The Art Of Nude Photography

Because it can be no more than a brief introduction to the photography of the nude, this book cannot aspire to teach the generalities of photography. It must assume that the reader is already a competent photographer capable of taking successful and perhaps creatively original photographs of general outdoor subjects. In this book are discussed in outline many aspects of technique, ideas, and interpretation, as well as the use of studios, lighting, props, locations, and choice of equipment. Models are all important - so quite a bit of space is devoted to the problems of finding them and directing them. But most important of all, the book contains a lot of fine photographs, examples of the many techniques and interpretations discussed. Study them. Look for the subtleties that make what could so easily have been an ordinary photograph into a work of art. Seek out the less than obvious uses of photographic technique; try to assess why the composition, the lighting, or the textural quality imparts an emotive character to the image. Understanding how others stir your emotions is the best possible beginning to learning how to create emotive photographs yourself. So enjoy the images in this book; let their sensuality or abstract appeal be a source of inspiration and guidance. Then see if you can do better.