Having heard of boudoir photography and thinking it sounded cool, photographer Irina Mednik (right) tried it with a friend. “It was like playing dress-up,” says the Brooklyn resident. But only when she was getting married in 2008—and interacting with lots of brides-to-be—did she realize how big the market was. She started doing it in earnest, at hotels and women’s homes, under the name French Kiss Boudoir Photography. And now she’s opening a studio downstairs at 85 Franklin. The space’s address—Studio X—only sweetened the appeal.

Props include a bed inspired by one at Soho House (“I wanted to duplicate the entire room”), a red settee, a mirror, and a fake-fur throw to lie on. I asked about the boas hanging by the door, but Mednik says they can be cheesy: “And I try to avoid the cheesy.” She also has some jewelry and sheer and off-the-shoulder garments. (As for the stuffed animals in the corner, they’re for maternity and baby photography. I asked because you never know.)

The trick to this kind of intimate photography is making the subject feel comfortable enough to shed her inhibitions. Before a model comes in for the shoot, Mednik sends an email with suggestions of what to wear for three levels of comfort. “The first one is, ‘I don’t want to show much.’ The second one is, ‘Flaunt it a little.’ And the third is, ‘Ta-da!‘”

French Kiss Boudoir Photography is at 85 Franklin (between Church and Broadway), 917-975-6573; frenchkissny.com.

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