these same poses. Each shoot is different and is adapted to meet the needs of that particular couple.
As you can tell, this couple requested black and white. I enjoy working with B&W, even though it takes more time for post-processing. One fun thing about this shoot was that I switched between natural daylight from the windows and my studio strobe system. You really have to know your studio and your camera to make that work - it's a fun challenge for me!
If you are interested in having a photoshoot of your own, please use the contact page to send me a note. I usually reply within a few hours. Do not leave a comment below if you wish to be contacted. Use the contact link at the top of every page!