Howdy Y'all I'm Hank...AKA Hank63....BiWM 49 and live down in Southeast Georgia... Been out about 20 years now and love every minute of it... You might as well be yourself...Everyone else is taken.... Nice to find a place to share advice and experince with other like minded Folks... I look forward to many years of active membership.. I am a amuture photographer who does 1940's/1950's pinup type photos. I have never done any erotic photography except for a few shots of myself and a few lovers.. I would love any advice as to how to get more in depth into these type of shoots.. and how to locate models both male and female or couples who desire personal portfolios of their adventures Best wishes to ya'll....Hank
Hank. I love the victorian style or French postcard pictures myself, the sepia tones. But there is a lack of bi/ gay males. I would love to see more of that type of stuff if you ever get the chance.
Hi Hank, I've been a photographer since 1971 and now and then I have done some nude/erotic sessions. When first starting, it's best to tell a client that they are helping you to gain experience and waive their fee. If you are using a studio, I suggest becoming very comfortable in that setting before having people get naked there. If you can do an outdoor shoot, get some reflectors and at least one stand with a boom to hold one. Reflectors will show you what you're going to get and they can be very flattering. Anyway, the main things are 1) Have a plan and 2) Be good at putting your clients at ease and making them comfortable, and 3) Have a written modeling agreement with the terms clearly outlined and check ID's with the young ones. There are lots of underage teens these days that think it's cool to have nude photos of themselves. That's fine as long as someone else is shooting them, not you. I hope this has been helpful although it's off the cuff and not altogether linear. If you have any more questions, feel free to email me at luvmakingart69@yahoo.com. Mike
The post is over a year old, I know. (Nothing like resurrecting a zombie thread.) But, the initial post is similar to a question I've had lately. Even calling myself an "amateur photographer" is being generous. I've taken some self pics and quick pics of my wife and of the two of us (limited, of course, by what one can do solo). Recently, however, I've been struck with the thought of trying to take some nicer pics of others - men, women, couples (or more) of any configuration. My stumbling blocks are first how to find willing subjects and, more importantly, willing subjects who understand that I'm far from a professional. I don't have a super high-end camera, but one that's decent enough for at least the early stages of what I have in mind. (Accordingly, I envision a situation in which, due to my amateur status, I don't charge for their time, but instead retain a set of the pics.)
I'm a lighting cameraman (cinematographer) and it seems to me that very often it is the suggestion that is more erotic than the explicit. In general, soft light works best, such as sunlight filtered by sheers. Embrace shadows, they are your friend. If your camera lets you control the amount of flash (as you can do with many Canons plus the firmware, Magic Lantern) engage the flash. I set mine to 3 stops below "normal," so there is just a little fill, exposing a small amount of detail. You can also try shooting in candle light, lots and lots of candles all over the room. Set your ISO to as high as it can go. I've gotten beautiful pictures this way, shooting at 1/6th of a second shutter. (Can't show them here since the subjects wouldn't like that.) Experiment. Getting everyone comfortable is of course so important. Probably sitting in/around a hot tub is a good way to start. Or having your subjects take a shower together (be careful your camera does not get splashed....) Maybe discuss your subjects' erotic fantasies and then help them to act them out. If you are really lucky you too may begin to join in the action, in which case the pictures take a back seat until the next time.
