Want to try out some nude photos but don’t know where or how you want to begin? Here’s a few things I’ve done to help the experience be a good one.

1. Nude doesn’t have to mean NUDE. It’s okay to be photographed with a sarong or even pants and a shirt. My favorite state of nudity is a long sleeve cotton shirt and flip flops. That’s my go-to nude. Sometimes a Captain’s Hat. Usually a wrap in the winter, sometimes a kilt and boots. The more I’m photographed – either by someone else, or staged by me, the more I want to get creative with my stages of nudity.
2. Take some indoor shots with the temperature adjusted so it’s comfortable to be nude for an hour or so. Get comfortable in your skin – forget your clothes are off and pose for shots you would with clothes on. Then delete them. Just kidding, kinda. I practiced indoors for a while to better understand how to take shots which I felt were my “best” sides. This allowed me to gain confidence. When I did the same for Mandy, she was much more relaxed in a private space.
3. Back up and up. I’ve been enjoying shots with a longer focal length. I don’t feel crowded – and I can put myself into the story or the environment. When I’m shooting Mandy she’s less annoyed by my incessant shooting when I’m out of her face a bit. I redeem my annoying infatuation of taking her photo by getting that just right shot of our real world living. And sometimes she shoots me simultaneously.
4. Try Black and White. Some of my first favorite black and whites of me nude are from the first weekend we stayed at a nudist park. I was carrying pillows and blankets to the car.
5. No matter where you are, be sure that YOU feel comfortable with the shot before it is captured. There’s a difference between being on the fence and downright uncomfortable. I’ve been in bad moods and had some great photos come of it. I’ve been in elated moods and some kind of weird facial expression in every photo. I guess what I’m saying is that if you have the desire to see yourself, then find some ways to make it happen.