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

Pippa. said

Instagram and Facebook have gotten stricter over the past few years so even posting a picture with emojis or lines scribbled over nipples, is not enough and you risk having it taken down or even your account restricted for 30 days on Facebook or shadow-banned on instagram.

That’s then 30 days you can’t market yourself on a platform. Or if you’re shadow-banned on instagram it’s harder for people to see your content. So the only place it leaves you to really post nude work is here on purpleport and I’m just not sure that’s everyone’s first port of call these days for posting their work to be honest.

Furthermore with platforms such as OnlyFans, many models prefer to reserve nude work to that platform and self shoot, it’s just a matter of comfort really.

I think times have just changed, people have adapted.

I think there's also a generational piece at play here. Gen Z just doesn't have the same attitude of the previous generations, which have so readily populated sites like this. 

A large part of that is probably self-empowerment and acceptance, with sites like OnlyFans being an easy way to control your own image. They're also very happy to say no and only work on their own terms. There's also the claim that Gen Z is, overall, more 'prudish' than past generations, B.Y.O conclusion. And finally, they are a more digital savvy demographic who have been raised warned about the dangers of 'compromising' imagery on the internet etc.  

I suspect OF has the usual characteristic, that OF control the image/s, the money, the access.

Over the 30 years I’ve been shooting figure work/classic nude/art nude I have had three ‘go to’ models, serially.  The first came into nude modelling the Page 3 route: now obsolete.  

The second visited a studio to have clothed glamour pictures of her taken after a break up where her ex-partner called her ‘a dog’.  She saw my b&w nudes on the walls there and wanted some of her done like that.

The third took part in a clothed but saucy Charity calendar.  She liked the shoot experience and came to the studio I owned to have portraits done.  Again she saw my work and thought she’d like to try nude work.

The first was in it for the money, and made plenty.  The second was in it for self-esteem but liked the money and once started did well out of it.  The third was in it for fun, liked how she looked and money came a long way third.

My ‘recruitment’ of the latter two was sheer luck.  Before the circumstances unfolded I don’t think either of them had given ‘nude modelling’ a second thought.  How one (person or organisation) taps into that subconscious ‘art nude’ sensibility I have no idea.

Orson Carter well described. Although i don't mind the term art nude. :)

Edited by Zara_Lee

Ivy Vxlentine said

For what it's worth even when offering lower rates for art nude, it hasn't been viable for most and I personally have seen (without being told for politeness sake) that other models have been preferred over me. Not necessarily a deterrent but I have yet to find more than one person who's wanted to book me for art nude - at the same time I think I give too much of a 'glamour girl' vibe - being short, curvy and cool 😎

I don't want to speak out of turn but .. 'not one person wanted to book you for art nude' .. thats amazing ! 

And honestly I don't think you give off a 'glamour girl' vibe at all, your portfolio is varied and wonderful, I love it !

If I was in the UK I would have loved to work with you .. maybe if you holiday in France ; ) 

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP. STUDIO even when I was slimmer however I wasn't booked as much despite having a more desired "physique" as such. Last nude shoot without any covering was from summer 2022 :)

I appreciate that, and this further emphasises my point on demographics being a hard factor at times to retain models already on here at times - I know I'm definitely stationed in the wrong place now ;)

Carlos said

...

The second visited a studio to have clothed glamour pictures of her taken after a break up where her ex-partner called her ‘a dog’.  She saw my b&w nudes on the walls there and wanted some of her done like that.

The third took part in a clothed but saucy Charity calendar.  She liked the shoot experience and came to the studio I owned to have portraits done.  Again she saw my work and thought she’d like to try nude work.

The first was in it for the money, and made plenty.  The second was in it for self-esteem but liked the money and once started did well out of it.  The third was in it for fun, liked how she looked and money came a long way third.

My ‘recruitment’ of the latter two was sheer luck.  Before the circumstances unfolded I don’t think either of them had given ‘nude modelling’ a second thought.  How one (person or organisation) taps into that subconscious ‘art nude’ sensibility I have no idea.

Origin stories are worth collecting.  Perhaps some models might oblige? 

Identifying how models have realised this is something they'd like to do, and been able or enabled to make that second step to doing it is worth understanding systematically, and then trying to remove obstacles and smooth paths. 

Providing that opening by demonstrating that people have been photographed nude (here or by one or at all) and the result has been pleasant and interesting is worth a little effort.

I think more women would like some images than is obvious, or than get them.

Life drawing classes seem to be a little more frequent than in previous decades, or this may be an artifact. They might provide some entry points.

MidgePhoto my origin...before I joined PP a photographer asked what my levels were when I was doing a beach shoot. I told him my limits, he said i'd be fantastic at art nude and figure studies due to my musculature. Some time later I gave it a go. My only regret is not doing it earlier. I find making art with my nude body without any sexualisation incredibly empowering.

MidgePhoto said

Carlos said

...

The second visited a studio to have clothed glamour pictures of her taken after a break up where her ex-partner called her ‘a dog’.  She saw my b&w nudes on the walls there and wanted some of her done like that.

The third took part in a clothed but saucy Charity calendar.  She liked the shoot experience and came to the studio I owned to have portraits done.  Again she saw my work and thought she’d like to try nude work.

The first was in it for the money, and made plenty.  The second was in it for self-esteem but liked the money and once started did well out of it.  The third was in it for fun, liked how she looked and money came a long way third.

My ‘recruitment’ of the latter two was sheer luck.  Before the circumstances unfolded I don’t think either of them had given ‘nude modelling’ a second thought.  How one (person or organisation) taps into that subconscious ‘art nude’ sensibility I have no idea.

Origin stories are worth collecting.  Perhaps some models might oblige? 

Identifying how models have realised this is something they'd like to do, and been able or enabled to make that second step to doing it is worth understanding systematically, and then trying to remove obstacles and smooth paths. 

Providing that opening by demonstrating that people have been photographed nude (here or by one or at all) and the result has been pleasant and interesting is worth a little effort.

I think more women would like some images than is obvious, or than get them.

Life drawing classes seem to be a little more frequent than in previous decades, or this may be an artifact. They might provide some entry points.

I think model ‘origin stories’ would give you - as OP - the data you need.  Baldbraveandbeautiful has kicked off with, I’m guessing, a not unusual route in.  

I should add that my involvement in figure work etc was kicked off by my wife.  She obviously had the inner ‘art nude’ gene and (aged 40) asked me to shoot her at what she regarded as her physical peak.  She loved the results and encouraged me to do more……just not her……..her ‘need’ having been sated.  My guess is that mine is an unusual route in……

Alicia Alexis said

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.

May I beg to differ, a little  .. being 'too old and fat to much of interest to most photographers' is in my book a big plus, and I'm not alone, may I draw your attention to Irving Penn's Nudes, in my book one of the greatest photographers who ever lived. 

Personally, at this stage of my development as a photographer, youth comes second to character, of course youth and character can live together but being older and less 'conventional' for me is a real plus.

Come of your holidays to France this year .. we'll shoot some Art ; )

now i feel like models do not publish so much their work on portfolios but better use monetize platform like OF, MYM, fans2model

YourPhotographer said

now i feel like models do not publish so much their work on portfolios but better use monetize platform like OF, MYM, fans2model

Yes, I would say this is - broadly speaking - the general direction of travel in the United Kingdom.  I'm not sure if France is the same - I think that there's been some interesting discussions about the French scene on the AdultFolio forums, interestingly; I say "I think" because the discussion has actually taken place in French, and my French extends to Royaume-Uni, zéro point.

I'm sure I've said this already but Midge's OP is something I'd broadly correlate with.  If I do a search with "topless" or "nude" ticked and set the age limit at 30, there isn't a massive supply.  Slide that up to 35, however, and the search results increase exponentially.  YMMV, as some say around these parts; I can only talk about my own experience in that regard.  I'd say 30-35 remains a median age for that category of model.  Whether or not that's as a result of, like Midge says, few new models entering the system to replace retirees or more a personal confidence thing, I am unsure.

What I do know is models are a lot more "choosy" about where images go.  I had one model recently specifically ask that even implied images of her did not make it onto AdultFolio, as an example; she citied this as work related and even though I was paying her, I was happy to comply.

YourPhotographer said

now i feel like models do not publish so much their work on portfolios but better use monetize platform like OF, MYM, fans2model

There's a definite tendency with multiplication of channels for people to post very similar content on several or all of hem.

THis seems a nuisance actually.

MidgePhoto said

YourPhotographer said

now i feel like models do not publish so much their work on portfolios but better use monetize platform like OF, MYM, fans2model

There's a definite tendency with multiplication of channels for people to post very similar content on several or all of hem.

THis seems a nuisance actually.

Hmmmm, so you say you are also on mutiple platforms, and that is the reason
why models should have to put up different pictures on every platform?
Of course, you have separate different picture sets for every platform to make sure you are no nuisance, yes?

Michael_990

No.

(All of that, if it needs anything, is a matter for different accounts)

The multiplication of very similar channels is a nuisance.

The opposition by software and platform companies to aggregating those multiple channels (the Din) into a single, or thereabouts, input channel is worse than a nuisance, it is enshitification.

Occasionally I used to gather together 3 people, each of whom wished to keep to themselves a diary in which they would book out my time, to "count me!"

The answer is 1, although not everyone worked it out.