TOP 10 • FINE ART NUANCES
My photography is more than just celebrating the female form. It also explores the psychology of beauty – to capture moments of vulnerability and strength that coexist in perfect harmony. I believe in celebrating cultural diversity and hope to one day represent all ethnicities. I want every image to be stunning – a visual legacy empowering femininity. Here are my ten nuances of fine art nude photography that are rarely discussed.
Trust
• Expectations are usually set once a model sees my portfolio. My three main goals in every session are for my model to relax, gain confidence, and trust me. The faster I pass these three thresholds, the better photos we’ll create. It’s all about body liberation. A reluctance to get naked is incompatible with a nude photoshoot. If there’s a tug-of-war struggle with nudity then we’re not ready to begin shooting. Eyes reveal all emotions, so if she’s distracted by covering her private parts, then her eyes will show worry. These photos are unusable. If my model is willing to tap into her wild side, then the magic begins.
Desire
• The most sensual of all fine arts nudes is when a model evokes feelings of desire. It’s a seminal moment when the audience feels what she is feeling and subconsciously immerses themselves in the image.
Confidence
• All models are on the vanity spectrum. It’s core to the modeling profession. When I scout profiles, I need to gauge their vanity. If there are no selfies on their profile there’s a high likelihood they’ll decline a photoshoot. Vanity is the gatekeeper. For every model, there are 1000 who don’t realize that they’re photogenic. If I’m successful in photographing one of the 999, then I’m elated.
Tranquility
• A great photographer once said, “If you’re not in pain, you’re not doing it right.” Many poses require quite a bit of twisting and stretching. Contorted poses can be very uncomfortable, especially if they don’t have strength and conditioning in their muscles. It’s important that during these moments of great pain, they appear as natural as possible in their facial expressions. This is no different for ballerinas, dancers, and gymnasts. Her poses need to look effortless.
Admiration
• Although many photographers compete in this business, there are no winners or losers when it comes to art. Personally, I don’t compete with anyone. I only want to be better than who I was yesterday. I admire many photographers for their artistry and view their work as an inspiration to improve my skills. I analyze how they approach backdrops, lighting, shadows, depth of field, composition, angles, and poses. Every day I’m searching for new ideas. Throughout my journey, I’ve collected 50,000 of the best fine art photography images from all over the internet. These have been carefully curated, annotated and categorized. I use them regularly with my models to give them posing ideas.
Objectification
• Some segments of society view this form of photography as objectification of females or abhorrent to their ethics and morals. Whether it’s an actor in a bikini or scantly dressed on a runway – paid or not – they consider these visuals as offensive. Sometimes opinions are driven by belief systems handed down by generations. For me, nude photography is an expression of art where the canvas is the human body. It’s not to be vilified, it’s to be celebrated.
Relax
• Unwinding during a photoshoot plays on many levels. I want my models to feel confident as soon as possible. This is not a business transaction. I want to become friends and tap into her psyche. I want all my models to get to know me, even if it’s only for a few hours. This camaraderie is the basis for getting the best photos.
Eyes
• Closed eyes can be alluring. But if a model closes her eyes too much then it sometimes looks like she’s trying to transport herself to another world. It gives the impression that she’s purposely removing herself from the photoshopping experience. The challenge for models is to close their eyes in a way that looks like they’re in a moment of ecstasy. This is very nuanced. Many people may not even notice the hidden layers of emotion emanating from an image.
Photoshopping
• Since the dawn of photo editing there’s been increased criticism of “Photoshopping”. As a professional photographer, I spend hundreds of hours in the editing room. My post-processing workflow can be found here. Retouching mainly consists of removing pimples, blemishes, moles, bruises, and other skin discolorations. My justification is that these edits are no different from wearing makeup. I sometimes remove objects if they interfere with the model or overall composition. All of these edits are done non-destructively in Adobe Camera Raw. I never morph the model to change her shape (i.e., liquefying). I wholeheartedly disagree with this type of aggressive editing.
Flow
• A lot of fine arts photography involves fluidity. It’s important that my model doesn’t look frozen. The best photos capture a moment in time as she flows through her poses. This is best achieved when she’s in freestyle flow and I’m synchronized to her movements. I often tell models to feel like they’re dancing. This brings freedom to her emotions.
DUSIL PHOTOGRAPHY ● TOP 10 ● LISTS
If you missed my other TOP 10 LISTS, then click on any of these icons:
