Boudoir Interview 2 Kylene Cleaver

Interviews were to be monthly but Ive had such a good response and great guests lined up, cant wait that long. Today I am talking to Kylene Cleaver a Boudoir photographer who's company Simply Beautiful is based in Delaware, USA.

Changing the format slightly in that so far my guests do such a good introduction about themselves, I'll leave it as is.

So Kylene, tell us a bit about yourself

I love long walks on the beach, running after my 3 year old son, watching period films made by the BBC .

My love of the visual arts started at an early age.
Growing up I was encouraged to take classes in everything artistic. Ballet was my main focus from kindergarten through college. My dad always had a camera in hand at every performance. As I grew up so did his camera.

I frequently remember him shooting with his Canon film SLR. Seeing what he was able to capture along with looking through every ballet book known to man. So I guess you could say my ballet background has had a lot to do with my boudoir work. The way I compose my shots and pose my subjects tends to be very feminine and romantic.

I also tend to shoot my boudoir sessions with a wide open aperture which I've found was my magic bullet that brought my vision to life. How I got into shooting boudoir is a bit of a funny story and all thanks to my hair dresser. She called me up to do some images for her husband and I thought she had family portraits in mind, but she had other ideas.
The images turned out amazing and she spread the word of mouth about my new business like wildfire. And the rest as they say is history.

Down to the probing questions, lets start with the obvious, why Boudoir?

As I'm sure you've heard this before, I believe that every woman deserves to feel beautiful. Whether it be for him, for her (we're equal opportunity :-) )or just for yourself.

How long have you been photographing Boudoir?

Just a little over a year.

How would you describe your style?

Understated and elegant. Simply Beautiful...hence the name :-)

What did you photograph before you got bitten by the boudoir bug?

Weddings, engagements, families and children. I have also done a little editorial work.


More about you, where did you grow up?

I grew up on the East Coast of the U.S. close to Philadelphia. We're close to the ocean, about 2hours from New York City and the Appalachian mountains are about 3 hours west of us. It honestly was a amazing place to grow up.

Do you prefer to work in studio or location when it comes to Boudoir?

Both. I shoot both in studio and on location. I also love to shoot outdoors in natural light.


Boudoir photography is still in its infancy in the UK, how is it seen in the US?

In my opinion, It's gaining popularity, but when you mention you are a "Boudoir Photographer" be ready to hand over your card fast to show your work so that they don't get the wrong idea. A lot of times the first reaction is "Like Glamour Shots?"

Whats your favourite boudoir pose?

I love to do a arched back showing the mouth and the upper legs in the shot. Like this one....

Can you show us some more of your recent work?

Do you have a favorite photographer living or dead?

I LOVE Louis Greenfield. Her dance photography is amazing!


What is the best thing for you about shooting Boudoir?

The reaction I get from the women I photograph and significant others. Nothing makes me feel better to hear that they felt beautiful and loved the images.


Does anyone or anything influence your photography?

Light and shadows. While I give my clients direction I let the little things they do inspire me to capture who they are, like a drop of the eyes or a playful look.


Who is the most important person in your life?

My husband and my son...sorry I know that's two :-)



I know here in the UK some peoples initial reaction is that I am a glamour aka nude photographer, do you get a similar reaction and how do you deal with them?

Goodness gracious YES! Then I hand over my business card.


If you could shoot with any other photographer in the world who would it be ?

My good friend Charmi Pena! She's amazing!


Do you provide any wardrobe for your clients? If so whats your favourite item ?

I have some vintage hats, pearl necklaces and I have a few pairs of heels. The strands of pearls have to be my favorite and the most used item.


PC or Mac?

PC, but the way it been behaving a Mac isn't far away.


When you’re not working as a photographer what do you enjoy doing?

I love to go hiking with our dogs. It's great for clearing my mind and finding inspiration. I also love love love to bake anything chocolate! Brownies anyone?


Finally any advice you would give to budding boudoir photographers wanting to start out?

Learn lighting and study posing. I really suggest getting magazines like Vogue, Vanity Fair, Maxim, etc. Tear out the images that inspire you and place them in a folder. You can then go through the folder before shoots and get inspired on posing and lighting. I even take my folders to shoots with me to show my clients what I'm going for and how I would like to pose them. Clients will tend to have a better idea of what you're going for if you give them a visual.


More of Kylenes work can be found on her website or blog.

http://www.simplybeautifulboudoir.com/

http://blog.simplybeautifulboudoir.com/



Kylene, thank you very much for taking the time out.