Forums > General Industry > diffrnce between "fine art nude" & "artistic nude"

Photographer

dgold

Posts: 10302

Pawtucket, Rhode Island, US

Fine Art Nude:

https://img4.modelmayhem.com/060917/12/ … a45d0f.jpg
                                     18+

Artistic Nude:

https://img4.modelmayhem.com/061013/10/ … 5423_m.jpg
                                     18+

Oct 14 06 02:38 pm Link

Model

e-string

Posts: 24002

Kansas City, Missouri, US

42

Oct 14 06 02:41 pm Link

Photographer

d artiste provocateur

Posts: 457

Madison, Wisconsin, US

One has boobies, the other has implied boobies.

Oct 14 06 02:45 pm Link

Model

e-string

Posts: 24002

Kansas City, Missouri, US

LGL Underground wrote:
One has boobies, the other has implied boobies.

Why would it be called nude if it was only implied?

Oct 14 06 02:46 pm Link

Photographer

A_Photo

Posts: 176

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

I'm amazed of how many opinions here... I was just asking because, for example, in OMP there is this difference in the portfolios. For me is THE SAME; as always, it depends on who is looking rather than who shot the picture and states one or another. I was just checking for some solid answer, and there were some.
But it's just funny. Also, I see that being european changes, once again, the perception: most of the 18+ pics wouldn't be tagged 18+ and on and on.......

Oct 14 06 04:16 pm Link

Photographer

Lo Fi Art

Posts: 1311

Alice Town, Biminis, Bahamas

Oct 26 06 02:59 pm Link

Photographer

Kentsoul

Posts: 9739

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US

Fozzy wrote:
I don't see such a difference
... is there any?

The price tag?

Oct 26 06 03:59 pm Link

Photographer

Jay Bowman

Posts: 6511

Los Angeles, California, US

I'm no artist...



...but speaking as a member of the common peasantry, I've noticed both of these terms pop up and applied frequently to images that were largely indistinguishable (at least to a Philistine like myself) from one another.  And applied by people who try and act as if they know the difference.

Which, in my ignorant logic, leads me to believe the difference between the terms exists only in the head of the person trying to apply it. 




But, y'know, I'm not as sophisticated as you folks so what would I know...?

Oct 26 06 05:01 pm Link

Photographer

La Seine by the Hudson

Posts: 8587

New York, New York, US

Categorization for the sake of categorization. No difference. Ignore. (And frankly, I hate both labels, and I'm often not too fond of the work that's labelled as either.)

Oct 26 06 05:09 pm Link

Photographer

San Francisco Nudes

Posts: 2910

Novato, California, US

I've seen a lot of people use "artistic nude" to mean "tasteful nude" (might or might not be artistic, just not too in-your-face) and "fine art nude" to mean something that appears to be at least trying to have artistic merit despite content.

But clearly there's no consensus.

Oct 26 06 05:10 pm Link

Photographer

San Francisco Nudes

Posts: 2910

Novato, California, US

edit: (don't think I really needed two of those, but thanks!)

Oct 26 06 05:10 pm Link

Photographer

Bob Bentley Photography

Posts: 15141

Westcliffe, Colorado, US

Scott Harrill wrote:
And then there is also - Damn Fine Art! - Which is mostly erotic nude.

Or "Really Fuckin Great Art" too. Oh my!  That MUST be porn!

Oct 26 06 06:08 pm Link

Photographer

A J Kahn

Posts: 120

Ann Arbor, Michigan, US

In memory of Justice Potter Stewart, I couldn't give you a definition for fine art nude, but I know it when I see it!

Oct 26 06 07:45 pm Link

Photographer

Boho Hobo

Posts: 25351

Santa Barbara, California, US

San Francisco Nudes wrote:
I've seen a lot of people use "artistic nude" to mean "tasteful nude" (might or might not be artistic, just not too in-your-face) and "fine art nude" to mean something that appears to be at least trying to have artistic merit despite content.

But clearly there's no consensus.

Except that all agree that some nudes taste great.

Oct 26 06 07:52 pm Link

Photographer

Lo Fi Art

Posts: 1311

Alice Town, Biminis, Bahamas

KM von Seidl wrote:

Except that all agree that some nudes taste great.

Less filling!

Oct 26 06 07:57 pm Link

Photographer

Howard Search

Posts: 265

Brunswick, Maine, US

e-string wrote:
An artistic nude is more about the face and the "human". To me it's like glamour minus the sexual tone - it could be soft and pretty or hard edged. Fine art is more about form, figure, shapes, shadows, a real message, etc. It's a little less focused on the model herself (or himself).

Works for me!

Oct 26 06 08:00 pm Link

Photographer

La Seine by the Hudson

Posts: 8587

New York, New York, US

Fozzy wrote:
I don't see such a difference
... is there any?

I think you're right. By the way, you just ended up very near the top of the very short list of photographers on this site that I think are truly rockin'. Wonderful stuff. Seriously.

Oct 26 06 08:01 pm Link

Photographer

Satan Bug

Posts: 127

Hell, Nord-Trøndelag, Norway

I've always considered fine art nude to involve mostly the play of light on the shape of the nude body in a controlled/studio setting, and artistic to be more liberal with the setting and lighting.

Oct 26 06 08:07 pm Link

Photographer

Webspinner Studios

Posts: 6964

Ann Arbor, Michigan, US

dgold wrote:
Fine Art Nude:

https://img4.modelmayhem.com/060917/12/ … a45d0f.jpg
                                     18+

Artistic Nude:

https://img4.modelmayhem.com/061013/10/ … 5423_m.jpg
                                     18+

Close, but it does not have to do with whether or not it is black and white. In a 'real' fine art nude, according to ppa definitions, you cannot see full frontal nudity (no labia majora) or the models face. It is obscured. Let me come up with some examples.

Fine Art Nude #1
https://img4.modelmayhem.com/060909/13/ … 54307b.jpg

Fine Art Nude #2
https://img4.modelmayhem.com/060920/09/ … 85c410.jpg

Artistic Nude #1 (18+) (this borders on fine art nude, but her face is showing and she is wearing weird makeup)

https://img4.modelmayhem.com/061009/14/ … 72350d.jpg

Artistic Nude #2 (18+)
Again, close to fine art nude, but her face is showing, and there is the 'color' element, though fine art nude can be color, just subdued color

https://img4.modelmayhem.com/061012/19/ … 077dc9.jpg


Artistic nude with 2 people (18+)

https://img4.modelmayhem.com/061016/12/ … 98835c.jpg

Glamour Nude (18+)
https://img4.modelmayhem.com/061021/13/ … aca8d9.jpg

Documentary/Editorial nude #1
https://img4.modelmayhem.com/060920/16/ … 383fbb.jpg

Documentary/Editorial nude #2 (18+)
https://img4.modelmayhem.com/060916/10/ … ac3575.jpg

I could go on, but this is taking way too much time. I am beginning to feel like alexwh.

Oct 26 06 08:11 pm Link

Photographer

Webspinner Studios

Posts: 6964

Ann Arbor, Michigan, US

That being said, I really don't care too much either. I just like taking photos of people, and if they hang out naked in my house, I will take photos of that.

Oct 26 06 08:13 pm Link

Model

e-string

Posts: 24002

Kansas City, Missouri, US

Satan Bug wrote:
I've always considered fine art nude to involve mostly the play of light on the shape of the nude body in a controlled/studio setting, and artistic to be more liberal with the setting and lighting.

Don't forget about fine art nudes-in-landscapes...

Oct 26 06 08:15 pm Link

Model

e-string

Posts: 24002

Kansas City, Missouri, US

Webspinner wrote:
That being said, I really don't care too much either. I just like taking photos of people, and if they hang out naked in my house, I will take photos of that.

Yeah, I can't say I agree about face or labia showing meaning it's not fine art. I have both that the photographer and I consider to be fine art, and in fact one with face won at a Chicago gallery.

And, color doesn't have to be subdued in fine art.

Oct 26 06 08:17 pm Link

Model

the christy

Posts: 172

Los Angeles, California, US

Marcus J. Ranum wrote:
"Fine art" means that the photographer believes that their work is really good - hence the pretension of "fine."  "Artistic nude" means more along the lines of, "well, I'm trying."

smile

mjr.

This is good to know. Everyone wants to shoot nudes of me, but I dont do nude. I show my body without being fully nude. Im trying to understand why its hard to understand for some. Some bikini shots Ive seen show more than what I show.

Oct 26 06 08:20 pm Link

Photographer

Wolf 189

Posts: 4834

Las Vegas, Nevada, US

Categories are like codes to me.

I use them to distinguish different aesthetics and styles from each other in my portfolio, or when I plan my sessions, or presenting them to clients etc.

What I call "fine art", might not be considered as art (at all) in somebody's else's eyes and vice versa.

For example I make up many different names for my portrait works as well as fashion, travel, editorial etc. works:

Headshot, Casual Editorial Portrait, Formal Editorial Portrait, Natural Light Beauty Portrait, Fashion Portrait, Documentary Portrait, Journalistic Portrait, Creative approach Portrait etc. They mean certain things to me and help me to organize my work. Like shelves.
(We have started chatting about it in a tread called Portrait Photography here:
http://groups.myspace.com/Wolf189 )

Fine art nude could be more about shape, form, texture and utilizing minimal light on subject while artistic nude could be closer to glamour nude (a middle ground between the two...some attention to sensuality/sexuality of the subject while keeping an eye on a more creative approach towards it) and at times involves digital manipulations to achieve certain unusual aesthetics in the final images....now that is how "I" see them. The next person can see them totally different.

My version of fine art nude:

https://img2.modelmayhem.com/050804/19/ … aa5be9.jpg

or

http://www.impactfolios.com/Wolf189/1729/index.htm

Cheers

Wolf

Oct 26 06 08:52 pm Link

Photographer

Jeff Searust

Posts: 920

Austin, Texas, US

If you can sell it, then its "fine art."

If you keep in in a box under the bed, it's just "art."

If you keep it in the bathroom, it's porn.

Oct 26 06 09:24 pm Link

Photographer

SKPhoto

Posts: 25784

Newark, California, US

Fine Art Nude = the model got paid.

Artistic Nude = the model is in the kitchen getting the sandwiches and the beer while you're putting in the dvd.

Oct 26 06 09:56 pm Link

Photographer

vanscottie

Posts: 1190

Winnetka, California, US

I think were all in pretty much the same ballpark on this

On OMP there are categories for Artistic Nude and Fine Art Nude, by and large I put pictures that mostly show no face as Fine Art Nude, studies in classical figure study type work, and yes mostly B+W

Artistic Nudes are nudes I post showing a face, in color more oftan than not, that have some theme or story to them, offbeat framing, etc etc

Or As One Teacher Told Me:

Fine Art Nude - no face, no emotion, not much light
Art Nude - face, but she's depressed or pissed off or bored
Glamour Nude - face, but shes smiling and horny, too much light
Fetish Nude - elements of all the above plus kinky looking props

Oct 27 06 03:48 am Link

Photographer

afterdarc studios

Posts: 1196

San Diego, California, US

fine art is just the model.  artistic has some kind of prop in the picture, like a tree or something.

Oct 27 06 05:58 am Link

Model

A BRITT PRO-AM

Posts: 7840

CARDIFF BY THE SEA, California, US

IN PRACTICE THEY can BE THE same

BUT artistic IS MORE LIKELY 2 BE APPLIED TO SOMETHING EXPERIMENTAL OR LESS THAN CLASSIC
or not in b/w

oops
reverse caps, sorry!

Oct 27 06 04:19 pm Link

Model

A BRITT PRO-AM

Posts: 7840

CARDIFF BY THE SEA, California, US

the christy wrote:

This is good to know. Everyone wants to shoot nudes of me, but I dont do nude. I show my body without being fully nude. Im trying to understand why its hard to understand for some. Some bikini shots Ive seen show more than what I show.

;-)

its what you hide

Oct 27 06 04:20 pm Link

Photographer

Luminos

Posts: 6065

Columbia, Maryland, US

And after this, can we agree on how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

There are big differences in glamour versus nude versus artistic/fine-art.  But it seems to me that "artistic" is just an attempt at saying "fine-art".

With the line on big differences so subjective, the line between such a distinction seems mostly just artificial in origin.

Oct 27 06 04:21 pm Link