Is Boudoir Photography Feminist?

So much of photography, especially of women’s bodies, has been filtered through the male gaze. Feminist boudoir disrupts that. It replaces the performance of beauty with presence. Feeling over form.

In a Guardian feature on The Female Gaze, we see how women photographers across the world are shifting the narrative. Their images centre tenderness, power, discomfort, intimacy. Not just what looks pleasing to someone else.

Feminist boudoir photography carries that same intention. It’s not about hiding sexuality or softness. It’s about placing those things in your hands, not someone else’s. You have the power, the choice and the agency.

Feminist boudoir photography isn’t about posing for someone else’s pleasure. It’s about creating images with the subject, not of them. When a woman steps in front of the camera on her own terms, defines how she wants to feel, and sees herself reflected in a powerful and sometimes vulnerable light, it’s not about the viewer. It’s about her.

Photography, especially nude or intimate portraiture, has historically positioned women as passive objects. Feminist boudoir flips that script. We ask: How do you want to be seen? How do you want to feel? Strong? Vulnerable? Joyful? Rebellious? My job is to listen and co-create.

Feminist boudoir photography pays close attention to the energy in the room. I recognise that consent isn’t a one-time form, it’s a living agreement. The camera doesn’t just capture bodies. It reflects the choices behind the lens. I never assume you want to be called sexy unless that was one of your keywords. If we stray into a different visual energy than we discussed, I pause and ask how it feels to you.

True feminist boudoir is collaborative. It starts with a mood board or a theme. We check in before, during, and after the session. We co-create a space that invites your story, without ever demanding it.

This question still comes up a lot and it’s worth sitting with.

The “male gaze” refers to the way women are so often depicted through a lens of objectification or control. In feminist boudoir, the lens is collaborative. The subject is not being directed to titillate or to conform to a narrow idea of beauty. Instead, you’re being invited to explore your own narrative.

This is where ethics in photography matter. Who’s behind the camera? What questions are being asked? Who has the final say in what’s shared, or not shared?

Feminist boudoir is not just about aesthetics. It’s about safety, trust, and informed consent. It’s about saying “yes” and knowing you can also say “no.”

Here’s some reasons why many feminists have booked a boudoir experience with me. Not in spite of their beliefs, but because of them.

* To mark a milestone: a birthday, a breakup, a recovery, a survival.

*To reclaim their body after illness, trauma, or childbirth.

*To celebrate pleasure, self-worth, and presence in the now.

*To see themselves through an artist’s eye—without apology.

These aren’t photos for someone else’s consumption. They’re for the person in them. Sometimes they’re shared. Sometimes they’re private. Always, they are yours.

The meaning of feminism today is nuanced and, for many, conflicted. While at its core feminism advocates for equity, autonomy, and freedom of choice, the word itself has become polarising. Some associate it with anger or exclusion. Others feel it demands a singular way of thinking, dressing, or being.

But I believe feminism isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about asking: Do I have agency? Do I get to choose? And: Am I allowed to show up fully as myself—whatever that looks like?

Seen through that lens, boudoir photography, when created with intention, care, and respect, can be one of the most quietly feminist forms of art.