Nude

[Joe Forks]

ugggg

Here's what we need (IMO of course)

1) One thread for the debate, discussion, philosophy, etc.

2) One thread for the photography

[lenser]

I too vote with SamReeves.

The enjoyment of the image for whatever reason is paramount. Esthetic and moral judgments are totally in the eye (and perhaps in the upbringing, politics and or religious influences) of the beholder.

I can't imagine very many things more beautiful than the unclothed human form and you can take that anyway you damn well please. Even my favorite and to me the most beautiful mountains are named after a lovely, female body part.

Unless it is savagely anorexic or super morbidly obese, the body is beautiful and even in those conditions it bears at least some curiosity.

More image posts please?!

[Nana Sousa Dias]

This thread should be renamed to the "beautiful naked women thread." The depth in exploring the nude here is very thin. Why no old people? Why no fat people, why no sagging skin? Why no flaws, why no dying? Why so few men? Why no human condition? Why no self portraits! This thread is primarily a bunch of older men ogling beautiful young women. Putting little masks on, little props and messing with the image doesn't change the reality.

If I remember correctly Ash posted some great images of a fat guy covered in tats with a penis distorted by a bunch of rings. Now that was a refreshing change.

Don't you find women beautiful in their sixties? Isn't it interesting to see how natural breasts sag and change from age and life? What do you feel about men well past their prime, their muscles in atrophy and the ideal of masculine strength a distant memory.

I shoot LF for art reproduction and not much else so my range is limited. My interest in the nude as image however is the essence of my work as a painter. It is frustrating and mind numbing to see so many of you photographers at the height of technical accomplishment, with so very little thought put into a personal vision of this world we miraculously find ourselves in.

Respectfully gentlemen, you have all the skills in the world. Go out and shoot some great lasting work and stop with the cliches already.

I have great faith that many of you can find a vision that will be timeless, full of meaning and as individual as each one of you are.

Warm regards and respect.

George

George,

I would like to shoot other kind of nudes, I would like very much to shoot nude old women and men, of course, this would be great.

There is only one little problem. I don't pay those young women to take their pictures, they are professional dancers who need photos for their books, so I take some photos for my portfolio and some other photos for their books.

Anyway, they are proud of their bodies and they like to see themselves and show it to other people. Unfortunatelly, older women or men, are not so proud of their bodies and the great majority of them would never pose for free and many would never pose, even if I pay them.

All the photos I've posted here were made with large format cameras, after all, this is called Large Format Photography Forum. The LF camera is a great tool for doing nude photos.

I would like very much to see some photos of old men and women taken by you, with your large format camera. I hope I can see it soon.

[George Kara]

George,

I would like to shoot other kind of nudes, I would like very much to shoot nude old women and men, of course, this would be great.

There is only one little problem. I don't pay those young women to take their pictures, they are professional dancers who need photos for their books, so I take some photos for my portfolio and some other photos for their books.

Anyway, they are proud of their bodies and they like to see themselves and show it to other people. Unfortunatelly, older women or men, are not so proud of their bodies and the great majority of them would never pose for free and many would never pose, even if I pay them.

All the photos I've posted here were made with large format cameras, after all, this is called Large Format Photography Forum. The LF camera is a great tool for doing nude photos.

I would like very much to see some photos of old men and women taken by you, with your large format camera. I hope I can see it soon.

Nana, let me first say your work is first rate and there are many stunning images. Your figurative work is very creative and slick. You certainly have it going on. I thought I mentioned that I shoot format 99% of the time to reproduce my artwork. I have hundreds and probably thousands of nudes in paintings and drawings but again, this is the large format forum and not the place to display any such work. Every week I draw from the live model to keep up my technique. Most of those models are not beauty kings or queens. Each one however has a profound beautiful and innate dignity. I have also done many many nude self portraits. I am the cheapest model available and can work odd hours.

Commercial work of course is a different animal and your commercial work is very creative and I am sure well worth whatever fee you charge. I am surprised that you couldn't get men or women to sit for you once they see your portfolio - purely as an artistic enterprise. Actually I would say you are the exception to what I was generally speaking of Nana. Respect.

[Nathan Appel]

fujifp100c45 rodenstock 127 ysarex

[Andrey Donchev]

One vote for George! Wake up your brains guys, don't let them stunt!

[Asher Kelman]

fujifp100c45 rodenstock 127 ysarex

Nathan,

The color is interesting and raw. This is an unusual picture and cannot be simply passed over as another nice nude!

It isn't anything like that. The lips are amazingly drawn. The pose intimate, but explain the deep color of her left arm! It's like the arm of a corpse, almost too morbid! But then if we look at her face, she's so alive. Why this paradox? If this is an accident of processing then what a great happenstance!

Looking at what you share with us, I have to ask myself, "Is she supposed to be suffering; beauty anguished?" She's seems at the edge of life, fertility and death. What did you do to get that effect? What's on your mind and do you have any others in this fashion?

Asher

[lbenac]

Wista 45 DX II, Nikon W 210/5.6, Tmax 100

Whoa - this is a great picture. It might go very well with some of your seascapes/landscape shots as a kind of series.
BTW: I just starting browsing your photonet page. Beautiful......

Cheers,

Luc

[Nathan Appel]

Nathan,

The color is interesting and raw. This is an unusual picture and cannot be simply passed over as another nice nude!

It isn't anything like that. The lips are amazingly drawn. The pose intimate, but explain the deep color of her left arm! It's like the arm of a corpse, almost too morbid! But then if we look at her face, she's so alive. Why this paradox? If this is an accident of processing then what a great happenstance!

Looking at what you share with us, I have to ask myself, "Is she supposed to be suffering; beauty anguished?" She's seems at the edge of life, fertility and death. What did you do to get that effect? What's on your mind and do you have any others in this fashion?

Asher

Asher, thank you for the comment, the processing is the chemical pack in the FujiFP100C45 instant films. These instant packs have a supple almost "pastel" latitude in the color pallet. The lighting that makes her face lively and arm morbid is from a flagged beauty dish with a gelled tungsten bulb. In my very biased opinion, fuji and polaroid instant pack films have an intimate visual richness which is unique to it's pack film properties. As for artistic interpretations of the image, I will let you run with that, and I like what you are saying...

[Maris Rusis]

Wilderness Nude, Afternoon

Gelatin-silver photograph on Ilford MG IV FB VC, image size 24.6cm X 19.5cm, from an 8X10 TriX Pan Professional negative exposed in a Plaubel monorail view camera fitted with a 10 inch Commercial Ektar lens.

A male nude to overcome the lack of them: visual drama, yes; tender beauty, no!