Boudoir Photography in Puerto Rico: The First of Many?

Lady in red.

     So there I am editing my life away in my home studio when my Instagram notifications go off. At first, I didn’t think much of it because it happens all day but this wasn’t just any notification: it was a direct message. Since I’m on my computer, I slide on over to my browser and I open it. Like with many approaches, I could’ve bet anything in the world that it was yet another spammer from the many people that often slide in there selling me their services. This guy, however, went straight to the point:

Are you taking on any more business?

     Admittedly, I was a little hesitant to even respond but it just so happened to be simultaneous with a scheduled break that I afforded myself so I decided to engage him in conversation. “Depends on what kind and when”, I replied. The more I talked to “this person”, the more human he became. One things leads to another and all of a sudden he’s asking me if I could hop on a quick call; I happily oblige. “Hi, my name is ‘John’ (real name hidden for privacy purposes) and I’m a talent recruiter based out of Miami. One of my girls just moved from Los Angeles, California to Puerto Rico and looking to add to her portfolio. Are you available?”

That look...

     In all honesty, I had never seen myself shooting gorgeous ladies on a beach seeing as how I’m a wedding photographer in Puerto Rico but the idea of venturing outside of my comfort zone and expanding my perspective was definitely something I’d consider. I provided ‘John’ a resounding yes and immediately met ‘Jennifer’ (pictured) via a Facetime call so that we could get to know each other and set expectations. We agreed to meet in Piñones, Loiza two days from the call during what’s known as ‘Golden Hour’: those famous sixty minutes prior to sunset that photographers in Puerto Rico absolutely love.

     When I made the decision to take ‘Jennifer’ on as a client, I knew I couldn’t do it alone. As a result, I reached out to Cami, a fellow destination wedding photographer in Puerto Rico, to assist me through the process with guidance and lighting. I picked her up at her place the day of the shoot and chit-chatted my life away with her; she actually went with me to Peru earlier this year on a photography retreat and felt like we clicked on all cylinders. Great girl and even greater photographer so I knew she was the right person to have around. We bonded over professional and personal conversations and, as soon as we arrived at the agreed upon pinpoint, we were amazed at the gorgeous day we were about to have. 

Pinprick in the sky

     A few minutes passed and all of a sudden I see ‘Jennifer’ making her way down the sandy dunes towards us wearing a white bikini top and some Daisy Dukes. She’s got a big smile on her face and a bag full of what I can only assume are the different bikini pairings she said she’d bring. All three of us hi-fived hello, exchanged pleasantries and got straight to it because we were burning daylight quite literally. Since ‘Jennifer’ was pretty much ready to go, we started taking her portraits in natural lighting since sundown was just getting started and we still had plenty of light with which to work. I saw some greenery behind her on a sandy hill and proceeded to point her in that direction for the first few shots. As a Puerto Rico wedding photographer, I knew exactly how I wanted this to go but it felt different because having a model rely on my expertise is a little nerveracking, specially knowing she’ll probably be submitting these picts to talent agencies. It’s a great time to shine! 

Kicking things off.

     The plan all along was to take as many pictures of ‘Jennifer’ as humanly possible before I lost all ability to use the sunset to my advantage. We started out with her white bikini using ambient light but I knew deep down I was there for the sole purpose of making her look amazing using both ambient and flash photography. As a photographer in Puerto Rico, I know that people love to showcase our gorgeous island and use it as a backdrop to their stunning imagery therefore I whipped out the flash, assembled it even before she got there and got to work while Cami provided me with the assist. I slapped on the Godox trigger to my Canon camera, dialed in my settings and started taking some amazing portraits.

Flashing Lights.

     I found some solace in the sense that not only it was my first time shooting a model like ‘Jennifer’ in this kind of environment but I was also humbled to know it was her first time having her picture professionally taken in this kind of environment. As expected, she was a little stiff seeing as how we had just met earlier that week virtually but as things progressed she started loosening up and revealing the hidden talent that I think she harbors deep inside for modeling. I could tell she was anxious to get the ball rolling that day and took Cami and my advice to heart from the get-go. She was very attentive to our instructions and was open to the idea of being led the whole time. 

Blue dreams

     Truth be told, I’ve always found a one-piece swimsuit to be more flattering on the female body. I think it hugs the curves in all the right places and accentuates a lady’s features more favorably than the bikinis do; personal preference, I suppose. With every changing outfit, Cami would help ‘Jennifer’ change behind the bushes (seen above) and I would never know what ensemble she’d come out with with every outfit change. Lo and behold, I see our model whip up this blue number which is a classic take on the woman’s swimsuit. I absolutely loved it. It’s elegant yet feminine so I decided to showcase it with natural sunlight, pairing the greenery in the background with the blues in the sky.

Back in black for the first time.

     As the afternoon went on, I realized ‘Jennifer’ was becoming more and more comfortable in her own skin. She was taking advice a bit quicker and even posing for the camera on her own which tells me she was acclimating to the environment quite well. Another outfit change later and we were onto a black bikini, this time a bit closer to the water. We had scoured the internet with different scenarios and poses which we wanted to replicate and went after each and every single one of them to the best of our abilities knowing that time wasn’t on our side. The faster the sun went down, the more power I had to produce with artificial lighting. It was getting to a point where my strobes were doing most of the heavy lifting but I was making sure as a Puerto Rico wedding photographer that I was using most of the little that was left.

Salty but sweet. 

Towards the end of our session together, ‘Jennifer’ resorted to taking her top off in a sensual, not sexual way. I was all for it as long as the photoshoot remained classy and professional. Unfortunately it inevitably drew the attention of some beachgoers; Cami had to block her from being spied on from a distance with our gigantic softbox. The last thing we want happening was for our talent to feel awkward when the initial intention of this get-together was to feel empowered. We did our best to handle the situation as we retained the glimpse of sunlight sneaking in through the blue tones in the sky that remained. The look that it gave us was undoubtedly one of my favorites from the entire hour together because it allows me to really make ‘Jennifer’ stand out as my focal point. I had an amazing time and I would not put it past me to pursue a career as a boudoir photographer in Puerto Rico. If you’re interested in getting together, feel free to reach out.