Models: art-nude models: The supply of art-nude models: retention, and recruitment of new ones

I have lots to say but am still shepherding my thoughts into coherency, so the point I'll pick up on now is 'is there something we should be doing to ensure young adults know they could be art nude modelling' - I may be over-burdened with maternal genes but younger models, say under 25, less established in their non-model careers and themselves as people - are possibly wise to hold back on any nude work.

I'm very un-cautious about being naked on the Internet and art nude is my absolute bag, but I am, to put it bluntly, too old and fat to be of much interest to most photographers of the genre. If I was very young still, I'd be way more hesitant those images could come back and bite me.

Alicia Alexis If you read my comment I said the North East. Sheffield isn't in the North East of England by about 100 miles...

Baldbraveandbeautiful fair play, she works with a chap who's based in Newcastle often, my mistake for getting confused as to who lives where 🙈

Alicia Alexis ah cool :)

There are lots of answers in this thread that I would consider to be "right" as I've thought much the same.

I've also wondered if it's just a sign of the times.  Art nude or "classic" nude or whatever felt like a safe way to make nudity passable in polite company (assuming it was done well, tastefully with a decent technical accomplishment).

There's so much nudity and prevalent sexuality now though, I'm not surprised it has become a bit of a relic.  A thing that got us here but is perhaps no longer "needed". It isn't really that exciting, it doesn't really provoke by todays standards and most likely doesn't pay well, compared to other avenues and levels of effort either. 

Its funny because I loved shooting nudes, but now I find myself trying to find reasons to.  I like to justify it narratively somehow.  Shooting it for the sake of enjoying shooting it doesn't feel like it's enough.

At the same time, one of the benefits to shooting nudes was not worrying about "fashion" being high-street level styling and the image would live and die by the model's ability to pose and my ability to light and point a camera in the right direction.  There's definitely a beauty to that experience.

So....   

Is PP somehow an uninspiring or unwelcoming place for potential art nude models, considering the overwhelming concentration glamour content?
Including what might be called "glamour nude".

Huw said

So....   

Is PP somehow an uninspiring or unwelcoming place for potential art nude models, considering the overwhelming concentration glamour content?
Including what might be called "glamour nude".

I would say it isn't considered as a "serious" place to create/showcase art.  Not that art needs to be serious but I'd argue that this exact platform (functionally) being duplicated and rebranded as "artsociety.com" or something to that effect, all dark mode and hipster-y, would be more attractive to many of the artists on this site already, and those that aren't (yet) but would like to dip their toes  and are more interested in being a part of art than glamour.  

Some of the sniffy comments I hear about PP liken it more toward OF-Lite than an art platform, which is no slight on its functionality or usefulness, only it's perception.  Maybe that does put potential models off that would be comfortable working art nude but want to be taken more seriously as an artist than as a "naked model".

?

From what's been written in the forums by models, it does seem as though some photographers are pushing models' levels or even harassing models, this seems to have done a tremendous amount of damage to models' feeling of security and well being. Until that feeling of security comes back - if ever- than I can't see the situation changing at all.

Another good point that I don't have personal experience in as I said I'm much more confident now naked than I was in my 20s, but the issue of new or young models not doing nude work does make sense as they may not know what the future holds yet.

For example if they wanted to go into teaching one day, or work for the NHS they may find it impossible with a shit load of nude images of them online.

I have an amazingly supportive "day job" who know everything else i do as I declare it, but not everyone is as lucky and by doing art nude in your 20s you are restricting some careers you later may want to get into.

Please keep shooting us "oldies" basically! We have so much experience! Amazing art nude models similar to my age are around too: Valentina is EXCELLENT!!!! I think Chiara does nude and is absolutely beautiful and amazing, there are probably 20 more UK models I can name that are stunning, extremely talented and work art nude.

Edited by Holly Alexander

Edited by Holly Alexander

Alicia Alexis said

... If I was very young still, I'd be way more hesitant those images could come back and bite me.

Shall we pull the teeth of the biters?

Interesting thread. I view myself as an art nude model and I do like to refer to it as figure work - my favorite genre by far is landscape nude work - but I decided during lockdown to take a career change and since then have been a hobbyist model rather than full/part time model.

The main reason is that there wasn’t/isn’t enough work available that is in keeping with my approach to nude modeling - see definition below - to make a living from it. I do enjoy other styles but I want to enjoy the experience and get good results.

So I’m back in a happy place with my modelling as I no longer rely on it for an income, and it’s now a very enjoyable and rewarding hobby that I love.

I do think fewer models are going outdoors having discovered remote shooting and I don’t blame them it is tiring and hard work and often you come back with scrapes or minor injuries.

The definition of art nude that I work to is a genre of artistic photography that depicts the nude body with an emphasis on form, lines, composition, lighting, and if outdoors the interpretation of the surroundings/landscape through figurework and emotive posing to make an artistic statement.

Edited by M e l a n y

M e l a n y

While in no way disagreeing with what you say, I would hope that your last paragraph applies to all photography involving people.

I think it's just changing times. 

That said, the Art Nude models I do keep a close eye on - off the top of my head I'm thinking the likes of Keira LaVelle, Infinity Valerie, Evie Kedavra, Beth Kate - all seem to be making a decent living still, either that or they're talking a good game online.

There's been a discussion on the Photographer forum that actually, most models aren't really making that much money from OnlyFans, compared to what they could make from a traditional paid shoot.  But I wouldn't call OF an outlet for Art Nude.

Holly Alexander said

Please keep shooting us "oldies" basically! We have so much experience! Amazing art nude models similar to my age are around too: Valentina is EXCELLENT!!!! I think Chiara does nude and is absolutely beautiful and amazing, there are probably 20 more UK models I can name that are stunning, extremely talented and work art nude.

There are some great "oldies" around, many of whom have been doing it for a number of years. However they are going to retire eventually and there just aren't the new models coming through to replace them as has been the case in the past.

I have said this before but without a steady flow of new, younger new models joining the site to replace the older models who leave, then in a few years time sites like this will no longer exist. Though what the site can actually do about it I have no idea. Interestingly someone else made the comment on another discussion that the site was focussing on trying to increase the number of foreign members (by offering a considerable carrot to anyone introducing new members in the US).

It appears that many models who are now seeking work through the likes of IG don't even know about PP. Perhaps some time/money could be spent on trying to make potential models in the UK aware of the site and the advantages it has over the like of IG. 

Again, this has been touched on in Photographers Chat.

Russ produced some numbers suggesting things were not as quiet as some of us were making out. All I can say is I personally have a distrust of numbers which I feel can be twisted to prove anything, and can only offer my own experience which is an exceptionally low response to castings.

One got just a single reply from an unsuitable candidate, the other has had about 3 applicants, again all not suitable. A far cry from a year or so ago where you'd have a full inbox every time!

I do agree with you that I don't think this site will exist in a few years, but like you say we aren't having the retiring models replaced by new ones. There's a few of the superstar models from the late 2000's/early 2010's generation still going but they are quickly retiring.

I do agree trying to make this site appeal to the new generation would be a way forward; certainly the younger models I work with aren't getting much work from here.

Edited by JamesMt142