If you’ve mistakenly come here,
looking for manscaping tips, click away now. I am referring to the creation of
enticing images, using low key lighting and nude models.
There is some overlap with the
erotic, and to some extent, the boundaries between art and pornography are
defined by personal compasses. Upbringing/culture, age, gender, life experience
etc all have a hand in this.
As with art nudes, subtlety and
graceful, thought provoking shapes are the focus. Genitals can feature but not
gratuitously. Captivating, not crass is key. Discuss ideas carefully with your
chosen models, prior to shooting. Check potential subjects are experienced, or
at least comfortable with the genre, and your assignment, specifically.
Planning and structure are fundamental,
but as both parties warm up, spontaneity can strike, with compelling results.
As ever, model choice and calibre determine the end results, along with little,
practical touches.
Ensure an ambient temperature
and suitable surfaces to lay/pose against. Some semi/professional models have underlying
health concerns/disabilities, which may prohibit certain poses, or require a
more considered approach to shoot-break ratios. These are not things that models
are likely to advertise, so if you have any concerns, raise them tactfully,
during the discursive/planning phases.
I shot these with Tania
Atherton, using a Nikon D500. Camera choice wasn’t premeditated, rather my Sony
Alpha body wouldn’t communicate properly with the studio’s remote trigger-even
using a suitable hot-shoe adaptor. A recurrent, though not universal theme,
hence I use the A6000 almost exclusively for studio work, and the older A
series for location-based assignments.
