A visual guide to photo styles

Artistic portraiture doesn’t really have rules - it’s an art form, after all - and no photo session needs to fit neatly into a box.

However, it can be useful to identify a few common artistic styles as reference points when you’re thinking about what you might want to explore in your own photo session.

Clothed Portrait

There’s no need need to undress at all in order to create evocative, sensual portraiture. You can make a bold artistic statement with what you’re wearing just as easily as with what you’re not. Here are some example photos that I’ve shot in this style.

A woman with long, wavy brown hair smiling while sitting on a wooden surface against a cream-colored wall with colorful abstract art behind her.
A woman with long wavy hair in a deep red dress with a plunging neckline standing by a window with white curtains and sunlight shining in, holding the hem of her dress.
A young woman with long brown hair and hoop earrings, smiling and with her eyes closed, standing next to a wooden cabinet in a colorful room with artwork and décor.
Black and white portrait of a young woman with curly hair, wearing a sleeveless top, looking at the camera with a slight smile, standing against a plain background.
A woman with short blonde hair leaning against a wooden doorframe, wearing a black long-sleeve top with an open back, in a room with green walls and wooden furniture.
A woman with long brown hair and earrings is looking over her shoulder, wearing a floral dress with bows and ribbons, in a room with a lamp and a wooden table in the background.
A woman with curly hair in a red dress standing next to a grand piano in a room with wooden floors and neutral-colored walls.

Lingerie

Lingerie gives you the freedom to decide what you show and what you hide in every shot. It also lends itself well to a wide variety of moods, from stately to sexy, and can add a splash of color to an otherwise understated scene. Below are some examples of work I’ve done in this style.

A woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes dressed in red lingerie and red stockings is on a bed, with her hands and arms extended forward, in front of a colorful, textured, abstract background.
Black and white photo of a woman in lingerie and stockings kneeling on a bed with her arms raised behind her head, in a modern room with headboard, wall lights, and curtains.
A woman with long dark hair sitting on a bed next to a window, wearing sheer floral lingerie, with her leg raised and hand near her face.
A woman with long curly red hair, wearing a red fishnet dress and a choker, sitting on a bed with white sheets, looking down with her eyes closed.
A woman with a towel wrapped around her hair, sitting on a chair with a book open on her lap, wearing black lace lingerie and high heels, in a softly lit room with sheer curtains in the background.
A portrait of a woman with long wavy hair, wearing lace lingerie, standing near a mirror, adjusting her collar, with a slightly parted mouth and an intense gaze, in black and white.
A woman with short black hair wearing a red lace dress, standing near a window, looking thoughtfully outside with her hand touching her head.
A woman in teal lace lingerie sits on a bed with a wooden headboard, looking thoughtfully to the side. There are two beige lamps in the background on a white wall.
A woman with long, dark hair, wearing a blue and black lace-up lingerie set with animal print, sitting on a bed with white linens in a room with modern decor and a textured blue wall background.
A young woman with dark hair and brown skin lying on a bed, resting her chin on her hand, wearing a white lace-trimmed camisole.
A young woman with long dark hair lying on her stomach on a bed, smiling softly at the camera. She is wearing a floral lingerie top and has a nose ring.
A woman with platinum blonde hair styled in a messy bun and numerous tattoos on her arms, chest, and neck, wearing a black lingerie top, sitting on a black tufted velvet surface with red curtains in the background.
A woman with tattoos wearing a colorful lingerie set, sitting in front of a mirror, with her hands in her hair.
A woman with long dark hair wearing black lace lingerie, standing by an old window with metal framing, holding the window frame with one hand, and looking off to the side.
A woman in black lingerie standing by a window with beige curtains, leaning against the wall and couch, with natural light illuminating her face and body.

Styled Undress - déshabillé

This style is all about ditching underwear for outerwear to create a visual mood. Like the lingerie style, déshabillé gives plenty of freedom to conceal and reveal, but without the inescapable connotations that visible lingerie brings to the image. Tight or loose-fitting, colorful or neutral - create the mood you want with what’s already in your closet.

A woman with long dark hair, wearing a white coat, is lying on the floor, talking on the phone with a serious expression. She has earrings and is partially resting her head on her hand.
A woman sitting on a bed, wearing an off-the-shoulder blue shirt, touching her hair, with long brown hair and a slight smile.
A woman with brown hair and light skin, wearing a white shirt, is raising her right arm with her hand in an open palm gesture, standing against a textured, light-colored wall.
A woman with short dark hair and light skin lying on a bed, wearing a yellow t-shirt and white Calvin Klein underwear, with her hands behind her head.
A woman with blonde hair performing a yoga pose called upward bow or wheel pose in a cozy room with green walls and wooden furniture, with a black and white checkered floor visible at the bottom of the image.
Young woman with blue eyes sitting on bed, wearing red lace lingerie and a white robe, in a hotel room with wooden panels and black wall lighting.
A woman with long dark hair, wearing a white blazer, sitting on a bed with a green and white headboard, looking at the camera while touching her chest and holding her knee.
A black and white photo of a woman with long dark hair, wearing a cozy sweater, posing with a slight smile, against a plain background.
A black and white photo of a woman with short hair wearing a white Calvin Klein underwear, standing by a window with an urban cityscape in the background. She has one hand behind her head and her eyes are looking away.
A woman with light skin and blue eyes, wearing a red top, sitting on a bed with white sheets, resting her chin on her hands and looking at the camera. The headboard behind her is dark brown.

There are more styles to explore in the realm of artistic nude portraiture.

Most clients will be content to work in the styles described above for their sessions. For those who are curious about classical artistic nude portraiture styles, I have created an additional page describing and showing examples of this kind of work. (Contains visible nudity and may be NSFW - please browse responsibly!)