Up to My Eyeballs in Nude Women

The advice people most often ask of me is how to find quality nude models and how to direct them in the studio. Too many photographers make initial contact with a model, only to be frustrated when she never follows through by booking a shoot. In this guide, I address finding models and building a long-term working relationship. My assumption is that those who read this book are doing so largely because they want to photograph more suitable models more often. Recruiting and interacting with models is not as difficult as it may seem. Working with nudes can be easy. It is a common misconception that those of us who recruit women for nude modeling possess some kind of secret power. On the contrary, the more quickly you can dismiss notions of mysticism, the sooner you can get down to business.Photographing nudes entails more than just photographic technique; this guide is about the interpersonal and psychological elements that play a larger role here than in any other kind of people photography. Some photographers fail, simply because they're ignorant of the etiquette of working with models. Hopefully, I will help you avoid making missteps that many photographers commonly repeat. I've photographed several hundreds of nude models, each of whom has come to me through one of the techniques described in this book. Since my experience is chiefly with female models, I write from that perspective.I'll tell you how to create a portfolio that will attract models and how avoid some common pitfalls and misconceptions about the proper way to display your images on the web. I'll give you some simple tips on finding models without wasting your money on needless efforts.Most guides assume you've already found a willing model. This guide is for those who are having trouble finding the special models that will take your work to the next level. I also do not assume that you automatically know how to bring up the subject of nude shoots or etiquette for the studio. The purpose of this guide is to fill in those gaps with precise, in-depth advice.This guide focuses only on recruiting and working with models. It doesn't cover lighting or posing except in how they relate to the model/photographer relationship. Discussions of equipment and technique are also absent. There are many books available on camera technique. This one is specifically about creating and maintaining the working relationship between photographer and model within the context of creating beautiful figure work.Some treatments of this subject are through rose-colored sunglasses, avoiding controversial topics altogether. Glossing over some of the more awkward aspects of working with models, such as difficult personalities, leaves the reader confused and unprepared. I've opted to give you the clear, unfiltered story by addressing contentious aspects and advising you of potential pitfalls. Things usually go smoothly, but that is not by chance. Sometimes you need to know how to prevent problems before they occur.There are plenty of models out there waiting for you to photograph them. I'm going to help you find them, work with them in the studio, and build a solid professional relationship.