How to Look Good Naked - Or Nearly Naked!

We photograph all kinds of people at Exesight, for many different reasons. Whilst we're definitely a family-friendly company, we're also happy to cater to adults (older than 18) that would like some tastefully photographed artistic nude, boudoir or glamour photos.  In fact, our makeover shoot packages, which often (although by no means always) include some degree of nudity or lingerie, have proven extremely popular.

This article is intended to help anybody that's planning on taking part in this kind of shoot, regardless of what photographer they might be using.

Despite the popularity of these shoots, some people do feel uncomfortable about even asking us whether we're happy to photograph them in the nude. This is understandable; for starters, we don't include photos of naked ladies on our website. This is partly because it could offend a section of our readership, and partly because most of our customers are understandably hesitant to allow us to plaster naked photos of them all over our website, however tasteful they may be!

Some customers have given us permission to show pictures of themselves to people that visit us at the office, so if you want to pop in and have a look at those then you are welcome to do so.

So despite appearances, tasteful nude images are an integral part of our business. There is quite a lot of demand for boudoir photography (as it's sometimes known), often for women to give as gifts to boyfriends or husbands. We've never yet encountered the reverse, although there's a first time for everything. Some women like to come in just to give themselves a bit of a treat! Often these shoots are purchased as gifts for girls by boyfriends and husbands, and conveniently we do offer gift vouchers that make great gifts!

This kind of work can be extremely artistic - some of the finest work in our portfolio is nude or partially nude - but we can't really show much of it off online for the reasons outlined above! But in many bedrooms across the country (and, in one case, printed onto a six-foot long canvas above one lady's bed!) there are numerous examples of our art!

If you're thinking about having some glamour or artistic nude photos taken, then there are a number of things you should consider before you start.

Choosing a photographer

Obviously an important step is to choose a photographer that you'd feel comfortable being naked in front of! Although most photographers are perfectly honourable, there are some slightly shady ones out there, and we'd recommend checking them out before making a decision. Meeting the photographer prior to booking the shoot is a good idea.

Also, be aware that many photographers work with an assistant, so there may be at least two people in the room.

At Exesight, you'll normally get Natasha and myself - I deal with the lighting and composition, and Natasha assists in getting the pose just right!

It goes without saying that quality of work should also be a very important consideration. A lot of photographers do this kind of work, but quality varies enormously. Make sure you've seen a selection of work from the actual photographer that will be working with you - some chains or franchises will display photos that could have been taken on the other side of the country!

The planning

Once you've decided on your photographer, then you need to have a good think about what sort of photos you'd like. Whilst the photographer will no doubt have many ideas up his or her sleeve, you may want to have a think about what it is that you'd like to come away with.

Have a look in some magazines and see if you can find anything that takes your fancy. Inspiration can come from fashion magazines, which often include artistic nude work. Men's magazines such as Loaded or Nuts might be useful, although they usually contain images that are more in the traditional glamour mould.

You can always feel free to show some examples of photos you like to the photographer. Although most photographers would prefer not to copy a photo outright, there's nothing wrong with giving the photographer an idea of the kind of feel you're after, or a type of pose that you like.

Glamour photography vs artistic nude

Most nude or nearly-nude photography fits in one of two very broad categories. On the one hand, there's artistic nude, and on the other there's glamour.

Artistic nude photography encompasses the subtly-lit, artistically captured end of the spectrum. Glamour tends to be brighter, more evenly lit, and it often leaves a little less to the imagination.

Our personal preference is for artistic nude, because we like the darker, moodier shots that allow us to use careful lighting to emphasise the best aspects of a subject's figure. That said, there's a lot of demand for more high-key, lads-mag style shots - we regularly shoot both styles, depending upon the requirements of our customers. If you want both, then we can do that too! Both types require skill and flair to carry off effectively, although there are far more glamour-style photographers out there than there are specialists in art-nude.

Define your boundaries

Tell the photographer exactly what you're after, and how risqué you'd like it to be. Generally any photographer would be reluctant to suggest that a model take her clothes off in case they give the wrong impression, whilst their customers can sometimes be too shy to ask! You'll be more pleased with the results if you make your requirements totally clear.

If the photographer suggests a pose that you don't feel comfortable with, then never be afraid to say so. It wouldn't usually crop up, but never be afraid to communicate any concerns you have with your photographer.

Outfits

Think carefully about the type of outfits you'll bring. Unless you really do want to go totally nude straight away, you'll probably be wearing at least something - try to bring a range of light and dark if you can, so that you'll have enough to wear against both black and white backdrops.

Nerves

If there's one thing we've learned in the studio, it's that pretty much everyone knows how when you're stood there naked (or nearly naked), that fear can be magnified many times!

Although any decent photographer will help you with a selection of poses, you will always communicate your discomfort and nerves via subtle body language, unless you put them to one side. You can be posed like a mannequin, but there won't be any conviction in the pose unless you do it like you mean it! You'd be surprised at just how much of a difference this can make to the end result.

The truth is, the key to looking good naked is to not care if you look stupid or not. It's that fear that holds people back, but to model successfully you need to be daring and throw yourself into it. If you do end up looking stupid, we'll hit the 'delete' button and nobody will ever be any the wiser. Trust your photographer to know how to capture the image - a professional will know exactly what they're doing - and they'll have seen it all before. So pose like they do in the magazines and just go for it! The more confidence and dynamism that you display, the better your photos will be.

I always say to our models that the best way to get a good photo is to be totally confident - and if you can't be confident, just pretend that you are! This isn't a problem that only affects people modelling nude, it affects lots of people who are fully clothed! Just tell yourself that you'd rather have a picture of yourself looking confident and happy than looking terrified and uncomfortable. It takes a degree of self control, but everyone can do it!

It isn't usually much of an issue, since people tend to loosen up surprisingly quickly. Our customers frequently tell us that it was a lot less scary than they'd imagined, and we always do our best to make people feel comfortable. We aim for a fun atmosphere, and I think that even the worst nerves are usually calmed in the first 20 minutes!

If it'd help you to being a friend along to the photo shoot, then most photographers would be happy for you to do so. However, as counter-intuitive as it seems, you may find it slightly uncomfortable to pose with a good friend watching - sometimes it's easier with just strangers! We'd generally advise against having your partner there, because that can make it a bit strange, and we find people are usually more comfortable on their own, or with one friend (more than one can be too distracting).

If there's something you think the photographer could do to make it feel more comfortable for you, then don't be afraid to say so.

Posing

When it comes to posing, there are lots of different choices, and it depends upon the kind of thing you're going for. Our customers tend towards the artistic nude side of things, where we aim to capture the beauty of the human body. But some customers want Loaded style shots that essentially are a little bolder, and that's valid too. It depends a lot on who the images are for, and what their individual tastes are.

For the moodier, classier look, it's often a good idea to pose in such a way that you cover yourself up strategically. Photos are often sexy as much for what they don't show, as much as what they do. Even with more brightly-lit, high-key shots, it doesn't hurt to cover yourself up a bit!

Practice doing this in the mirror, and see what you can come up with. Although the photographer will have a number of poses you can try, it always helps to come prepared!

Here's a few general tips that might help you to prepare, both mentally and practically:

• Remember that your photographer has seen a lot of naked people in his or her career, and most of them won't have been professional models, so don't worry!
• Don't slouch, unless the shot demands it - put your shoulders back!
• Make sure you've got at least four expressions in your arsenal (sultry, teasing, happy, contemplative!) and practice them in the mirror. This is important!
• Pouting is OK, but everything in moderation. Don't go too pouty because it can look a bit much!
• Some curvier people (of both genders) lift their chins a lot to try and avoid getting a double chin. Although this is sometimes a valid technique, people tend to over-estimate how much the chin has to be lifted to get the desired effect. In fact, the lift often has to be very slight! You don't want to look like you're fixated with something on the ceiling in every picture.
• Try not to be obsessed with being photographed from one side or the other. Nine times out of ten, it's all in your head!
• Don't worry about spots. Spot removal is very easy to achieve during post-processing, as long as your photographer is using digital technology.
• If you've spent a minute or so perfecting a pose with your photographer, you may find that it lacks conviction unless you loosen up and then strike it again afresh.
• Go for it! It doesn't matter if you're an 18 year old supermodel or a fifty year old mother of four - you will look great if you can throw yourself into it! Trust me!

I hope that this article is of some help to those of you that are thinking about embarking upon this kind of photo-shoot.

If you have any questions or comments (whether a customer of ours or not), then please use the comments form below. If you're too shy to post publically, then please email paul@exesight.co.uk and I will be happy to answer any questions that you have.

Paul