At this point, your female partner has given you the go signal to take nude pictures of herself and post them in the ‘net. Congratulations! Good, job; give yourself a pat on the back. But. If you think that the hard part is over, you are definitely wrong. What lies ahead is far more difficult.
Lesson # 2: Do not be an idiot.
While nude modeling is an age-old practice, it was exclusively carried out by professionals. Initial attempts were through art by means of paintings. The world’s greatest painters have nude masterpieces. Later, the film camera was invented and just like celebrated artists and painters, professional photographers have nude portrait showpieces in their portfolio. Then, the digital camera was born, which made nude modeling within reach of the average Joe’s. Today, practically anyone can venture into nude modeling.
Presently, amateur nude modeling in the Internet is gaining in popularity. The rise of internet sites (and sections) like FHM’s Shameless section made nude modeling possible for everyone. What used to simply be entertainment for hardcore perverts has turned into a playful pastime for curious common folk and closet exhibitionists.
Still, taking nude pictures of your girl isn’t as easy it seems. It looks like everybody is jumping into this playful craze - except you. The big question is: How do I get my number-one girl to agree to post nude photos in the net? Read the rest of this entry »
Some of the comments I get from those who have seen my FHM pics are about photography. There are people who ask me how my photos are taken. Although my photographer is just a dabbler and I am not a professional model, this entry will attempt to impart what we practice when we take pictures for FHM.
All my photos fall under the style of portrait photography. Wikipedia defines portrait photography as “…the capture by means of photography of the likeness of a person or a small group of people. Unlike many other styles of photography, the subjects of portrait photography are non-professional models.”
Because I am not an expert, I did some research on how to come up with excellent digital portraits, only to realize that my partner and I have failed miserably. Below are the major prerequisites of portrait photography we have broken:
Rule # 1: Take pictures in a photo studio. If not, have a controlled background.
We do not have a photo studio. We also do not have the proper equipment to “control” backgrounds. We take pictures wherever and whenever we feel like it.
Rule # 2: Use a Digital SLR camera with the right “portrait” lenses.
We use a compact point and shoot camera, the one that you can conveniently slip in your pocket.
Rule # 3: Control lighting by using lights (with stands), deflectors and diffusion equipment.
We do not have sophisticated lighting equipment. Most of the time, we use available light and/or our camera’s built-in flash.
After realizing that we had ignored some of the main precedents of portrait photography, we were not the least bit affected. The truth is we don’t really care about all these technical mumbo jumbo. We take pictures for fun. We do not do this professionally. We have always believed that a good photo is not all about the equipment. You can have a crappy camera with no sophisticated accompaniments and still come up with awesome Shameless pics.
When it comes to my Shameless photos, there is only one technique my partner and I follow and that is to capture the spirit of our experience. We always make sure that all my pics depict the fun we’re having from posting photos for FHM. We don’t really care if the lighting is not up to par, or if the camera settings are not precise. What is more important is that people are fascinated by my pics because they elicit a sense of adventure, pleasure, and playfulness – the true spirit of the relationship my partner and I have.
Ultimately, when people look at my photos, we would much rather hear them say, “Hey, these guys know how to have a good time.” To me, it is all about results - the final output, the message the picture conveys to the viewers.
