By the Sword - LGBTQ+ New England Couples Boudoir Photography

Some of the storytelling of this shoot fell by the wayside in favor of striking visuals, photography can be a creative and collaborative journey.

"Lust and mystery sparkled in her scintillant eyes, cruelty lurked in the curl of her full red lips. Each movement of her supple body was subtly suggestive. Her coiffure imitated that of the queen's, on her feet were gilded sandals..." - A Witch Shall Be Born, Robert E. Howard

This shoot came together accidentally at a networking event, where we were breaking between shoots and talking about Magic: The Gathering (as one does). Dahlia and Dakota had a natural flow with one another and got along easily, and they were excited to shoot together. We sketched out a rough concept (which shortly fell to the wayside) inspired by one prop and my abiding love for the camp of pulp sword and sandals artwork.

The room in the old Victorian inn was small and cluttered with antique furniture and a bed that you needed a stop stool to clamber on top of. It was such a dramatic change from working out of my studio in Pawtucket, RI, reminding me of some of my early times shooting boudoir where we'd roll up to a random hotel room and try to puzzle together how to make art from all the random pieces someone had left to us. So we saturated the room in red light to create a rich, vibrant atmosphere and started shooting.

Shooting strangers together can be difficult in causal circumstances, it's more of a high-wire act in an intimate setting. You have to quickly learn to communicate with one another and lay the ground rules. Checking in is vital and taking things one-step at a time is often the best approach - dipping your toes in the water to feel the temperature rather than diving right in to the deep end of the pool. Comfort and consent are so important when it comes to boudoir photography because we all want to have a fun experience making something that will stop the right person in their tracks. Thankfully, Dahlia and Dakota were completely natural together, flowing like water.

This was a fun experience and I have a few more sets from the weekend. Working with models is such a valuable part of my process because it does make it a lot easier to share this side of my work when regular clients value privacy. If you're interested in taking up the sword and booking your own boudoir session, send me a message today.