What is Art Nude Photography?
Posted: Monday, July 16, 2007
by Jim Furness
Jim Furness Photography
Art nude photography, is the art of creating beautiful images of the naked human form in a non sexual, uplifting way. It is not exploitive. It is not porn. It is about honouring the human body as a wonderful creation, as art in itself.
In art nude photography the subjects can be male or female. The subjects are usually completely nude, as even a small amount of clothing tends to eroticise the image, adding an external agenda.
What would I expect to find in good art nude photography ? This is a very subjective judgement, but here are a few guidelines:
Good art nude photography concentrates, on shapes and forms, often using creative lighting. As the human body is so beautiful and amazing on it’s own art nude photography images shot against a plain studio background can be very effective. If the background is of an interior room or architectural feature it should not be too cluttered with objects, furniture etc as this detracts from the main subject.
Truly wonderful art nude photography can also be created outdoors. Making the connection between the human figure and nature is the oldest theme in art. Starting with Adam and Eve, to the present day. Outdoor locations such as woodlands, mountains, rivers, wild gardens can be perfect settings for art nude photography making it possible to create images where the viewers eye go back and forth between the beauty of the natural location, and the beauty of the figure, seeing both as integral parts of the other.
True art nude photography is often more innocent and less sexual than so called ‘glamour’ photography. Because it has no external references it has little value in advertising clothes, or products. In art nude photography the subjects do not look into the camera with inviting expressions. Whilst the figure is generally completely naked the composition and pose of the figure will not concentrate on the sexual parts of the body, they are just there as part of the overall composition. You cannot sell makeup, or a car with art nude photography. It is there for it’s own sake to uplift the viewer.
Good art nude photography can be found on many photographic web sites. Often the photographers are amateurs who do it for the satisfaction of creating worthwhile art, and not to make money. Whilst a lot of money can be made on the internet with porn or erotic art, art nude photography is not a money spinner. It is however important that the photographers who work in the area of art nude photography should promote their work on the web, in order to contradict the message of exploitative nude art, that the body is just an object of desire.
Art nude photography needs to be represented on the web to send out a different message, that the human body is itself a work of art and as worthy a subject of good photography as a sunset, a flower, or a deer on a mountainside.
Jim Furness is a photographer and artist, specializing in art nude photography and landscape photography
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