Have you ever looked at one of those over-retouched photos that looks like it was either computer-generated or that the model was molded out of plastic instead of being a flesh-and-blood human?

How to know you’ve gone too far with your retouching

• If people (except other photographers, perhaps) look at your work and say, “Nice Photoshop work,” instead of, “wonderful image,” you’ve probably done too much.
• If people can name the specific effects you used, such as blurring, vignetting, etc.
• If the model looks at her final image and asks, “Nice, who is this of?”

Tips for keeping retouching realistic

• Don’t zoom-in too much. It’s important to get close to your work, but not so close that you’re tempted to clone out every pore and heal every wrinkle.
• Remember that real skin has variation to its texture. The skin on an elbow doesn’t look like the skin on the rest of the arm. Arms don’t look like legs. So don’t try to make every body part look like a baby’s butt.
• When applying effects, apply them until you notice a difference, then back off to about 70% to 80% of that point.
• You don’t need to use every trick you know on every image.
• Don’t try to use Photoshop to fix bad lighting, bad shooting, or a poor choice of scene. The more you have to do in postprocessing, the more it will look fake.
• Before you dive into a Photoshop tutorial, look at the “after” image. Does the style look like what you want your work to be?

This unretouched image includes a tattoo, clothing lines, and some stray hairs.

Recruiting a model for figure work can be tricky, even for someone who has been photographing artistic nudes for a long time. To better introduce the concept of recruiting, I explain the core recruiting activity in terms of five stages. They are:

1. Establishing contact
2. Building interest
3. Overcoming objections
4. Getting commitment

If you skip or rush through any step, you risk not getting the booking. This happens to many photographers and they wonder if it has something to do with the model. In many cases it is a matter of not completing the process. Many photographers fail to secure bookings because the skip directly from establishing contact to getting commitment.

Establishing contact means meeting the prospective model and exchanging contact information. Just handing out a business card is not establishing contact. It is important to have the model’s contact information so that you do not have to rely on her to retain your information and follow up. If you make contact online, the exchange of a return email address is usually automatic.

Building interest is an often overlooked step. This can be a simple as showing some portfolio pieces to the model but it should involve more. You need to let the model get to know you a little bit. Nobody wants to work with someone until they gain a comfort level.

Overcoming objections is something photographers often engage in, but seldom in the right way. Objections are usually requests for more information or confusion about what you are proposing. The faster you attempt to get a model to commit, the more confusion you will encounter. The first step to overcoming an objection is to recognize it. Then you need to let the model know that other models had the same question. Finally, you need to explain how you will make things work out.

For example, a model might object because she does not feel she would know what to do as a model. If a model says this to me, I let her know that this is common among many new models and more than half of the models she sees on my website expressed the exact same concern. However, once they did a photoshoot, they found that it was easier than they thought it would be.

Finally, you must ask a model to commit to booking a specific time and location. If you rush the model to commit, she may agree just to delay having to deal with you. You want a true commitment. A good first step in getting a commitment is to ask the prospect to come to a face-to-face interview.

I hope to write more on the above four steps in the future.

Many photographers get frustrated by models who cancel, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the professional relationship. Ann, a model who has shot with me at least ten times, almost didn’t do it at all. She had initial reservations, and just needed time to make up her mind.

Here is how the conversation went with the reluctant model

Model: “I’m not sure that this is for me”

Photographer: “I can understand that you might have hesitations about doing this. A lot of the models who pose for me felt the same way before they started. Some of them never took the plunge. But those who did found it was a lot easier than they thought it was going to be and were glad they did.”

Model: “I see what you’re saying. Maybe I should try this.”

That was all it took. So, next time you get frustrated with a model who is initially reluctant, don’t end the conversation. Just let her know that her feelings are normal. Some models may come up with an implausible excuse. My advice is that you not dwell or her reason for cancelling, bargain or argue. The shoot is not going to happen, but another one can. If you focus on the future you can still have a great shoot.

If you are a model thinking about posing nude for the first time, rest assured that with the right photographer it can be an exhilarating and fulfilling experience.

I recently drove from coast to coast. Along the way, I stopped to make some photographs. Here is one. The model, Jacqueline Faith, is standing on a bluff overlooking the city of Albuquerque. The second image shows where I have placed an accent light. It was around freezing and I had a running car a few feet away from her for quick refuge. This location is a half-mile or so off-road. At one point a survey crew passed us in a pickup truck. They may have wondered what we were doing or how I got my sedan out there.

Shot at f/16 and 1/160 second to balance with natural light. Flash is an Paul C. Buff Einstein powered by a Vagabond Mini battery. I had a Zeus Bi-tube with me but the Einstein (640W) was sufficient and less trouble to set up. Who says small flashes can’t be effective? I was also unsure what the effects would have been of the freezing cold on the higher-powered flash tubes. Trigger was a wireless Elinchome Sky Port.

I’ve been asked the question, “What’s the minimum age when models can pose totally nude?” — I have been hesitant to respond casually to this for a number of reasons. First, it’s a question of legality and I am not an attorney so you should not consider what i write to be legal advice. Second, it is a question that sparks the imagination and some people… well, let’s just hope they don’t go there.

The myth is that one must be age 18 to pose for a nude photo.

That is probably the simplest answer but it is not entirely correct…  Read more

When is breaking the rules a good thing? Some rules, I love. Rules help us all drive on the correct side of the road. It doesn’t matter whether the country you live in requires you drive on the left or the right. As long as we all conform, it works out well. But, in photography, following the rules leads to a different kind of conformity. If there is too much order, everyone’s images start to look the same. When it comes to artistic creativity, playing it safe leads to mediocrity.

Don’t get me wrong. There are times in photography when it makes sense to follow the rules. For example, when you’re just starting out and don’t know what else to do. Even if you are an experienced photographer there will be days when you fall back on compositional rules because you can’t think of what else to do.

Rules can be especially helpful for those beginning in nude photography. It is difficult enough to tackle figure photography, let along without some structure for composition. In my other writings, I explain plenty of rules aimed at helping novices with composition and armatures such as the rule of thirds, the golden mean, diagonals, and so on.

Safety is the Enemy of Creativity

But rules often discourage experimentation. If you never stray outside of the lines, you will never know what other artistic creations are waiting to be invented. Experimentation, by its nature, leads to a mix of successes and failures. At some point you need to take of the training wheels even if it means you are going to fall a few times.

Just about every time I see a rule printed somewhere, it is accompanied by a statement that the rule is “just a suggestion,” “rules were meant to be broken,” or something similar. Nobody intends for these photographic rules to be set in stone. However, photographers who fall into the habit of following the rules too rigidly can fail to make the transition into creative work.

If you’re afraid to be wrong, you’ll never take the risks that are involved with being creative.

So why are so many photographers afraid to ever be wrong? Aside from a general social discouragement from experimentation, photographers are burdened by a particular habit of performance through rote.

Photography is based in math and science. In these disciplines there is only one right answer to any particular problem. When it comes to exposure, many people will tell you there is only one correct value for any given scene. This is not strictly true, as even in exposure there is some room for creativity. However, photographers often fall into the trap of thinking there’s only one best answer to every photographic decision. This is why compositional rules are so popular. They attempt to simplify for us what is right and what is wrong.

Beware especially of rules that are meant for portraiture. In portraiture, the goal is to flatter a subject who is typically not a model but rather the client. These rules are helpful to the portrait studio whose task it is to generate results with a certain level of predictability. When photographing models, on the other hand, your collaborator generally does not need help in hiding flaws in her appearance.

Experimentation should be the rule. If you’re following a rule of composition, you’re probably not pushing your creativity.

Photographic rules will never teach you how to express your personal point of view. All rules do is help you conform to preconceived notion of what your photographs look like. My suggestion is that you take risks – big risks. You should suffer large failures, dust yourself off, and try again. When you do create something outstanding, it will have been worth it.

I recently asked a number of my colleagues to choose one of my images as a stand out. They chose the photo above, despite the fact that it violates the following rules:

• The subject is centered, violating compositional armatures such as the rule of thirds and the golden mean.
• The legs are cropped close to the knees, whereas they are “supposed” to be cropped at mid-thigh or mid calf.
• Shoulders are nearly straight-on (some advocate 45-degrees as the “correct” angle to the camera.)
• Flat lighting: The image lacks directional contrast that is preferred in most figure work.
• Nose breaks the cheek line: A head turned sideways but not in complete profile is often considered unflattering
• Backs of hands: Many photographers caution that the backs of women’s hands can be unsightly. They do recommend an open, sideways hand.
• Orientation: A standing figure is normally photographed in portrait orientation, not landscape.

Photographers go to great lengths to create natural look skin tones, shadows, and a soft pleasing light that mimics what we are accustomed to seeing. It requires large lighting modifiers and color-corrected flash tubes to generate the quality of light that the sun and sky provide. Painstaking effort is required to get the angle of the light correct, and the right ratio of fill light without making the shadows look peculiar.

Some of the most beautiful figure photographs are captured in nature. However, this is balanced by the lack of predictable results.

I encourage all figure photographers to experiment with both studio lighting and daylight. Make an effort to become proficient at both. Even if you end up having a favorite, as most do, you will add variety to your portfolio and strengthen your overall photographic problem solving skills.

The Advantages of Daylight

• Inexpensive
• Broad, natural-looking light produces expected results, a single catch light

The Disadvantage of Daylight

• Unpredictable; lighting conditions can change, weather can become inclimate
• Difficult to achieve privacy, and therefor comfort for the model
• Time of day and time of year dictate when, what, and how you can shoot
• Most off the effort of shooting involves getting there, getting the right light, and looking for the right background

The Advantages of Studio Lighting

• Easy to control lights
• Predictable, repeatable results
• Private, distraction-free environment, allows you to concentrate on the subject

The Disadvantage of Studio Lighting

• Expensive to duplicate the power and quality of daylight
• Requires setup of background, light stands, lighting equipment
• May be difficult to find diffusion modifiers (soft-boxes, umbrellas, umbrella-boxes) that are large enough for a full-length subject
• Lack of variety when compared to location shooting

A Daylight Image

Studio Lighting

To those who agonize over the question of “is it art?” I suggest that we replace the question with “what is the artist’s intent?” In a great many nude photographs, the intent is simply to flatter the subject or appease the viewer. In these images, the model is posed in order to be either flattered or scintillating but not always to be visually interesting. Artistic intent is evident in photographs that explore composition and experiment with the elements of visual design. Certainly, unskilled images that pander to a preconceived voyeuristic desires are easily labeled as crude or tasteless. By exploring shapes, texture, the beauty of nature, line, and form in ways that are unexpected to the viewer, the artist reveals their intent. The skillful combination of compositional elements should provoke emotion, but not for the mere desire to provoke a reaction. Art need not have a definitive message. A powerful work of art can raise more questions than it answers. Rather, it is a creative process that is more about artist than viewer.

The question of, “what constitutes art?” is no more prevalent than in the arena of figure photography. Depictions of the body that seek only to gratify the audience through entertainment or decoration are assumed to be mere pin-ups, or, worse, simply for prurient consumption. The more explicit the image, the more likely it will be interpreted as smut. But, nude content does not preclude an image from being art, nor does entertainment value or beauty.

Since legitimate are can contain elements of eroticism, entertainment, and decoration, it is not possible to eliminate works simply on the basis of the inclusion of these facets. It is the inclusion of artistic vision and the absence of it that is central to aesthetics. The message of the artist, as opposed to gratification of the audience, is what is central to the nature of art.

Regardless of centuries of study, the nature of art has yet to be defined and evidently never will be. Each attempt, replete with a condemnation of previous definitions, fails to describe totally, what art is and what it is not. Those who struggle to know what is and is not art, do so in large part to assign value to artwork. To be able to say that this artwork is better than that artwork is an enticing goal, but usually a futile one. It is undeniable that nude images attract commentary from legions of critics who have little more knowledge of art than their own opinions.

The New Model, The Reluctant Model, and Business

When presenting the release to an experienced model, I ask “you’ve done a model release before, right?” and they will typically affirm that they have. If they’ve not done a release before, I explain what each section means : “this says you’re being paid, this part says you’re giving me permission to use the photos,” and so on. Make sure they know that once they sign, there is no going back. Just like with shooting, you do not want to be nervous about the release.

As long as you have explained all the details before setting up the shoot, you shouldn’t have any problem getting a release signed. If you do have occasion for a model to balk at signing a release I suggest you be diplomatic but firm. Be diplomatic. This will preserve the opportunity to secure permission to use the photos. You probably do not want to make a policy of giving out free photos. Tell the reluctant model to take her time to understand and agree with the release before signing. If she has specific objections, you might consent to use an altered release. Let her take it with her. You can meet again on a different day. Explain to her that model releases are standard business and she will receive the agreed upon compensation immediately after you both sign.

Learn more about model releases in the book Up to My Eyeballs in Nude Women: Techniques to Recruit and Direct Models, and Build Working Relationships.