How To Photograph Young Models

Elsewhere in this book, you’ll find a picture titled, “S” AS IN….”. That image illustrates the “S pose” and discusses it’s use in glamour and nude photography. I noted that the pose has no strict guidelines regarding placement of the model’s arms and hands and how models can use this variable to “make the pose their own.”

When compared with that image, the picture seen here is a good example of how the variable of arm and hand placement can make a dramatic difference in the overall feeling of a shot.

young nude teen

Holly’s body is in the classic “S” curve position. However, her arms and hands are placed behind her. This give the shot a sense of openness and innocence (exactly what you want to convey when shooting a young model like Holly). This contrasts sharply with the other shot that features a slightly older model whose pose conveys a far more sophisticated look.

Aside from the pose, this shot also includes an important characteristic that you’ll often want to feature when shooting younger models: a friendly facial expression brought about by a big smile and strong eye contact.

The Creation of a Nude Curve

Though I’m a strong proponent of constantly searching for unique and overlooked shooting angles, sometimes simply shooting a model eye-to-eye will produce great results.

nude asian girl

In this shot, the model is lying on a bed with her body nearly straight-on to the camera. I say, “nearly”, because the fact that she is not entirely straight-on is the key to this type of shot. If she were truly facing the camera straight-on, her lower back and thighs would not be visible. The slight adjustment makes a world of difference. Multiplying the effectiveness of seeing her lower body is the fact that she has also bent her left leg just enough for her left hip to come up off the bed and create an attractive curve to the leg.

The Sexiness Of Tan Lines

Small details can turn average pictures into a good pictures and good pictures into great pictures. Unfortunately, these little details can’t always be anticipated before a shoot gets started. Sometimes you just get lucky.

Let’s take an overall look at this image. First, it’s an interesting crop; a close-up, but not an extreme close-up. The shot also has a grainy look to it that I think works well for this particular image. As far as wardrobe goes, plain white cotton panties are a proven staple of glamour and erotic photography. The model’s thumbs hooked over the top of the panties definitely add a sense of sensuality. The styling is extremely simple: a single bracelet and a simple curtain as a background. The lighting is soft and slightly directional (from left of the camera).

The sexiness of tanlines

So far, there’s really nothing that would turn this picture into anything special.

However, I believe there’s a small detail that makes this picture far more striking than it would have been without it. What’s this detail? In my opinion, it’s the tan line. Without it, you have a beautiful tan body and white cotton panties (not a bad place to start); but with it, you have a picture that’s goes from merely sexy to extremely provocative.

Hip Cat

This shot is good example of why it’s hard to go wrong with a photograph that combines a model with long legs, stiletto heels, and a pose that places the majority of the model’s weight on one hip.

white background nude photography

This shot possesses an attitude of sensuality; and the centerpiece of that attitude (even more than the model’s facial expression) is her jutting left hip. 

In my opinion, the image would have been even stronger if nearly all the discernible shadows hadn’t been eliminated in post-production. This elimination of shadows makes the model appear to be floating in the frame and gives the shot a bit less substance than it might have otherwise possessed.

A multi-light setup was used; with special emphasis on highlighting key areas (the model’s face, left hip and lower back).

Additionally, oil was applied to the model to give her skin an added sheen.

Photo Techniques For Cougar Photography

One of the most popular niches in “Adult-themed” photography revolves around slightly older women (or as they’re often called, “MILFs” or “Cougars”).

This shot is of a 42-year-old woman and uses some techniques that might serve to inspire you in your own work.

MILF image

Shooting from a high angle makes the picture more interesting than it would have been had I taken it at eye-level.

Not only does the higher angle allow her entire body to be seen, it also makes her breasts more visible. Additionally, the high shooting angle enables her to look up toward the camera. When a model looks up in this way it often creates a seductive and alluring expression.

Perhaps most importantly, the compositional technique of placing her body diagonally across the frame provides added visual interest to the image.

Guaranteed Tips For Outdoor Nude Photos

This is a softly erotic outdoor shot of a young model that illustrates some basic nude photography lighting techniques.

Even if the picture had nothing else going for it, her simple gesture of grasping her wet hair would provide visual interest to an otherwise fairly straightforward pose. However, what truly makes this shot special is the lighting. Fortunately, this type of light is not difficult to achieve. For the most part, all that’s required is to shoot at the correct time of day. However, this window of time doesn’t last long.

A nude photo of a tanned nude young woman in the late afternoon sun.

From the gold color of the light, you can be certain this image was either taken just after sunrise or just before sunset (when the sun was low in the sky). These times of day are often referred to as “The Magic Hours.” However, to get a picture with this alluring type of light, you definitely won’t have hours. In fact, you may have only a few minutes.

From the highlights on the model’s hair and the rim of light on her torso (most visible in the bottom right corner of the image), you can tell that she had her back to the setting (or rising) sun.

To fill in any shadows on her face and body, a gold reflector was used to bounce light from the sun back onto her (this further enhances the warm glow of the image).

This shot was also made more interesting by using a wide lens aperture. The wide setting serves to place even more emphasis on the model by causing the trees in the background to become blurred.

Do you have any tips regarding outdoor nude lighting? If so, leave a comment and let us know.

How To Find The Best Nude Model For Your Job

When doing nude photography shoots, it’s important to get the best model for the job. The shot seen here features a young woman named Ander. I’ve worked with Ander many times over the years and have always been happy with the results.

This image is a good example of how models have certain personality types and why it’s a good idea to take advantage of their strengths. For example, if you’re looking to shoot a lighthearted and casual set of pictures, Ander probably wouldn’t be the best choice . However, if your goal is to capture images that convey a sense of sultriness and sensuality, she’s the one for you.

how to shoot nudes, taking nude pics, nude modeling

This points out the importance of casting the right model for the job. Most likely, you’re going to be shooting many different styles of images. It’s important to give some thought to the type of model who will work best within the parameters of a particular type of shoot.

As for the specific image seen here, it’s a good example of the importance of strongly intense eye contact. Additionally, this shot benefits greatly from the curve Ander created by leaning strongly on her right hip. This simple move provides added impact to an already impactful photograph.

Quick Tip: Something as minor as the slight curve of a hip can mean the difference between a good picture and a really good picture.

Do you have any stories or anecdotes about hits or misses regarding models? Leave a comment and let us know.

Mastering The Secrets Of Erotic Photography

Although there’s no nudity in this shot (or even the suggestion of it), there’s no denying that it’s still a very sexy and alluring image.

The shadow cast by the model’s body is only one of the factors that gives the shot a unique look. The shot was taken using white seamless paper as a backdrop. This type of backdrop results in a smooth transition from the horizontal (the floor) to the vertical (the wall).

nude photography lighting, nude poses

The appearance of the single and relatively hard shadow implies that the picture was taken using a single light placed in front of the model (approximately 45 degrees right of the camera position).

The body position of the model, with most of her weight placed on her right leg creates an appealing pose. Directing models to place the majority of their weight on one leg or the other is typically a way to add a sexy curve (or curves) to a pose.

Having the model glance over her right shoulder also gives the shot added drama and mystery.

Additionally, pictures like this one that emphasize the legs usually benefit from high heels; and this shot is no exception.

Finally, the body of the model is placed vertically on the right side of the image. This is a good use of “The Rule of Thirds” and creates a very striking composition.

6 Nude Photography Tips & Techniques

There are a number of simple nude photography tips, techniques, and ideas that can quickly and easily improve your nude photography shots.

This picture is a good example of how shooting from a high angle can be very effective in creating striking images. For this particular image, I used a high angle to emphasize the model’s eyes as she looks up to the camera.

Besides the shooting angle, a wide aperture setting results in the background (including the model’s body) to be slightly soft in focus compared to her face and, most importantly, her eyes.

If a model’s eyes are tack-sharp, viewers will tend to consider the entire image to be “in focus”. On the other hand, if a model’s eyes are not sharp, viewers will tend to see the entire picture as “out of focus”.

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On an more detailed note, it’s a good idea to focus specifically on the eye of the model that’s closest to the camera. In this shot, both eyes are the same distance from the camera. However, you’ll often face situations when this isn’t the case.

Additionally, the mild diagonal positioning of her body from the lower right to the upper left of the frame adds visual interest to the image. When composing images, keep an eye out for interesting diagonals.

Would you like to share a tip of your own? It’s simple to leave a comment.

The Strange Case Of Casual Nude Posing

This may seem hard to believe, but as far as nude model poses go, capturing a shot like this one isn’t as easy as it looks. In fact, it can be extremely difficult.

casual nude pose small

Why is this the case?

Admittedly, from a technical standpoint, it’s a very simple image. The absence of sharply defined catchlights and the soft and relatively flat lighting is good evidence that a very simple lighting setup was used. In fact, since the light is uniform throughout the shot (even in the background), it’s quite possible that nothing more than natural light was used.

So far, very simple. Additionally, her makeup is fairly light and her entire wardrobe consists of a single bracelet. Once again, very simple.

As far as her pose, she’s simply sitting on a bed. She’s not smiling or making strong eye contact. To be honest, she looks a little disinterested in the whole process. Oddly, these are the factors that make this image more difficult to capture than you might think.

Taking pictures of models appearing casual and extremely relaxed is not easy. The main reason for this is that experienced models have a difficult time turning off their instinct to “pose” and inexperienced models are often too nervous or unsure of themselves to truly relax.

So, how do you get a shot like this one? Patience, patience, and more patience.

Do you have any tips about achieving casual poses from your models. If so, leave a comment and share it with the other readers.