A.K. Nicholas's Blog
November 10, 2012
Second Edition of True Confessions of Nude Photography
This second edition is a major update and expansion of the popular original.
Learn to photograph beautiful nude female models by reading this book.
This is the second edition of True Confessions of Nude Photography: a step-by-step guide to recruiting beautiful models, lighting, photographing nudes, post-processing images, and maybe even getting paid to do it.
Prior experience with nude models is not required to benefit from this how-to guide. This guide can be enjoyed by anyone, but is written for two main audiences: the accomplished photographer wanting insight from a peer, and the serious amateur wanting a guided introduction to the field.
The female body has been an inspiration for artists since before the invention of photography. Naturally, nudes were one of the first subjects of photography as well. Although the guide covers the basics of nude photography, it is assumed that you have a digital camera that is more advanced than a point-and-shoot and that you already understand the basics of operating your camera. This book deals with female models. You won't find male models or advice on photographing non-models in this book.
Finding Models. Nude photography entails more than just photographic technique, there is a huge interpersonal element; much more so than in any other kind of people photography. The guide addresses everything from finding models, to working with them long term. Most guides on photographic technique assume you've already found a willing model. This one assumes that you're having trouble - or at least having trouble finding a model that you feel takes your work to the next level. It contains techniques for finding and recruiting models.
Techniques. A range of processes are explained step-by-step. You'll find more than just a selection of photos and a dissection of each; you'll see full lighting diagrams as well as frank discussions of techniques and pitfalls in the days and weeks leading up to making a nude image. From finding your first nude model to selling your first nude photo, the guide presents complete, concise instruction on lighting, posing, and-post processing with Photoshop.
The second edition is a major update. It is printed in a larger size than the original edition, and contains twice the amount of text (approximately 55,000 words.) Includes 126 pages, 221 nude photos, and 8 detailed lighting diagrams.
True Confessions of Nude Photography: A Step-by-Step Guide to Recruiting Beautiful Models, Lighting, Photographing Nudes, Post-Processing Images, and Maybe Even Getting Paid to Do It.True Confessions of Nude Photography: A Step-by-Step Guide to Recruiting Beautiful Models, Lighting, Photographing Nudes, Post-Processing Images, and Maybe Even Getting Paid to Do It.
Learn to photograph beautiful nude female models by reading this book.
This is the second edition of True Confessions of Nude Photography: a step-by-step guide to recruiting beautiful models, lighting, photographing nudes, post-processing images, and maybe even getting paid to do it.
Prior experience with nude models is not required to benefit from this how-to guide. This guide can be enjoyed by anyone, but is written for two main audiences: the accomplished photographer wanting insight from a peer, and the serious amateur wanting a guided introduction to the field.
The female body has been an inspiration for artists since before the invention of photography. Naturally, nudes were one of the first subjects of photography as well. Although the guide covers the basics of nude photography, it is assumed that you have a digital camera that is more advanced than a point-and-shoot and that you already understand the basics of operating your camera. This book deals with female models. You won't find male models or advice on photographing non-models in this book.
Finding Models. Nude photography entails more than just photographic technique, there is a huge interpersonal element; much more so than in any other kind of people photography. The guide addresses everything from finding models, to working with them long term. Most guides on photographic technique assume you've already found a willing model. This one assumes that you're having trouble - or at least having trouble finding a model that you feel takes your work to the next level. It contains techniques for finding and recruiting models.
Techniques. A range of processes are explained step-by-step. You'll find more than just a selection of photos and a dissection of each; you'll see full lighting diagrams as well as frank discussions of techniques and pitfalls in the days and weeks leading up to making a nude image. From finding your first nude model to selling your first nude photo, the guide presents complete, concise instruction on lighting, posing, and-post processing with Photoshop.
The second edition is a major update. It is printed in a larger size than the original edition, and contains twice the amount of text (approximately 55,000 words.) Includes 126 pages, 221 nude photos, and 8 detailed lighting diagrams.
True Confessions of Nude Photography: A Step-by-Step Guide to Recruiting Beautiful Models, Lighting, Photographing Nudes, Post-Processing Images, and Maybe Even Getting Paid to Do It.True Confessions of Nude Photography: A Step-by-Step Guide to Recruiting Beautiful Models, Lighting, Photographing Nudes, Post-Processing Images, and Maybe Even Getting Paid to Do It.
January 28, 2011
Beginning of the book Lights, Camera... Nude!
Preface
An older artist, a relative of mine whom I greatly admire, once admonished me not to reveal too much of my techniques to others. She worried that I may lose my distinction as a photographer if others mimicked my techniques.
Contrary to her advice, I think a photographer's work is distinguished by hard work and creativity, and these traits cannot be merely copied. Although creativity and imagination may not be learned, I believe they can be developed through practice.
The techniques in this guide are not the traditional “textbook” way of learning nude lighting – there are already plenty of books to teach you to light textbook nudes. These are my techniques for lighting nudes; some of my methods follow traditional rules and some do not, and I honestly don’t keep track of which do or don’t.
I do hope you will learn from my techniques, and through hard work and practice evolve these techniques into something that is uniquely yours.
Overview of the Book
Lighting the nude model is distinct from lighting in other types of people photography.
This book is to help those who have tried some nude lighting, but are struggling to create interesting images. The serious photographer who is new to nudes will also benefit. This guide is about reaching that next level and making nude models look their best and most interesting.
This guide is about lighting the nude, so I’m not going to make you sift through a lot of lighting techniques for non-nude modeling. There is a lot you can learn about general lighting that is not covered in this guide.
This guide deals with lighting the whole figure in most cases, or at least three-quarters of the model’s body. Don’t look for information about lighting close ups of the face. Knowledge of portrait lighting is helpful, but not essential to begin shooting nudes.
You also won’t find more than a brief explanation of general lighting concepts. I’m assuming that you already know some general photography; this isn’t intended to be your first photography book, or encyclopedic. As much of the book as possible is devoted to lighting the nude. A list of suggested topics for further study, such as inverse square law, can be found at the end of the book.
With regard to models
This guide demonstrates lighting for photographing a beautiful model to bring out her best and most fascinating features. There are plenty of books that tell you how to hide your subject’s flaws; this is not one of those books. You won’t find any tips for making regular people look slimmer, taller, or more beautiful.
What you will find are illustrated examples and step-by-step instructions for creating photographs of beautiful nude women.
With regard to retouching
In this guide I have retouched minor flaws on the models (stray hairs for example). I have also corrected some minor defects in the backgrounds or defects from lens characteristics (chromatic aberration for example). However, because this is a collection of images to illustrate lighting, I’ve avoided any retouching that pertains to lighting effects (such as shine on a nose or forehead). Although such lighting defects can easily be removed with post processing, I let them remain in order to preserve as much information as possible about the lighting. Just as no model is perfect, no light arrangement is perfect and you will want to retouch most of your images—though post processing is a topic for a whole other book.
How to use the diagrams
Each lighting setup has one or more example photos and a diagram of how to place the studio equipment. Because the characteristic of each studio is different, and your equipment will vary, the diagrams are a starting point from which you will want to make minor adjustments.
Lights are numbered, and other set elements are identified by letters. Next to some lights is a height measurement signified by an up/down arrow (↕) indicating the number of feet above the level of the model’s lowest body part (usually the floor) to the middle of the light. Also you will find a distance measurement signified by a left/right arrow (↔) indicating the distance from the front of the light to the closest part of the model.
Lights, Camera... Nude!: A Guide to Lighting the Female Nude for Photography
An older artist, a relative of mine whom I greatly admire, once admonished me not to reveal too much of my techniques to others. She worried that I may lose my distinction as a photographer if others mimicked my techniques.
Contrary to her advice, I think a photographer's work is distinguished by hard work and creativity, and these traits cannot be merely copied. Although creativity and imagination may not be learned, I believe they can be developed through practice.
The techniques in this guide are not the traditional “textbook” way of learning nude lighting – there are already plenty of books to teach you to light textbook nudes. These are my techniques for lighting nudes; some of my methods follow traditional rules and some do not, and I honestly don’t keep track of which do or don’t.
I do hope you will learn from my techniques, and through hard work and practice evolve these techniques into something that is uniquely yours.
Overview of the Book
Lighting the nude model is distinct from lighting in other types of people photography.
This book is to help those who have tried some nude lighting, but are struggling to create interesting images. The serious photographer who is new to nudes will also benefit. This guide is about reaching that next level and making nude models look their best and most interesting.
This guide is about lighting the nude, so I’m not going to make you sift through a lot of lighting techniques for non-nude modeling. There is a lot you can learn about general lighting that is not covered in this guide.
This guide deals with lighting the whole figure in most cases, or at least three-quarters of the model’s body. Don’t look for information about lighting close ups of the face. Knowledge of portrait lighting is helpful, but not essential to begin shooting nudes.
You also won’t find more than a brief explanation of general lighting concepts. I’m assuming that you already know some general photography; this isn’t intended to be your first photography book, or encyclopedic. As much of the book as possible is devoted to lighting the nude. A list of suggested topics for further study, such as inverse square law, can be found at the end of the book.
With regard to models
This guide demonstrates lighting for photographing a beautiful model to bring out her best and most fascinating features. There are plenty of books that tell you how to hide your subject’s flaws; this is not one of those books. You won’t find any tips for making regular people look slimmer, taller, or more beautiful.
What you will find are illustrated examples and step-by-step instructions for creating photographs of beautiful nude women.
With regard to retouching
In this guide I have retouched minor flaws on the models (stray hairs for example). I have also corrected some minor defects in the backgrounds or defects from lens characteristics (chromatic aberration for example). However, because this is a collection of images to illustrate lighting, I’ve avoided any retouching that pertains to lighting effects (such as shine on a nose or forehead). Although such lighting defects can easily be removed with post processing, I let them remain in order to preserve as much information as possible about the lighting. Just as no model is perfect, no light arrangement is perfect and you will want to retouch most of your images—though post processing is a topic for a whole other book.
How to use the diagrams
Each lighting setup has one or more example photos and a diagram of how to place the studio equipment. Because the characteristic of each studio is different, and your equipment will vary, the diagrams are a starting point from which you will want to make minor adjustments.
Lights are numbered, and other set elements are identified by letters. Next to some lights is a height measurement signified by an up/down arrow (↕) indicating the number of feet above the level of the model’s lowest body part (usually the floor) to the middle of the light. Also you will find a distance measurement signified by a left/right arrow (↔) indicating the distance from the front of the light to the closest part of the model.
Lights, Camera... Nude!: A Guide to Lighting the Female Nude for Photography
