Millions of people have seen this website since
it went online in 1995, and I have received lots
of email asking questions about shooting nudes.

The basic question everyone asks is,
"What does it take to produce photographs like this?"

There is a two part answer.

1 - Finding, selecting, and working with models
2 - Lighting

A photograph is nothing more than a subject with light
on it. Whether it's a mountain in sunlight, or a model
in the studio, every photograph is simply a subject
with light.

The camera is nothing more than a device to
mechanically record the situation. Different cameras
produce almost identical results. The reason a
photograph looks the way it looks is entirely
dependent on the subject, and the lighting.

I get email, with questions, from college students,
from advanced amateur photographers, and from
working professionals. I soon realized that there
aren't any quick, simple answers to these questions.

The answers depend first on the person asking
the question. Different people are in different
circumstances, and have different goals.

One person might want to work in a studio and
produce images along the lines of what you see on
this website, while someone else will want to simply
shoot beautiful portraits of his wife. Often, it's a
professional photographer who wants to incorporate
the look he sees on this website into his work.

How does it work?

The basic idea is that we communicate
by telephone and email for a period
of two months.

We might do this for 62 days in a row, or we
might take breaks along the way for you to
work on projects on your own - then get back
in contact and continue working together.

The fee that I charge for this is $2,500.

What's it all about?

It's all about your goals. It's all about what you want to
accomplish with your photography.

For example, you might well be someone like me who
produces fine art nudes simply for the love of the art.
You may or may not be interested in selling prints.
You may want to produce a printed portfolio of work,
or you may want to create a website.

If you have a source of models, or one favorite
model you want to work with, then you have that
problem solved.

But if you don't, we would begin by finding the best
way for you to connect with women interested in
modeling for you. There are different avenues to take,
depending on just what type of work you want to do,
and where you are located.

There are many women interested in working as fine
art nude models. And believe me, it's not nearly as
difficult to find them these days as it was when
I started looking twenty years ago.

If you have already done some
photography that you would like me
to see, we would start out with that.
If you have a website, we'll start there.
Otherwise just email images to me.

This will continue throughout the two
months. We talk, you shoot, you email
some images, I look them over and offer
suggestions. You make changes,
try new ideas, and send me the results.

What kinds of things would we work on?

Things like . . .

Models - Where to find them, what to pay them, how to
work with them, what to always do, what to never do,
there are lots of things to know about working with models.
We will also talk about model releases, as well as the
famous, "Can I bring my boyfriend to the shoot?" question.

In commercial work, a model is an accessory to a product
of some kind. In a fine art shot, the model is everything.
You will choose different models depending on what type
of image you are working on, and you will discover that
different models work in very different ways. She will need
to adapt her style to your plan, but you will also need to
work within her abilities.

Lighting - This will be the primary focus of our technical
work. Good lighting has nothing to do with diagrams or
calculations. I never use a light meter to measure ratios -
nothing like that. Good lighting must become an intuitive
ability with the photographer. You simply learn to make it
"look right" rather than trying to figure it out.

For this reason, I have never done much outdoor shooting.
Outdoors, you are at the mercy of the weather and the
movement of the sun. You also have privacy and security
issues when working with a nude model. If you want to
shoot outside, I won't discourage you, but you will find
far more chances to create great images by shooting
indoors with controlled lighting.

Shooting environment - What is appropriate, what isn't.
How to work out of your house, how to set up a small
studio somewhere else, whatever might apply to your
situation.

Sets, clothing, accessories, etc. - I like to keep it simple,
as you can see in my work. You might have different
ideas. We can discuss the many options available.

Equipment - Actually has very little to do with your results,
but I will certainly tell you what I work with, and why. In the
past, I shot with a film Nikon, or a film Hasselblad - these
days I shoot nudes with a digital Nikon, but you can use
whatever you want to use.

The light source is very critical to the look of the finished
image, but depending on what you want to do, your light
source could be as simple as a window - as it was in
the photograph immediately to the right of these words.

Printing - The days of conventional film and darkroom
printing are over, but you can make beautiful black
and white or color inkjet prints. If you want to produce
a website, or want to convert to video to release on DVD - whatever you want to do, we will work in that direction.

Photoshop - Photoshop is simply a part of photography.
You will need to make it part of your life. I will work with
you at whatever level of Photoshop experience you have.

Websites - Designing a website is easier than you might
think. I have done my own websites all along. I did the
first one with Notepad and an html book. Since then,
I've used ImageReady and Dreamweaver, and if you get
along well with computers, it's easy to learn. You can keep
it simple, there's no reason a fine art website needs to be
very complex.

The same is true about registering a domain name,
and putting the website online. There is nothing difficult
about it at all.

Your new project - One other topic of discussion might be
the reaction you will get when you start shooting nudes.
Chances are, your family and friends will have something
to say about it. Mine certainly did.

Most people find it impossible to imagine that you are
more interested in the photographs than the models.
It's something you will just have to prove to them over time.
We can talk about this, too.

How often would we talk?
How often would I send pictures to you?
How much communication would there be?

As little or as much as you want. I would hope that
you want to put a lot of time and energy into this.
Plan on spending two or three hours a week on the
phone, and emailing more or less every day.

It will be very much like a college course, in that
you'll get out of it what you put into it.

Wouldn't it be better to be face to face?

Well, unless you move next door, that's really not
practical. And it's really not necessary.

I have known many photographers, and the more
creative and advanced talents seem to work best
alone. Most of us really don't want to work with
someone looking over our shoulder.

Some forms of art produce a performance that must
be observed, like music or drama. For these types
of work, you would need an instructor to be right there
with you, watching the performance.

Photography is not a performing art. All that matters
is the finished image.

You will work in your own way, as you should.
I have no desire for you to think like I think. I don't
expect your photographs to look just like mine.
I will not only support your individuality, I will insist
that you maintain it.

If I were in your position, I would rather take in some
ideas, learn some new techniques, then go off by
myself, produce some work - then come back and talk
about it.

That is exactly what we will be doing - over the phone
and through email.

That brings up another point. What if I really like your work,
and I would like to learn about it, but I'm not really interested
in shooting nudes?

That doesn't matter either. Again, the fundamentals apply
regardless. For example, I have often received email from
wedding photographers saying they would like for their bridal
portraits to have some of the characteristics they see in the
shots on my website. I would be happy to work with you,
whether you are shooting nudes or not.

$2,500 is a lot of money.
Can I pay it a little at a time as we go along?

No, you'll need to pay in full in advance.
People usually send a cashier's check.
You can also pay with a credit card
through PayPal.

In full in advance?
Is there a money back guarantee?

I wish I could offer a money back guarantee, but
I can't. It's not like I'm selling merchandise that can
be returned. Once you have information, it's yours.
And you'll have a lot after the very first session.

All I can promise is that if you really apply the
information, this will take several years off your
learning curve. After our time working together,
your photography will show tremendous
improvement, and that improvement will continue
for years to come.

If you would like to talk to photographers I have
worked with in the past, I can put you in contact
with them.

Can you promise me that I'll become a famous photographer?

No, and I don't even want you to become famous. I'm certainly
not famous. I would like for your photography to be seen
around the world, but you, as the artist, will be more effective
if you remain in the background.

Let your work speak for itself. We now have the Internet as
a means of publication. If you have ideas you wish to express
with your photography, the whole world is available as your
audience.

The time has come for that idea to
be seen for what it is - a lie. It was
created centuries ago by people
seeking to control other people.
It was never based in any kind of
spiritual truth.

Does it do much good to tell
people this? Words are a fairly
recent evolutionary invention,
and must be filtered through the
intellect - therefore through the
indoctrinated belief system.

Photographs, however, work
differently. Our responses to visual
images have evolved over millions
of years, long before mankind
developed language. Visual
images have direct access to
the inner workings of the mind.

Visual art is much more effective
at communicating an abstract
idea than any verbal explanation.

People change in response
to visual images - without their
intellect ever knowing that the
change has taken place.

OK - this sounds interesting.
Where do we go from here?

If you think you might be interested in this
idea, send me an email. Tell me a little
about your involvement with photography,
and what your goals are.

I will email back, and we'll set up a time
to talk on the phone. No obligation, and
no sales pitch, but with a little information,
I can tell you more specifically how this
would apply to your situation.

Thanks for reading this long page.
If you think you might be interested,
just let me know.