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Nude "Backlash?"
Is it me, or has there been a recent surge in......for lack of a better word, resentment towards models and photogs whose work focuses (pun) or includes nudes? Seems like models are complaining they don't get views, comments, or opportunities for work because they are not interested in posing nude, and photogs are complaining because models are reluctant to pose for them because they have nudes in their port. I think nude imagery (done well) is a wonderful art form that should be celebrated and enjoyed by those who appreciate such things, but some complain MM has deteriorated into something second-rate because there are so many doing nudes and not much in the way of fashion, runway, or commercial work. Are they right, or over reacting...? May 05 06 02:40 pm Link welcome to the internet. its always been this way. May 05 06 02:41 pm Link Attitudes towards nudity and photography vary greatly from region to region. In Europe a model who declined to do nude work would be considered rather odd. In the Bible Belt a whore. So it is a lot of who is speaking at the moment. And it is a handy thing to cite as the reason things are not going the way that you would like. May 05 06 02:44 pm Link People love to complain. I personally love the figure work on here. But there are some amazing fashion and non nude art photographers on here too....Some of my favorite nude work is by people who are primarily fashion photographers, but there are some figure artists that blow me away and this site has helped me find and network with them. People who complain that they aren't getting views on their non nude pics either a) have crappy photos and crappy nude photos get more views than crappy non-nude photos b) are not A rate fashion or bathing suit model/photographer material and just don't know how to make non nude photography interesting. Unfortunately, even crappy nude photos will get more hits than mediocre non nudes cause people just like to see flesh. May 05 06 02:45 pm Link great models and photographer will get work and online "props" regarless of what is in their ports. it's just bitching for the sake of bitching. May 05 06 02:48 pm Link I think most of the photographers complaining about nude photographs, secretly wish they could work with nudes. Unless one is dangerously perverted, a well done nude is the most beautiful art form to place before your eyes. As for models not wanting to work with photographers that have nudes in their ports, I view it as their loss. May 05 06 02:53 pm Link I just ask" If it is so bad to shoot nudes why are 4 of mine on a gallery wall right now?" May 05 06 02:54 pm Link honestly? i think it is really difficult to do nudes well. and yes, the internet is flooded with nudes that are not executed very well. and let me tell you....it gets really really boring seeing poorly done nudes over and over and over.....and so, unfortunately, the good get lumped in with the bad....just like all models are considered flakey and all photographers are considered sleazy....... May 05 06 02:58 pm Link Stephen Dawson wrote: Ditto - May 05 06 03:00 pm Link Phoenix E wrote: The internet is flooded with PICTURES that aren't executed well. Nudes don't hold sway over badly done images. I see PLENTY of shitty fashion and commercial images when i browse the modeling sites. But nudes catch the backlash the most. May 05 06 03:00 pm Link *shrug*.. To each their own.. In all honesty, "high fashion" makes me a little nauseous. I know that's what we're all supposed to be aspiring to, but it's just so... damned.... silly..... May 05 06 03:01 pm Link I've had a few models who wouldn't shoot with me because I had some nudes on my portfolio, even when my offer to them had nothing to do with nudity. I suppose they believe in "guilt by association". I believe they can "stick it". I just move on to a more enlightened individual. May 05 06 03:01 pm Link I think you can mostly blame the photographer. And I really hate posting this because I know I'm not a fantastic photographer, but I see more craptacular photos being presented as art by nude photographers than crappy photos wearing casual clothing or webcam models. I do believe a lot of men get into this for nothing more than to see a woman naked. And because they suck at lighting, camera settings, you name it, the photos are worthless. But, because they show a nipple and some pubes, they get comment after comment praising them for their beautiful work which encourages more crap from these "photographers." And that ruins it for the photographers that have REAL talent and a real vision for photographer and doing nudes. I'm at a point that personally, I curious about and I am willing to shoot nudes, but I'm going to wait until it is requested by a model. Because right now, I feel I like the vision to pull it off...except maybe topless at the beach and getting playful in the sand. I've gotten VERY comfortable at the beach. Pretty much any other setting, I'm not sure what to do with a naked model so I'm avoiding it. May 05 06 03:03 pm Link DigitalCMH wrote: Craptacular? I give you a "10" for that one! May 05 06 03:07 pm Link Alan from Aavian Prod wrote: Heh, I wish I could claim it as my own. Feel free to use it. May 05 06 03:10 pm Link If a girl wont shoot with me b/c I have nudes in my port- chances are she is someone who I probably wont have a good time shooting. I like people with a more hip attitude on this stuff. -Jose May 05 06 03:12 pm Link It may be the nature of modeling.. let's face it, there are a lot fewer jobs than models, so we have many attractive models who would like (of course) to work in print, and many of the offers they get are for nudes, which are essentially useless to a fashion model's portfolio (not that you can't include one or two, but it's not what you're trying to do!). Also, most models are beautiful young women, and are rightfully suspicious of people trying to get their clothes off! The market for nude models is a thousand times larger than the market for clothed models, especially with the internet porn sites, and the standards for appearance are much broader. I would imagine some models might see doing nude work as an admission that they can't make money modeling clothes. What they should realize is how rare it is to be able to do that! Living in a city of 300,000 which has NO use for fashion models at all, it's easy to understand the frustration, but let's be realistic. There's no market for fashion models except in the largest 50 cities in the world, and there has to be multiple publishers, magazine editors, and a fashion industry to drive that need. After THAT, there's the incredibly restrictive standards of height, weight, "the look of the moment", etc. 99% of us are not qualified for that job, no matter how attractive you are. In most cities, you either get the odd commercial or local show, or you move to New York and try your luck against thousands of other models. Between that and making porn, you have to look carefully to find a niche that you're comfortable with. My models a) know they can't make a living as models, b) decide they enjoy being part of the creative process and like modeling for its own sake (as I enjoy photography for its own sake, not as my main income source) and c) feel better about themselves without being upset that they aren't Claudia or Christy:-) May 05 06 03:13 pm Link Ransom J wrote: you are completely correct. May 05 06 03:15 pm Link luv2bfitt wrote: 1. Great new pictures! May 05 06 03:15 pm Link zardoz35 wrote: LOL man it's not just you. I've had models hit me up first speaking about how they'd LOVE to shoot with me and then five minutes later hit me back again and say "nevermind i just saw you had nude work in your port, i don't do that" May 05 06 03:17 pm Link BTW, reading the above comments about "crappy internet nudes" has me nervous, so if anyone feels like looking at my portfolio (or even my site, which has 350 images) and commenting on anything, I'd be very interested to hear. Despite these communities, we do so much of our work isolated. Don't mean to hijack the thread, I mean comment at my page, not here! In contrast to DigitalCMH I'm often not sure what to do with a clothed model.. May 05 06 03:20 pm Link Miles Chandler wrote: I was doing just that as soon as I saw your first reply here and wanted to see that main image of yours larger. Red is my favorite color so of course that caught my eye. I would love to see more of that series. I bet that makes a great print. You might wanna join photosig.com, photo.net,fotocommunity.com if you have not already.I love photo.net and paid for the 25 dollar annual membership within an hour of browsing the site. May 05 06 03:21 pm Link Phoenix E wrote: I'm the complete opposite of you. I'll give a nude image more of a chance than a fashion image because that's where my own artistic impulses lie. A fashion image has to be A+ to get more than a cursory glance from me. May 05 06 03:25 pm Link I have always said,,,,,,,there are pictures and then there are photographs. I do see a lot of badly executed nudes. But on the other hand, one thing you have to look at is the thought and intent behind that photograph. Sometimes that photographer just did not have the skill to make it come out right but you can see he/she has the right idea, or has potential and really wants to bring that potential to fruition. Definitely different than the" I just want nakies for my own collection" types. May 05 06 03:26 pm Link WG Rowland wrote: I must have missed the memo....I don't aspire to do anything but follow my own vision. I do not have any preconcieved ideas about any commercial value my work may have whatsoever. I do it to express myself. Some people express themselves in ways that are 'high fashion'. I respect them for their art. It just isn't what I aspire too...good art no matter what area does not make me nauseous. What DOES make me nauseous is contrived work. Work that does not seem to come from an honest place in the creators soul. May 05 06 03:26 pm Link Miles Chandler wrote: Buy them dinner and make {insert Chef's voice} Sweet Love to your baby! May 05 06 03:26 pm Link How about this: Models that don't want to do nudes don't need to justify it. If they say they don't - they don't. Photographers that want to do nudes don't need to justify it. Just put "will do fashion/beauty/whatever in exchange for nudes" on your port. OT: What happened to the religious discussions? Were they banned or something? For some reason I associate "nudity" with "religion". May 05 06 03:29 pm Link No Cussin, No Drinkin, and No Nudity If you can't remember that how do you expect to live a good and pure life, PERVERTS!!!! And No Smokin, Gamblin, Or Rock and Roll Either! May 05 06 03:30 pm Link Gregory Garecki wrote: LOL...check out the Anne Frank thread..... May 05 06 03:31 pm Link Ransom J wrote: I think this is mainly because commercial images and fashion photography seen in the magazines, on billboards and such are done mainly by photographers who do it solely for money. I wish I had the old chinese writing I once saw about how if you do something solely for profit, you are headed for disaster. May 05 06 03:31 pm Link DigitalCMH wrote: You're half right: I'm totally [and proudly] all about seing women nakded. I absolutely love it. DigitalCMH wrote: You're wrong on this point: I actually have the lighting/camera thing pretty much down, because when you love what you do [eg: seeing women naked] you do it a lot, hence I get a lot of extra practice in. May 05 06 03:34 pm Link Melvin Moten Jr wrote: This may be true about you but you aren`t the "lounge lizard" type guy about it. May 05 06 03:38 pm Link WG Rowland wrote: I concur. It may not be a popular viewpoint, but fashion just looks more and more like an expensive version of kids playing "dress up." The thing I love about shooting nudes is that you either have the idea or you don't. Great execution is definitely a bonus, but the idea is the thing with nudes. May 05 06 03:58 pm Link Casting: Model wanted to pose in several layers of burlap so as to completely obscure any hint of the models form. How's that for a backlash to nudes May 05 06 04:00 pm Link ~Krista~ wrote: Oh! I see, they are alive and well. May 05 06 04:02 pm Link Gregory Garecki wrote: Please keep the OT in the OT forums. Avoid inviting trouble in the On-Topic forums. May 05 06 04:04 pm Link Melvin Moten Jr wrote: DigitalCMH wrote: You're half right: I'm totally [and proudly] all about seing women nakded. I absolutely love it. But I'm not talking about you. Come on Melvin, you KNOW who I am talking about. I'm certain you have seen the photos from "photographers" that no matter how much experience they gain, their photos still suck because they have no vision, imagination, OR skills. The only thing they are able to present is a naked body and they manage to do it badly. Yet, they will get comments like, "You rock man! That is a beautiful image!" or "dang, I wish I was right next to her. I'd unh ungh uhhh her all night long." May 05 06 04:10 pm Link Miles Chandler wrote: Beautiful work, Miles! May 05 06 04:23 pm Link VRG Photography wrote: That reminds me of another thread started a while back, heh May 05 06 04:33 pm Link Backlash to nudes comes in various forms... from those who will. those who won't and those who wouldn't because someone else did! I do nudes and enjoy it but I have found I am now hearing subtle dislike for it and not from my family or friends but from other photographer/artists. One gentleman I have been working with has made comments about how I needed to be very careful who I associated myself with when shooting. After that comment he went on to tell me how with his position and his work he had to be very picky and cautious as to who he used in his projects because the models associations would reflect on his work also. I might be wrong but I felt as if I was being given a gentle warning that if I continued doing not only artistic nudes but progressed into glamour or playboy style that he would no longr be able to use me due to my "associations" and choices. May 05 06 04:37 pm Link |