Nude Self Portraits

[Stephanie Brim]

I'd been thinking of doing something like this for quite some time. I love nudes. They're one of my favorite kinds of photography. They rank up there with street photography and candid portraiture as top contenders for what kind of photography I'm actually interested in purchasing.

I had kind of been pondering this as a way to get myself out of debt while still doing something arty instead of just getting a second job. Being my own model would be pretty much a crapshoot in a way: I'm not behind the camera and I won't know good things will look until after I've developed the roll. I think that I could do something good with this, however.

To give you an idea of MY idea, I'm picturing arty black and white photos that may or may not show my face...I'm not sure yet. They will be shot with my rangefinder (of course).

I think the main question is this: would anyone actually buy something like this? Would it be weird for you? If any of you meet me at some time in the future would things be weird? I'm very comfortable with my body (I just lost about 20 pounds in 4 months) and shy isn't really in my vocabulary in this regard.

Just thought I'd ask what people thought of the idea. This wouldn't get done until after my street level project anyway.

 

[FrankS]

I'm predicting that this will become one of RFF's most viewed threads.

By all means, Stephanie. If you want to give it a try, go for it. If it is within your personal comfort zone then why not? You can always decide after viewing the results whether you want to go public or not. I'm sure that many of us are envious that you are able to consider this, as for many of us including myself, having passed a certain age and an amount of living, it is out of the question esthetically speaking.

 

[aad]

It's a fine line there-keep a hold of yourself. I think you may find a lucrative market (I predict a lot of views on this thread) but keep some distance between your needs and those of customers. Only you can decide.

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I'm predicting that this will become one of RFF's most viewed threads.

By all means, Stephanie. If you want to give it a try, go for it. If it is within your personal comfort zone then why not? You can always decide after viewing the results whether you want to go public or not. I'm sure that many of us are envious that you are able to consider this, as for many of us including myself, having passed a certain age and an amount of living, it is out of the question esthetically speaking.

Yeah...I'm only 22. I figure that I should do something like this, if I do it at all, while I still can. I think that it may help me pull myself out of this horrible rut of depression I've been in.

It's a fine line there-keep a hold of yourself. I think you may find a lucrative market (I predict a lot of views on this thread) but keep some distance between your needs and those of customers. Only you can decide.

It really isn't that I want to market something like this...it would most likely be a one-time deal. It's more that I want to express myself and do some nude photography. The problem is that I live in a small town and there aren't many who would be comfortable doing a nude shoot. It's either I do it myself or I don't do it. I figure that someone has to just come out and take the plunge, ya know? I mean, yeah, it would be nice to get a career going, but I don't see that happening just off of this.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I think the main question is this: would anyone actually buy something like this?

Charting new waters here... 😉

Like FrankS said, I see this thread exploding viewership/replies in no time. I think that should give you some feedback.

It all depends, Steph. The first question is: how comfortable are you? You have already answered that question. The other is, how are they, the vision, value, etc. Lots of appeal, and still subjective.

I have a very short nude portfolio myself; three people have ever posed for me, and the last session I had was...oh, two and a half years ago. When I posted some of these pictures on PBase, the traffic skyrocketed; not something I was comfortable with due to the timing of it all. Something I'd like to explore myself, but some of the midwestern puritanism has rubbed off me, I guess, so I'm now hesitant.

I'd say go with what your heart tells you, but always consult your gut. Looking forward to your success!

 

[captainslack]

If you're comfortable with it, Stephanie, go for it. Expect a lot of lurkers to come out of the woodwork on this thread, however.

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I like pulling lurkers out of the woodwork...it's a good thing.

Oh, and I don't have red hair and green eyes...is that going to be a problem? 😀

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I like pulling lurkers out of the woodwork...it's a good thing.

Oh, and I don't have red hair and green eyes...is that going to be a problem? 😀

Of course not! Think of it: you're not going to have to fiddle around with filters if you're doing B&W. 🙂

 

[Nick R.]

Do you live near a college or university? If so, see if someone in their art department can introduce you to someone who has done nude modeling or has used nude models. Above all, you want to be safe.

 

[JoeFriday]

Oh, and I don't have red hair and green eyes...is that going to be a problem? 😀

I doubt it would matter much in b&w

I personally think if you're comfortable with it, go right ahead.. I could point you to some flickr users who have amazing collections of nude selfies that have a very classical look.. artistic, not necessarily sexy (altho there's no denying that they're both)

 

[Peter55]

Frank S., if that's you in the photograph in your link above then you have a sort of classic sculptural pressance, a little like the work of the famous sculptor Rodan and the images he made.
My point is well yes nudity sells, but a classic image is better "art".
I may know as I was a starving artist, painter and sculptor (and still planning on returning to my art full time after I retire fro earning a living and my children are adults).

 

[FrankS]

Steph, as much as I'd be interested in seeing pictures like this, putting a face to a name so to speak, you have mentioned that you are dealing with depression issues. Please be very careful about decisions you make while in a vunerable state. Talking to a trusted friend/stable adult type person may be advisable.

 

[dcsang]

I'm in..

err.. what am I agreeing to???

I read nudes and I just figure I'm there..

Giggidy,
Quagmire 😉

 

[yossarian]

Steph, I think this has to be considered first as a serious self-assignment before you
think of it in terms of marketability. I should have done it myself when I was your
age, but I just wasn't game. Now, 30+ years later I might be game, but I'm a scrawny, bony mess.

If it's important to you creatively, do it. Otherwise, ponder for a while.

So...do you have green hair and red eyes?

Fred

 

[FrankS]

Yes, what Manolo said. Take them for yourself, and then decide what to share or not.

 

[dmr]

At the risk of sounding like a prude (trust me, I'm far from it) I would suggest you think long and hard before doing anything like this. Once those photos get out into circulation, they will be impossible to recall, and may come back to haunt you in a future life.

If you're short of funds there are many other ways to raise quick cash.

But, I'm sure that 99% of the others here want me to butt out so I will ... <semi grin>

 

[jlw]

It was a good thing for Cindy Sherman. Of course, not all her work was nudes, and she had an overarching concept that tied the photos together.

(She also had the advantage of being in a major market where she could gain flavor-of-the-month status with the art-gallery trade.)

One practical consideration which may or may not have occurred to you: Nudes are a very demanding subject area because there's been so much great work done over the hundreds of years artists have been depicting nudes. And by tackling this project as self-portraiture, you'd be trying to do it without the advantage of being behind the camera. You'd either need to become an expert at pre-planning every shot, or accept a very high waste rate.

So, practicing first on another model -- nude or non-nude -- might be a good idea.

 

[wlewisiii]

I think this could have a lot of potential. I'd also see if you can find a long (pneumatic perhaps) cabel release to so you don't have to rush into position during the short self-timer period. Try a number of styles if you can - smooth hollywood tonality vs. grainy available darkness and so forth. A big thing to remember is that these are also shots that beg to be cropped for effect in the darkroom or PS, so worry more about getting a bit larger area to give yourself room to work with. Classical images are good, but so to Wesson-esque explorations of curves in space and, for that matter, a view from behind ala the WWII pinup. My main comment is that there is much to experiment with so you may as well have fun with it.

An yes, I'd probably be willing to buy a nice matted print when you're done with the project.

Good luck and have fun!

William

 

[FrankS]

Here is a link to a nude self portrait portfolio on photonet:

http://www.photo.net/photodb/member-photos?include=all&photo_id=210845

There is another by a photographer named Sylvia, I believe.

 

[taffer]

Ask yourself, would you be willing to do it if you were not in debt ? Be honest with yourself and the answer will come on its own.

You can always eat peanut butter instead, or hunt street pigeons or collect their bread crumbs, the creative starving photographer always has options 😉