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Are you accepted .....
when shooting nudes? A question to models and photographers who shoot nudes (as nudes). Do you find that people become a lot less friendly when they find that you do this? My experience is that most people become very hostile, even freinds that I have had for years. I'm finding that I'm having to be a lot more selective over friends now. Anyone else find this? p.s. If you dont shoot nudes or dont find it acceptable DONT bother to reply, I'm not interested in the opinion of the Thought Police. Jun 12 06 04:52 am Link not quite sure what you mean by "are you accepted?"; is that like, do i find public approval or support for my chosen concepts? anyway, do a lot of Fashion / Advertising but yes, have done a few artistic, nude projects; Chiarroscuro type images are my favorite ... but would dare think i'm over that phase of my career whereby i need the public approval. just two cents ... FML * (n.b., my audience here in America sees my work differently than that in Europe; difference of culture, mores, something) Jun 12 06 04:57 am Link I was gonna say its probably an American thing but youre in the UK like me. My mates reactions varied from asking if I was gay to trying to find out how much money I made. One person wanted to know how to get into doing it himself. No-one has ever said anything negative to me. Jun 12 06 04:58 am Link Fluffytek wrote: I'm selective of who I tell about my nude work. My parents know I'm modeling, but they never asked if I was doing nude work.. I would probably say 'yes' and suffer the consequences. Anyone I'm actually close with, I tell. And they don't have a problem with it. Jun 12 06 04:59 am Link FML-Photography wrote: I actually meant in the sphere of personal friends and aquentences rather than general public approval. I've had friends drop me after I 'came out' about shooting nudes, and wondered if it was common. Jun 12 06 05:05 am Link The typical conversations go like this: "So what do you do?" "I'm a photographer." "Oh. What kind of photographer?" "Oh, you know, the kind your mom warned you about..." Exit stage, left. Most of my female (now former) friends won't/wouldn't take the time to even look at my pieces. They'd simply go apeshit and rant about how I was 'exploiting' women. Oh please. I prefer the term 'empowerment', actually... Fact is, I don't/won't/couldn't shoot anything I wouldn't show my mom and I have the most neurotic set of 'rules' going. If I see too much with a nude model, I turn bright red. The nude thing isn't something I'll do forever, I'm simply asked to by those that get it. For the most part, it's just a massive headfuck and entirely not worth the grief. Chris ::rev Jun 12 06 05:15 am Link I belong to a community photo club but I haven't let anyone there know I do nudes. They do a lot of flowers and still life, etc. I've been tempeted to submit some of my tame abstract nudes though. I have a circle of friends that are Artists in various mediums so they would actually think it was strange if I didn't have nude work in my port. My family know I do a lot of portraits but they really aren't interested. They are too busy trying to get me to put down my camera at family events. I haven't run into any hostility here on MM. I think I've gotten the silent treatment (no answers to emails) when they see I have nudes. I do make it a point to mention if I DO or DO NOT request nudes from the models I contact. Jun 12 06 05:16 am Link Fluffytek wrote: most my friends are probably considered "artsy" type individuals (e.g., painters, photographers, musicians, etc.) and have a mind-set that doesn't look down on my work but then too, i don't go out of my way to talk about "work" when i'm with friends ... Fluffytek wrote: uh, ..., expect nothing from anyone; life's too unpredictable. Jun 12 06 05:19 am Link Well, one of the obvious answers towards some of your experiences is that the people that dropped you being a friend because you shot nudes are not really friends. Acquaintences maybe, but not friends. I wouldn't have a problem with it as I know all the people I consider actual friends, I consider them that because I trust them (and they trust me). But I'm also the child of a hippy nudist oil painter, and have lived in backwoods art communities and nudist communes for much of my childhood, so the circle of friends I have probably reflect that bred-in mindset.  Cheers, Paul Jun 12 06 05:50 am Link I don't worry about insignificant peoples opinions about what I do. Jun 12 06 06:06 am Link Fluffytek wrote: I rarely do nudes anymore....but in my younger day I did a lot of nudes.....and my friends found out.....without exception they all volunteered to be my assistant..... Jun 12 06 06:11 am Link FKVPhotoGraphics wrote: Yes, I get offers of volunteer assistants also!! Jun 12 06 06:22 am Link The only "real" shoot I've had were pregnancy nudes. It's what I wanted to do at the time to capture such a significant part of my life. I was surprised at which people freaked and which didn't. My mother should have been in the freak pile but was supportive and loved the results when my best friend of 10 years told me I whored myself (and my unborn child) out and she would never look at me the same. People are weird about it, and as mentioned in above post(s), I believe here (U.S) it's a cultural thing. Then there are some people just can't accept nude as anything but sexual and that's a personal problem. Especially in this day and age. Jun 12 06 06:24 am Link Everyone wants to be my assistant. In a couple of cases I've given them the opportunity and they either back down or stay red faced and shy the entire time. LOL. Jun 12 06 06:41 am Link lightsandshadow wrote: My local club found out about mine and last week I had to face a surprise inquesiton and justify my position in front of all the other members. It was not pleasent and I cant decide whether to leave (which would feel like defeat) or continue and give them the proverbial finger everytime I go. Jun 12 06 06:52 am Link Fluffytek wrote: It's just envy...... Jun 12 06 08:11 am Link I live in a conservative community with a full-time job in the public eye. I am very selective about who knows what about my photography. It's so easy for things to get misconstrued. My family knows that I shoot models. That's about the level of their interest, so I leave it there. My wife is fine with me shooting anything I am not ashamed to show our kids (our youngest is almost 13). Since my nudes lean toward a form-and-light style, she is fine with that. I have been surprised a couple times. I became friends years ago with some ladies who own a hair salon. Recently, I offered to do a staff photo for them since they hadn't done one in some time. I had my ipod with me and they looked at my work on there which included a couple nudes. While they were surprised at the nudes, they liked my work and even offered to keep a couple of my cards at the shop for referrals! Our local art gallery has a photography exhibit in the spring and I was invited to show some work. Since most of the work there is landscape/prairie life, I played it safe and put in a couple nature shots and an automotive abstract. After a few weeks, I went down to see how the exhibit went. One of the directors was there and said she wished there were more photos with something different. I told her I played it safe this time, but shared ideas I had for the future. She became excited when I said I was working on some abstract nudes. She has asked that I bring some down for review. I may possibly get a showing outside of the normal photography exhibits! I guess you never know.. Jun 12 06 08:53 am Link Fluffytek wrote: I would say just the opposite. I lost a lot of friends because of this. My family stopped speaking to me when I did this and are just now talking to me again but will not discuss my modelling. As far as in the business, some people send me hateful emails but it seems like most people on here are very supportive. Jun 12 06 08:55 am Link I've gotten nothing but encouragement and support from friends, coworkers and other photographers/artists. My neighbor holds me in awe and has hinted that he'd be happy to assist but I'm afraid he'd be a variant on GWC - Guy Without a Camera. If I have an outdoor shoot on a hot summer day, I may saddle him up with 50 pounds of gear and let him tote it for a few miles on a rough trail. That may leave him exhausted enough to collapse under a shady tree for the duration of the shoot. I made the error of showing some of my tamer draped works to my dear mother. She slammed the book closed and called it pornography. I only show her landscapes now. Jun 12 06 08:55 am Link My family has absolutely no clue that I do what I do. If they did, they'd flat out disown me. Some of my friends know and don't care. Usually when we talk about it, we refer to it as The Side Business. Other friends don't know and won't know because I don't think they'd understand. Jun 12 06 09:02 am Link My friends and family know I shoot models (heck, I'm married to one), but only a few select ones know of my nude work. My neighbor stuck his head over the fence on Saturday night as I was shooting some nude images by the glow of the pool and full moon. He's now my best friend. But I think its because I gave him the bottle of Vodka he asked for. I guess it's like this. I have a good idea who I can show and confess this all too. Some friends and family can deal with it, and the others, simply cannot. Jun 13 06 12:33 am Link BCI Photo wrote: Thank you. I enjoy having theories confirmed. Jun 13 06 12:48 am Link those that look at my work are always impressed by it. never had anyone say anything but WOOOOOOOOW and take the photo out of my hand to look at it closer. who is she....where did you take the photo........................I LOVE IT!!!!!!!! Jun 13 06 12:55 am Link My family knows and both my parents and my grandmother not only support my work but both my mother and grandmother have attended nude shoots with me. A few of my friends that know were a bit mystified by it at first but are now very accepting. My boyfriend's friends are more than accomodating to say the least. Not that I would really care what anyone thought about what I do though... I think what I've done is tasteful work and something that I should be proud of.. the people that know me and ended up having a problem with it were probably never a true friend or person to me anyways... Jun 13 06 12:55 am Link Fluffytek wrote: Carve butter or shaving cream into forms that resemble the human body and do "nudescapes" of them. Make Black and White prints, that's what "Real" Artists shoot. If anybody asks, tell them exactly what you've done and beg their forgiveness if the shapes incite lustful and indecent thoughts that offend their delicate sensibilities. Then laugh hysterically. And never miss a meeting Jun 13 06 01:04 am Link People need to stop being afraid of the human body. It is what it is we look at it everyday. If done right nude shots are beautiful. I think most people only judge on how tasteful the pictures turn out. I got alot of pics I can't show my mom, but they pay the bills. All my friends and family know I shoot all sorts of stuff and support me all the way. Kris Jun 13 06 01:07 am Link I had a discussion once with my Mom about it, sort of feeling her out... She reacted with distain, and I asked her what she thought of the greek artwork since it was almost all nude. She didn't really have anything to say about that. So I simply don't tell them. They probably wonder why I have a lot of friends that are photographers... It wouldn't surprise me if they find something someday that was put out there. Oh well if they do. I'll deal with that as it comes. Some of my friends from high school know that I model. I don't really tell them much. I send them some of the more tasteful stuff, and have sent a few nudes on occasion. (dude, I think I need more coffee...). My current friends here pretty much all know. But then again, most of them are also in the BDSM lifestyle, so they are plenty open minded and supportive. Frankly, I pretty much choose to spend my time with people that would be supportive or open to it. Jun 13 06 09:33 am Link You know what this looks like to me? A good way to get a bunch of nudy shootin photogs (and some models) all in one place replying to a post so that you don't have to search quite so hard for it. Sounds like an all day date with yer mouse in one hand and yer C*ck in the other. Heh. Jun 13 06 09:38 am Link I haven't told a soul. Of course, I know that people (namely my family) will undoubtedly discover it someday. It doesn't really worry me as much, though, as time goes on. I've done nothing I'm ashamed of. And I've always been the one in my family that (as an artist) was always taking up for nudes and stating how beautiful they are when some jackass who didn't understand them referred to them as porn. I'm talking about nudes by people like Mapplethorpe. It's sensual art. Lately...I'm beginning to wonder if some of my friends have discovered me on the internet...oh, well. They'll just have to get used to it. They've got bodies, too. Jun 13 06 09:40 am Link |
