Boudoir by Lumiere: Meet the Leeds photographer on a mission to empower women through naked photoshoots

Laura Slater launched her studio Boudoir by Lumiere in 2018, and now has clients travelling across the country for her racy yet tasteful photoshoots.

Boudoir is a centuries-old form of photography that captures intimate shots of a client’s body.

It wasn’t what she had expected to be doing when she was studying photography. The dream job for any student photographer was in fashion, Laura said.

But seeing the impact boudoir photoshoots could have on women’s confidence while working for a different studio convinced her to give it her all when she opened her own space.

The 31-year-old said: “At that studio, I very much got thrown in the deep end. There was no real training. They said ‘this is what we do, off you go’ and it was an instant hook. 

“The fact that I have my own studio is an absolute dream come true. Boudoir is still relatively kind of unknown in the UK. There'll be some people that have absolutely no idea what it is.”

The name comes from the French word meaning a ‘woman's private dressing room’. And it is also heavily misunderstood, Laura said.

She explained: “When people see things like my Instagram page, a lot of people don't really get it. They just see sexy photos - and that's so far away from what the point is. 

“I have clients that come to me for a lot of different reasons. A lot of the time it's a wedding gift for a partner. But it's also a self confidence boost - if people have lost weight, if people have gained weight, and they want to learn to love their bodies. 

“I have had women come to me who've been given terminal diagnosis and said, ‘it's not something I would have really thought of’ but when all of a sudden your options get taken away from you, and time's running out, you do all the things that might not have otherwise thought to do. There's a lot more to it than just photos in your underwear.”

It comes with its own challenges. Getting the word out about boudoir photography is difficult, especially with strict social media guidelines.

But Laura is fiercely passionate about empowering women through these shoots and won’t let these obstacles stop her from doing what she loves.

She said: “It can genuinely change people’s lives. I think a lot of us women have suffered with body dysmorphia to some varying degree. Some stuff that I was brought up with as an early 90s baby, I just think it's messed with us all. 

“What I'm trying to do is undo that, one person at a time, which is a big mission. I'm trying to get people to understand that all bodies should be celebrated no matter what. All bodies are beautiful. 

“Obviously, it's the knowledge that you're in nice underwear, hair and makeup done, good lighting, it's flattering angles, that kind of thing - but it's still you.”

Shoots with Laura are about two hours long, with three outfit changes. Clients can do same-day viewings which allows for an “all-day experience”, Laura said. 

It’s a privilege that has come with her running her own business. Laura said: “I absolutely love it. I love being my own boss. I like doing things the way I want to do it.

“If I have somebody that's really nervous, or somebody has a terminal illness, I have as much time as I want to spend with them, to chat with them, put them at ease. I absolutely wouldn't have it any other way. And so far, I've had absolutely nothing but glowing reviews, which is incredible.

“Photography is a luxury at the end of the day and, obviously, with the current climate, it's not something that everyone will go for because it’s not a need. So when you impact somebody's life with something as ‘little’ as photography, it's pretty amazing.”