Tastefully exotic Boudoir photographer views pictures as works of art What I Know About...
By: AV Kitching Posted: 3:00 AM CDT Tuesday, May. 14, 2024

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This article was published 14/05/2024 (830 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Lynn Kozyra is a photographer who specializes in taking boudoir photographs of her subjects at her studio, Lynn Kozyra Intimates. She celebrates all body types and says her clients often leave her sessions feeling empowered and confident.

Doing boudoir portraits has really changed my life …

… and who I am and my confidence. I carry myself differently because I am in this safe, body-positive space. I feel really comfortable and confident. My clients empower me more than anyone. Being able to see and help them transform and love themselves helps me love myself. It is all connected.

I have been boudoir photographer …

… full-time for three years. Before that I was doing maternity, which is when I discovered I liked photographing women and making them feel beautiful.

My photographs are not porn …

… because they are photographed from a woman’s perspective. I see my clients as art. I don’t view them as objects of pleasure for others. I am trying to highlight and show them as a powerful and beautiful women. I want them to see their photos as a way to reaffirm to themselves that they are beautiful and worthy.

It’s the intention behind the art that really matters …

… the difference between boudoir and erotica is that erotica is about exposing genitalia and doing sex acts, whereas boudoir is like a nude painting. If you see classic nude paintings, you see people are naked and being shown in a way that is not meant to arouse.

People can make assumptions about me …

… based on what I do for a living, but I am confident in myself and the reasons I do the work I do. That matters to me more than anybody else’s opinion.

My husband is super-supportive …

… he has a lot of trust in me. He lets me take pictures of him, as well, if I need to practise with a guy. He is OK with me photographing other men. At first he was a little hesitant, but we talked about it and now he has no problem. There is a reframing that has to happen in people’s minds to see the why and not to just see it as something “bad.”

I work on the landscape of the body …

… I know what angles, lighting and framing are best for different bodies. I have photographed everyone from a size 0 to 30. I have seen a lot of bodies.

Every body is worthy of being photographed…

… and being loved regardless of the shape that it’s in because it’s carried you through the experiences in your life. Your body reflects those experiences and is worthy of loving.

You have to work on your own personal body image …

…. because if you don’t then your own insecurities can affect how you photograph your client. If you don’t like your stomach then you are going to ask them to hide theirs. You cannot project your own insecurities onto your client. I have done a lot of healing with myself.

We’re not all that different…

… we all have similar fear and insecurities. If you’re booking a boudoir session, you are looking to affirm yourself. You are looking to heal a part of yourself. You don’t want to live a life where you hate yourself.

Lighting is a really big component in the work that I do …

… and I don’t mean just professional lighting, it’s even natural lighting. The direction of the light, the way you want it to hit your client so that when you see that photograph your eye is drawn to a specific part. If you don’t light your photograph correctly, people aren’t going to be looking at what you want them to look at.

It’s just like a painting …

… if you look at art from the Renaissance era, the light draws attention to the specific thing it wants to show. With every photograph, you create what you want someone to feel when they see that photograph, what you want them to focus in on that photograph, what you want to fall in the shadows and what should stand out more.

There are endless styles of boudoir photography…

…there is light and airy where the photographs are in a white room with bright white light and not a lot of colour. There is a darker, where it’s less colourful but moody. Then there’s styles such as BDSM, or more nudes, or more like lifestyle boudoir where you are sitting on a couch in a cosy sweater.

My style of boudoir photography is vibrant and moody…

… my pictures are dark, but they are also very bright because there is a lot of colour in them. I use a lot of shiny materials and satin sheets. There are golds and greens. Really rich and vibrant colours.

People have the option to Zoom …

… before coming in to help with their comfort level. I send out a questionnaire beforehand so I have an idea of what they are looking for.

Questions include what kind of style they are looking for, what nudity level are they comfortable with, things such as spiciness level — is it more fine art or more BDSM? I also ask them what their favourite songs are — we don’t play country music; country isn’t the right vibe!

I mainly photograph women because…

… that is who boudoir mainly appeals to. I also photograph other genders … male and non-binary. This is an inclusive studio.

Some people come in really unsure …

… of what they want. We do three different looks so you can have three totally different sets within your photo shoot. There are a lot of different props and accessories. I have jewelry and fur coats and big robes with feathers on them, body chains, harnesses, whips, cuffs. I have everything.

The first time someone meets me…

… I don’t tell them right away to take their clothes off and start taking pictures. I want to get to know them, so I like to talk to them. It helps ease their nerves.

Nudity is something I save for the end of the session…

… I don’t start with it. People come in thinking they don’t want nudes and as the session progresses they change their mind. And some people come in thinking they want to go nude and they actually don’t.

I don’t photograph what I call …

… lips and bits. We are not doing open leg, coochie out. We are not doing that. That is erotica; that is a whole different level.

Hair and makeup is part of the package…

… the first thing we do is makeup with my makeup artist. We hang out and chat. I actually curl their hair. It’s like a ritual, preparing them before they are photographed.

I really want it to be a fun day for them…

… I want them to look back on the experience and have good memories. I want it to be a good positive experience, not one where they feel really insecure and emotional.

I let people bring a friend for makeup…

.. but I don’t for the photographic part because it hampers the process. They are worried about what the person watching thinks of them. I prefer one-on-one for solo shoots.

When it is just me one-on-one with someone…

… their sole attention is on me. It’s just us in the room. There is a lot of direct eye contact. I am connecting with them so they can connect with themselves.

Definitely no boyfriends…

… unless they are in the picture. If they are the subject then it’s different. I don’t want to be part of somebody’s fantasy; I will feel uncomfortable and it will impact the photos in the end if I don’t feel comfortable.

In my studio…

… I have lingerie people can borrow. I have sizes small to 6X in a wide variety of styles and looks. People are welcome to bring stuff in, but I find a lot of people don’t.

I use Lysol detergent …

… to wash the lingerie. Also people have to wear something underneath. They can wear a thong; I always have new ones they can wear and then throw out. Things get cycled through the closet; once they have been worn a few times, they get cycled out.

There is a definite difference photographing different genders…

… but one thing that’s the same is everyone is coming in nervous for the most part. Most of them have never done it before and don’t really know what to expect.

I have photographed some men by themselves …

… Men don’t inquire by themselves as often, but I have had a few … Therapists will recommend men to book a boudoir shoot to help with their confidence, but I have never had a woman come to me and say their therapist recommended they do a shoot for their confidence.

When I photograph couples, I don’t want them …

… paying attention to me. I want them paying attention to each other. I want them to be enmeshed in their own love and their own bubble and I am a fly on the wall.

av.kitching@freepress.mb.ca