Portrait, personal branding, glamour and boudoir
What's the difference between them?
I've heard from several people recently that they would never have a glamour photo shoot. At first, I didn't understand why, but then I realized that we mean completely different things by the word ’glamour’. That's why I thought I'd help you navigate the different genres.
Portrait, personal branding, glamour and boudoir photos are taken for different purposes. The style and mood are different, thanks to the different clothing, makeup, environment, pose, lighting, cropping, etc.
The names are partly subjective, because there are not always sharp boundaries between the individual genres. A given image can be either a portrait and glamour photo or a glamour and boudoir photo at the same time. It's not always necessary to categorize everything, but identifying genres can give guidance to you and your photographer when planning a photo shoot.
Portrait photography
Portrait photography usually focuses on your natural appearance or personality. You don't have to ’dress up’, you can even wear casual clothes, and you don't have to wear makeup if you're not used to it anyway. (Tip: Foundation with good coverage always comes in handy, though.) The background and environment are less important.
Portraits can be taken outdoors or in a studio, and we often use natural lighting. Portrait photos are more personal. You can use them for example as profile photos in social media or on dating sites, but they also make personal or family memories.
Glamour photography
Glamour photography focuses on beauty and femininity. More fashionable clothes accentuating the figure, stronger makeup, a hairstyle done by a hairdresser, a stylish environment or a refined body and hand posture are central to this genre. In some cases, the lighting is also more complex. Retouching is definitely stronger. A glamour photo shoot can be a real confidence booster and a super girly program.
Boudoir photography
Compared to this, boudoir photography creates a more intimate, sensual atmosphere and emphasizes feminine allure even more. Makeup and hairstyle are still important, but the amount of clothing is reduced. You can wear lingerie, a robe, or even an oversized men's shirt, leaving your legs exposed.
Such photos are usually taken in a studio – in rooms that are furnished as bedrooms or stylish bathrooms. The photos are usually taken for your own personal use. Ladies often want to surprise their partners with a sexy photo series, but some ladies want a photo shoot for themselves.
Many people also use the word ’glamour photography’ for this genre, which can cause the misunderstandings mentioned in the introduction. Some people want to show more of themselves or dare to show more, but it is important not to confuse boudoir photography with nude photography.
Portrait photography / Business portrait photography
Personal branding photography is close to portrait photography. The main difference lies in the use of images. For example, if you have a small business and want a profile photo of yourself for your social media platforms or website, you should opt for a branding session.
Clothing and makeup depend on the image you want to project about yourself and your business, and the field you work in. For example, a fitness instructor and a dentist will have different types of images taken for their website / Facebook or Instagram page. (Also note that in the case of personal branding photography, photos of the location, the work process or work tools, etc. can also be taken in addition to profile images, and thus you get a more complex set of images for business use.)
In the case of business portrait photography, as the name suggests, we only take portraits, e.g. a more formal photo in a suit for a larger company's website or Linkedin. In this case, no other branding images are taken.
Remember that there aren’t always sharp boundaries between the different genres. The best thing to do is to discuss in detail with your photographer in advance what kind of images you want.
If you have any further questions or would like to have your own series, I look forward to hearing from you.
