Naughty But Nice : How Best To Be Photographed Nude?

We are so thrilled we found Fen from Fen Fotography that we couldn’t resist asking her questions we are all dying to know. Hear it from her perspective as a woman and a professional photographer. And she’s got a great sense of humour, too. 

SimplyFab: Would you suggest a brazillian ‘down there’ before ladies step in front of the camera? 

Fen: If you refer to be hairless, a Brazilian would be much better than shaving as stubble shows in photos. But if you're afraid of the pain involved, stick to the blade and let me work my magic.

SimplyFab: Should we wax off any facial or unwanted hair? Does the camera come up that close? 

Fen: Even though I don't shoot macro, hair does affect the texture in the photos. There is nothing more distracting than a moustache or furry arms and legs in a beautiful photograph (only applicable to ladies).

SimplyFab: What should we do with extra flab around the tummy? Will simply sucking it in do or would you suggest a few sessions at the gym first? 

Fen: It's always good to have a good shape to work on, however, if you're comfortable with your body, some flab can contribute to the curves too. Depends on how you look at it – flab can be beautiful (despite what the media has been brainwashing us with).

SimplyFab: What would you do with a voluptuous client? Can big be sexy too? 

Fen: The camera can sometimes be deceptive; along with the play of shadows and retouching, big girls can look smaller. Again, big can be beautiful, as long as you're curvy.

SimplyFab: What’s the sexiest parts of a women’s body on camera? 

Fen: Anywhere that has curves.

SimplyFab: Do women have a ‘good side’? If so, which/what is it? 

Fen: If you're right handed, chances of your left side being your "good side" is rather high, and vice versa.

SimplyFab: Legs together or apart? 

Fen: Preferably together, unless there's something to conceal the nether regions with (eg. cushion, back of chair or shadows). Being a gynaecologist has never been my ambition.

SimplyFab: Which is sexier for a photograph – complete starkers or some underwear? 

Fen: If you're talking about art nudes, complete starkers, as knickers would look out of place. For fetish shoots, relevant underwear can be sexy.

SimplyFab: If we want to shoot sexy shots, but don’t dare bare it all, what do you suggest we can do? 

Fen: You can hold on to dear life with strategically placed fabric(s).

SimplyFab: Is lingerie tacky on camera? 

Fen: Lingerie in general isn't tacky, it's the design that makes it look tacky.

SimplyFab: If we want to keep our underwear on, what do you suggest? Plain white cotton or lace? 

Fen: Lace would look more interesting in photos.

SimplyFab: How about make up? Do we need it? Any tips? 

Fen: Some light DIY makeup will do. As long as you have eyebrows, some color to your lips and a non-shiny nose, it's fine. Unlike a model's portfolio, there wouldn't be much focus on the face or makeup in nude shoots.

SimplyFab: How do you reassure a client and get them comfy when you are asking her to drop her clothes? 

Fen: If they are shy, we can start with some underwear shots first, then to the strategically placed fabric(s). When they feel comfortable enough, we can move on to the birthday suit.

SimplyFab: Describe a nude photo session with ordinary clients like us, ie. not models – mostly tired moms?

Fen: Firstly, we meet up to discuss about what they want. Which part of their bodies do they like best. If there is a feel or concept that they want to explore. Is there anything like tattoos that I should focus on or remove. I'll ask if they have come across any photos that they really like and want a similar feel for their shoot. We'll discuss props, location, date and other details before the actual day arrives. By then, they would be mostly comfortable with the idea of working with me. Sometimes, the best photos are not posed, and from there something unique is captured.

SimplyFab: What sort of fetish props make for good photography on a woman? 

Fen: It depends on the fetish that interests her. 

SimplyFab: Where would you advise us to stash these photos so our kids don’t find them?

Fen: Under your pillow. No, just kidding. The selected photos are burnt on a CD and unless clients request to have them printed, there won't be any hard copies lying around for all to see. A CD is quite easy to conceal, even if it's in the underwear drawer or in a crack in the wall.

Thanks a million, Fen, for enlightening us all! Looks like this might go down onto our ‘Things-to-do-at-least-once-in-our-lives’ list. Let’s hit the gym, ladies! Then we can croak with pride 40 years down the road: “Ooh yes, that lady in the photo is Grandma!”

by ew