66
Shoot nudes in daylight

The secret to any great portrait is not only how you pose a subject but how you light them, and this is particularly true with nudes, where the fall of light and shade on the human form is the principal interest. Although studio lighting offers the ultimate in control, it is also possible to photograph striking nude portraits in daylight by following a few simple steps. The first is that you need to keep total control over where the light falls on your subject’s body. You should do this by using diffusers, reflectors and black material (for controlling shadows). A diffuser should be used when light is harsh; a reflector to fill in unwanted areas of shadow; and black material to eliminate stray light and to help control shadows. With careful use of these three lighting tools, creating stunning nude shots is relatively simple.

DAYLIGHT NUDE

This image was taken in the middle of the day using only daylight as the light source. A sofa with black velvet draped over it was placed under a medium-sized window with netting to diffuse the light. The model lay on the velvet and rotated her body slightly to accentuate contours and form. She applied oil to her skin to make it more reflective and to increase the tonal range of the image. The photographer ensured the highlights were perfectly positioned on her body and, using black velvet angled towards the model just out of shot below the camera, prevented unwanted light reflections from filling in shadows.

Canon EOS 10D, 28–70mm lens at 70mm, 1/60 sec at f/4, ISO 400.