thoughts on older models posing nude?

[stradibarrius]

I am curious how "older", for lack of a better word, would be willing to pose nude. I think that we are missing much of the wonderful fine art nude work that can be made with an older model. Our culture has placed a premium on youthful beauty are are overlooking the beauty of the mature. IMO so much of the beauty of a fine art nude comes through from the attitude of the model. An older woman can exude confidence and elegant beauty with her body and the photographer should work with her to capture that beauty and attitude in a photograph.

I am interested in your opinions....

[bruce501]

Interesting thought.
I have seen photographs of mature subjects and have been struck by how the character of face is often reflected in the character of the body, if that makes sense.
Best

[matthew blais]

I think it's Joyce Tenneson that has done some nice work with more mature ladies...
I've shot a few but appreciate a woman who has no inhibitions and complacent, confident with herself regardless of age.

[KOG]

I'm not sure how you define "fine art nude", but if you portray the positive aspects of the model, then I think your images will be successful. However, convincing an "older" subject to pose will probably be the most difficult part of your endeavors. Perhaps using an approach like Alfred Cheney Johnston might reduce their fears and contribute to your success.

Kevin

[Jody_S]

I've always wanted to try, but I have no idea how to ask someone to pose. I need to spend more time hanging out at galleries and such, sipping wine and chatting with wealthy patrons.

[Andrew]

I'm all for it... there's no reason why we shouldn't have fantastic images of people who aren't particularly young or even classically beautiful.

I'm gonna stoke this fire by saying there's far too many "fine art nude" images that are actually very poor images, that aren't art, and which try to justify themselves by showing off a pair of pert young beasts or other body parts... attached to some poor model who's been contorted into a most unnatural pose that has to be even more uncomfortable for the model than it is for me to look at the image.

take an older model with a few wrinkles and saggy bits and the quality of the image will have to dominate to make it palatable to the average punter. That should only be a good thing and hopefully push up the average quality of the work.
.

[BrianShaw]

Sure, why not?

[Peter Lewin]

While I agree with the general sentiments posted, I'm also reminded of the vast number of people who read Playboy "for the articles." If I think of the genuinely famous photographers who have shot nudes, starting with Edward Weston (the first who came to mind) they did not chose to photograph older nudes. Neither did Jock Sturges, Sally Mann (although I've never seen nudes of hers that weren't her children or herself), or Bruce Davidson who had a couple of nudes in "East 100 Street." Without doing research those are the large format photographers that I'm aware of who did nudes. Perhaps rather than making this a statement, I'll make it a question: which "gallery level" photographers have shot older models nude and exhibited the work? We don't even have to restrict it to large format.

[BrianShaw]

Sturges, for one. While his work with younger models are greater in quantity and seem to be remembered more) his work with adults I think are often better.

[Maris Rusis]

John Coplans is a salient example; self portraits no less.