Women Don’t Need To Hide — Why Every Woman Should Experience Posing Nude, or Naked
Countless has been written on the subject. Many agents and photographers believe and will try to convince models they don’t need to do nude modelling. Some will even tell models to stay clear of photographers who want them to undress as if they are lepers. While nudity may not be for everyone and you can say no to it and refuse work that requires nudity everyone also has the right to choose nudity. To brand someone who requires nudity as deviant is the same as calling someone deviant for liking different food.
I won’t be writing on the negatives here as enough has been written. There certainly are a few potential situations or lines of work where nudity isn’t advised but they have been greatly exaggerated and objectively the positives far outweigh the negatives. I will assume here that none of these apply.
Every woman should pose nude or naked, and you should too. Now hear me out for making such a bold statement before picking up the pitchforks as, if you’ve done your homework on how to deal with the social taboos and stigmas and are confident in your response to them, there’s no reason not to.
Models should do nudity early on or preferably as a first shoot. This may sound intimidating but it doesn’t get easier later on and it’s just natural that a first introduction to modelling should be sans any clothing. Though it’s true to an extent that nudity isn’t a requirement for modelling there are a lot of benefits. While you should show what you look like in different outfits many selectors will, without wanting to admit it, gravitate towards portfolios containing nudity as they can be more sure of a model’s look and suitability. Agencies will tell prospective models they don’t need to do nudity to reassure them but modelling is highly competitive and models need to have an edge in order to get ahead. As society evolves nudity is becoming more commonplace and an increasing requirement.
This does not mean that as a model you should not put in the work and just expect it to come to you but models who get further in their careers on average do and feature more nudity. As every woman possesses nudity it gives those willing to do it an easy means to have an advantage over others and if you’re not willing to do it someone else will take that advantage. There’s no reason to let them have it over you by refusing to do nudity or to not feature it in your portfolio.
Nudity opens up a lot more opportunities for art modelling, not just for professional models but also for amateur models and ordinary women. Modelling nude can be rewarding not just monetarily but also personally. Women who have posed nude describe the experience as liberating and building confidence. Being photographed without clothes on and being seen by others naked as she is nurtures acceptance of her body and being at ease with it.
There are many articles warning about the “dangers” of posing naked. But thinking factually, there are thousands of women posing nude every day with their pictures published and in reality you don’t hear about any of them. In general people have gotten used to the fact that women pose naked and unless it’s a celebrity or a person of esteem there is almost never any discussion about it. For the ordinary woman this provides even more motivation for why she should pose without any of her clothes on.
It’s only norms and conventions that compel women to hide their bodies. The female body is itself a beautiful work of art, practical and aesthetic, and as a woman there’s no compelling reason not to show and let your body be photographed naked. Yes nudity does require bravery to go against social stigmas but often those stigmas are more ingrained in ourselves and less people care than we think. If you can rise above your fear however it will be a rewarding experience that is both challenging and will allow you to grow as a model and as a person. Above all it should be done with unapologetic confidence as it will be the determining factor that changes perceptions.
You don’t have to take my word for it however but can read the perspective of another nude model on why every woman and why YOU should pose nude[1], or how it can be a boost for your self confidence[2].
Looking back on a set of nude photos serves as a reminder of what you’ve overcome and a motivation to challenge norms and yourself. A naked photo in and of itself is not the “moral evil” it used to be seen as. Even if the people you see know what your body looks like naked it’s not like your life is over. A nude photo book of yourself in open view on the bookshelf or on a coffee table can be a great conversation starter, or even a dining room portrait.
(Sorry the links didn't make it through but they are in place on my blog)
1 https://www.modelmayhem.com/education/modeling/12424-why-you-should-pose-nude
2 https://iol.co.za/lifestyle/health/2011-03-23-would-you-pose-naked-for-a-photoshoot/
I won’t be writing on the negatives here as enough has been written. There certainly are a few potential situations or lines of work where nudity isn’t advised but they have been greatly exaggerated and objectively the positives far outweigh the negatives. I will assume here that none of these apply.
Every woman should pose nude or naked, and you should too. Now hear me out for making such a bold statement before picking up the pitchforks as, if you’ve done your homework on how to deal with the social taboos and stigmas and are confident in your response to them, there’s no reason not to.
Models should do nudity early on or preferably as a first shoot. This may sound intimidating but it doesn’t get easier later on and it’s just natural that a first introduction to modelling should be sans any clothing. Though it’s true to an extent that nudity isn’t a requirement for modelling there are a lot of benefits. While you should show what you look like in different outfits many selectors will, without wanting to admit it, gravitate towards portfolios containing nudity as they can be more sure of a model’s look and suitability. Agencies will tell prospective models they don’t need to do nudity to reassure them but modelling is highly competitive and models need to have an edge in order to get ahead. As society evolves nudity is becoming more commonplace and an increasing requirement.
This does not mean that as a model you should not put in the work and just expect it to come to you but models who get further in their careers on average do and feature more nudity. As every woman possesses nudity it gives those willing to do it an easy means to have an advantage over others and if you’re not willing to do it someone else will take that advantage. There’s no reason to let them have it over you by refusing to do nudity or to not feature it in your portfolio.
Nudity opens up a lot more opportunities for art modelling, not just for professional models but also for amateur models and ordinary women. Modelling nude can be rewarding not just monetarily but also personally. Women who have posed nude describe the experience as liberating and building confidence. Being photographed without clothes on and being seen by others naked as she is nurtures acceptance of her body and being at ease with it.
There are many articles warning about the “dangers” of posing naked. But thinking factually, there are thousands of women posing nude every day with their pictures published and in reality you don’t hear about any of them. In general people have gotten used to the fact that women pose naked and unless it’s a celebrity or a person of esteem there is almost never any discussion about it. For the ordinary woman this provides even more motivation for why she should pose without any of her clothes on.
It’s only norms and conventions that compel women to hide their bodies. The female body is itself a beautiful work of art, practical and aesthetic, and as a woman there’s no compelling reason not to show and let your body be photographed naked. Yes nudity does require bravery to go against social stigmas but often those stigmas are more ingrained in ourselves and less people care than we think. If you can rise above your fear however it will be a rewarding experience that is both challenging and will allow you to grow as a model and as a person. Above all it should be done with unapologetic confidence as it will be the determining factor that changes perceptions.
You don’t have to take my word for it however but can read the perspective of another nude model on why every woman and why YOU should pose nude[1], or how it can be a boost for your self confidence[2].
Looking back on a set of nude photos serves as a reminder of what you’ve overcome and a motivation to challenge norms and yourself. A naked photo in and of itself is not the “moral evil” it used to be seen as. Even if the people you see know what your body looks like naked it’s not like your life is over. A nude photo book of yourself in open view on the bookshelf or on a coffee table can be a great conversation starter, or even a dining room portrait.
(Sorry the links didn't make it through but they are in place on my blog)
1 https://www.modelmayhem.com/education/modeling/12424-why-you-should-pose-nude
2 https://iol.co.za/lifestyle/health/2011-03-23-would-you-pose-naked-for-a-photoshoot/
41-45, M
