Gettin’ Nakey

Almost every time I mention to Joe public that I photograph a lot of people in the buff, I’m met with “I don’t think I could ever do that, that sounds awful!” usually followed by some heartbreaking comments about how much they hate their body - I absolutely despise that as a culture we’ve completely normalized hating our bodies, despite how incredible, beautiful and unique they all are. Maybe I’m in the minority thinking that the bare human form is a thing of beauty, no matter how it’s packaged.

Anyway, before I go off on a body acceptance rant, I’ll try and stick to the topic of this blog, which is all about the nude shoots I do.

I wanted to spend some time talking about how these shoots run, the common concerns, the all to familiar nerves that crop up, and answering the most common question “doesn’t it feel weird being naked in front of a photographer!?”

So let’s start from the top with how it all works.

When it comes to arriving at your shoot, I’ll ask that you travel to me wearing loose clothing, we want to minimise as much indentation on the skin as physically possible, simply because, from an editing perspective, these marks can be a real pain to edit out, particularly in areas of heavy contrast.
When it comes to hair and makeup, I ask my clients go with what they want to do, some arrive barefaced, others go for full face and a bold lip for additional pop. Hair up or down, either works, and it’s what makes you feel the most gorgeous (Although I personally prefer hair down because we can play with it in poses!).

If you’ve brought props or underwear then we’ll have a look over what you’ve got and we can then decide a starting point for your shoot.

We always start the shoot in underwear, to ease in gently as I understand the idea of stripping bare immediately can be a little daunting for most, so it’s a way to get you comfortable with the camera before baring all.

I’ll start out doing a few light tests on you, and then we’ll move into posing.

Once we’ve got a flow going, I’ll ask you to start stripping down, first just the bra off, and then finally panties too, and before you know it, you’ve forgotten you’re naked and having the time of your life.

So what if you’re super nervous about stripping down, and it all feels a bit daunting?

Firstly, nerves are very normal, this experience can be a bit scary at first, but once we start shooting, I can assure you that those nerves melt away almost immediately. Every single one of my clients has confirmed this, and if it’s any help, they’ve also said that I’ve made them feel so incredibly comfortable, they didn’t expect to be able to relax so much in a situation like this.

Secondly, I will never push you further than you’re comfortable with. I will always invite you to do things, reminding you that you can say no to anything at any point. I’ll be keep a close gauge on how you’re feeling, and if at any point it seems like it’s a bit much, we’ll pause and take a step back.
These shoots are a vulnerable experience, which is why I want to make sure you feel totally safe, you are always allowed to say if you’d rather not do anything I ask, and the language I use is deliberate to make sure that you feel like you can say no (Because I know it’s not always an easy word to say).
I’ve not had a client yet who has felt like they’ve been pushed too far out of their comfort zone, and everyone has finished beaming from ear to ear having had an exhilarating, empowering experience.

And finally, the familiar question: “Doesn’t it feel a bit weird being naked in front of a photographer?”

Now I’ve been on both sides of this scenario, having been both the naked subject, and the person doing the photographing, and I can honestly say (As weird as this might sound) you actually kind of forget that you’re naked and it just feels very normal. Also it’s not just me and my weird brain that finds this, but a lot of my clients too!

The thing is, we work our way up to the fully nude bit, so you’d had time to adjust to the situation. You’ve gotten used to how we’re working, you’ve relaxed and had a good laugh along the way (Because I’ll undoubtedly come out with so many silly comments that you cant help but laugh), and slowly you’ve taken off the layers until you’re fully nude. You’re focusing on the posing, how your body feels, I’m showing you the back of the camera (usually getting far too excited about what we’re creating), and you can see how truly incredible you look.

It’s the perfect recipe to ensure you walk away from your shoot feeling like a total goddess, empowered, strong, and beautiful.

So that’s some of the biggest questions and concerns about these wonderful shoots that have helped so many women step outside of their comfort zone to get a little closer to appreciating their incredible body for everything that it is. If you’d like to ask any further questions about these shoots, my inbox is always open. And if you’d like to take the plunge and empower yourself a little, then you can book your nude shoot directly through the website using the easy online booking system, where you can secure your shoot booking with a 25% deposit in a matter of minutes.