Is it ok to touch a naked model??

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holderbeam

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M J Holder
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KK convinced a girl i know to pose nude for me so i can add something different to my uni portfolio but im a very hands on photography and its hard to tell a model how to pose exactly how i see it in my head and in all my other shoots i always move the model myself and ask them to hold the pose but now im unsure if thats very professional. what r your thorght on the matter??
 
I'd imagine it depended on where you were touching her!

but seriously i'm sure if you ask her if it's ok to move her arms/legs and she says it's ok you'll be fine, if not then don't, can imagine it's a trust thing, but i'm no expert

cheers
marcus
 
unless explicity expressed by the model then no unless it's an exceptionally good friend/ex/girlfriend/wife/hooker and even then it's ill advised :)
 
How about getting a pair of drum sticks and using these?

Seriously though, you said it's someone you know, just ask? Or maybe get used to not being able to position her yourself for if/when you use a professional model?
 
...and do make sure there's a chaperone present the whole time
should be a friend/colleague/relation of the model, preferably female

for your protection as much as the model's:rules:
 
Verbal communication is definately best especially with a nude.

Being female it is a lot easier for me in these situations but the "rules" I use are quite simple.

I don't touch AT ALL unless I have to and if I do then I ask the model if it is ok for me to move an arm, move her hair, tilt her head............each and every time I will ask permission. I also explain that to the model before we begin and ask if that is something that they would be comfortable with.

It's about trust and respect, your model has to trust you and if you show that level of respect then you should be fine.

Some pros I know will allow a chaperone so long as they stay out the way and stay quiet, others don't like it at all but first time out it may be something to consider?
 
Whether you are trying to pose a naked model or a clothed one you shouldn't have to touch them to get them to pose. If you describe the pose sufficiently well and point then they should be able to work out what they are meant to be doing. If you still struggle then get in the pose yourself and they can copy you.

On the other hand, if you are just making a minor adjustment to a foot or a hand then asking permission from the model shouldn't be a problem. Just don't be touching areas you shouldn't be going near.

Look at this image from James Ward. If you were touching the model to position her hand then unless she was your girlfriend/wife then I think you're going too far.
 
I've never had to touch a model.

I've had some of them tell me tales about other photographers who have and they don't generally like it (especially being smacked on the arse!). Apartently some models have had photographers ask if the model can touch them, but that's another story! :D
 
The safest way is not to invade a person's space at all even if they are clothed. In its most basic form how do you feel in the hairdressers when the hairdresser grabs you head to move it left or right. Much more pleasant if she asks you to move it

stew
 
You should have a chaperone there.
You should direct the model from behind the camera - otherwise you can't take the pic!
Moving away from the camera to 'pose' the model can result in very stiff stilted poses. Keep her moving - keep clicking - you'll get some duff shots and hopefully loads of good ones. Keep talking to her!
 
I never do that, unless there is no other way to position the body the way I want. And then I am always asking prior to doing so. Can't imagine touching any model without given permission. That would be the most unprofessional thing. It is also a matter of trust.

One advice: whenever you're photographing nude, install the big mirror behind your back, so model can see himself/herself. 99% of problems solved automatically and without any hassle. I always do that.
 
Simple answer is NO!

Obviously there are exceptions, self portraits etc ;)

I often get into a pose I want the model in to demonstrate, not always pretty but better than the alternative. I've had models ask to help do up the back of lingerie before now which required a little hands on (knee in the back and heaaaaave) but that's at there specific request.
I'd strongly recommend you get a female assistant or ask them to bring a chaperone, you can then send them in for hair & costume tweaks if needed.

Seriously though, there really is absolutely no excuse to touch a model - I'm just not buying this 'I'm a hands on type of guy..' :lol::lol::nono:

If you can't keep your hands off then don't take the risk my friend!

Good luck
Rick
 
Since when were you female:|
lol always thought you were a guy for some reason

anyway, i think there is no need to ever touch the model, should not happen and should not be needed.


AliB said:
Verbal communication is definately best especially with a nude.

Being female it is a lot easier for me in these situations but the "rules" I use are quite simple.

I don't touch AT ALL unless I have to and if I do then I ask the model if it is ok for me to move an arm, move her hair, tilt her head............each and every time I will ask permission. I also explain that to the model before we begin and ask if that is something that they would be comfortable with.

It's about trust and respect, your model has to trust you and if you show that level of respect then you should be fine.

Some pros I know will allow a chaperone so long as they stay out the way and stay quiet, others don't like it at all but first time out it may be something to consider?
Click to expand...
 
errrrmm last time I looked...............since birth? lol

Sometimes you do need to move hair out of eyes (the model can't see where her hair is!) and sometimes I do want the head in a particular place for a very good reason. At those times I don't stay behind the camera, in fact I don't even get behind the camera until I'm ready to shoot it! lol

For head position I keep my hands in front of the model's head and tilt my hands and she can follow with her head until we have it right.

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For this one her head had to be spot on so the light coming from the window lit both sides of her face, but the nose had to be kept within the face and not break the profile. That meant a tolerance of about an inch in her head position. There is no way I could be that precise with positioning from behind the camera.

A lot of this is down to personal style and how you best communicate, personally I'm happy to get out there and show my models what I need and guide them to where I want. I still didn't touch though :)
 
The one and only time I have ever photographed a nude model, she was sat down, legs stretched out in front of her, leaning back being supported by her arms. He had the pose nailed but there was a piece of her hair in front of her shoulder and I wanted it all behind her head so I asked her if I could just flick a piece of hair out of the way. This was well in to the shoot so we'd had plenty of time to get comfortable with eachother so she said yes. I just used my little finger to flick the hair and everything was fine. I took a step back to frame the shot, just about the click the shutter and she went and shook her head to adjust her hair herself resulting in another piece of hair going out of place.

It just goes to show that even when you do ask permission and it's only the slightest touch, it doesn't necessarily get you the shot you want. Had I asked her or her chaperone to move the hair I could have stayed behind the viewfinder and caught the shot as soon as it looked right.
 
Touching is not OK in any circumstances whether the person is clothed or not. Touching is an invasion of personal space and can in the wrong/Wright circumstances be classed as assault. This may sound a bit extreme but court cases have been built on less.

To touch one must build trust,relationship and ASK!
 
prjohns said:
Touching is not OK in any circumstances whether the person is clothed or not. Touching is an invasion of personal space and can in the wrong/Wright circumstances be classed as assault. This may sound a bit extreme but court cases have been built on less.

To touch one must build trust,relationship and ASK!
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I think you're wrong there, especially for somone fully dressed. I know of one famous tog (can't recall off the top of my head) but at the start of a shoot he used to purposefully go up to the subject and kind of brush off imaginary 'lint' from their lapels, or shoulder or whatever, as a way of building a 'connection' and rapport. It all depends on your people skills though I think and how you 'do it'.

Obviously just touching someone on the trot without asking isn't good :)
 
I believe it was David Bailey who said you should always sleep with your models first (or something like that) While sleeping with them is probably ok (provided they don't mind) , I suspect touching them is probably a bad idea, it could easily be taken the wrong way leaving you open to all kinds of allergations from common assult to heven knows what.
What you need is a model wrangler, and I offer my services ;)
 
I'd avoid it with a nude first time model (well I'd avoid it as much as pos) when you're both Pro's and everyone knows the score and each others reputation then the circumstances may be different

something I have found works well (with amateur models at least) is to put the camera down and make the pose your self, it breaks the ice often makes you look a **** and helps build the rapport. I like to keep my shoots relatively informal as no one is getting paid and it helps to get better images as there's less stress
 
Dangleman said:
I think you're wrong there, especially for somone fully dressed. I know of one famous tog (can't recall off the top of my head) but at the start of a shoot he used to purposefully go up to the subject and kind of brush off imaginary 'lint' from their lapels, or shoulder or whatever, as a way of building a 'connection' and rapport. It all depends on your people skills though I think and how you 'do it'.

Obviously just touching someone on the trot without asking isn't good :)
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Unfortunately when a touch is initially harmless it can easily turn to confrontation. Many intimidation and bullying accusations in the work place have stemmed from a simple touch.
 
LOL. I'd be very careful. I arrested a tog once for allegedly groping a naked model. It was a fit up, and she admitteds as much in the end,, but it caused the guy a lot of stress and grief.
 
Being a girlie is just so much easier sometimes :)

Just a shame about the hormonal mood swings..........now where did I put that axe? :cuckoo:
 
There are many ways to pose a model verbally. I direct a body part at a time, i.e. "bend your left elbow until I say stop", "slowly rotate your hips towards me until I say stop", "drop your left shoulder a couple of inches" etc.

If the model has little experience posing, the best thing you can do is strike the pose yourself and let her mirror you. Also a good ice breaker and a way to get chatting/make them feel comfortable. Always gets a laugh :)

If you're finding it really hard to do it, you can always get written consent from the model beforehand, stating which points on her body you're requesting to touch in order to position her (shoulders, head, ankles and wrists are all you need).

Getting someone to accompany them *can* help, but if the model is the sort to accuse you of something, the additional person (who's in on it) can compound the situation. Very rare it happens though, trust your instincts when you meet them to talk about the job.

Edit: cowasaki - one of my fave biscuits, especially dipped in tea... mmmmmm :)

Edit 2: this pose was done by verbal positioning (one bit at a time), and it had to be accurate since it was inspired by a piece of Drew Darcy artwork.

119.jpg
 
There seems to be a lot more made of nude models than necessary. If it is such a big issue for a tog to shoot a nude then perhaps he/she ought not be doing it. What's the difference between a model being clothed or nude? It's only society that likes to tell us nudity is a bedroom state. I dont know about the rest of you but I was born nude :)

Whenever I plan a shoot I spend a long time communicating with the models before hand. By the time the shoot comes around I pretty much know the level of trust between us and if I ever feel I need to touch I keep talking and make the model laugh as much as possible. Anyone who works with a lot of models should be able to tell if touching is appropriate just by reading the response of the model before you even get that far. If you can't tell how far is too far then perhaps you're not working on communication and making connections.
 
AndyB said:
There seems to be a lot more made of nude models than necessary. If it is such a big issue for a tog to shoot a nude then perhaps he/she ought not be doing it. What's the difference between a model being clothed or nude? It's only society that likes to tell us nudity is a bedroom state. I dont know about the rest of you but I was born nude :)

Whenever I plan a shoot I spend a long time communicating with the models before hand. By the time the shoot comes around I pretty much know the level of trust between us and if I ever feel I need to touch I keep talking and make the model laugh as much as possible. Anyone who works with a lot of models should be able to tell if touching is appropriate just by reading the response of the model before you even get that far. If you can't tell how far is too far then perhaps you're not working on communication and making connections.
Click to expand...

Idiot boy. Just because it works for you it doesn't mean it works for other people. Personality types - study them - understand them - use them.
 
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