How to Photograph the Nude Female Form

• Experiment with different photography techniques, such as varying compositions, filters, types of lighting, and locations.
• Set up your light sources to highlight and accentuate your model’s natural features.
• Give your model privacy and respect her boundaries by behaving professionally and allowing her to provide her input.

Planning Your Shoot

Find a model willing to pose nude. Your first task is to locate someone willing to be subject of a nude photoshoot. Get in touch with women in your area who are involved in photographic art and modeling. If you don't have any success on your own, you might be able to hire models through a professional agency. Make sure you’re able to pay what they’re asking before securing their services. Ask around at your local college campus. You’ll probably have the most luck in the photography and traditional art departments. Be delicate with your recruitment tactics. Emphasize that it's an artistic endeavor. "I'm producing a photographic tribute to the human form in its natural state" sounds a lot better than "would you be up for posing naked for the camera?" Don’t coerce conventional models into doing a nude shoot. Some models specialize in that type of thing; others don’t. Find a subject that suits your project and aim as an artist.

Have an idea of what you want to accomplish. Before you get too eager to start shooting, you should have a definite vision in mind and the means to realize it. Think about what types of thematic elements you might want to incorporate, as well as technical details such as possible angles and ideas for lighting and framing. The worst thing you can do is go into a nude photoshoot unprepared. Sketch out the poses and compositions you envision most vividly and have them handy on the day of the shoot. If possible, show your model a few visual references of the kind of images you hope to capture. There should be an unspoken trust between the photographer and their subject. The idea of taking her clothes off for an unprepared amateur may make your model uneasy.

Scout out a good location. Keep an eye out for eye-catching places that might work well for a nude photoshoot. The visual intrigue of your location should do your model justice. Natural landscapes, such as fields, forests and bodies of water, are a popular choice because they complement the natural state of the unclothed body. However, you might also choose an industrial site, urban sprawl or some other area that’s interesting to look at. Avoid public areas and places where you’re likely to be spied on or interrupted. If you need a permit to take photographs in a particular location, make sure you have the details sorted out before you begin shooting.

Set up a time and place to meet. Schedule a preliminary meetup with your model to discuss your ideas for the shoot. Buy her lunch, take her out for coffee or invite her to your studio space for a friendly chat. Take the opportunity to break the ice before getting right down to business. Once it’s time to uncap the lens, you’ll already be acquainted and comfortable with one another. Be sure to outline the particulars of your concept so she’ll have an idea of what to expect. Feel free to ask for her input in return. Use this time to gauge your model's comfort level regarding your ideas for the shoot. Ask questions like "would you be alright with...?" and "how would you feel about...?" The initial meetup is not a date. Do your best to help her feel relaxed, but keep things professional and appropriate.

Taking Stunning Pictures

Put special emphasis on lighting. Set up your light sources in a way that highlights and accentuates your model’s natural features. This might be a soft, diffuse sunset glow if you’re shooting in a cornfield, or a more stark balance of light and shadows for high-contrast black and white photos. Your lighting should work in conjunction with your model’s form and pose to produce the most aesthetically-pleasing images possible. When possible, rely on natural light sources, such as the sun, moon and firelight. It has a much warmer, more immediate feel than artificial light (such as studio lights and reflectors), especially for daytime shoots. Move your light sources around and try out different brightness levels, placements and orientations until you arrive at the look you want.

Experiment with different techniques. Unless your photography is known for a distinctive visual style, don’t be afraid to try out different compositions, filters, types of lighting, etc. Every model will be unique—every shoot should therefore be a little bit different. Be thoughtful in your approach and take the time to capture every nuance of your subject, location, lighting and action. Mix it up. Include a few black and white photos in a vibrantly colored set or find ways to incorporate other thematic elements into the shoot. See what you can do to enhance the look of your photos (without altering them too much) during the editing phase.

Be spontaneous. There's no need to stick too rigidly to predetermined plans. Though it’s important to have a specific vision in mind, improvising a bit can help keep your shoot fresh and exciting. Sometimes the best ideas start as accidents when you’re just playing around. You never know when you might achieve a breakthrough by simply letting things unfold on their own. Instead of running through the poses you decided on before the shoot, allow your model to move and position herself freely, and capture everything you can. You can always delete unusable shots later, but you might end up with one or two really special shots.

Don’t feel like you have to show too much. Shake up a lifeless shoot by finding tasteful ways to hide or tease your subject’s form. Use minimalistic accessories (like scarves or jewelry) to cover sensitive parts of the body, or shoot your model from unorthodox angles or interacting with their environment from a three-dimensional perspective. The point of nude photography isn’t always to show the body in plain detail. Sometimes, less is more. In the end, your goal is to make a powerful statement. Don’t restrain your creativity in finding unique ways to shoot the human body. Avoid graphic depictions of the genitals. This is leaving the domain of art and entering that of pornography.

Treating Your Model With Respect

Give your model some privacy. Provide your subject with a place they can undress and prepare for the shoot. That way they won’t be forced to change in front of you and the rest of your crew on location. It can be very nerve-wracking to strip down to your most vulnerable state around others. Remember that your model’s comfort is paramount, even if they’ve done this a hundred times before. It’s also a good idea to keep a robe or set of comfy clothes on hand that your model can slip into if they get cold while you’re setting up between shots. Be prepared to clear the set and work with your model one-on-one if she doesn’t like the idea of having too many people around.

Don’t get touchy. As the photographer, you’re expected to know what you’re after and be able to offer direction for how to realize it. This doesn’t mean that you should treat your model like an inanimate object. Issue clear, direct instructions for how you’d like things done rather than trying to pose the subject yourself. Even if your intentions are good, putting your hands on someone when they’re completely exposed can send the wrong message. As a general rule, keep your hands off your model unless they specifically ask for help getting into or maintaining a certain posture. A nude model isn’t a prop. Keep in mind that the woman you’re photographing is another person and has a right not to be touched without her permission.

Collaborate with your model. Give your model some freedom in depicting herself. Encourage her to contribute in her own way to the project and let her personality come through. Chances are, it won’t be her first time posing nude, and her experience and familiarity with her own body will give her a better idea of what looks good in pictures. Feed off of and draw inspiration from each other's ideas. Make sure your subject is accepting of your requests before asking her to go along with them. Working with a model who knows how to help you make your mental image a reality can be a very rewarding experience.

Behave like a professional. If you’re interested in shooting nude subjects, it should be because you find beauty, mystery and bold expression in the human figure. Take your model seriously as a knowledgeable fellow artist with a mind of her own. Never joke or make suggestive or judgmental remarks about her body. It takes a lot of courage to let someone photograph you without clothes on. Offending your model could leave her with a negative view of the experience. If you really upset your model, she may be outspokenly critical of your talents and discourage others from working with you.