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Photography is perhaps one of the art forms that best encapsulate 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 guise of photography, women within the society were able to emanate from their private worlds towards the eyes of the public sphere. 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. 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 fast becoming a popular portraiture trend. It is often commissioned by the subject but its purposes vary from one client to another. For instance, a wife might want to give her husband a gift for their anniversary, or perhaps a young lad would like to use the photo as an audition piece for a magazine's centerfold. Whatever their reasons might be, boudoir is definitely a good means to build one's self esteem in front of the camera despite your bodily 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 residing in Orange County and would like to have a timeless self-portrait, you can contact an Orange County photographer that specializes in boudoir; however, make sure to do a little researcher about the background of your intended photographer so that you can be sure that your expenses would be worthwhile. Overall, boudoir is a genre of photography that not only commemorates a woman's individuality, but more importantly it gives emphasis on the importance of confidence and positive self perception.