Subscribe
Previous Post
When it comes to taking naked pictures, the general consensus — among friends, family, and even our local sex advice columnist — is that you MUST. NOT. DO IT. In the wake of celebrity sex tapes and teenage sexting scandals, the very existence of nude photos makes mortification for their subject seem like a foregone conclusion. And if you tell someone you’re thinking of taking your clothes off in the vicinity of a camera, they’ll probably respond by telling you all the reasons should never, ever be naked on film.
“Nooooo! Someone might put it on the internet, and you’ll end up like Vanessa Hudgens!”
“Nooooo! Your boss/dentist/mother-in-law could see it!”
“Nooooo! Your vagina will get REALLY COLD!”
What they don’t tell you? That posing nude isn’t necessarily risky… but it is exhilarating, exciting, and something every woman should do at least once before she turns 30.
Yes, even you. (No, your vagina will not get cold.)
As an artist’s and photographer’s model, I’ve spent substantial portions of my early-to-mid twenties standing around in front of strangers with no clothes on. And while it might be initially nerve-wracking, it’s also one of the most interesting and worthwhile experiences I’ve ever had — so worthwhile that I firmly believe it belongs on the bucket list for any young woman, no matter what her shape, size, or level of confidence with her own naked body. Why should you take a photo or two in your birthday suit?
- Your body is beautiful. Really, it is. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re plump or slender, reedy or Rubenesque; your whole self — top to toe — deserves its day in the spotlight. Women put in huge amounts of effort each day just to meet society’s standard of beauty, only to get bogged down by stress and insecurity over failing to fit within that narrowly-defined (and often unhealthy) ideal. Stripping down and showing it off is a celebratory, powerful, even subversive act — and it’s exhilarating. And when you see those photos in the days, months and years that follow, it’ll be with a lasting appreciation for your body as the glorious, gorgeous machine it is.
- It’s a confidence boost. Between diet culture, celebrity obsession, and the airbrushed images that we see every day on billboards and in magazines, women have developed an utterly warped idea of what a healthy body looks like. And the effects go way beyond simply disliking what we see in the mirror; at this point, many women are battling body dysmorphia and/or too afraid to even look at themselves naked. Seeing your own body given just a fraction of the star treatment — with makeup, lighting, and a skilled photographer to help you pose — is a powerful way to fight back against that fear and insecurity. Basically, you are so much hotter than you think you are.
- It’s totally vain… and completely awesome. When it comes to balancing your busy life, you’re always being told to take care, take time out, and take one day a week to do something nice for yourself. Well, go big or go home, lady. Your “just for me” weekly manicure only lasts as long as it takes your nail polish to chip, but a private album of drawings or photos that show you at your prime — young, healthy, and before childbirth, gravity, and the vagaries of time have taken their toll — is a memory you’ll have forever. (Not to mention a great conversation-starter when someone pulls it off your bookshelf in 2072 and says, “Grandma! Was that YOU?”)
So, are you ready to get naked? You’ve got options, but they’re not all good. Unless you’re the edgy type, avoid amateur photographers with seedy apartment “studios” and no portfolio to speak of; chances are, they’re just looking for spank material. And even if your boyfriend is a totally trustworthy dude who would never, ever blackmail you with your sexy shots post-breakup, he may lack the photographic skills to do your naked body justice. (And while an unflattering photo is never pleasant, an unflattering naked photo is a special kind of hell.) Instead, plan to drop a little cash and consider the following:
- Boudoir photography. If you want to look gorgeous and play coy, hire a professional boudoir photog to snap some sexy, low-lit photos of you in your favorite lingerie… or less. (Check with your individual photographer to see how he or she feels about topless shots, straight-up nudity, or tasteful draping.)
- Go retro. Love the look of old-school pin-up shots like Marilyn Monroe’s famous series with Bert Stern? Photogs specializing in vintage-inspired photoshoots have begun cropping up all over the country; if you’re nervous about taking it all off, some studios also offer costumes and wigs to get you into character.
- Sexiness optional. Naked photos don’t have to be porn-y; if looking lascivious isn’t your thing, skip the sex factor and work with a fine art photographer to shoot some artistic, black-and-white nudes that explore your body’s form in a non-erotic way.
- Put it on paper. Taking nude photos absolutely isn’t the recipe for disaster that people make it out to be — you retain the rights to pictures you’ve paid for, but even if you didn’t, a naked body isn’t a moral evil in and of itself. (Meaning that if someone sees them, it’s not like your life is over. Just ask Carla Bruni!) But if you simply can’t stomach the thought of actual photographic evidence that, at one time, you did not have clothes on, consider posing for a figure drawing or painting class. The in-practice terror factor is substantially greater — instead of one photographer seeing you nude, it’s a dozen aspiring artists and an instructor — but the sketch that one of your new artist friends gifts to you at the end of class will forever be a cool and unique souvenir of your brass-balled bravery.
Now take your pants off, and say cheese.
57 days ago
[...] pose nude”, we found this article and think it was worth sharing to support our theory. :) Crushable.com posted this article and we highly recommend you talking 5 minutes to read it. If you have ever [...]
109 days ago
[...] Bucket List: Why Every Woman Should Pose…… [...]
121 days ago
[...] Link do artigo completo: http://crushable.com/other-stuff/bucket-list-why-every-woman-should-pose-nude/ [...]
I’m photographer who has done boudoir shoots… I just would like to point out one minor discrepancy in the article. I don’t think it is correct that “you retain the rights to pictures you’ve paid for” – you only retain the rights to images if the photographer signs the rights over to you. You may pay for them, but unless you have signed something or the photographer has signed something the photos are the photographer’s property. Of course it is in good taste to get the model’s permission before posting any pictures!!
I totally agree but we can also do it after 30 :)
I approve of this. Nudity is a part of the human experience, and our most natural state. Sometimes we forget that we are a part of nature, and regardless of whatever arguments that may exist, nature is never indecent. Denial of our animal selves and natural instincts may be the one thing we have to be ashamed of the most, ironically, especially when it pertains to our own nudity. I am a photographer myself, and I always encourage my models to pose nude. To date, I’ve never had a model express any discomfort from posing, in fact, they all seem to enjoy it very much, which supports a great deal of what this article was trying to convey. I hope that nudity does not continue to have laws passed against it, because that is a society I will not be comfortable with.
nail polish that are acrylic based seems to last longer on my finger nails compared to water based ones “:,
I’m a boudoir photographer in Chicago and loved this article. It’s to the point and raises some excellent points that clients have asked about. The biggest issue, of course, is the whole ‘where will my pictures go?’
Discretion is the highest form of valor and for those clients who are truly worried about it, I happily provide printed contact sheets instead of a secure viewing URL.
BTW, to Kim, I’ve done “dude-oir” sessions as well so, no, it’s not just women showing up to show off. Many of my clients are well over 30 and come from a wide range of backgrounds. In fact, most have been professionals (including a Chief Financial Officer) in corporate America and only two have been working models.
As for nudity and immorality going hand in hand, I suppose Kelly is right. After all, if God wanted us to be nude, he’d have made us that way. Oh wait…
Wow, immoral and the reason for the downfall of the country?? Thats rich, nudeness is the natural state of human kind and is the perfection given to us by the Creator. If a woman wants to have a PROFESSIONAL take her picture and share them with her husband, there is NOTHING in the bible that would prohibit it. If you are going for the “vanity is a sin” bit, well first I recommend that you throw out all the mirrors, make up, and hair products in your house. The high divorce rates also have next to nothing to do with nudeness and more to do with a instant gratification culture, a “commercial” view of marriage (if it ain’t working anymore, trade it in and get a new one), and the lack of good married examples from the last generation. If they were not shown the value of a good, full marriage then why would they decide they needed to fight for theirs?
I have a pic of my wife from our honeymoon. I took it (I consider myself a student of photography) while hiking one evening. We found a small, picturesque stream in the mountains and I talked her into getting naked and laying in it. She’s done Photoshop on it and played with the colors and lighting and everything else till she was happy with them. I relish these pics and think they are some of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Now its five years later and things have only gotten better…except we’ve both put on a bit of comfortable weight. :)
I understand that taking a pic of your wife, and editing it yourself is one thing..but hear me out on Boudoir…
If a wife poses for a boudoir session for her husband, the photographer sees her (the photographer gets a little view of what is meant as sacred and only for the husband’s eyes). Depending on the photography studio, someone else may edit them…someone else may put them on a disk…someone else may show the showcase to the wife. When prints are ordered, who knows how many eyes will see them at the printing company. Once the husband finally receives his gift, several sets of eyes have seen these images, and could have perhaps lusted after his wife. The whole scenario completely cheapens marriage and is not Biblical at all.
As a photographer who refuses to participate in boudoir, I just wanted to share my point of of view with you.
You forgot to mention that posing nude is immoral and a recipe for the broken marriages and high divorce rate around this country.
I just did a boudoir shoot for my husband. I’m a big girl, and it was so empowering! I did it at home with the help of my sister in law. I highly reccomend it. Link to my post about it. http://thesposhlife.wordpress.com/2010/09/22/curves-are-sexy/
Or how about we stop telling women what they should and need to do, and just let them decide what works best for themselves?
And why are only women the ones who need to be posing nude? And is there something wrong with a woman who is over 30? Are we not able to be beautiful at any age? There’s a lot of underlying sexism in this article that you might want to evaluate.
Also, some of us women are professionals with real jobs. It must be nice to make money for smiling at a camera, but the rest of us have reputations to uphold and enjoy being taken seriously.
I couldn’t agree more! Posing nude was the best thing I ever did for my self esteem and now its my living!
Yep its a good thing I have a friend who is a photographer and is always looking for models…Im getting my shots done soon and Im so excited! =)
http://www.alanklem.com out of Toledo Ohio
I shoot art nudes. What are art nudes? Not porn. Kat thanks for the perspective. I posted it on my FB fan page. Keep up the good work. God made it there is nothing wrong with showing it. I find it wonderful that so many women trust me to shoot with them. Thank you all.
Great Post!!!
Hey Kat…. LOVE this article!!!! We completely agree that this is something EVERY woman should do! We also have an idea for you…. do you want to write about YOUR ‘posing nude’ experience? If so… we’ll do a free shoot for you!!!! Email us if you’re interested! info@TheBoudoirDivas.com (Check out our website: http://theboudoirdivas.com/)