A few nude shots of model Lauren in the studio, low key lighting. Lights used were a strip softbox, beauty dish, small gridded softbox, and gridded backlight.

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If you’re a fan of nude photography, you’re probably familiar with the technical aspects: focus, light, depth of field, and so on. In the four years getting my art degree, technique was something infrequently discussed in the realm of painting and drawing, and was also a minority topic in photography. Never did we discuss in depth what kind of chisels Michelangelo used, or whether Edward Hopper preferred natural or synthetic brush bristles and how technique affected the way we interpreted their resulting artwork. After art school I found it refreshing to hear more discussion of technique. Many years have passed since my undergraduate degree, and outside of art school it seems that technique is the most discussed photography topic, and in some circles technique seems to be the only topic.

In this article I will discuss some of the other ways to look at photography, beyond aspects of technique. This article is about interpreting photography. Not just what technique was used to create the photograph, but the role that you as the viewer play in interpreting the image. Read more

A synopsis of True Confessions of Nude Photography has been posted at The New Book Review blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Thank you Carolyn!

Not all models flake. In fact, most don’t. But the flake rate with nudes can be higher than most, especially if you’re recruiting your models online. Sometime’s it’s the photographer’s fault, for instance by not giving enough details about the shoot until the last minute.

No matter where you recruit your models, a significant number of photographers complain about no-show models. I used to have the same problem, but not in the last several years.

In my experience, the following nine yellow flags precede 90% of all flakey models. By avoiding these situations you can avoid waiting for a model that never shows up. It’s been ages since I’ve had a no-show; more than 95% of my models show up.

1. No phone contact. Attempt a phone interview as soon as possible. If you can’t make a phone call happen, chances are a shoot is not going to happen either. Reduce flake risk by 15%
2. Model doesn’t have any photos from the last 6 months. If she hasn’t shot anything recently, good luck with that changing.  Reduce flake risk by 15% Read more