Photography is an art form that best encompass 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. In fact, photographing women is what made it possible for females to be released from the concept of domesticity.

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 of photography that often has women as subjects but can also be done for men, capturing them in sensual or suggestive poses or setting that may contain little or no nudity. 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. Back in the old days however, boudoir is used to refer to different private rooms commonly utilized by women which includes the sitting room, dressing room and 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 ordinary women who wish to show a different side of their characters in the camera. The idea is to let loose of their inhibitions for a while in order to commemorate female sensuality without the need to shed all their clothes, rather they artistically use their bodies to angle themselves in suggestive poses to express their emotions. Unlike erotic photography that are almost digitally perfect, boudoir leaves a room for the subject's bodily flaws to be exemplified with little or no image manipulation.

Boudoir photography is becoming a popular trend in self-portraiture. Oftentimes, the photo shoot is commissioned by the subject but its purposes differ from one client 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. Whatever their reasons might be, boudoir is one good way to feel comfortable about yourself in front of the camera regardless of your flaws.

In Southern California, modern boudoir is gaining a wide following among women since it started six years ago and is rapidly spreading to other parts of the country. 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.