Nude

[Jay DeFehr]

I spent many hours with this model/friend and hundreds of photos. But this is the best picture i could get. Some people are not meant to be photographed.. even though they might be good looking... the camera can see what we cannot sometimes

Hi Mike,

Please don't take this as criticism, or even advice, as I'm in no position to advise anyone.

Sometimes I find a person very attractive, but when I have an opportunity to photograph them, I'm disappointed. I can't quite get the right angle, or expression, for whatever reason, or the lights not right. Sometimes I'll photograph the same person on several occasions and never get a photo that matches my experience of the person. Much of this can be chalked up to my lack of photographic fluency, but I think there's more to it than that.

I think when someone is said to "not photograph well", it's often because the person's charms are not purely visual, but involve the whole of the person; their movements, gestures, voice, and even the way a person smells can trick our brains into believing we're seeing a great beauty, when in fact we're experiencing a great beauty on many sensory and even emotional and intellectual levels that don't necessarily translate in a photograph.

There's nothing novel in this idea, but when you're the one being tricked, it's easy to forget. I think doing justice to a charming person who "doesn't photograph well", is a great challenge, and a worthy one, and when you finally succeed in making an image that matches your experience of the person, it can be very rewarding. Best of luck, and don't give up!

[johnielvis]

yeah...I wouldn't have posted that...I'll bet she don't like it

but if she does like it and doesn't mind it being posted, then ...hey...why give it such an intro?

I'm thinking this was some kind of test to see how many people will post something positive and then you laugh at them for being phony....really it does.

[photobymike]

yeah...I wouldn't have posted that...I'll bet she don't like it

but if she does like it and doesn't mind it being posted, then ...hey...why give it such an intro?

I'm thinking this was some kind of test to see how many people will post something positive and then you laugh at them for being phony....really it does.

It was 35 years ago. I photographed her over a period of three years. I taught photography at a college level for 4 years. Classic nude photography was certainly part of the curriculum as was portraits and other types of photography. No test .. this photo is my fondest memory of another photographer/model. I was not photogenic either, she photographed me nude also in class setting.

[photobymike]

Thanks Jay this was 35 years ago.... over a three year period i photographed her atleast 1000 exposures. LOL i gave up when i got married. There truly is beauty in everyone, the challenge of the photographer is to find it.

[Tom J McDonald]

looks like she is auditioning for a role a sloth woman.

Man, you just made me LOL. I think she's a nice looking lady though.

[ajsikel]

f2, symmar s 5,6/300, adox 100, 4x5 contact print on orwo bn111

good to see this image here, worth that!
btw, good to see You here

[Nathan Appel]

homemade camera/ 4x5/ xenotar 150mm/ fp100c45

[Darin Boville]

homemade camera/ 4x5/ xenotar 150mm/ fp100c45

My God! I think that is me in the background!

--Darin

[Armin Seeholzer]

Nathan a hot story telling pic, I like it very much!

Cheers Armin

[bigguy88]

homemade camera/ 4x5/ xenotar 150mm/ fp100c45

very impactful photo