What are "Boudoir Noir" and "Portrait Noir"?

On the Studio Boudoir website you may have seen the terms "Boudoir Noir" and "Portrait Noir" - but what do these terms actually mean? What kind of imagery am I describing when I use them? To some people ("Film Noir" fans) the meaning will be obvious and instantaneous – but for those who are interested and aren't sure here's an explanation.

I created these descriptive terms to describe variations on the mainstream boudoir and portrait genres that I offer to clients as options when they book a photoshoot. Their meaning derives from the 1940s film genre "Film Noir" which in turn originated largely from German expressionist cinema of the 1920s. Generally the term "Noir" implies shadowy low key contrasty lighting to emphasize shape and form - "Film Noir" uses this in a number of ways to suggest among other things mystery and suspense. In it's depiction of women, it's often used to portray edginess, power, sinister intent, but above all sultriness and eroticism. It is from this fictional cinematic world where many of our modern ideas and visual vocabulary relating to femme fatales originated (A femme fatale is an alluring and seductive woman whose charms often ensnare her lovers usually leading them into dangerous, and deadly situations with often fatal consequences).

I am quite sure all readers of this article will know at least one "Film Noir" even if they don't realize that's what it is. Among the more famous examples would be films such as "Sunset Boulevard", "Double Indemnity", "Gilda" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice". I am personally most influenced by the director Robert Siodmak who is perhaps less known but made, to my mind, the archetypal films of the genre and was responsible for much of the lighting which has most strongly influenced me. Perhaps key among his films "The Killers", "The Phantom Lady" and the ironically titled and often overlooked "Christmas Holiday".

When I use the term "Noir" in relation to photography it is of course the visual style of "Film Noir" that I am referring to – so to get a better idea of what my terms "Boudoir Noir" and "Portrait Noir" mean and how they differ from ordinary boudoir and portraiture it is helpful to examine the visual stylistics of "Film Noir"

Noir as a Visual Style

"Noir" as a visual style is very distinctive and has a number of key elements. The first and most important as mentioned is the low key lighting. But regular boudoir photography can use low key as can portraiture – so by itself shadowy lighting is not enough to justify the term "Noir Style" when applied to a picture.

Among other key elements in "Noir" one that features highly is the use of unusual angles. Wide angle, slant shots and low angle shots are all very commonplace. Perspective can be emphasized or distorted with items of furniture or even human features taking on exaggerated importance in the pictorial composition. The use of unusual angles is often enhanced by use of angular patterned shadows (the most familiar cliché being the Venetian blind – but also often window frames, or sharp shadows of walls obscuring features of the subject in various ways). Shadow can also be used to suggest claustrophobic situations or to create atmosphere and mystery.

Essentially through the use of composition, shadow, angles and lighting the "Noir" stylistic intent is to grip your eye and make you think about about the image by it drawing attention to itself. Sometimes ambiguity is deliberately created in order to achieve this and give depth to the imagery so it can be interpreted in a number of different ways.

The picture to the left illustrates some of these ideas in action and I'd classify as one of my "Boudoir Noir" shots. The light shining through the stair rail creates a regular pattern of shadows on the model. The exposed stocking implies eroticism but the treatment of the edges of the picture is suggestive of tunnel vision and invokes a sense of the claustrophobic. Put together many find this a powerful image that grabs the eye and demands to be looked at. Yet it is something more then straight forward Boudoir... at least to my eye. The model used was Aurora (not Dita Von Teese - many confuse the two with this image).

Why Don't Mainstream Magazines and Photo Studios use this Approach?

Well if you asked for it specifically they might oblige you but... in general in high street glamour photography the current fashion is for high key lighting. This form is also very popular with many mainstream portrait studios. It involves the elimination of all shadow to produce a soft bright light which records the subject in a very factual non-dramatic way. You often see this approach used against white or neutral coloured backgrounds or in light settings. The look can be created by use of a pair of soft boxes (flash units fitted with large reflective boxes to make the light very soft and scattered generally arranged either side of the subject). Another very popular slightly more distinctive way of doing it is to use a ring flash – this is a flash tube or lamp that sits in a ring around the camera lens and also produces very flat shadowless light and is very popular in fashion magazines and on MTV. You can always tell when it's in use as you see the tell tale doughnut light rings or in videos you see a ring of lights reflected in the subjects eyes.

These forms of lighting have their place and are very good when you are creating pictures that are intended to be a record of the subject or their clothing. They are also much loved by the photographic industry because it's easy to get a "good" picture using them. Almost any photographer can set up a couple of soft boxes and shoot away – the only challenge being to get the model into good poses and with great expressions. Pin-up and cheesecake pictures are also generally done with this type of lighting as the idea is to be fun and without any deeper meaning then the joy of the model posing.

The "Noir" approach by contrast can be trickier. The reason being that while shadows can look fantastic and add character, mystery and atmosphere to a picture a lot of the time when a photographer is not skilled in the form they just look wrong... Often they exaggerate features in an unwanted way (e.g. making your nose look large or adding unflattering shadows under your eyes). This is why the high key look is so popular with magazines – it was easy to get a workable picture.

If a shadowy or "Noir" styled approach is taken there is a real danger an unskilled photographer may mess up and you end up with only bad pictures, none usable for your article. Clearly this is a huge risk when there is only perhaps 15 to 30 minutes to get that perfect picture of a celebrity. Since on the whole magazines tend to employ the cheapest photographers they can find (unless they are big name magazines who have in house experts), it's easy to see why they have been opting for the high key look.

The problem with high key is that if you have too much of it it becomes mundane and bland. It also communicates little atmosphere or character from your subjects. This is why I believe the trend for high key work is on the decline. We have had many years of high key photography now – throughout the 90s and early part of this century and so fashion is turning once again to a lower key look which (in my opinion) has more potential for conveying meaning and character but which also is far more challenging photographically (and hence interesting!).

The Resurgence of Low Key Lighting

In the days when high key lighting was becoming increasingly popular (through the 70s and 80s) low key was considered too dramatic and somewhat old fashioned. However, a problem with high key is that when it comes to boudoir and portraiture it's not always very effective. Imagine boudoir in high key – it could be done but there would be no suggestion of mystery. The pictures would look flat and without shadow lack character. They would look in fact much like "lads mags" lingerie pictures.

In portraiture with a high key approach you can get a great record of someone and many high street portrait studios use this well. But to many of those who want something more exciting with character it all seems a bit mundane and lacking in excitement.

Hence we see the resurgence of demand for low key styles. It is now the turn of high key pictures to seem old fashioned!

Boudoir photography in particular has made use of this to produce exciting feminine and classy eroticism retaining mystery and character in it's subjects rather then laying everything bare like the approach used in many "lads mags".

So what IS the difference between regular Boudoir or Portraiture and their "Noir" variations?

I have created the terms "Boudoir Noir" and "Portrait Noir" to describe an aspect of what I can provide pictorially. They are just stylistic terms. There is nothing magic about them. By using them I am simply hoping to advertise that I understand Noir visual style and can make use of it.

Regular boudoir photography as practiced by the many boudoir photographers out there does not generally include these stylings (at least among the photographers whose work I've looked at). Yes, they all do low key shadowy photography but by itself that is not what I mean by "Noir". Lacking are the other stylistic elements – the unusual angles, the use of shadow as pattern, ambiguities in the compositions and so on. The same can be said for many portrait photographers although in this field I have found a few that are experimenting.

It has to be said for many (perhaps most people) the "Noir" distinction is unimportant – they just want a portrait or a set of boudoir photographs. But for those who are fans of "Noir" the option to have a "Noir" themed shoot will be something that appeals and acts as another exciting and fun option to add to their shoot experience if they so desire it!

Of course I am quite happy to mix and match low key, high key, "Noir" and any other elements desired when working for someone... but I have to say "Noir" is among my favourite styles of shooting!