# intimate photoshoot



## bc3544 (Jan 21, 2009)

I am a beginner with a basic Canon 8 mp camera.  I'm wanting to take some nood and partially clothed shots of my wife.  She is kinda shy but let me take a few in a hotel room already.

What do I need to know to get the best poses, angles, crops, etc?

Also, what is a good free program to crop and process the pics I already have.  All I have on my home computer is Microsoft Paint.


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## Samriel (Jan 21, 2009)

What kind of nudes do you have in mind? A lot depends on that. You should now what kind of mood you want to capture - erotic, romantic, gentle, hard, honest, abstract, glamorous, dynamic, tranquil, snapshots, fine art etc.

What are your lightning options? If you're not doing outdoor nudes, some form of artificial lightning would be highly advisable. 

As for editing software, many use Adobe Lightroom 2.0, Aperture and others. There are however one or two free editors which seem to be quite good, but I can't remember their names... Maybe someone else will.

EDIT: I think Gimp was one of them, but I'm not sure. Also, didn't you receive some kind of editing software with your camera?


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## flyin-lowe (Jan 21, 2009)

I know many on here will disagree with me as it is a photo forum, but I work in law enforcement and I have seen nothing but bad come from people taking nudes of each other.  I am sure a lot of people do it and have no problems but when things go bad it gets really bad.  The good side is that the pics are going to be of your wife and not you.

my vote :thumbdown:


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## Lyncca (Jan 21, 2009)

If she is shy maybe she would like to do more lingerie type shots or implied nudity (she is nude but nothing is shown in the photo due to posing positions).  I think these are sexier anyway than full nudity.


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## ShutterSpeed (Jan 21, 2009)

question: how did you ever convince your wife?


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## bc3544 (Jan 21, 2009)

Tasteful.  Nothing hard, but semi erotic yes.  Romantic, yes.  Tranquil, sometimes.  So far most have been in briefs and topless and maybe one without the bottoms from behind.

I've seen some very nice "profile" (is that the right word?) shots taken thru a translucent shower curtain that I might try to duplicate.  Beyond that, and the few I have taken I'm trying to think of ideas.

I'd like to do outdoor at some point but it is hard to find private locations that are suitable.  For light I just have a flash on the camera and then whatever window/ceiling lights are available in the room and at that time of day.


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## bc3544 (Jan 21, 2009)

ShutterSpeed said:


> question: how did you ever convince your wife?


 
I told her I'd put the photos in a protected file that only I had access to so nobody would ever find it.  It still took months of begging.  Then she didn't like some of the pics, so I told her I will crop them.


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## rotchcrocket04 (Jan 21, 2009)

I've done some shots of my girlfriend (of 3 years) and I must say, using artificial light (indoors) is the way to go. Do some research on some lighting and maybe consider this an option. You'll be amazed at the difference between other forms of lighting compared to a flash.

Although, if you have sufficient lighting in the room you're in give it a shot. Get the feel for the poses and ideals that you're trying to capture. Once she gets a little more comfortable with it, maybe then introduce lighting and try some new ideas.

It took my girlfriend and I many times before she was comfortable with it (because she had never done anything like that before). Although now she is alot more open to the idea of doing different shots, I think mostly because she understands my love for photography.


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## Lyncca (Jan 21, 2009)

rotchcrocket04 said:


> I think mostly because she understands my love for photography.


 
... and naked women... :lmao:


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## flyin-lowe (Jan 21, 2009)

C&C thread?????:lmao:


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## bc3544 (Jan 21, 2009)

flyin-lowe said:


> C&C thread?????:lmao:


 
First you don't think anyone should take the pics, then you want to see them?

I wouldn't mind seeing a few examples, but I'm not sure I can post mine unless I can anonymize them first.


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## SrBiscuit (Jan 21, 2009)

if your wife is anything like mine...and i would imagine most people who allow their pic to be taken with little to nothing on...be prepared to take a ton of photos, and toss most of them in the trash...my wife is VERY critical of herself when it comes to glamour/nudes.

as i have posted in the past, one thing we like to do together is browse thru deviantart.com artistic nudes or glamour sections of the photography...it gives us some ideas to run with and helps me in this capacity, as im not great at posing her and creative lighting yet...

here is the ONE shot she opted to keep from a set of over 100.

*crap...im blocked from getting it at work, but i'll post it up as soon as i get home*

keep shootin'


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## cosmoepic (Jan 21, 2009)

i did a nude with my gf, she held a frame in front of herself then i PSed multiple images of her going inside the frame

came out well maybe ill post it...


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## Samriel (Jan 21, 2009)

I suggest you try looking at some (ok, better a lot) of nudes to see what kind of poses and angles you and your wife prefer. I found that when taking nudes there are fewer universal rules as it is a somewhat taboo theme, so just feel free to play with your imagination. Many people dislike wide angles as they tend to distort the proportions too much, but on the other hand some people like them for exactly the same reason (can be useful to make the legs look longer i.E.).
Best is to think about the shots before the actual session, draw or write down your thoughs and make a plan of exactly what and how you want to take it. This will of course be altered here and there as you go, but I suggest you have some general guidelines and directions before you start. 
You wife needs to get undressed and get in a bathrobe ca. two hours upfront for the underwear traces on the skin to disappear. Therefore if you are taking both nudes and semi-nudes in one sessions, start with the full nudes. The most important thing during the session is the comfort of your wife. The more comfortable she is, the more relaxed she can feel, the better and more natural photos you can take.

Some books I found helpful for the nude photography beginner:

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Nude-Photography-Craft-Pascal-Baetens/dp/0756631769/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232581868&sr=8-1"]_Nude Photography: The Art and the Craft_, Pascal Baetens[/ame]

Has a bit of all: history, lightning, posing, mini-portfolios. A nice overview of some nude photography basics. Nothing spectacular, but quite useful.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Lighting-Nude-Photography-Professionals-Secrets/dp/294037810X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232581992&sr=1-2"]_Lighting the Nude: Top Photographers Professionals Share Their Secrets_, Roger Hicks and Francez Schultz[/ame]

This book is fool with photographs and small lightning graphs. Good for inspiration as well as a guide to learn about other photographer's lighting.

The best thing however is to look at many many nude and semi-nude photos, alone or with your wife, and see what you like and would like to try. For a beginner there is no shame in drawing inspiration from other's works, or even trying to mimic them.


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## mrodgers (Jan 21, 2009)

bc3544 said:


> I'd like to do outdoor at some point but it is hard to find private locations that are suitable.  For light I just have a flash on the camera and then whatever window/ceiling lights are available in the room and at that time of day.


My backyard is quite a private location, I have no neighbors.  You are welcome to come to my place for the outdoor shots.

Oh, it will have to be weekdays between 3:30 and 4:00.  I get home from work at 3:30 and my daughter gets home at 4:10, so you have to be gone by around 4 :lmao:


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## chrisburke (Jan 21, 2009)

my wife allows me to take "tasteful" nude shots.. we have a bunch of them up in our room (because no one goes there except us) i am a fan of the "implied nudity" type shots... and i love shots like this (its not mine) using a snoot to tell the light where to go... photography like this can be very good for your marrige, if done right... i NEVER let my wife see the photos right away.. always after PP (hint hint) as i know that if she saw them, she would make me delete them... it can also be very good for your marriage, provided that its done tastefully... if you try to get her to shoot porn, she will likely hate you (i assume, I've never tried, nor would I) 

here is a recent one i did.. its not the greatest, as i didnt have my wireless strobes, but I do now, so there will be better ones to come.


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## LKPhoto (Jan 21, 2009)

Ok, for what its worth, here is an idea coming from the other side of the glass... For my husband's last birthday, I decided to let him set up a semi-nude photo session. Now, he can't hardly function his Kodak easyshare that he uses for hunting lol, but I helped him set up the lights, angles, and had him shoot in auto. Even though it was my idea, I was still a little shy (we've only been together 8 years and have 2 kids lol). I let him pose me at first, he had *many* ideas and "themes" lol, and after he was done I decided to pose a few of myself. With his poses I felt cheesy, when I started posing myself, I found that I was really getting into it because I was only doing what was comfortable for me. 
We ended with about 150ish shots, of which I liked about 10. I deleted ANYTHING I wouldn't want to get out if something ever happened. As a matter of fact, for a "full figured girl" I look pretty good and I know my husband loves them!


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## Jedo_03 (Jan 22, 2009)

bc3544 said:


> I am a beginner with a basic Canon 8 mp camera.  I'm wanting to take some nood and partially clothed shots of my wife.  She is kinda shy but let me take a few in a hotel room already.
> 
> What do I need to know to get the best poses, angles, crops, etc?
> 
> Also, what is a good free program to crop and process the pics I already have.  All I have on my home computer is Microsoft Paint.



Pardon my opinion - but it seems to me that you are exploiting your "wife" and her sexuality for you own gratification...
You note that she is "kinda shy"... and that "it took months of begging..."

Sheesh...!! - The poor girl doesn't seem like a willing recipient to your urge to shoot "nood and partially clothed shots" (sic) of her...

So what do you intend to* DO* with these photographs???
Are you going to exploit this woman even more..?
Post them on some dirty forum on the internet..?
Get your Jellies from other perverts looking at her..?

IMO - You need counselling..!! Photography Forums are NOT venues for discussion about tittilating, sexual snaps of "other men's wives"...

Here, we are interested in technical and creative aspects of photography -* NOT* dirty pictures...

Jedo


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## Torus34 (Jan 22, 2009)

Many years ago, before I was married to my first wife, I was a member of a photo group which hired a model and held a nude photo workshop.  The negatives from that shoot remained forgotten among my various papers for several years.

They were found by my wife during one of those clean-up and reorganization sessions that occur in most households from time to time.  While I provided a complete and full explanation of the genesis of the negatives I'm not sure, to this day, if it was fully accepted.  I also not sure if this incident was one of the factors [there were many others,] which led to our divorce.

My sooth, such as it is, would be to think long [and wisely] about the possibilities of unintended consequences and unforseen effects here.


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## flyin-lowe (Jan 22, 2009)

bc3544 said:


> First you don't think anyone should take the pics, then you want to see them?
> 
> I wouldn't mind seeing a few examples, but I'm not sure I can post mine unless I can anonymize them first.




It was a joke.
  I am just saying in my line of work when people end up doing this and then they get divorced or have problems bad things happen. (  I am not implying you will have marital problems but national stats are pretty high).   The most recent case involved a school teacher and a pissed off spouse who was making slide shows on DVD to mail to the parents of the students.
The problem is that when something like this happens its hard to get a lot done because the person consented to the photos so you don't get much sympathy from the courts once they are made public against your will.


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## bc3544 (Jan 22, 2009)

Good grief people, why don't you get over your self-righteous selves already?  I'm not taking any p0rn shots here.  Besides this is the 21st century USA, not Victorian England.  We aren't prudes anymore.  I'm not exploiting anyone.  That insinuation is highly offensive Jedo.  I'm just trying to take some beautiful and tasteful romantic shots for our own enjoyment.  The only reason it took months of begging was that she didn't like how she looked at the time after having a baby.  After losing weight she was happy to pose for me, and being shy is only natural.  

Oh, and tasteful nudity is NOT "dirty".  

BTW, Thanks Chris - I like that type of shot.  I'd like to know how you got the softness - did you use a backdrop?  But maybe we need to discuss this on another photo forum that isn't so judgemental - can you suggest one?


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## chrisburke (Jan 22, 2009)

bc3544 said:


> BTW, Thanks Chris - I like that type of shot.  I'd like to know how you got the softness - did you use a backdrop?  But maybe we need to discuss this on another photo forum that isn't so judgemental - can you suggest one?



nah, this is your thread, talk about what you want!!! dont mind them, they arent (all) trying to be rude, they are just trying to make sure your safe... this sort of thing can get pretty messy depending on the marriage... 

my wife and I, while we're only 24 and 25 are quite old fashioned in our views on marriage, and know that we will be together "till death do us part" its probably our christian morals that make that, PLUS we are madly in love which helps too!! the key to that is making sure you keep the spice in your marriage... "happy wife, happy life" we do little things that make sure we dont go stale in our marriage, things like photos (non raunchy) other things like committing to sex every day, no matter what..don't go to bed angry,  all things to keep the marriage alive!!! ... SO with that, we don't mind taking photos like this...

i didnt use a backdrop for the photo i posted...  it was an experiement with flash... i put my flash about 3 feet above my wife and behind her slightly and it happened to give the dark back drop... I didn't think it would work, but it did.. i was quite happy...

as for the softness, in lightroom, I brought the clarity down a bit and the vibrance up and I think i brought the recovery up some too... 


sorry if i gave to much info into my personal life.. It just saddens me that marriage is a "play thing" now a days.. "if i like someone else, i'll just get a divorce, no big deal" as a pastor, I don't take marriage lightly, and I don't think people should, so I do my best to give advice to people to help keep the marriage fresh and exciting, personal photos is one of those!

EDIT: I'd just like to add that I think its sad that there are over 300 views of this thread and only 26 replies... so many people thought there were gonna be boobs in this thread... lame


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## Lyncca (Jan 22, 2009)

Jedo_03 said:


> Pardon my opinion - but it seems to me that you are exploiting your "wife" and her sexuality for you own gratification...
> You note that she is "kinda shy"... and that "it took months of begging..."
> 
> Sheesh...!! - The poor girl doesn't seem like a willing recipient to your urge to shoot "nood and partially clothed shots" (sic) of her...
> ...


 
I think that is pretty uncalled for. I see nothing in this thread that implied anything of such nature. If you don't care to shoot tasteful nudity, that is your own business, but that doesn't mean others are sick for shooting their wives (or anyone else) because they think they are beautiful.


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## bc3544 (Jan 22, 2009)

Thanks Chris.  I agree completely with your views on marriage.  Its not about me or about her, it is about US.  Seems that part of the problem with people's marriages today is that they have such a "protect myself first" attitude instead of a self-sacrificing love for their partner.  

We are Christians too.  I think that its really cool that you are a pastor in Canada.  I know there are some good Christians up there, but it seems that Canada as a whole is less religious and less Christian than the central US - so those Canucks need people like you.

I have downloaded and installed GIMP.  Sounds like I need to learn how to use it.  I'm really new at this stuff.  Is there another free program that is easier to learn?


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## chrisburke (Jan 22, 2009)

gimp will be your best bet... its very similar to photoshop (the industry standard) 

I wont get into the talk of christianity anymore though, because political issues are a no no on the forum and the mods will delete the post if we get to into that.. but I fully agree with you (but i also state that I'm not religious.. i dont like religion.. I just like Jesus)


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## DexGtr (Jan 22, 2009)

Jedo_03 said:


> Pardon my opinion - but it seems to me that you are exploiting your "wife" and her sexuality for you own gratification...
> You note that she is "kinda shy"... and that "it took months of begging..."
> 
> Sheesh...!! - The poor girl doesn't seem like a willing recipient to your urge to shoot "nood and partially clothed shots" (sic) of her...
> ...



talk about uptight.....

my wife has agreed to pose semi-nude for me too....she just said to wait until she tones down more (10 more lbs) so that she'll feel more confident about her body...i don't see anything wrong with it....it took quite some begging too....but i had to explain to her and show her samples of what i'm trying to achieve....i.e. artsy nude shots...and not Playboy  or Hustler type shots.


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## Sandspur (Jan 22, 2009)

My wife loves to dance.
I love to photograph her when she dances.
Sometimes - by the end of the dance - she's nude, or almost so ... and she keeps on dancing. Sometimes not.

It's all about fantasy and fun - for both of us. The images on our bedroom walls are all of her.

We think it's one of the healthiest things two committed and creative people can do together.


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## Susan1114 (Jan 22, 2009)

Wow this is great.  I've been inspired to get my husband to pose for me.  For some reason I KNOW he won't hesitate.  Funny thing is I never thought to ask him.  (maybe if I make them marginally good I can talk him into getting me my 50D... lol   )  I'll just say I can turn him into a God.


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## kn4ds (Jan 22, 2009)

I have a different perspective, I guess, than some fundamentalist types here... frankly, I have never found any reference to nude humans being sinful, beyond the teachings of various churches.   Yeah, yeah, I get the whole bit in Genesis about Adam and Eve being ashamed because they were naked... but nowhere in this putative holy book does it say that being seen without clothing is a sin.

There's no rational basis for this "nudity is sinful" bit, but there are a large number of people who subscribe to that theory.  That then becomes the "accepted" norm... if enough people believe in a fairy tale, those who don't believe in it are "wrong" and "perverted."

If you have a model who is willing (without coercion... and begging a significant other isn't coercion) to pose for nude photos, good on ya.   To those who think viewing a breast will send you to hell... good for you.  Don't view them.


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## kn4ds (Jan 22, 2009)

Jedo_03 said:


> So what do you intend to* DO* with these photographs???


That would be precisely *none* of your business.



> Are you going to exploit this woman even more..?


He might, if he and his wife agree.  Again, none of your business.



> Post them on some dirty forum on the internet..?


Maybe... who appointed you Internet monitor?



> Get your Jellies from other perverts looking at her..?


That'd be "jollies" OM



> IMO - You need counselling..!! Photography Forums are NOT venues for discussion about tittilating, sexual snaps of "other men's wives"...


Bull butter.  Photography forums ARE venues for discussion of photos of any type, and if you have a problem with some of the subject matter, I would rather less than politely suggest you stay out of those discussions.



> Here, we are interested in technical and creative aspects of photography -* NOT* dirty pictures...


Y'know, OM, I actually considered... and may still... shoot some B&W of the runoff from a construction dumpster... that would be a "dirty" picture.

Stop trying to impose your putative morality on everyone else.


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## Samriel (Jan 23, 2009)

Concerning the statement by Jedo, I must say that although I generally disagree with it, the initial post did have a somewhat "pornographic" and "exploitative" ring to it. However, in the following posts you've shown some genuine interest in the creative and technical aspects of it, and as most people here I too believe that Jedo's is way out of line here.

I'll repeat myself, but I believe it cannot be overstressed that the best nude sessions will be the ones where both you and your model are comfortable with what you're doing and the way you're doing it. Looking at photographs and discussing ideas together is really a great way to prepare for a session.


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## Sandspur (Jan 24, 2009)

I think the operative word here is "Trust."


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## tirediron (Jan 24, 2009)

Jedo_03 said:


> Pardon my opinion - but it seems to me that you are exploiting your "wife" and her sexuality for you own gratification...
> You note that she is "kinda shy"... and that "it took months of begging..."
> 
> Sheesh...!! - The poor girl doesn't seem like a willing recipient to your urge to shoot "nood and partially clothed shots" (sic) of her...
> ...


 
Geezzz dude, that seems a little harsh...


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## stsinner (Jan 24, 2009)

My ex-wife had her best friend take pictures of herself topless in a park to send to me when I was in Switzerland for 6 months without her...  We've been divorced for 6 years, but sometimes I still come across those photos on my hard drive..  I'd never exploit her, but just sayin' that sometimes the pics have longevity long beyond the intended purpose..


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