Brian Scanlon wrote:
Hi All, I'm looking for advice on shooting nudes outside in wilderness areas and the like.  what are the best ways to minimize the chance of you or the model getting into serious trouble?  Models, how do you deal with travel time, if it was an six hour round trip to the location for a two to three hour shoot?

Brian, My suggestion is to take part in an outdoor workshop first. Joel Belmont host one in Colorado https://www.facebook.com/DynamicPhotoWorkshops/ and Dashau Usova host one in Utah. https://www.facebook.com/utadventure/?pnref=lhc

Either of these would be a great way for you to learn more about the genre and connect with professional models and photographers who will be able to give you great advice.

Brian Scanlon wrote:
Hi All, I'm looking for advice on shooting nudes outside in wilderness areas and the like.  what are the best ways to minimize the chance of you or the model getting into serious trouble?  Models, how do you deal with travel time, if it was an six hour round trip to the location for a two to three hour shoot?

Scout the area ahead of time as well as do other forms of research about an area to identify any potential hazards which may be harmful.  Address those hazards or select another location as appropriate.   Harm can come from a variety of sources including other people, the natural environment, animal life (such as wood ticks), plant life (suck as poison ivy), weather, etc. 

Nude shoots expose more of the body to environmental hazards and may have additional issues of legality. 

Minimizing risk includes taking steps to reduce the risk of negative events occurring as well as having the knowledge to minimize the negative results should such events occur.   Best to avoid a cut foot, but should one occur, having the proper first aid supplies and knowing how to use them may minimize the long term consequences of the cut. 

Some things I've considered with outdoor locations:

What's the weather forecast?
Does the model have foot wear and clothing she can put on quickly?
Are there wood ticks, bees, poison ivy, etc?
Are there physical dangers such as sharp rocks, plant life, etc.?
What are the chances of being seen by a third party?
Is nudity illegal?
What will I do if a cut, etc. occurs?
What will I do if someone complains?

Lisa Everhart wrote:

Brian, My suggestion is to take part in an outdoor workshop first. Joel Belmont host one in Colorado https://www.facebook.com/DynamicPhotoWorkshops/ and Dashau Usova host one in Utah. https://www.facebook.com/utadventure/?pnref=lhc

Either of these would be a great way for you to learn more about the genre and connect with professional models and photographers who will be able to give you great advice.

Appreciate the advice, but at this point in my life that isn't going to happen

Abbitt Photography wrote:
Scout the area ahead of time as well as do other forms of research about an area to identify any potential hazards which
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What will I do if someone complains?

Thank you, good points

Brian Scanlon wrote:
Hi All, I'm looking for advice on shooting nudes outside in wilderness areas and the like.  what are the best ways to minimize the chance of you or the model getting into serious trouble?  Models, how do you deal with travel time, if it was an six hour round trip to the location for a two to three hour shoot?

Go scout the Topanga Canyon area, i have shot nudes out there for hours and never saw a soul.

Brian Scanlon wrote:
Hi All, I'm looking for advice on shooting nudes outside in wilderness areas and the like.  what are the best ways to minimize the chance of you or the model getting into serious trouble?

I did outdoor nude shoots for years, including many shoots where getting to the location was actually illegal and trespassing. I can't even begin to guess how much trespassing I've done with photographers, or how many public parks I've been butt nekkid in, but it's been a lot.

Probably had the cops called about ten times in total - which is almost nothing compared to the number of times I shot in places I wasn't supposed to. Most of the time, when the cops get called, it's because someone called them claiming "child porn" was being made in the woods. They look at your ID and tell you to get lost. That was like 8 out of the 10 times cops came and ran us off.

One other time, I was doing a bondage shoot, where I was suspended in the air off a railroad bridge thing. Some lady thought it was a person trying to commit suicide and called the cops, totally frantic. I was in a swimsuit that time, not naked.

Another time was in a railroad yard and the cop was like, "Well, you're trespassing but the neighbors only had an issue with the nudity, so just pack up and leave." I don't know how any neighbors could see, unless someone had a telescope or binoculars, whicI suppose was possible.

Despite all this, no one ever got in any trouble. The cops are annoyed they have to deal with a bullshit call, and just want you to go away.

It is my personal opinion that these are simply the risks one must take in order to do this - and you can expect to occasionally have to deal with cops and people who think you are a child, when you're actually like 30 years old. If you cannot deal with that fact, you probably shouldn't be shooting.

wrote:
Models, how do you deal with travel time, if it was an six hour round trip to the location for a two to three hour shoot?

Again, this just comes with the territory. I considered a "local" shoot to include a 5 state radius. It wasn't unusual for me to drive 300 miles one-way in a single day, get to a photographer's home late at night, sleep on his couch, then we'd get up the next day and do the shoot. After which, I'd drive 300 miles back home, often in the middle of the night. Because that's just what you have to do to get to shoots.

If one can't deal with it, then they probably shouldn't be modeling. It is really expensive to model, especially the gas/tolls and travel time. But, thankfully, I was mostly shooting actively in 2008-2011 (though I did continue to tour until the end of 2015), when photographers were far more willing to compensate travel, provide free lodging at their homes and offer food. Many of my out-of-region trips, especially in the early years, were trade for airfare. Someone (mostly people I met on the MM forums) would fly me out to their location for a week, in exchange for shooting time and I did paid shoots with others while I was in that particular area

A lot has changed with the world and work of internet-based models. In the last few years, you're expected more to cover everything out of pocket up front, and there are far fewer people willing to host. So many have had to jack up their rates as a result. Back in 2010, when my travel was mostly comped, I was able to work with people for as little as $35-50/hr, because I didn't have the huge overhead and you could always find a photographer to stay with on the road. I was able to do trade shoots all the time - and leisurely weekends of shooting, where I'd go to like New York or  New Jersey or some out of the way place in Maine, stay with a hosting photographer and shoot trade/collaborative content with him/her all weekend for fun.

Often, there'd be one or two other traveling models staying there at the same time, so you got to meet all these cool people while traveling. By 2014, that network and community had mostly fallen apart, so I was having to stay in hotels a lot more, having to cover everything up front. That meant increasing rates much higher, having less "for fun"/trade shoots and having to treat it exclusively like a business, where it'd been so much more than that in the past.

Brian Scanlon wrote:
Appreciate the advice, but at this point in my life that isn't going to happen

If you have a FB give me a link and I can add you to some groups where there will be very experienced shooters in your area willing to help you.

Looknsee Photography wrote:
Use American models.  If you are caught, you & your model might get a ticket.  If you model is not a citizen, she might get deported.  (At least, that's what one Canadian model told me). 

At least in California, for a first offense, it is very unlikely to be a deportable offense (particularly because it would probably be pled to something like disturbing the peace unless you were doing something like trying to shoot in front of an elementary school during recess.

Thank you

Nor-Cal Photography wrote:
Have another person who is the lookout for unwanted persons or animals.

But just one worthless opinion.

very applicable

Thank you

TomFRohwer wrote:
Google for " 'nude in public' AND 'first amendment' " and schedule a few nights for reading the results.

Not exactly practical advice, but thank you anyhow.

Jerry Nemeth wrote:
I have shot nudes in a sunflower field across the road from a police station.   

Yeah I kind of have the impression that most officers wont go out of their way to make work for themselves as long as your discrete, and don't run afoul of the general public.

Thank you

Yosh Studio wrote:

Go scout the Topanga Canyon area, i have shot nudes out there for hours and never saw a soul.

I'm not quite sure where in Topanga Canyon your talking about.  Maybe its just the time when I was there, but large parts seem reasonably busy.

Thank you, I'll scout some.

The F-Stop wrote:
Know the laws in the area you intend to shoot.

Google is your friend.

Yeah that's effectively been said.  It's not just the laws, but how they are enforced.

Thank you

Koryn wrote:
Again, this just comes with the territory. I considered a "local" shoot to include a 5 state radius.

Your five state radius isn't exactly my five state radius. 

I tend to ignore models that are located a good distance away (for instance San Diego) assuming that they are more likely to flake.  I did book one model that was far enough away, but she said she knew how far away it was and having to travel during rush hour(s) (we don't have rush hour we have rush hours and hours).  This was a case where I had rented a location and was none too pleased when she wanted more money to cover gas at the last minute.

Thank you for your input.

MatureModelMM wrote:
Traveling a distance to a location where the modelling will take place needs to be compensated somehow.  I don't think it's necessary to be paid the regular modelling rate for travel time, but for sure gas and something to cover the time spent driving needs to be arranged. A lot of models aren't going to be comfortable driving for hours with a relative stranger they are working with, I certainly wouldn't consider doing that unless I had worked with them several times already and knew them well.

That is my thinking to a large extent.

Thank you

Risen Phoenix Photo wrote:
Try Matador beach in Malibu. Great place to shoot. Be there around 8 am and shoot when there are not a lot of people. Make sure the model has a cover up she can throw on quickly.

There is also a nudist camp or two where they will allow you to shoot your model only, if you pay like $20. Of course in their nude areas you will also have to be nude.

Have shot there.  Have been there early in the morning (weekend not weekday) and have found a surprising number of people there.

Thank you

mccStudio wrote:
Ran into 2 tarantulas and 1 rattlesnake last week during my shoot.  lolz fun times.

Yeah that is something to worry about.

Thank you

Lisa Everhart wrote:

If you have a FB give me a link and I can add you to some groups where there will be very experienced shooters in your area willing to help you.

Thank you

Box Top Photography wrote:
Koryn, I really enjoyed reading your input. It's great to get a models point of view on this subject and you have so many stories to tell.

And be careful with ticks and lyme disease, I did a shoot this outdoors this summer and the model got it. Luckily she caught it immediately and she is ok.

Thank you

Brian Scanlon wrote:
Hi All, I'm looking for advice on shooting nudes outside in wilderness areas and the like.  what are the best ways to minimize the chance of you or the model getting into serious trouble?  Models, how do you deal with travel time, if it was an six hour round trip to the location for a two to three hour shoot?

It's really just keeping a good lookout, and being quick about your shoots. Agree on poses before the model undresses. I see you're fairly close to Ventura County. I've done quite a few nude shoots around my area. A Park in Ventura, a beach in Oxnard, a park in Camarillo, a park in Simi Valley, a park in Santa Barbara, and one in Griffith Park. It's also, is the model comfortable being nude outside. Also, you'd be surprised how many people just don't care. I did a nude shoot in a park in San Dimas, and older couple walked right by us. They didn't scoff, stare, or anything. Good luck.

HHPhoto wrote:
Make an appointment with Sarah Jane / Wonderhussy in Vegas:
18+
https://www.modelmayhem.com/wonderhussy  (most of her MM portfolio consists of sunshine on skin)

Check out her website and blog.  Plenty of stories describing experience and descriptions of outdoor nude shooting locations:
18+
http://wonderhussy.com/modeling-portfolio/

Check out her very recent video describing nude images taken while hiking up Half Dome in Yosemite:
18+
http://wonderhussy.com/hiking-half-dome/
http://wonderhussy.tumblr.com/post/1512 … lec-dawson

MM Thread started by Wonderhussy to get feedback on pricing and "business model":
https://www.modelmayhem.com/forums/post/955276

Interesting read, Thank you.

TonyZ Imagery wrote:

It's really just keeping a good lookout, and being quick about your shoots. Agree on poses before the model undresses. I see you're fairly close to Ventura County. I've done quite a few nude shoots around my area. A Park in Ventura, a beach in Oxnard, a park in Camarillo, a park in Simi Valley, a park in Santa Barbara, and one in Griffith Park. It's also, is the model comfortable being nude outside. Also, you'd be surprised how many people just don't care. I did a nude shoot in a park in San Dimas, and older couple walked right by us. They didn't scoff, stare, or anything. Good luck.

Being relaxed and cautious is important. Arrive. Stop. Look. Listen. Drink some water.listen some more. Practice poses with clothes on. Then as few nude shots possible. Dress. Repeat.

K I M I L Y wrote:
Maybe a 'park' is something different in the US but here in the UK it's a place where one might reasonably expect to find children. For that reason I do not go anywhere near parks with a camera and especially not with a nude model. Likewise public beaches.

What your thinking about is a city park.  You also have to think of park as in terms of preserved wildlands/woodland.  I do know that you guys have National Parks.  Think in those terms.

Brian Scanlon wrote:

Have shot there.  Have been there early in the morning (weekend not weekday) and have found a surprising number of people there.

Thank you

I shoot there each year I am in Cali and 4 times last April and May and never had a problem shooting nudes. You can see those images in my port.

I also shoot in the Malibu mountains, Santa Barbara mountains and under the Malibu pier.

TonyZ Imagery wrote:

It's really just keeping a good lookout, and being quick about your shoots. Agree on poses before the model undresses. I see you're fairly close to Ventura County. I've done quite a few nude shoots around my area. A Park in Ventura, a beach in Oxnard, a park in Camarillo, a park in Simi Valley, a park in Santa Barbara, and one in Griffith Park. It's also, is the model comfortable being nude outside. Also, you'd be surprised how many people just don't care. I did a nude shoot in a park in San Dimas, and older couple walked right by us. They didn't scoff, stare, or anything. Good luck.

Thank you

Brian Scanlon wrote:
What your thinking about is a city park.  You also have to think of park as in terms of preserved wildlands/woodland.  I do know that you guys have National Parks.  Think in those terms.

The State parks in and around are great places to shoot. If you do so during the week and in the fall there will be almost no one there.

There are also a series of hot springs you can shoot at and a beautiful Waterfall in Calabasas. I have shot in all of these places with no issues

Natural Means wrote:

Being relaxed and cautious is important. Arrive. Stop. Look. Listen. Drink some water.listen some more. Practice poses with clothes on. Then as few nude shots possible. Dress. Repeat.

Thank you

Brian Scanlon wrote:

I'm not quite sure where in Topanga Canyon your talking about.  Maybe its just the time when I was there, but large parts seem reasonably busy.

Thank you, I'll scout some.

If I remember right the Tuna Canyon Park area