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Before going nude...
So I'm toying with the idea of posing nude...I got some rather tasteful semi - nude pictures taken of me, which look great, and all, but...I'm not sure about releasing them because of...general stuff, family, job and future job opportunities...I'm just a freelance, or rather hobby - model, I don't make a living of it. I guess, it's just some natural funk, but my question is; how did you, models who eventually decided to pose nude deal with these issues? Have you ever had any family members or collegues stumble upon your pics? Angry boyfriends? These might be stupid questions, but please, if it seems silly just ignore it, don't leave rude comments...thanks!  Oct 15 13 04:07 am Link I fell into nude modeling as a way to make money after my marriage fell apart a few years ago. Also, it must be said that I honestly don't care what anyone thinks about my naked body and the fact that I decided to have pictures taken of it, and drawings, paintings and sculptures done of it. I'm a bit of a free-spirit in this way, I guess. And also, I like to challenge myself. I get angry if I feel afraid. I also get perturbed if I think anyone has a problem with my being a nude model; I think THEY'RE the one with the problem, not me. I began nude modeling at a much different age and stage of my life than a lot of models on this site, though, and I realise that they have possibilities to worry about that I didn't when I began. I do use an alias, but a lot of people I work with in artistic circles know who I am on here anyway, even though I didn't even tell them... Oct 15 13 04:16 am Link Don't use your real name. Use an alias. There is a model from Budapest in my portfolio. It's not a nude but I also photographed her nude. Oct 15 13 04:17 am Link Eugenya wrote: This is me all the way!!! Sure, some family members had and still have a problem with it, and my husband still cringes at the idea, but after years of finally feeling comfortable in my own skin, I had to put my foot down and please myself and damn everyone else and their narrow minded opinions. I, too, use an alias in case I ever go back to working a regular 9-5, but this is the internet...if they want to find out, they can. Oct 15 13 07:01 am Link In this age of digital photography there are no guarantees that any image will not end up on the internet for everybody to see. If you're going to shoot nudes, then do so with the understanding that everybody you know (including everybody you wouldn't want to see them, both now and many years in the future) will see them at some point. You will also have no control over where those images end up and once they're out there they're virtually impossible to remove. If you're cool with that, then go for it! Just my $0.02 Ciao Stefano www.stefanobrunesci.com Oct 15 13 07:07 am Link I got into it as I've always been comfortable in the nude and wanted to be photographed. It turns out that I enjoy it too. I'm always aware of the fact that friends or family might come across photos on the internet but I'm not ashamed of what I do. Use a stage name so that your lives can remain separate. As long as you're aware of the fact that photos of you could be on the internet and you're okay with that, then go for it. Good luck. Oct 15 13 07:39 am Link Thanks for all the answers and encouragement so far! I gess, I just have to try it and see how I feel about the pictures once they're released... Oct 15 13 07:48 am Link That Italian Guy wrote: This, but with a slight amendment. Oct 15 13 07:58 am Link I used to model nude. For artists and art institutions and genuine fine art nude photographers. However, it has subsequently cost me modelling jobs so I have been told. Boutiques and many small designers can be funny about it; even though I didn't do any glamour. Also now I tutor undergrads and I wouldn't want to risk the hassle that could cause. So think about it carefully and be selective in the kind of nude work you do, where it will be shown etc. Even entering an 18 plus link here in forums means they can show up in a google image search. Oct 15 13 08:00 am Link How do you deal with the same issues with your other images? Playing in graveyards, simulating shooting up, hanging, fetish scenes, any or all of these could cause problems at times. How do you currently deal with it? I think the answers would be much the same. Oct 15 13 08:01 am Link I did my first nude shoot very much on purpose as a challenge to myself. I chose a photographer who did very artistic nude (not at all glamour) and ended up loving the results so have done many more since. I use an aliase and have my MM settings such that my 18+ images don't show on Internet searches. So far, no one I wouldn't want to has seen them. However, as said above, this is the Internet and so I assume people could. I am not really worried if people do. I'm not ashamed of it and I feel that in my industry my job would not be at risk if I was found out. I'm fairly open about the modelling, most people I know, known I model for fun and most people I class as friends know I model nude. Not really sure what to advise , I guess only do it for yourself (not just because you're more likely to get paid if you do) and pick your photographers wisely, look at the general style on their port and imagine if you would be comfortable in most of their images. Oct 15 13 08:12 am Link Figure out who the person is that you'd least want to ever see a nude photo of you. Maybe it's your boss, or your dad, or your kids. Whoever it is, assume that person will see them. Just take it as a given that at some point, for some reason you can't imagine now, they'll find out. If you can live with that and still stand behind the choice you made for the rest of your life, go for it. If not, maybe it isn't the right path for you. Just remember that once it's out there, you can't undo it. The moderator team receives messages every day from people who are frantic about their jobs or relationships because of photos of them on Model Mayhem. The internet doesn't forget. If you can live with that, go for it. Just make the choice carefully and with thought. Oct 15 13 09:14 am Link I did have someone find out: my boss (now ex-boss) and it turned out to be a very interesting turn of events. My mother and I were working for the same person. One day she called me into her office to tell me our boss had found my photos (and shown them to her) and that I should probably lock them down from him. Apparently he had found me on MySpace and Googled my name there and found my MM. I hid the 18+ stuff from non-members. Later he came back and told my mom he wished I had not done so as quickly as I did because he did not have a chance to save the photos. Yeah, he was that kind of guy  Anyway, at first I thought my mom would be upset, but she was passively supportive at first and has since come to be more actively supportive. She has some of my prints as well. My boss tried multiple times to get more of the photos. He tried to convince me that he was involved in all types of photography (yet knew none of the terms or anything), that he needed the photos in order to train me (it was a fitness related job, though I was involved in another part of the business), and that I could do photoshoots in the building. Beyond that bit of fun, I have never had much of an issue. Most of my friends were pretty accepting. My bf when I first started was supportive. The next one was indifferent and I think he thought I would "outgrow" it or grow bored of it eventually. My now husband was a photographer before we met and is probably about as supportive as one can possibly be. Most of my friends now are models or photographers or other creatives themselves, plus a lot of them are into the BDSM scene or at least in that circle so they are even more "open-minded" about nudity. Sometimes at art shows (I work in that field) when I am in a photo on the wall, the occasional drunken guy will make some odd comments, but I just brush them off and act like it is no big deal and they generally back off. I think it depends on your circles and maybe your area as well. Only you know your priorities and what you can risk. Also, I have written an article about things to consider before posing nude if you are interested: Dekilah's List of Considerations for Potential Nude Models Oct 15 13 10:07 am Link All the stuff you mentioned, general stuff, family, job and future job opportunities. Are you ok with something bad happening to any of those areas of your life because you chose to pose nude? Are you ok with the fact that your friends and family will see your images? Even if you hide them/don't tell them - they will eventually see them. The internet never forgets. Are you ok with some of your family members not being supportive? Can you handle all the bad shit that they are going to say to you? Are you ok with future potential employers finding your images? And are you ok with not getting into a certain career path because the photos might come back and "haunt" you? Are you ok with everyone in the entire world seeing you nude? Are you going to be ok with what everyone is going to say about your body? Either good or bad. I took a lot of time to think about if I really wanted to pose nude before I actually started doing it. I took steps in order to protect myself as best I can. I made a fake name, I made a new profile, I made sure that in no way was my non-nude profile connected to my nude profile. If someone from my non-nude modeling wants to find out I model nude they are actually going to have to do a little bit of work. My parents found out (and they were supportive, for the most part) without me telling them. Someone printed out and mailed my nude images to them. Taking that into consideration - could you handle that situation if that happened to you? Before you jump into anything it's really important that you really consider all of these things. If you want to model nude - do it for yourself and not because other people said that you should do it. Also, when I first started I only worked with photographers whos work that I really really liked. I didn't shoot with everyone who offered (and there were a shit ton of offers, both paid and tf). If you want to start doing paid work - you have to be ok with the fact that there may be some unflattering nude images of you out there forever too. If you're not ok with that, only stick to working with people who's work you really love. That's also the fastest way to build up an awesome portfolio. Oct 15 13 01:43 pm Link Dekilah wrote: Thanks a lot, it's really useful! Oct 15 13 01:46 pm Link NicoleNudes wrote: who the hell does that? Oct 15 13 09:01 pm Link Call Me Caitlin wrote: My bet is a woman Oct 15 13 09:04 pm Link because of the concerns you listed, i would hold off on posing for photographs for a while. Start with posing for figure study art classes first, pose for painters, drawing and sculpting artists. Yes the poses can be long but you have less of a chance of these works getting on the internet and if they do there is hardly any way of knowing who is the nude subject. This way you feed your desire to pose nude and get experience at the same time while building your comfort level and away from your family and friend's judgements. Get into photographic work when you are ready on all fronts. Oct 15 13 09:33 pm Link This may not be related to "nude" but you asked if anyone such as friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances, etc, have found out and what happened... A few years ago I responded to an ad about dancing for a director for a film project, I thought nothing bad of it, did it and it was done. Fast forward to today, a certain other "stage manager" who will remain unnamed, threatened to sue me because I committed fraud because, while using his "facilities" I neglected to inform him that I once performed on film (and still do). The company and related associations, people, etc, all were suffering the effects of the suit. Now, of course, once I hired a lawyer, and he fell of his chair laughing as nothing like that would hold up in court and afterwards presented said lawyer + his firm to unnamed stage manager, stage manager, abruptly withdrew his suits, etc... But only after a lot of drama, lost money, productivity, even physical injuries, and who knows what else could have been accomplished during this time was this resolved. So in the end, anyone can get upset over anyone over anything, you don't know what it will be and it's often the last thing you expect. I find that people rarely "discriminate" people for "normal" (can I say that?) things like, say "being black" (which is not okay to discriminate of course), but it always ends up being some really obscure thing to not like someone over or make drama over. PS, discriminating people based on skin color is still wrong and not any less bad of course. Oct 16 13 01:46 am Link Doing nudes has never held me back from anything, although I unlike some don't aspire to work for Disney. I started doing nudes promptly after I turned 18 fine art, euro-fashion, bloody naked death scenes in horror films. Sure, I had jealous boyfriends, but as soon as they voiced a one-sided opinion and didn't open their minds to what I chose to do for a living I would get rid of them. You don't want closed-minded people in your life anyways. My mother and grandmother love my work, my dad chooses not to think about it and my sister unfortunately is not an open-minded individual. There are many things to think about before starting to shoot nudes. It works great for me, but our life styles may be different and as soon as you start shooting them they will be posted. These days something goes up online and doesn't come down. How supportive is your family? Do you feel comfortable shooting nude? Is this a long term thing? Or do you want to be a teacher or something (nudes are severely frowned upon in some professions)? Good luck! Hope everything works well for you Oct 16 13 02:06 am Link Call Me Caitlin wrote: *shrug* Oct 16 13 09:42 am Link I started modeling right after turning 18 and my very first shooting was topless - from that time on, I've always considered myself a nude model. Never had real issues with boyfriends or friends in general, but I had to explain my choices to my family - after all: "their house, their rules", that's why I had to convince mom and dad there was nothing dangerous about posing nude and I was aiming to make something worthy (and some extra money too ). Now my number one concern is my full-time job, as I've started a rather important career. But I try to think pink about it as I consider the environment in which I work positive and open-minded... but you never know how people would actually react to that kind of discoveries  However, being fired for something like naked pics is something the public opinion looks down to. I'm not that scared. *crosses fingers* So my only suggestion is to shoot pictures that will make you proud - no matter if it is met-art or just portrait. The content doesn't really matter, it's how YOU first feel about 'em. Oct 16 13 11:43 am Link If you're worried about certain people seeing the images or don't feel 100% comfortable, don't do it. Oct 20 13 10:22 pm Link Jeffrey M Fletcher wrote: This is a very good point since we are talking to you specifically. Oct 21 13 01:59 am Link The name I use for modeling in general isn't my real name. I don't want potential employers in the field I study to see my photos, especially the nude ones. Oct 25 13 04:15 pm Link If you are not comfortable with nude,and afraid of the consequences,don't do it. that's way i allways pay the models who do nude for me because they did scarfice their privacy. Nov 03 13 05:42 am Link That Italian Guy wrote: I understand why people give this advice, but at the same time, I've been posing nude for *almost* a decade. For at least a few years, my naked ass was all over the internet, as well as some fetish sites that received lots of traffic. Still, no one I have ever known has found them, or knew ANYTHING whatsoever about it, unless I showed them. Nov 03 13 06:42 am Link what about all the teachers losing their jobs (or not getting their jobs) over photos? seems like there's a story in the news weekly about this. and it seems like if someone ever got really mad they might be motivated to dig deep for dirt. Koryn Locke wrote: Nov 03 13 09:14 am Link ontherocks wrote: Well, I also think there's a certain amount of personal responsibility in choosing a post-modeling career. Being a teacher, or any sort of public servant, just isn't a very good choice for people who have done things in their lives that the mainstream considers taboo. If you lay low, don't put yourself in compromising positions, and are careful about the choices you make - including your career choices - it should not ever become much of an issue. People like teachers and politicians are subject to a greater level of scrutiny than are folks in other occupations. You know this when you take a job at a public school; you will be watched like a hawk. Nov 03 13 10:17 am Link Using a different name may decrease the risk of someone being able to search for you, but there's still the risk of them running into the photos and recognizing you. I did one fully nude shoot where the model wore this white sheeting thing over her face to hide her identity. It worked pretty well. She looks very different in clothes than she does nude, so the chances of others recognizing her are pretty slim. Nov 03 13 10:27 am Link |
