Can We Talk About Nude Photography?

[skunkbaxter]

I'm feeling baffled and thought I'd turn here to see if anyone has any input.

I'm a photographer, 40 yr old male. Being a longtime fan of the naked lady, I've become rather well versed with the many online forums and sites that cater to my tastes, from the blogs and user-upload sites to the curated free gallery sites, and over the past 20 years I've been blown away by both the quantity and quality of the beautiful women I've encountered on the internet. As you all know, the origins of most of these images are obvious: Paid models, voyeur/public stuff, amateur models, leaked smartphone selfies, and wives/girlfriends who get posted with or without permission. Yet there still seems to be an abundance of drop-dead, amazing naked girls all over the internet who appear to be wholesome, intelligent, classy, 'girl-next-door' ladies. And it's hard for me to believe that all of those women fall into the aforementioned categories.

So who are these normal looking women, and how do they come to find themselves happily posing nude?

You'll have to take my word on it lol, but I have a strong photography portfolio of 20+ years, a long client list, and a solid reputation for being professional. Yet the process of finding decent-looking women willing to be photographed (in a very tasteful, artsy way) seems hopeless. I've worked with a number of local and regional models on various personal and professional projects, and when brought up in casual conversation most of them seem generally reluctant to the idea of nude photography. (I have photographed a few nude sessions with professional models, mostly from Model Mayhem, with a prior complete understanding of what was involved in the shoot and they were paid. Sadly, especially where I live, the quality of models has decreased significantly over the years) I have female friends, but asking them to pose nude raises questions of intentions, as it would with any photographer in any situation: you must explain a reason for taking the photos, which is essentially limited to a) Fine Art Photography, b) some sort of nudity or sex-themed paid sight, in which the women are willing to be displayed on, or c) you're some dude with a camera with no real purpose who likes to take pictures of naked girls for his own questionable pleasure and the final intentions of the images are vague at best and will likely turn up on the internet at some point in the future, possibly staining a woman's good reputation amongst the community, her employer, etc.

And of course approaching random women on the street and asking them if they'll get naked for you and your camera makes you look even more sketchy, unless you've got a really sound purpose for the images (and typically a well-funded model budget.)

So what's the secret? Who's taking all these photos, and how do they find and enter into agreements to shoot them nude? While I'd love to get into more casual nude photography that doesn't involve hiring adult models, I'm just trying to understand how this seems to be going down all the time.

Any thoughts?

[breastsarebest]

I think your chances of finding models now is very slim 20-25 years ago. I used to do a lot of glamour photography, I was able to hire models from the studio including quite a few Page 3 models. I then had a deal with one studio where I would take portfolio shots for some of the models for free studio time. This was in the days of roll film. Now I think that many of those models dont exist or if they do they do it themselves on social media. The other problem is with the number of scams where you dont know if you are talking to a real model or some chap pretending to be a girl who may then steal your kit or worse when you meet. Maybe try an advert on a few local buy and sell sites offering "boudoir" photography or find a club of divorcees or widows as they often are game to be daring to restore their confidence. Good Luck and would love to hear how you get on.

[Xico]

I use various websites and started off mainly taking pics of naturists and life models

[anonjohn]

Originally Posted by breastsarebest

I think your chances of finding models now is very slim 20-25 years ago. ...
... they do it themselves on social media.
... scams

Sounds plausible, I think there is also another reason - the internet and digital photography.

Pre-internet, an amateur/casual/semi-pro model's nude pics would not be globally exposed unless she was modelling for a magazine. Her exposure would be limited to that amateur/semi-pro photographer and a few of his friends/photo club. Roll film and making lots of prints was cost-limiting. Her nude pictures would be unlikely to be widely available in 5,10+ years time to haunt her if she became famous or wanted to be "respectable". A woman could then make a bit of money by a bit of nude modelling and she could feel "safeish", as long as she was satisfied that the photographer would not assault her.

Although OF and the like seem to offer big money (to a few), it might feel a bigger risk/step to take nowdays as a casual/ocassional thing.

I've read that some mainstream actresses are more reluctant to do nudity now, even when it fits the art or drama of the plot, because a clip will be re-edited out of context for perves (like us).

[delta925]

Originally Posted by anonjohn

Sounds plausible, I think there is also another reason - the internet and digital photography.

Pre-internet, ... Her nude pictures would be unlikely to be widely available in 5,10+ years time to haunt her if she became famous or wanted to be "respectable". A woman could then make a bit of money by a bit of nude modelling and she could feel "safeish", as long as she was satisfied that the photographer would not assault her.

Although OF and the like seem to offer big money (to a few), it might feel a bigger risk/step to take nowdays as a casual/ocassional thing.

If they are happy to be plastered all over the internet uploading to subscription sites like OF gives a world wide 'audience' of subscribers while the content can be created whenever convenient. No work replying to enquiries from potential photographers via websites hosting a portfolio, travelling to shoots, photographers not turning up etc.

For the rest they will not as they know it is almost inevitable the content will be seen and the consequences far outweigh earning some £££ / $$$ for a nice holiday etc.

[Curiouscouple2469]

I believe the internet and digital cams have removed the need for professional quality photos.
There are a couple scenarios I think.

1 those that never intended to be posted - the hot young innocent love- struck girlfriend who allows her boyfriend to take unlimited pictures as she poses for anything and everything he asks her to. He then posts and shares them for the world to see.
She would never have posed otherwise but trusts him because “they are in love”, (this week)

2 those who can’t wait to be posted. The level of vanity in the world has hot girls. and want to be hot women, posting themselves everywhere to prove to the world just how hot they are. They can set up cameras to do selfies and spend a week Doctoring their pics with software to look like professional model quality and posting them themselves.

Both are stripping away the number of clients that once considered getting some steamy pictures done professionally. They are more comfortable at home, it costs nothing and they are in control of who sees them ( at least until the breakup or they start posting them themselves)

Hard to compete with that. I think there are likely far more hot women and girls willing to show it all, they just don’t need the professional photographer anymore. Their BFF can do it.

[delt]

Since school and my first Poloroid camera, I have found I prefer ladies I know rather than strangers. The better I got to know them, the more they trust me and are ok with posing nude—for my use only.
Some who are not in model shape are very flattered that you want photos. A few girls at the office love to be photographed there in stages of undress. Most get horny but I do not have intercourse with anyone but my wife. Oral sex is often the solution.

I have a safe with hundreds of Poloroid and more recently digital photos. About 60% are of my wife(which you can see on OCC) while the others are neighbors, distant family, friends, party drunks, but I know most by name even though the photos may be decades old. What great memories!

I have been surprised at how many ladies pose nude without much protest. One lovely lady had breast enlargement surgery and I asked if she let friends see her new treasures. She met me that afternoon at her apartment, answering the front door fully naked, in sight of anyone on her street.

[skunkbaxter]

Originally Posted by delt

Since school and my first Poloroid camera, I have found I prefer ladies I know rather than strangers. The better I got to know them, the more they trust me and are ok with posing nude—for my use only.
Some who are not in model shape are very flattered that you want photos. A few girls at the office love to be photographed there in stages of undress. Most get horny but I do not have intercourse with anyone but my wife. Oral sex is often the solution.

I have a safe with hundreds of Poloroid and more recently digital photos. About 60% are of my wife(which you can see on OCC) while the others are neighbors, distant family, friends, party drunks, but I know most by name even though the photos may be decades old. What great memories!

I have been surprised at how many ladies pose nude without much protest. One lovely lady had breast enlargement surgery and I asked if she let friends see her new treasures. She met me that afternoon at her apartment, answering the front door fully naked, in sight of anyone on her street.

Thanks for the input. This is interesting to hear. What's your angle that leads to them agreeing to pose nude? Having a safe with hundreds of pics sounds great to me, but if a woman heard that she might not be as willing lol.

Have you found a general 'pitch' for your approach, i.e. you're just trying to improve your nude photo skills, or ask them to pose with their clothes on first and then trying to coax them into doing nudes during a session? I'd be interested in hearing more about how you were able to make them feel comfortable enough to agree to pose nude.

And is your wife cool with this? I've photographed several of my wife's friends implied nude when they were pregnant, but my angle was saying that they'd want to remember the time when their body went through all those changes, etc. and my only intentions were to share the photos with them. If I were to approach them now and just say 'Hey I want to photograph you naked' I think they'd want to know why, and what I was going to do with the pics, and if I said I didn't have much of a purpose (other than wanting to see them naked I can't imagine they'd agree. Maybe I just have the wrong friends!!

Anyways, congrats on your success, I'd love to hear more input if you're up for sharing!

[riverdelivery]

I was very surprised when my wife told me her first husband took many nude photos of her,infact I was very happy so I stared taking nudes of her also,she would even pose and say he took a photo of me like this and like this before,on the bed with her legs spread open and on her knees from behind,over the years now I have pics of her in the pool at the lake and everyplace I can get her naked.

[GioG]

Originally Posted by skunkbaxter

I'm feeling baffled and thought I'd turn here to see if anyone has any input.

So what's the secret? Who's taking all these photos, and how do they find and enter into agreements to shoot them nude? While I'd love to get into more casual nude photography that doesn't involve hiring adult models, I'm just trying to understand how this seems to be going down all the time.

Any thoughts?

If you are the pro you say you are, you'd sure know all this. So I am a bit puzzled about your question. But here is an answer:
- Try model websites like purpleport, modelmayhem. You can advertise yourself as a photographer and build a reputation or find models - free and for cash. There is one for most regions. Not sure where you're based.
I would try Instagram. There is an abanduance of "models". Many of them happy to pose nude. Paricularly if they lable themselves "digital creators". or if they have link lists pointing towards fansly, OF etc.
Some pro-models organize trips across europe, or the world. Looks like this.
Rates for art nudes are UK >35 pounds/h EU 40EUR/h.