The Nude Portrait

The easy definition of a Nude portrait is to say it is just the same as any studio portrait, only the model is partially or fully exposed.

But that isn’t the best answer.

As with any form of the nude, the nude portrait cannot be gratuitous. In the eye of the viewer, if there is no compelling reason for the model to be nude, then why do it. The nudity must add something to the personlity of the portrait beyond the mere fact of nudity.

And here is an important distinction: whereas glamour photography seeks to create, on some level, a fictional or two-dimensional character in the nude, the portrait must give us something that represents the model as who they are. This is about as gray an area as there can be, but it’s about percentages. The model can still be “acting”, and can, to some degree be costumed in a straight nude portrait, but what is represented must be a three-dimensional personality, not a caricature. Even 60% reality and 40% character can work, depending on how you plan it.

Which brings us to the most important tip of all, one that could be easily overlooked. It is listed first in the next section.

• Not only is it just as important to plan how you will shoot the nude portrait, even though you are dealing with more reality than the fantasy of the other forms, it is exponentially more important to have a plan for this kind of work. Anyone taking photos of fully clothed people out on the street can tell you how difficult it is to capture their personalities as they saw them. The same applies here.

• Have your lighting or scene fully planned and able to move without much notice. The more time you can spend with the model and the less with the technique, the better your end result.

• Whether you are shooting an experienced model or a housewife looking to give her husband an anniversary present he’ll never forget, always start with the model fully clothed and shoot them that way. Even a professional model’s personlity changes significantly when the clothing starts coming off.

• Along that same line: If you have the model remove any clothing and you sense their attitude has changed (even if they now appear more willing), have them put the clothing right back on. The best sessions are the ones where getting naked is completely incidental to the model and the photographer.

None at this time.