Hello, lovelies, and welcome back to the Le Boudoir Studio blog. Pinup photography is all about expressing your inner and outer beauty while feeling empowered and confident. Pinup photography today taps into the traditional photographs of pinup beauties from the early to mid-20th century. These gorgeous pinup models would pose for pictures that would be mass produced in magazines and newspapers to appeal to popular culture. Donning the classic pinup hair and makeup styles that became popular in the 1940s, these beauties can typically be seen holding some sort of prop, which reflects the rise of advertising, fashion, and consumerism during this time.  

As women, we tend to compare ourselves to beauty queens in magazines and on the silver screen, who always look flawlessly gorgeous — it’s in our nature. Sometimes, comparing ourselves to these women — who, mind you, have a team of makeup artists, stylists, fitness trainers, and nutritionists ready at their beck and call — can cause us to feel self-conscious when it comes to posing for everyday photos or in a professional pinup photoshoot. This is completely natural and there’s no shame in wanting to look stunning in pinup photos, but how can you shake these feelings of insecurity for your photoshoot?

At Le Boudoir Photography in Scottsdale, we are passionate about finding and highlighting the beauty in all women and encouraging them to feel gorgeous, confident, and sexy in their pinup photoshoots. One method we have found that can really inspire women to feel strong and beautiful during their photoshoot is through the use of props. Props are used in pinup photography to add character and context to a photo to set the scene, theme, and mood. Props can also inspire confidence during a pinup shoot because the model chooses the props, rather than having someone else (like a man) choose them for her. Plus, props can make a pinup photoshoot unique to the individual, emphasizing aspects that are important to the model that she wishes to showcase in her photos. Props provide direction while helping the model to step into a role that allows her to express her playful, flirty, and sexy side, that she might otherwise tend to mute in everyday life. Holding a simple prop like a classic flashbulb camera, for example, can add character to a photoshoot while adding a personal touch to the image. In today’s blog post, we will explore different props and how these can help boost your confidence so you can feel confident, self-assured, and radiant during your pinup photoshoot.

Sweet Sippin’

Incorporating beverages and straws into your pinup photoshoot allows you to play with different facial expressions and poses to create a gorgeous photo. You will have your hair and makeup professionally done for your photoshoot to accentuate your natural beauty, which also reflects the classic pinup style. Implementing props that are found in vintage pinup photos like a  beverage with a straw will highlight your beautiful facial features. For instance, holding a cup of tea, sipping a bottle of Coca-Cola® Classic, drinking lemonade from an adorable striped straw not only gives you that classic pinup girl look, but also allows you to use your lips, eyes, facial expressions, and body to create fun and flirty poses that will look gorgeous, and which can boost your courage during a shoot.

Lean-To Props

We also incorporate larger props such as a candy stand that allows you to use your entire body to create a stunning image. Having larger props not only gives you a large object to lean against, sit on, or kick your legs up against, these props can help you feel less exposed during your photoshoot. It can be a little nerve wracking to do a photoshoot with nothing else in the photograph, so having a large prop can help boost your self-assurance while giving you something to “play on” in your photoshoot, which can help you feel sexy. And when you feel gorgeous, your true beauty really shows.

Get Playful With Candy

Using candy props is a great way for our models to express their playful side during their pinup photoshoot. Why, you ask? When you think of candy, it often brings back memories of being a kid. Using props like lollipops can help our models feel more relaxed during their shoot because, for one, they are using a prop that they are familiar with, and two, as they try out different poses and facial expressions, their natural playfulness comes out. As you express your fun-loving, flirtatious side during your shoot, this can really boost your confidence and create a truly stunning series of photographs.

These are just a few ways that props can help you feel confident, sexy, and gorgeous during your pinup photoshoot. Tune in to our upcoming blog articles to learn even more ways the use of props can add character and inspire confidence and beauty in a pinup photoshoot. If you would like to book a shoot, contact us at Le Boudoir Photography in Scottsdale and the surrounding area. We look forward to working with you! Until next time, thank you for reading our blog.