5 Simple Things to Do to Capture Beautiful Boudoir Photos without Planning (VIDEO)

Some boudoir photo shoots are the result of careful planning and preparation. Others can come at you out of left field. So, what do you do if you have to quickly think on your feet when shooting boudoir?

Be ready to improvise while remembering five important things.

That's what photographer Jacques Gaines did when a model he longed to photograph suddenly became available for a boudoir shoot. In the below video, Gaines explains his five boudoir tips during a session with that very model, Ada Ho.

"Although the shoot was quick and improvised, I managed to get some decent photos," Gaines says. "How? Well, by relying on a couple of attitude principles that I think all photographers should think about when shooting boudoir. Following these tips and tricks can help in making your improvised shoot a lot easier."

Here Gaines explains the five tips he demonstrates in the video at the bottom of this post:

1) Have the right attitude
I think that it is so important to understand that due to the fact that the shoot is so improvised and out of the blue, not only must you forgive yourself for making mistakes but also understand that things might go wrong the whole way during the shoot. Because you have not necessarily had a ton of time to prepare, you might take a whole bunch of shots without the right shutter speed or a crazy high ISO even though there is a ton of light. Embrace those mistakes and realize that even mistakes can bring out some cool artistic options and that forgiving yourself will allow you to move on and get the shots you need.

2) Decide quickly; indecision is your worst enemy
First and foremost, if you get the call to go shoot, do not worry about the fact that your batteries are not charged or that you have a lens with a weird focal length. Do what you have to do with what you got and get out there. "A"photo shoot is way better than no photo shoot at all. Yes, you might have the wrong equipment but that is a small problem compared to the fact of not even having a subject.

3) Go for AUTO
For all us technical photographers who are oh so proud to be using manual settings, you might want to give that up for a more "set and forget" type attitude. It is not always terrible to go for auto. I believe that being in manual actually involves a preparation of mindset that is actually pretty long. For instance: Shooting a show involves mental prep that the images you want are going to be taken at an open aperture and that there must be some adjustments to the way you approach your shoot. Set and forget allows you to push setting concerns away for the time being. For instance, you might put all on auto and use the exposure compensation dial to be a bit more manual. There is no shame in being in auto. As cliché as it is. The moment is THE most important thing. No one will look at your photo and say; hmm, this shot was taken in auto.

4) Trust your model strongly advise people to give in to the expertise of the model
Ask her or him to offer you some ideas and go with the flow. You can ask for certain poses, but you might want to let yourself be more open. Especially to a person who spends many days trying to get the right pose for the photographer. An improvised boudoir pose is a great deal about letting go.

5) The window is your best friend
Gravitate toward a window. It, not only, is a source of the best light around (natural light), it also is a perfect quick fix. Initially, you might be afraid of the fact that backlight might be a concern, but you would be surprised to what extent light can creep in on a subject. Depending on how the model is placed many options exist.

Visit Gaines' YouTube page for more helpful tips and tutorials. If you're interested in shooting boudoir, check out this beginner's guide to getting into boudoir photography.

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