Nude Art Photography

Nude photography is the genre of art photography, whose subject is the representation of the naked (full nude) or partially naked (half nude) human body.

The aesthetic value of nude photography and its boundary to erotic photography can only be determined with difficulty and inter-subjectively and is also affected by its numerous overlaps with pornography. In consequence, nude photography and erotic photography always find themselves branded in multiple ways, and labelled as works of artistic freedom, aesthetics, kitsch, junk or provocation. The boundaries of nude photography, erotic photography and pornography are so undefined and continuously changing that they are always determined and defined by the subjective moral view of the individual and the generally accepted cultural confines of "customs and tradition".

Whether the picture itself is art or junk always lies in the eye of the beholder. One (subjective) definition of the worth of a nude photograph is: "A nude photo is then good, when the Model shows it around at the coffee table at her grandmother's birthday party and receives positive feedback." (Günter Rinnhofer) Other definitions have been by far more controversial. For Horst Werner this art form has always been about provocation and evoking of emotions. He prefers disgust, shock and aversion (as evoked for example by his photographs of nudes at a cemetery or of disabled people) to indifference, which in his opinion, is often the only reaction generated by other, more conventional art styles. Additionally, it is nowadays no longer such a taboo to depict the primary sex features of a human being. However, in contrast to pornography, nude photography does not actively pursue to excite the audience, although this does not exclude that it is consumed with this intention and effect.

Tasteful nude photography is often regarded as high skilled photography as besides technical knowledge and the ability to manipulate light the nude photographer also needs strong communication skills and the ability to build a positive relationship with his model. A modelling contract between photographer and model often includes additional remuneration to the model besides payment and publication rights.

Subgenres and Subjets

"Feminine nudity must be given to men by the teaspoonful, not with a scoop." (Coco Chanel)

Nude photography divides into three basic forms: the "classic" full nude with a simple background, full nude model where model is completely naked; the detailed nude depicting certain details of the body, abstracting and making them anonymous, and emphasising the forms and structures of the nude; and finally the half nude, where the model is partially clothed or partially wrapped with accessories.

History and development

The nude is a classic subject in art. Already the early high cultures (Egypt, Crete, India among others) knew nude representations. Its development into other representation forms can be pursued from Greek clay to the art of the middle ages and on to the European art of the modern age. Since the renaissance, the study of the nude human body is an intrinsic part of art education at art academies.

Since around 1847 the nude has also become the object of photography, the first nude photographers including Philippe Debussy, E. Delacroix, Eugene Durieu and B. Braquehais. Models were both professionals and prostitutes and photographs were both artistic and "spicy", which often invited the aversion of moral and law enforcement officers.

Important Nude Photographers ? Bettina Rheims David Bailey ? Eric Kroll Helmut Newton ? Hans-Peter Muff ? Jan Saudek Meister der Koloriertechnik (kolorieren) ? Jeanloup Sieff Man Ray ? Paul Outerbridge Petter Hegre ? Richard Kern Roy Stuart ? Robert Mapplethorpe Sam Haskins ? Uwe Ommer Günter Blum

This article was first published by Maria A. Novatschkova, art critic at Poster-art-g allery.com > nude photography

---

Digital Film Processing is Really the Only Option for Truly Quality Prints

Digital photography has taken off like wildfire these days, primarily... Read More

Olympus Digital Cameras - Digging Into The History

One of the oldest companies, Olympus has had a long... Read More

Studio Photography and Digital Backgrounds

The article given here was written for Adobe Photoshop 5,6,7,CS,... Read More

Imperfect Photos And How You Can Fix Them

So your picture came out less then perfect. Blemishes or... Read More

Exposure Compensation

The digital camera is in reality a great possession with... Read More

Tame Those Memories

Family vacations, summer weddings and family reunions are in full... Read More

Getting Your Photos Ready for Sharing

One of the main reasons people buy digital cameras is... Read More

Cropping Digital Photos Into Shape

Did you know that in many cases digital photos are... Read More

CCTV Camera Tip: Apply Simple Common Sense when Picking CCTV Cameras and Lenses

Get a good face shot: Use Higher quality cameras at... Read More

Hyperfocal Focusing: What Is It And Why Should You Use It?

When should you use hyperfocal focusing? Well, sometimes when shooting... Read More

Digital Camera Interpolation Explained

In a device such as a digital camera it is... Read More

Pinhole Photography: Right Back to Basics

Why Pinhole Photography?It's fun. It's creative. It's educative about the... Read More

Nikon Digital Cameras - Cool(pix) and Functional

Even though Nikon entered the camera world by 1948, today... Read More

Terms Used The In The Stock Photography Business

So you are a small business person or web designer... Read More

Getting the Most From Your Digital Camera Memory Card

Imagine taking your new digital camera on a vacation and... Read More

Photography: The Basics

Photography comes from the Greek words meaning "light writing" and... Read More

How to Buy a Digital Camera

Are you buying your first digital camera? Well, you must... Read More

Extreme Digital Photography: Beyond Point-and-shoot

When my old Olympus digital camera got broke while caving... Read More

Types of Digital Cameras

If you are in the market to purchase a digital... Read More

Digital Camera Macro Mode

The digital camera is a wonderful device that allows a... Read More

Christmas Rush this Holiday Season to go to Digital Photography

So you have rushed out into the malls in a... Read More

Birthday Party Photo Tips ? How to Make Yours Truly Stand Out

How many of the birthday party pictures you've seen are... Read More

Wedding Photography: How to Become a Successful Wedding Photographer

Once in while I receive e-mails or phone calls from... Read More

Digital Photography: The RAW vs JPG Debate

If you use a digital camera (I use a Canon... Read More

Taking Professional Quality Pictures

By now I'm sure you've used Either a digital or... Read More

Move Up to the World of the Digital SLR Camera

A digital SLR camera or a single lens reflex (SLR)... Read More

Kodak Digital Cameras - The Giant Comes To Digital

George Eastman, founder of Kodak is world renowned today. Digital... Read More

Canadas Digital Cameras, Digital Camcorders and Cheap Memory Cards Canada

Digital SLR Camera or Digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera is... Read More

How to take Great Photos of Your Pet

We all love our animals. They do such funny, adorable,... Read More

Black and White is Beautiful

Think about Laurel and Hardy for a moment, or Charlie... Read More

Stock Your Kit with Digital Camera Accessories

There are a large number of digital camera accessories available... Read More

Photographs Everywhere, But Is It Really Art?

I once heard a lady say to a photographer that... Read More

Applications of Underwater Video Cameras

There's so much you can do with an underwater video... Read More