Outdoor Lighting: Nudes

by Cathy Joseph

The freely nude body and nature just seem to go together, and this lushly designed guide--aimed at professional, keen amateur, and student photographers--reveals the many facets of lighting nude photography outdoors. High-quality color and black-and-white images, drawn from a range of contemporary international photographers, demonstrate a variety of beautiful effects, all using the sun as the principal light source. See how to make the most of light and form, create a mood, and situate the figure within the landscape. Each spread is self-contained, with one or two images illustrating a specific topic, such as working in shade or using flash. The accompanying text explains the background behind these pictures, illuminating the thought processes of the photographers and detailing how composition and location are used to fine effect. Lighting plans, including a diagram of the sun's position and information on any supplementary devices (such as a reflector), will be invaluable for anyone trying to achieve similar results.

Genres: Photography

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really well designed book with excellent photo reproductions and clear diagrams with useful input from the photographers. They are an international group with a variety of styles and objectives

This book is mostly film based but the technique is not dated.

I particularly appreciated that the photos created by the photographer/model team is largely done with simple equipment and mostly achieved with modestly capable cameras. The emphasis here is on natural light and location. Many of the photos were captured during times of the day that are not typically utilized in beauty and nude work.

If this subject matter is important to you there is much inspiration for models and photographers alike.

[Michael Kinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

offered some practical, real world tips on how to photograph in natural light