Photography is an art form that best capture human emotions. This art form has its own special excitement that has the power to change even the most lifeless entity into the most visually aesthetic subject, which makes it a challenging endeavor to take. Even though the things we see today can be counted as subjects of photography, women are perhaps the most widely captured subjects in the field of photography. As a matter of fact, photographing women is what made it possible to somehow liberate women from the confines of their domestic roles.

Under the semblance of photography, women were able to emerge from their private worlds into a quite different public space. This is especially true in Boudoir photography, a process of portraiture that is gaining a wide following among women. Boudoir is a genre in photography wherein the subjects are usually women, but can also be done by men, in provocative or sexually suggestive poses or setting that may contain little or no nudity at all. It is different from erotic photography as it is more inclined to present the subject's aesthetic qualities instead of the underlying sexually provoking concept of the portrait.

The term boudoir is derived from the French word "bouder" which literally means to pout. Throughout history though, boudoir often refers to private rooms like the sitting room, dressing room as well as the bedroom. Because of the subtle uses of the word, the modern concept of photographing women in their bedrooms emerged as an offshoot of boudoir, which is why this genre of photography is also known as "bedroom photography," though it can also be carried out in different private environments. Although it was already during the later parts of photography that the term boudoir was used, this genre is in fact already existent since the earliest process of photography and was the precursor of pinup photo shoots of the 1940s and 1950s.

Commonly, female subjects of boudoir photography aren't models. They are everyday women who artistically poses for the camera in order to show a different dimension of themselves. The main idea is to unleash their inner sensuality to show another side of themselves without actually taking their clothes off and instead use sexually provoking poses to express their emotions. Unlike erotic photography, subjects of boudoir photos can show some of their bodily flaws, resulting to a more heightened reality of the image produced, which is why they are less manipulated and retouched.

Boudoir photography is becoming a popular trend in self-portraiture. More often than not, a boudoir shoot is commissioned by the subject, though its purposes differ from one subject to another. For instance, a wife might give the photo as a Valentine's gift to her husband, or a young aspiring lad could use the photo as an audition piece for a magazine's centerfold. No matter their reasons for commissioning such photo shoot, boudoir is certainly a good means to develop self confidence in front of the camera without worrying about individual flaws.

In Southern California, modern boudoir started six years ago and is rapidly gaining its momentum ever since. If you are living in Orange County and would like to have your own boudoir mini photo shoot, you can easily find an Orange County photographer who specializes in boudoir, but be sure to do your research first before you shed some of your clothing in front of the camera to ensure that the photographer you are about to commission will definitely provide you a self-portrait of a lifetime. Succinctly, boudoir is a genre of photography that celebrates the sensuality of women, giving them the opportunity to exhibit a different side of themselves that gives them more confidence and self-esteem.