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the beginner s guide to photographing nudes peter bilous amherst media ® publisher of photography books

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about the author peter bilous was born and raised in rochester ny where he currently resides although largely self taught he did study photography at the rochester institute of technology and has also attended several portraiture and nude photography workshops he is also an instructor and has taught black white darkroom workshops as well as a location portraiture class peter s work is a permanent part of the elizabeth collection at artisan works in rochester other exhibits include image city gallery the center at high falls kodak park s main lobby and the varga gallery in woodstock ny his images have appeared in various publications including the new nude magazine and the woodstock photography workshops catalog he currently shoots commercial and artistic nudes in his studio in rochester and at various locations around upstate new york view the companion blog to this book at http photographingnudes-bilous.blogspot.com check out amherst media s other blogs at http portrait-photographer.blogspot.com http weddingphotographer-amherstmedia.blogspot.com copyright © 2010 by peter bilous all rights reserved all images by the author unless otherwise noted published by amherst media inc p.o box 586 buffalo n.y 14226 fax 716-874-4508 www.amherstmedia.com publisher craig alesse senior editor/production manager michelle perkins assistant editor barbara a lynch-johnt editorial assistance from sally jarzab john s loder carey ann maines isbn-13 978-1-58428-263-1 library of congress control number 2009903890 printed in korea 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 no part of this publication may be reproduced stored or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic mechanical photocopied recorded or otherwise without prior written consent from the publisher notice of disclaimer the information contained in this book is based on the author s experience and opinions the author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

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table of contents introduction .5 1 types of nude photographs .7 artistic and fine-art nudes .8 glamour nudes .15 commercial nudes .18 nude portraits .19 pornographic nudes .22 fetish images .23 implied and partial nudes .24 unconventional images and experimental techniques .25 final thoughts .27 2 models .28 where do you find your models .28 finding the right models .28 workshops and group photo shoots .31 online models .33 experienced models .34 photographer recommendations and references .35 regular people .36 final thoughts .38 3 shooting locations .39 incorporate the features of the location into your images .39 make the best of your location .41 your home or the model s home .41 old abandoned buildings .45 4 equipment .51 what kind of camera is right for you .52 digital cameras important features .52 film cameras .53 electronic flash .55 studio equipment .56 light meter .57 reflector .58 tripod .59 lenses and filters .60 memory cards or film .61 computers and software .61 table of contents 3 natural settings .47 the studio .48 workshops and group photo shoots .49

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a second evaluation .95 less is more .95 cropping .95 evaluate the exposure brightness and contrast .95 consider the color balance .96 retouching .97 adding special effects .97 save your work .98 archive your images .98 9 learning and improving .99 evaluate your images .99 reflect on the experience .100 look at the flow .100 darkroom .63 final thoughts .63 5 preparing for a shoot .64 before the shoot .64 the day of the shoot .69 final thoughts .72 6 the anatomy of a shoot .73 when the model arrives .73 start the photography .77 concluding the session .80 11 ideas for images .107 7 posing a model .81 poses to get a shoot started .81 keep your eyes open .81 some fundamental principles .83 add props to facilitate posing .87 try sitting and kneeling positions .88 try reclining poses .89 let the location inspire you .89 final thoughts .90 8 image handling and editing .91 make backup copies of your files .91 take a moment to enjoy your results .91 first-cut editing .92 4 the beginner s guide to photographing nudes get feedback .100 don t be afraid to fail .101 learn from others .102 10 sharing your photographs .104 your model .104 create a portfolio .104 submit your work to galleries .105 display your work at home .105 enter competitions and juried events .106 get published .106 get inspired by the location .107 keep your sense of humor .110 experiment with the lighting .111 multiple images .117 zooming .118 movement .118 change your point of view .118 show emotions .120 shoot black white .120 manipulate your image .123 conclusion .124 index .125

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introduction w hen i was about ten years old i received my first camera as a gift from a family friend i don t re get started after somewhat nervously signing up for the workshop i wasn t sure what to expect but i was worried for no reason the experience far exceeded my expectations not only did i create images that i loved but the member much about the camera or about the person who gave it me but i still vividly recall how it made me feel because i still experience those same feelings every time i pick up a camera it s exciting just holding a camera in my hands but i was hooked the first time i pressed the button being able to capture what i see through the viewfinder and then share that vision with others is something that still thrills me today as i got older i learned more about photography obtained better equipment and created higher quality photographs but the joy of that little boy with his first camera has always remained a part of me since i have been a photographer for most of my life i have explored many different subjects with my camera like many people my first subjects were landscapes and other found objects i photographed flowers trees rocks buildings and anything else that happened to cross my path since i had a good camera that took good pictures no credit to the poor photographer i was also elected to take all of the family pictures i didn t mind but didn t really find those images very satisfying those images did however help me learn more about photographing people they also helped me hone my lighting skills it wasn t until i attended my first nude photography workshop in 1999 that i discovered my real passion in photography shooting the nude female form inspired me like no other subject ever had i had always admired beautiful nude images and photographing nudes was something that i had always wanted to try but i didn t really know how to introduction 5

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perimental the more i explore the more possibilities i discover although i have photographed both male and female nudes i find the female form much more interesting and inspirational and now exclusively work with female models like many photographers i love to look at other people s work for inspiration there have been many diverse influences on my photography including both old masters like edward weston helmut newton and ruth bernhardt and more recent photographers such as robert farber stephan may and petter hegre although i admire their work and sometimes use one of their images as a starting point for a shoot i strive to create my own unique images when i show a model a photograph by another photographer i tell her that the photograph is just a concept to use as a starting point our goal is not copy the image but to be inspired by it to create our own work i always admired beautiful nude photographs and thought that it would be something that i would like to try i just didn t know where to start perhaps you have the same desire which is why you picked up this book i hope that by sharing my experiences i can help others get started photographing nudes as you read through the pages of this book and look at my photographs i hope that you find the inspiration to start creating great nude images models were great to work with which really contributed to the positive experience of the workshop i have done hundreds of nude photo shoots since that first workshop and still love the experience the human body presents almost limitless opportunities for creating great images and i have been exploring them ever since in addition meeting and photographing all of the wonderful people who have modeled for me has been a great experience it s much more fun for me than photographing inanimate objects since i strive to produce unique images i do not limit myself to a single approach to photography i shoot both in the studio and on location and love to experiment with lighting and photographic techniques i also enjoy photographing many different types of people my images run the gamut from fine art to glamour nude portraits to ex6 the beginner s guide to photographing nudes of your own i would like to thank everyone who encouraged me to pursue my dream of getting a book published i would also like to acknowledge the other photographers who share my passion and who were willing to share their knowledge and experiences with me special thanks to the people at amherst media who took a chance on an unknown author/photographer and allowed me to share my work and ideas with you but most of all i would like to thank all of the wonderful people who have modeled for me over the years you have been my inspiration without you this book would not have been possible and a final acknowledgement to the long forgotten family friend who gave a small boy a gift that started a life-long passion.

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1 types of nude photographs t he nude has been photographed ever since the beginnings of photography in fact nudes are one of the first subjects portrayed in most art forms we seem to be drawn to human figures both as artists and observers despite the popularity of nude images everyone has their own opinions when it comes to nude photographs one person s art is another s pornography attitudes can also change over time what was once considered scandalous may now be widely accepted factors such as gender age culture and upbringing may also play a role in the perception of a nude image although the perception of nude photographs varies from person to person it is still useful to think about the types of nudes you want to create not only will it help you to plan your shots but it can also direct you to the right kind of models for the style of the photographs you plan to shoot certain models may be better at artistic nudes than they are at glamour some models may really enjoy experimenting while others may prefer a more straightforward approach deciding on a style for your next shoot can help you to find the right model some images such as this one don t fit neatly into a category shoot what you like and let others decide what to think of your work types of nude photographs 7

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since the perception of nudes is highly subjective what follows is strictly my opinion these are basically just some ideas to get you started thinking about what you d like to shoot feel free to differ with me and to apply your own standards also realize that some images don t fit neatly into a category so don t get too concerned about labels and don t let others discourage you from pursuing your own path just because it doesn t mesh with their idea of what a nude image should be doesn t mean that it s not a good image some people will like your photographs and some will not that s just the nature of artistic endeavors the important thing is that you create images that you love artistic and fine-art nudes don t let others discourage you from pursuing your own path defining qualities artistic and fine-art nudes are classic nude images that you would see in an art gallery many artistic images are done in black white though color photographs have gained increasing acceptance as art some people consider these to be the only acceptable types of nude images and dismiss although many artistic images are done in black white color photographs have gained increasing acceptance as art.

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artistic nudes are photographs that you would see in an art gallery all others in fact in one workshop i attended the instructor led a discussion about nude vs naked and why only nude was acceptable i didn t agree with that position or really see the distinction but as i ve said everyone has their own opinion there are also those who try to differentiate between artistic and fine-art nudes but to me they are basically the same at least the approach and intent if there is anything that defines an image as fine art it is in the quality of the craft applied of the photographs are the same the emphasis is more on shape and form the photographer is less interested in photographing a person and more interested in using the human body to create art if there is anything that defines an image as fine art it is in the quality of the craft applied fine-art prints are usually meticulously printed on high quality stock they can be archival digital images or may have been shot on film and printed by hand in the darkroom by a master printer using the best materials in my opinion the attention to detail and quality of the print is what makes a photograph fine art look at the photographs of ruth bernhard edward weston and robert farber to see some great examples of artistic nudes in fact edward weston s types of nude photographs 9

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photograph of a nude facedown in the sand is considered by some to be the best nude photograph ever made while reading a biography of edward weston written by charis wilson weston s wife and the model for that image i was surprised to learn that it was a spontaneous image she was just enjoying a sunny day on the sand edward saw an incredible image and captured it for all of us to enjoy so what exactly is an artistic nude there seems to be no clear answer to that question i have been involved in many spirited discussions in several different workshops trying to address that question one instructor who likes to shoot abstract nudes told us that we were shooting girly pictures because the models were recognizable in our images although that seemed a little harsh defining an image as artistic does seem to largely depend on posing and composition so how do you decide posing the poses for artistic images tend to be more conservative and reserved than in other types of nude photographs some people think that showing the pubic area is not permissible in artistic images though i have seen that assumption challenged in many beautiful images others feel that if you have eye contact with the model then it does not qualify as an artistic image again i don t believe that is always true lighting how light is used would also seem to be a key component in the creation of an artistic image in fact lighting is a crucial aspect of any photothe emphasis in artistic nude photographs is often more on shape and form rather than on the person so what exactly is an artistic nude there seems to be no clear answer to that question.

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the poses for artistic images tend to be more conservative and reserved than in other types of nude photographs graph however the masterful use of light is one of the elements that define an artistic image light can be used to reveal shapes and lines that would not exist without the proper lighting if this is the type of photography that interests you you really need to become a student of light as you move through the world study the light in many different situations try to understand what efthe creative use of a setting can also be used to produce an artistic image fect it has on an object in our case the object is a human body but light has the same ability to reveal shapes and create form regardless of the object settings although many artistic images are shot against a plain background the creative use of a setting can also be used to produce an artistic image think about how you are using the setting is there a beautiful woman standing by a waterfall trying to look her best or is she engaged as a part of the setting the first image is likely to be perceived a glamour shot and the second as an artistic photograph glamour is about human beauty within the setting in an artistic image the model becomes an integral part of the location she is one of the rocks or trees she belongs there she is part of her surroundings however intypes of nude photographs 11

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left integrating the model into the location is a challenge but it can create beautiful images if done successfully facing page although many artistic images are shot against a plain background the creative use of your setting can also produce an artistic image tegrating the model into the location is more difficult than it seems you may need to start with glamour-style images until the setting starts to speak to you a talented experienced model may know how to pose in the setting but not always a newer model will most likely need your guidance to find the right artistic poses if you can scout out the location ahead of time and try to have some ideas before you bring your model there new ideas will probably occur to you as you are working but it is helpful to have some ideas to get you started not all locations need to be classically beautiful to create interesting images while places of natural beauty are great shooting locations places such as old abandoned buildings graffiti-covered walls and railroad tracks can work just as 12 the beginner s guide to photographing nudes a newer model will most likely need your guidance to find the right artistic poses.

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well it depends on the mood you want to capture in your photographs you can also use light to create your own location one of my favorite shots was done in dark hallway with just an open door as a light source keep an open left is there a beautiful woman standing by a waterfall trying to look her best this is likely to be perceived as glamour the model is engaged as a part of the setting then the photograph will probably be regarded as an artistic nude below if

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