Space at my studio is at a premium, so my only way to introduce new photography sets is to makeover an old one!
I was really keen to have a purpose built boudoir area at the studio. I've had the little day bed for a few years now and it just gets moved around the studio out of the way and was barely being used. The requests for classic boudoir photoshoots has brown year by year, so it was time for me to swap out one of my lesser used sets and replace it with a moody boudoir area.
My previous career was working as a visual merchandiser and window dresser so creating these mini sets had always been a real joy for me.
I was keen to spend as little as possible in the space as the studio had not long reopened after the pandemic. I painted the walls using some leftover green paint from home, which I added a touch of black to just to mute the green down a little, as I felt it was too vibrant for the look I was aiming for.
Once painted it was time to shop on a budget!
I headed to the sale curtains section at The Range and picked up 2 pairs of sheer curtains for a total of £10. These were to be used as a backdrop on the back wall and as a cover for the awful industrial ceiling at the studio.
Next stop one of my favourite places, Homesense! I had some vouchers from Christmas to spend here which was perfect for keeping to my low budget. Again, the sale section was great! I managed to pick up a double planter, orchid, fern, candle holder, side table, snake magnifying glass, and three cushions all for under £100.
I still needed a throw, mirror and some more rustic looking flooring to cover the current laminate floor which just really isn't too my taste.
I found the mirror and throw at B&M and managed to pick up the flooring from the damaged and missing pieces section at B&Q, so paid a fraction of the cost!
I really love a good before and after transformation shot!
My first client in the set was a stunning lady who has several photoshoots with me over the years. I set up a soft box behind the sheer curtains and bounced the light off the wall for a soft glow. I added a beauty dish to cast some extra light in my model without flooding the set with too much light, this meant I was able to capture the glow of the lit candle still.
When it came to editing I knew I wanted to slightly mattify the colours and have a low contrast, very soft feel to the images. I really love this dark, grainy look. It's so different from my usual style.
Thank you for checking out my post. Any comments or questions are most welcome.
