Washington, D.C.-based boudoir and portrait photographer Marco Ibanez, who recently won the Best of AIBP boudoir competition with this image, says that while a lot of his work is influenced by his love of 17th-century master painters and the use of sensual, moody lighting, he also likes to embrace the concept of simplicity. “I love getting rid of non-essentials to focus on what really matters,” he explains. “I ditched most of my lenses and lighting equipment to focus on storytelling, delivering emotion and connecting with my clients. Most of my work is done now with one lens and one light source. Also, when shooting at night, I only use available light from table lamps, spotlights, laptops, even fridges…you will be surprised how many unexpected sources of light you can find.”

Rangefinder: What we love about this photo is the eye contact, the intimacy of the crop and the fact that she is sexy-looking without having to wear something super racy or be half nude. What do you like about this image?
Marco Ibanez: Yes, definitely her eyes are the most powerful part of this photo; they are astounding and go very well with her dark hair and skin tone. I also love how she looks comfortable, sexy and confident. A lot of people think boudoir means naked bodies and even though they are beautiful, you can be just as sexy wearing a turtleneck!

RF: What’s your go-to gear and what did you use for this shot?
MI: I use a Canon 5D Mark II with a 50mm f/1.4 lens for 99 percent of my work; for the remaining 1 percent, I use an 85mm f/1.2L for details or when I want to compress the background. For this shot, I used my 50mm lens.

RF: How did you light this?
MI: I don’t use any special lighting, only natural light or available light at the location. For this photo, I used natural light coming from a window behind me. I also used the couch as cover so the light would gently touch her right side and face, while the rest of her body was in shade.

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