Most women don’t walk into their shoot feeling like the women in my portfolio—but by the end, they do. These curvy boudoir photography ideas are how I help you get there, using angles, outfits, and lighting to bring out the absolute best in your body.
Curvy Boudoir Photography Ideas Start with Posing
One of the fundamentals of flattering any body in photos is understanding how distance to the camera works: whatever is closer will look bigger, and whatever is farther away will look smaller. I use this principle in every session to emphasize your best features and minimize the ones you’re more self-conscious about.
For most curvy women, the tummy is one of the most common areas of insecurity—and it’s something I account for in nearly every pose I direct. I’ve developed a variety of boudoir poses to hide tummy areas without sacrificing the beauty or confidence in the final image.
This is why I often use positions where you’re lying down or slightly angled. Lying on your back allows gravity to naturally flatten the tummy while lifting the chest. When you’re on your stomach, your midsection can be fully concealed while we bring focus to the hips, lower back, and booty. Stretching poses—like raising your arms overhead—help elongate your torso and smooth your waistline. And when it comes to showing off your curves from behind, I use kneeling booty shots or over-the-shoulder angles that emphasize your shape while keeping everything flattering and intentional.
Here’s how I put these ideas into practice during your shoot:
- Lying on your back: Helps flatten the tummy and shifts attention to the face and chest when taken from a high angle.
- Lying on your stomach: Conceals the midsection and emphasizes your hips and lower back.
- Stretching poses: Arms overhead elongate the torso and slim your waistline.
- Booty-focused poses: Kneeling and angled shots from behind to accentuate your curves.
Each of these poses is simple but powerful when directed well. You can explore more details and examples in my full guide on boudoir poses for plus-size women.
Boudoir Outfit Ideas for Curvy Women
Choosing the right lingerie can do more for your figure than anything else you can purchase. Here are a few slimming pieces I often recommend to my plus size clients:
- Corsets – for major waist definition
- Balconette bras – to lift and shape your chest
- Bodysuits – for light bust support and subtle tummy concealment
- High-waisted panties – shapes your lower tummy area
- Thigh-high stockings – elongates your legs and smooths cellulite.
If you’re not sure what styles flatter your specific shape, check out this post about choosing boudoir outfits for your body type. It has lots of great tips for enhancing the figures of curvier women.
Lighting and Shadows That Flatter Curvy Women
Light doesn’t just illuminate—it shapes. One of the most effective ways I sculpt and slim plus size women for boudoir photos is by using strategic shadows. When placed intentionally, shadows can help visually cut into your body line and make certain areas fade gently from view.
If you’re self-conscious about your tummy, arms, or hips, I’ll often use the light source to emphasize your curves while allowing those sensitive areas to fall into shadow. This not only creates mood and drama in the photo—it naturally makes you appear slimmer without needing to hide editing tricks or other gimmicks. By posing you closer to light sources I’ll often create high-contrast looks for aggressive shadows that hide everything.
In short, the right lighting placement makes your favorite features pop and lets everything else quietly fall away in an artistic looking way. The result is a photo that feels powerful—because it reflects how you want to be seen.
Using Props to Shape and Conceal
When I talk about props, I’m not talking about staged accessories. I’m talking about the real, everyday items already in your space. This could be something as simple as a bedsheet, a chair, or even a nearby wall or doorway. I use props all the time to conceal areas you’re less confident about while drawing attention to the features you want to show off.
Bedsheets are one of my favorites. I’ll often drape them loosely across your waist or hips, letting the fabric cut into your body line to create shape and visual slimming. Chairs with solid arms are another go-to—I’ll pose you into a flattering seated position and then angle the camera so that the chair itself blocks your tummy.
Sometimes I use the space around us, like architectural details or furniture, to hide part of your body from the lens while still letting your curves shine. These subtle tricks not only create a more sculpted look—they also let you feel more comfortable and in control of what’s shown.
Camera Angles for Curvy Boudoir Photography
Angles are everything. Even just a few inches of difference in how you turn your body—or where I stand—can completely change how your curves look in-camera. Shooting from slightly above your eyeline draws attention to your face and chest while naturally slimming your midsection.
I also use longer focal length lenses to compress space and smooth out proportions. This kind of lens softens edges and gives you a more flattering silhouette, especially when combined with subtle posing cues like twisting your waist or shifting your weight.
Beyond the angle and lens choice, I’ll also crop in tighter or frame your body in ways that emphasize what you love and gently exclude the areas you don’t. If you’re self-conscious about your tummy, for example, we might crop from the waist up or isolate the shot to focus on your curves, neckline, or facial expression. It’s not about hiding your body—it’s about highlighting your best features.
How to Improve Your Shape Before Your Boudoir Photo Shoot
All of the above techniques will dramatically improve your photos—but if you’re looking for a real transformation, the most powerful changes happen before you even step in front of the camera. Habits like consistent strength training, adherence to a clean diet and getting adequate sleep will improve your photos more than anything else mentioned in this post.
If you want specific suggestions, check out my post on how to tone up for your boudoir photo shoot. I break down exercises and mindset tips that help my clients feel stronger, leaner, and more confident leading up to their shoot.