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Short and Naked
ProShotPhoto wrote: Right. That would be the point to this entire thread. Sep 20 05 11:34 pm Link I had a simillar problem when I first started. Being short in this industry really is an obstacle, even if you have a great look and photograph well, its alot harder to find work. And of course, if you make it known that you will pose nude, then you're going to get a lot of nude offers. I always said I might consider nudes on a project by project basis, but when I started revieving more of those offers than anything else I decided that needed to change. There is nothing wrong with posing nude if your comfortable with it, but you need to figure out if that's what you want to be your focus in the industry. Yea, I'm short, but I know that I want to do fashion and commercial print, so I worked on building a portfolio for that. Your photos are all beautiful, but if you don't want to only be a nude model, you need to develop in other modeling styles. Maybe you should think about starting over. Plenty of photographers do TFP's, and yea, some of them might want nudes, but you could work out some kind of compromise, like they'll shoot you in two different fashion looks of whatever, and you'll let them shoot some nudes for their own use. It is kind of hard, especially because the amount of money you can make doing nude work is good, but just think about working on a diverse portfolio. And I don't know about you, but I'd be damned if I'll let me grandkids see a nude photo of me! Sep 21 05 08:36 am Link I know where you coming from. I do feel your pain. The same thing happens to me. Every shoot I go to somehow and totally against my will I end up naked. Those photgraphers are all into voodo. Last shoot I was at the photographer started saying strange incantations and the next thing I knew I stark raving naked. You've got to watch out for Voodo Photographers. Also I noticed recently that my girlfriend has been getting me naked too. BTW I'm kind of short for a guy . Maybe the Voodo only works on shorties like us. The spells they're putting on us only are pretty short and they only last a short while. We need to get ourselves some good Voodo on our side. Sep 22 05 03:05 pm Link I never set my shoots in stone because I like the creative process to drive the shoot, instead of my original idea. The shots that come unintentionally tend to turn out better that the original idea I had anyway. I HAVE had a shoot or two go in that direction myself. If the model is willing to go there, who am I to say "no I won't shoot that, it wasn't in the plan" But I WOULD start out doing clothed shots of you, because that was the original plan. (and to be totally honest if I was to shoot you naked I'd want to work up to it first and build some trust anyway) Sep 22 05 03:15 pm Link Dyanov wrote: I have never ended up naked against my will, I am actually more comfortable naked than I am clothed. However, I really need some decent clothed shots before anyone is going to want to work with me doing anything non-nude. Sep 22 05 06:39 pm Link Mark H. Edwards wrote: Exactly. I work the same way. It would be nice, though, if the clothed images that start the shoot were as good as the nude ones that finish it. Sep 22 05 06:42 pm Link nyx wrote: The advice that I can give you is, that dont let them take advantage of the fact that your willing to pose nude. if you want more for your portfolio, dont let them know that your willing to do nude, its just as simple as that....and there are an array of photographers who dont just want to shoot with Fashion Model types, do your research and youll learn alot! Sep 22 05 06:45 pm Link angelavasquez wrote: Thanks for the advice. Sep 22 05 06:50 pm Link Hmm. Ya, it's an awkward catch 22. I've got a great model that I work with about once every 6 weeks or so that is ONLY known for her nudes, and while she's very happy shooting nudes, she occasionally wonders why she never gets asked to shoot anything else. I have yet to come up with a tactful way of telling her that it could have something to do with her skin being gorgeous while her wardrobe leaves a lot to be desired... I'm going to guess that you're not in the same boat. It may be a trite suggestion, but you might want to give a shout out to a photographer with whom you're most comfortable (who has real talent), and tell him or her what your dilemma is. He or she will probably work with you on it. If it's not being too pushy, I'd also suggest some short, outdoor sessions (maybe a nice park or the like?). Keeping it short keeps the pressure off to get perfect shots at once, assuming of course you schedule something like three or four of these short shoots. Shooting in public places may just keep both of you focused on shooting what you need for your book. You've also got an adoreable face (ya, I know, not the compliment the average goth model is often looking for), which means you'd probably be great in softer colors, more even lighting, etc, etc. Playing up the girly side may lead to some better fashion shots than you might expect. Last option that I can come up with, try making a slower transition. You would look outright stunning in a purple velvet corset, black mini, and fishnets. Take the goth look and push it towards the high-brow. The cover images for Gothic Beauty might be pushing the idea a bit far, but that's certainly the direction my brain's going. Your comfort IN the clothing is going to be the most important part. You look like you're perfectly comfortable in the few pieces that are shown in your portfolio here, so maybe you'd have luck adding a piece here or there until you grew just as comfortable clothed as you are nude. It's not nearly as freakish a feeling as one might be led to believe by reading boards like this one. Some people -- not just women -- just have a hard time feeling entirely comfortable in clothes. And unless you're perfectly comfortable, the shots just won't be there. I promise that if I manage to make it out to your neck of the concrete jungle in the near future, not only will I offer to shoot you with clothes on, you might even be able to talk me into making the corset.  -Jake Sep 23 05 01:12 am Link Have you ever heard of just say NO! If you want to get nude, get nude. If you don't don't. It's that simple. But don't act like it is out of your control. Take responsibility for your actions, accept the consequences, and stand up for yourself. Sep 23 05 10:03 am Link Seriously. If you're going to end up nude anyway, why not do multiple outfits & disgarment out of them? Sep 23 05 01:06 pm Link nyx wrote: sounds like the photographers you've worked with don't care what you want, they just want their nudes. i'd put you in a dickies dress in front of a weathered brick wall......... there's not many things finer than a short slender woman in a dickies dress. Sep 23 05 03:59 pm Link nyx wrote: Bingo! You say "I am actually more comfortable naked than I am clothed." That is not that unusual. A fair number of models feel the same as you. Sep 23 05 10:54 pm Link When i see a model whose portfolio is overrun with nude and sexy images that's typically what i approach her about. That's great for both of us if we are looking for the same type of images. But if you have all nudes and implied in your portfolio and you are looking to shoot the next Vogue cover, i wouldn't think to consider you. Sep 25 05 12:31 pm Link Chuck Espinoza wrote: I wouldn't expect you to. I need more clothed/fashion shots, I just need to find someone who wants to do them first, else I have nothing to show off in the way of clothing and fashion. Sep 25 05 01:06 pm Link It still just goes back to getting a photographer that will work with you. I had a last min cancellation (Again! Gurr) But the replacement that is is shooting with me gets 1/2 of the shoot to showcase herself in whatever she wants to bring. The other 1/2 is for my projects and shots. Browse through the local photogs - find some folks you like and send them an email that says - "I'm interesting in working with you and would like to try . . . . . ." Most decent non-pros would likely jump at the chance to work with you. Heck, if you weren't way the heck over there . . . Vintage Sep 25 05 03:04 pm Link Vintagevista wrote: Local photogs? Hah. See how many decent ones there are in Pittsburgh. Sep 25 05 03:13 pm Link Here is a unique way to solve that problem....JUST SAY NO!! OR JUST DON'T VOLUNTEER TO DO IT!!! Sep 25 05 03:23 pm Link George ephrem wrote: Theoretically, it sounds good. Sep 25 05 03:29 pm Link I think I may have already replied in a similar thread, but I cannot find it now so I'll go ahead and post here. Between the personality you have shown in your posts and the little bit of you that can see in your portfolio (no real full body etc), I would be more than willing to shoot with you. I don't claim to be a great photographer, but if you look in my portfolio you will notice there are no nudes and maybe nothing that would even be considered glamour. I will be in Philadelphia for several days over the next couple of weeks for work (non-photographic) and could shoot if we can close the gap between there and Pittsburg. This may be more appropriate in a private message to you, but perhaps by offering this in public I will seem less like a GWC and more like a photographer that is offering to help. Sep 25 05 04:26 pm Link After a fashion shoot yesterday, where both models had great looks but also very conventional looks (hair color, eye color, lack of tatoos, piercings, etc.), I'm wondering if you might consider wearing a wig of brown, red, blond, or black hair. Hair color doesn't bother me - I shoot a good number of Anime fans (I have a web site devoted to Anime convention photography) and so I see a lot dyed hair as well as a lot of wigs. Some Anime fans don't dye their hear and so wear wigs to Anime conventions while others dye their hear and wear wigs to work or "dinner with the parents." Thus, some of the wigs I see are pink, blue, orange, green, purple, red, etc., but a lot that are brown, black, red (as in typical redhead red), or blond and are worn to office jobs and some modeling jobs. I must admit, I've been fooled by some of these wigs, and taken aback when a shoot ended and the model removed her brown wig to reveal her blue hair. So... Consider getting a wig - something you could wear to a "conservative business attire" (stuffed shirt) office - and bring it to your photo shoot. Get some clothed shots of you in a brown, blond, or red wig and see how they come out. Just a thought. Sep 25 05 05:24 pm Link Here is my 2 cents worth on the subject. As professional photographer I have a consultation with all of the people I work with. In order to get the best images proper planning must take place otherwise the session is just a shot in the dark hoping for some sort of useable image. It doesn't matter if the session is portraiture, commercial, fashion, nude or architectural. There has to be some end product that you are trying to achieve. The desired end result may be as simple as just copying someone elses image (which by the way is an excellent way to learn) or something totally new. If the session goes astray might because there is a lack of focus on the end product, poor planning, lack of communicating what the end result is, or it's just not working. If I sound like an old fart, I am and not ashamed of it. Last year I walked out of corporate america after 28 years of watching projects fail due to poor communication, poor planning, lack of funding, lack of thinking, or egos getting in the way. I now have a successful studio in southern california doing what I love. My point here is if what you are doing here is a business then treat it as such. If you are doing this for fun then make sure that you really are having fun. For any of you that look at my portfolio and thinks man this guy really sucks, no images, etc. and I'm full of ****. Well I am here experimenting and looking for some different takes on old themes. My main focus has been and will continue to be portraiture and commercial work. I will leave fashion to the young guns. If I can learn some new things from younger people that would be wonderful and if I leave some ideas that benefit with those I encounter we all come away winners. Time is too short to spend our lives doing things that does not fulfill our needs of self repect, happiness, learning and growing and yes making money then we might as well go work in a factory and spend our time daydreaming on the assembly line. Best wishes to everyone out there Sep 28 05 12:43 am Link I just saw your port.. looking like you do.. who would want to put clothes on you.. u look great nude!  Sep 28 05 10:51 am Link |
