Boudoir has become a popular style of photography in the past couple of years, but with the positives have come some negative associations as well. It is not uncommon for people to be hesitant in shooting boudoir because of the idea of certain content that crosses the line of sensuality to a more sexier version of this particular photography style. There is a massive spectrum of what we consider “boudoir” and there are not very many distinctive names to say which part of the spectrum we are talking about.

As a boudoir photographer, my focus has been in creating a shift in the way boudoir photography is perceived. In order to accomplish this I needed to not only shoot my style of boudoir, that is more on the editorial and artistic side, but also start a network of people who also wanted to help create a change.

For me, boudoir is about femininity, empowerment and the ways in which our bodies are art. My photography focuses on the sensual aspect of a photograph while keeping it classy and high end. I achieve this with proper lighting, composition, and posing, that captures beauty in addition to the essence of the person; making the shot about the subject rather than the viewer.

But how exactly do I accomplish this? And how do I know it’s different?

As I spend more and more time in the business and get to hear feedback from clients, I see the way in which my clients and people in general speak about my work and what they focus and/or comment on.

Oftentimes my clients leave a session feeling confident and beautiful, and yes, sensual, but in a way they want to share with the world. The focus is on them and how they feel, as is often the case with editorial shots, beauty portraits, and fashion, and not so much on how sexy they may appear to others. The images I produce are often described as artwork with a homage to sculptures and paintings, rather than photos that are considered more intimate.

I toured the United States, Canada, and South America with my boudoir workshops, and got to meet many wonderful and talented upcoming photographers and models who all shared a passion for high end boudoir style and wanted to learn more. The workshops made me realize how much of my focus when shooting boudoir is on posing and composition, and how a simple shift can change where in the spectrum the images fall under. Soft lighting, delicate hands, dynamic posing, serene facial expressions, all played a key role in softening the images and creating sensuality in a feminine and empowering manner.

While all styles of boudoir are okay and welcomed, my goal is simply to bring to light the fact that boudoir can be different, it can be high end, artistic, and powerful. Showing more of this style will create a shift in how boudoir is perceived to be and encourage more photographers and clients alike to give it a chance. As for me, my goal is for my particular style to one day help create a category in the spectrum and inspire others to be adventurous with their art and discover new ways to shoot the traditional. After all, art is in the eyes of the beholder, and we photographers are artists.

Photographer: Yuliya Panchenko

Studio location: 116 E Crystal Lake ave, Lake Mary, FL 32746