Editorial Style Boudoir: An Interview with NJ Boudoir Artist Cate Scaglione, International Award Winning Intimate Portrait Photographer

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What Is Editorial Style Boudoir?

In a world of Pinterest poses and fast social media trends, what does it really mean to create boudoir photos that feel like a story instead of a performance?

As a NJ Boudoir Photographer, I’m often told, “Your work feels different.” It does — because it’s editorial. It’s narrative-driven. And it’s deeply personal to the client.

Below is a candid conversation the team had with me about storytelling, light, boudoir albums, bridal boudoir, and what truly sets my approach apart from the rest.

An Interview with Cate Scaglione, International Award-Winning NJ Boudoir Photographer

Q: Cate, what is Editorial Style Boudoir?

Cate:
Editorial Style Boudoir, as I define it, is storytelling first — and all the specifics of the photo’s aesthetic is second.
I’d say it is very much inspired by the way Vanity Fair and Vogue capture the story in the sense that it builds visual narratives — through mood, color palette, styling, environment, and emotional pacing. A single image is very beautiful. But a whole sequence? That’s way more powerful and gives aggregated clues about the client’s emotional world.

When I photograph someone, I’m not thinking about the trendy ideas and silly poses of the moment. I’m asking:

Who is she?
What chapter is she in?
What emotional story are we telling?

That’s the difference between just posing and storytelling. As a NJ Boudoir Photographer, I approach every session through that lens (pun intended). Editorial boudoir isn’t really one fixed look — its more of a philosophy. The term creates confusion in our industry, and I think it’s because we “borrow” the term from fashion. But as a photographer, it means something entirely different. We are using pictures to tell the whole story. There’s an emotional context, almost interpretive, with a narrative.

Q: Where did you learn to see boudoir this way?

Cate:
I live for stories, always have. Years ago, I worked in advertising, as a creative and brand director, and Annie Leibovitz was the photographer on several of our major campaigns. Watching how she very artistically translated celebrities’ “avatars” into much deeper stories…that work changed me. And in a way that advertising rarely can. Not just visually, but also philosophically. Her methods taught me that the story of someone…it translates far more powerfully than the aesthetic of someone. This is also covered heavily in all her books, and I’ve read them all.

I’ve always been inspired by all great storytellers — not just photographers, but also musicians. Songwriters who paint scenes so vividly you can see them in your mind. I’m going to sound all Swiftie here… but no. Taylor Swift’s
10-minute ballad “All Too Well” comes to mind specifically. That song paints imagery so clearly, you can feel the season, the room, the emotion. Damien Rice does the same through his sparse instrumentals and raw lyrics. It’s so deep. You’re not just hearing music — you’re inside a narrative. I also love a lot of U2’s music for this reason as well.

That’s also how I see the Best boudoir photography. Not cliché. Not surface level. But in a way that’s layered, and should feel almost …cinematic.

Q: How does this approach feel different for the client?

Cate:
It removes the need to perform. Many women come in thinking they need to “BE sexy.” But editorial boudoir storytelling isn’t about trying harder. It’s about becoming more present. When storytelling leads, nerves fade.

And …I’ll give you an example, because in Bridal Boudoir, I feel like this is especially important. Because it’s a gift of love and a love story being given to someone else. I t needs to feel super authentic, because the partner will know by one look if she’s not being herself. Not every photographer is good at directing this. As one of the original NJ Bridal Boudoir Photographer specialists, I learned over many years that I need to keep her outside of her nerves and avoid the performative. We capturing a woman on the edge of transformation — anticipation, confidence, depth and that is the story. Haha, by the end of the shoot I know all about the partner, too.

Q: How do you design the light for editorial boudoir?

My preference, I shoot primarily in available light — meaning the light in whatever space becomes a big part of the narrative. Window light across a collarbone. Shadows on a wall. The softness of snow outside… how its white light makes the skin look so glowy. Natural light has a romantic honesty that feels timeless to me. There’s such intimacy in that. To me, strobe light burst and disrupt this whole flow, the dance that I’ve created in the posing direction.

But I’ll say this: if the client’s story calls for more intensity… that usually to me means big contrast. Light and shadow. Yes, I can do that with natural light very well, or I can introduce studio lighting (I use Geekoto), or even the glow from a single floor lamp. I really love finding constant light in all its forms and what it does for the story. Light is the basis of emotion in photography.

Q: You’re known to be a “hype girl” during your sessions. How does that fit into editorial storytelling? What words or phrases do you use a lot?

Cate:
Hahah, It’s true — I am absolutely a hype girl. But every word is 100% truthful. I say “Gorgeous” a lot (they are).
I say “You killed it” a lot (they did). Because with the right guidance, they always do.

My energy is ON in every shoot, but it’s extremely grounded energy. It’s very gentle, calm, and simple directions. My skill set is relaxing the nervous system while increasing the joy. And I do all the work from there. I guide my clients using what I call the three biggest bodily storytelling devices: The gaze, The lips, The hands.

Hands are actually one of the easiest things to get wrong — But also one of the most powerful ways to convey emotion. Tension in the fingers, softness in the wrist, where they rest — all of it changes the story, for better or worse. When I guide these subtle details, I do it with a gentle touch or prompt, so clients don’t have to overthink. They relax into the moment — and that’s when magic happens. That’s part of what defines my NJ boudoir photography experience.

Q: Technically, how do you create the boudoir album as a story?

Cate:
I love making albums. Obsessed. I photograph with the album in mind from the very first frame. Nearly 98% of my clients come to me specifically for a custom album experience — not just digital files. After the session, clients often love many, many, and I mean…many images. And I love that so much. But my conscience commits me to help them refine it down to a manageable number of images.

We don’t need everything.
We need what tells their sensual story best and in the MOST powerful way. I’ve become an expert at that refinement process. They put a lot of trust in me to help them select.

When designing the album, I start with the images they feel most connected to… and build the narrative around those emotional anchors. For design, I use Fundy Designer to lay out my visual pacing and story cohesion. And my heirloom albums are European-made by my long-time partners at Floricolor. I really play around with all the luxurious materials and various options so I can make these albums unique for each client.

Also, an album allows story rhythm.
Pauses. Builds. Intimacy. Moods.

Once printed as a book, it’s immersive in a way that social media or a digital image could never can be.

Q: Is the storytelling more important for some types of clients than others?

CATE:

Not really. It’s just how I like to portray the women. Some are single, some are married, some are in transition of some kind. They all have a story to be told. How it’s told is really something that you just “feel” when you meet the person. I meet all kinds of women trying to tell a different form of intimacy.

When it’s for themselves, I really want to know what inspires them about themselves but also want to get a sense of what they are overcoming. That gets the celebration, visually.

But when it’s a gift for their partner, I almost need to READ the client as their lover would. So I try to find out what he/she is like, the partner’s appreciation of them. This is how the client’s storytelling transforms bridal boudoir from a simple gift …into a legacy piece for the couple. It’s like … the wedding day will be seen by many people. But the bridal boudoir photos …those are are intimate and between the two of them. It has to feel private and reflective in a way that feels RIGHT for them (two instead of one). This applies to or anniversary boudoir too, which is a THING!

Q: You’ve received international recognition for your storytelling approach. Can you share more?

Cate:
Yes — and I’m incredibly honored by that. My first boudoir photo shoot was nearly two decades ago (whoa!). In that very first year, I won an award at WPPI (which is the International Superbowl of Portrait Photography, basically). That’s when I knew I was maybe doing something right, and something different.

This new year, I was just awarded Best of Boudoir 2025 by the Association of International Boudoir Photographers. They also previously named Photographer of the Year 2023, and two other years named me their Ambassador of Excellence. That organization has my heart since the beginning. They’ve consistently recognized my fine art and storyteller approach as something distinct in the industry. But honestly, they’ve also helped me grow through with their education and community.

I’ll be honest though, as a person I am not really super motivated by awards. It is so nice, but it’s not what excites me the most — It’s client reactions to the images that I love. But when clients see these awards naming me as a leading Boudoir Photographer in the US, that kind recognition makes my clients feel confident. Like they found the right boudoir photographer here in NJ.

FINAL THOUGHTS…

Editorial Style Boudoir is: Timeless, Bespoke, Narrative-driven, Emotionally intentional. It eliminates performance and replaces it with presence.

As I often say: “Trends fade. A woman’s story — told with intention, light, and honesty — becomes timeless.”

If you’re searching for elevated NJ Boudoir Photography or a refined NJ Bridal Boudoir Photographer, look beyond single images. Look for storytelling. Look for pacing. Look for emotional depth.

Because when your story is told beautifully — it doesn’t just photograph well. IT LASTS.