Create Amazing Boudoir Photography Sets On A Budget

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inexpensive_boudoir_sets_mcp_actions-450x419 Create Amazing Boudoir Photography Sets On A Budget Guest Bloggers Photography Tips

When shooting indoors, backdrops and props are important. I’s more important to find ways to create boudoir photography sets on a small budget that will still wow  your clients and you. When my boudoir business really started to take off, I moved from shooting in hotel rooms to opening a small studio in my area.  I would never have appreciated all the fun props in the hotel rooms enough until the day I got the keys to my empty studio.  Thankfully being a poor art student for many years taught me how to thrift and expand upon my creative mind.

Backdrops:

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Buy “backdrops” from a local fabric store instead of an online “backdrop boutique.” This has by far been my largest money saver! I can get a 9×5′ backdrop from my local fabric store for under $20. I simply go to the local fabric store in my hometown that I love and bum around until something catches my eye! The one disadvantage to buying backdrops this way would be the width (usually only 5′ wide). For me though since I’m only working with one person at a time it works!  If you really needed to you could sew them together. To avoid the seam if you’re not good with sewing try and shoot with a shallow depth of field or fix it in post processing. Personally, I’d rather edit for 1 extra minute then spend $500 on a backdrop.
Image above: To create this look I hung a black cloth backdrop ($9) from the wire (mentioned below) and then bought Christmas bulbs from a local shop. I strung the bulbs over and under the wire while draping them. My clients LOVE this backdrop! It’s great for boudoir but also seniors, kids, and head shots.

TIP: Hang your backdrops with a “photo wire” and clip set instead of an expansive backdrop stand set up!  This also saves on space in your studio!  I have three different wires in my studio. 1 wire = approx 10’. I have two per wall in my studio.

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Thrift for Furniture and Props:

I found a red turfed chair and a white settee on craigslist for under $70 each. I searched – for sale > furniture – in my area. Good keywords to search for boudoir furniture: settee, tufted, tuft, chair, wingback, vintage, royal, etc. Also, don’t overlook garage sales and local second-hand stores. I’ve even posted on my Facebook shouting out to friends to see if they had any extra rugs, couches, chairs, etc. that I could take off of their hands. 🙂

Image above: I bought that mirror for under $50 online. I simply leaned it against a wall in my studio while she was sitting looking at herself in the mirror.  This is an easy low cost set that all my boudoir clients love!

Tools I used to create a Boudoir Bed/Headboard for under $15:
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  • A piece of drywall I had laying around (or you could use plywood, etc)
  • 12 ceiling tiles from your local hardware store (.33 cents per tile)
  • 1 can of paint (color of your choice) and a paint brush
  • wood or some type of STRONG glue

The tiles will all line up/connect together perfectly.  Line them up on your baseboard to see how they all fit BEFORE glue or paint.  We then laid out all of our tiles, painted them grey, and let them dry overnight. Once they were dry we lined them all up on the board and glued them all together.

 

Let’s keep the knowledge flowing! What’s your tip for creating a low cost photography set? Comment below!

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  1. Amanda on October 22, 2012 at 12:41 pm

    I could not have found this at a better time. I just started planning some winter boudoir sessions today!

    • Molly of Boudie Shorts on October 23, 2012 at 9:02 am

      Hi Amanda! So glad my article was able to help you at the perfect time! Winter certainly is a busy time for boudoir bookings 🙂

  2. Joanie on October 23, 2012 at 3:42 am

    One of the best types of sheer “wraps” for clients is found in the clearance section of window hangings. I’ve picked up many different colored sheers of varying lengths (usually no smaller than 5’x4′) for $1.50. It’s the last panel in stock and it gets marked down. You can wrap a client in it, take her out somewhere and let it flow behind her in the breeze, or you can throw it on a bed and let it bunch up around her. So versatile…and really easy to clean and store after use.

  3. abi Johncock on October 27, 2012 at 6:58 am

    Liked, subscribed an pinned all the above pages to enter the Tamron lens Giveaway 🙂

  4. Red Silk Photos on February 28, 2017 at 6:34 pm

    Great post about some basic boudoir backgrounds. One of the things I learned when I ran our big studio was having some baseboard on hand. It can take a simple white backdrop and turn it into a wall by clipping it to the fabric. A couple colors/stains and you can swap looks super easy. Great post.

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