Info for Prospective Models, especially (Shy) First-Timers

Having done this art form for 15+ years, I have very extensively seen its Power on psychological elements such as body-image, freedom from religious upbringing, freedom from conforming to mainstream society, freedom from excessive worrying about "what other people think of me", etc. etc.

As I've joked countless times with 100's of past models (especially first-timers), it's "Years of therapy concentrated in a few hours!"

The vast majority of the people on the main gallery on PlayfulDreamers.com (which contains a small fraction of our collaborative portfolio) were first-timers at the time those photos were taken.

Shy First-Timer?

Making shy newbies (if that describes you) comfortable is my specialty!

I've photographed Art Nudes with 500+ models... In 99% of cases, the problem of "shy newbies models" can be tracked down to either:

boyfriend/significant other problems
body-image issues
body-shame, or the body-hating mental conditioning of a hypocritical Puritanical society
vague paranoia inherited from mainstream Amerika [more prevalent today than some years ago; one of the manifestations of the "Age of Trump"...]

I can't help people with (A)... though just waiting tends to make the problem go away... but I've helped 100's with (B), (C) and (D).

Virtually all the first-timers I gently eased into this liberating art form had a great experience, typically saying, "Wow, I had no idea I'd get so comfortable so soon – and enjoy it so much!"

My Method for Shy First-Timers

I've worked with lots and lots of first-timers for many years, and I'm used to helping them become comfortable.

A system that has been of huge help for many past hyper-shy models is to have a noncommittal first meeting in a café, followed, if comfortable, by an optional, very casual, "exploratory" shoot in the nearby studio.

That low-key shoot is a time to get comfortable in front of the camera and determine, in a relaxed manner, what "makes you tick"... and use that energy to create awesome collaborative art photography! For instance, some people love yoga, while others love dance, yet others love acrobatics, or water, or hula hoops, or bodypaint etc. etc. Everyone has SOMETHING that gets them really jazzed up - and often they don't even know what it is, until we explore it. A great way to explore interests and "art personas."

I routinely tell nervous first-timers, "It's just a test; don't worry about it. In fact, you can even pick your nose if you want to!"

In a feat of Reverse Psychology, by not trying too hard, people get so relaxed that we almost always end with great results from that "test" shoot. One person took me up on the "nose picking" part: it turned out that she LOVED doing that, and it made her so happy that we got great pictures! Another one found that singing was what made her happy – and conquered her inhibition about singing in front of people. Yet another one became joyful at the opportunity to get in touch with what she used to do when she was 3 y.o., namely climb into the dishwasher. I have so many stories!!

My style of shoots has been described by many as "Art Therapy"-like... If you modeled for commercial projects before, you'll find that my shoots are nothing whatsoever like them!

Among many possible initial projects, a particularly fun and artistically interesting one is to do use clay as bodypaint - which is also good for the skin; essentially, a spa-like mud wrap :)

Privacy Concerns?

The "exploratory shoot" in the studio is non-committal, meaning that no model release is required in advance. You can still "sleep on it" after the shoot, and possibly opt not to release the artwork (i.e. keep it PRIVATE); you'll get a copy either way. And while I'm happy to credit the models/colloborators, by request under they real or art name, by default all artwork is anonymous.

If you look carefully at my portfolio, you'll see that no tattoos are ever visible. The reason for that is that I feel that tattoos badly clash with my style, and in particular they derail the timelessness that is a hallmark of most of my work. Because of that, I photoshop out all tats, or use bodypaint in the shoot. Images without tats are also extremely good in terms of privacy concerns: much as we like to think of our own looks as unique, we all look like a lot of other people! In fact, on many occasions I've astonished my models by showing them photos from previous shoots - often years earlier - of another model who looked like their twin...

What Background Were Your Past Models Coming From?

Well, with over 500 of them, the short answer is, "just about every possible backgound"!

Some of the less predictable backgrounds included elementary school teachers, ER doctors, nannies, nurses.

Also, students, baristas, artists, musicians, belly dancers, exotic dancers, club dancers, living-room dancers, lawyers, psychologists, stay-at-home moms, working moms, office workers, aspiring models, police women, actresses, yoga teachers, Uber drivers, swim instructors, etc, etc, etc. Just about every walk of like you can think of!

In terms of religious background, many former Catholics, plenty of orthodox Christians from various denominations, Buddhists, Wiccans, and even several "escaped" Mormons!

Why Does it Have to Be Nude?

The question could be turned around: "why do all of one's lifetime of shoots have to be clothed??" Is the clothing an integral and inseparable part of your identity? There's a lot of wisdom in the old saying, "If it were perfectly natural to be naked, we'd all be born that way!"

I have specialized in Art Nudes for 15+ years. Of course, it's an art form with an ancient tradition.

My shoots have been described as "Art Therapy" by many because I don't care about "posing" as much as discovering people's inner personality, past the "masks" we normally wear - and nudity is just the first step in dropping those masks. To do that, the focus need to shift away from "posing", and instead veer toward doing something that makes one happy - whether yoga, dance, acrobatics, water, hula hoops, bodypaint, or any of a variety of activities, even some not normally associated with photo shoots, such as singing.

The very few clothed pictures in my portfolio were always done as part of an art-nude shoot; once that stage of "beyond the outer masks" had been reached, in some cases we experimented with re-introducing some clothing, if it seemed to serve an artistic purpose.

Perfect is the Enemy of Good!

If you're waiting to be that "perfect physical shape", it will never happen! Camera angles and positions can make you "lose weight" more substantially and easily than your delaying the shoot for that vague exercise program ;)

Does NOT work: “I'll lose the weight and then do the shoot.” Months - rather than fat - is what will melt away! Before you know it, years will have gone (it has actually happened! Remember, I've been doing this for 15+ years) and you'll also be dealing with reduced metabolism, etc. - and you'll wish you had done the shoot when younger... Where's that Time Machine? Well, the Time Machine is this web page, telling you 10 years ahead of time that in 10 years you'll wish you had done it 10 years sooner! ;)
Works wonderfully: Do the shoot ASAP. And then use the shoot as inspiration to finally get going on that fitness program you've long put off. Hey, you can always do a second shoot down the line, too, right? ;)

To Ponder vs. To Try

In my extensive experience, "pondering" (thinking in abstract while sitting in your armchair) does NOTHING to make people more comfortable, and it fact it tends to make people nervous. That's because you typically have nothing to reach into, and just end up grabbing the vague paranoia inherited from mainstream Amerika. Do you really want to let yourself be controlled by vague paranoia? A world ruled by vague paranoia... wait – that's the world of former prez tRump!

By contrast, "doing it" in a casual non-committal way (as described above), almost always does wonders, even in the Ultry-Shy with heavy strict religious upbringing – to their complete astonishment! Even I feel a little suprise by their "miracle transformation", as we often call it, though I've seen it dozens and dozens of times...

But if you feel you must "ponder", consider pondering with this intelligent interview by the famed feminist author Naomi Wolf of Emily Ratajkowski, a rising star who is "engaged in establishing a new narrative to reclaim the body" : http://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a16417/emily-ratajkowski-interview/.

(From the intro by the feminist author Naomi Wolf) "She is also an outspoken feminist, whether addressing body-image issues on Lena Dunham's site, Lenny, or challenging the haters with a topless, in-your-face Instagram alongside Kim Kardashian. At 25, Ratajkowski is plenty articulate. Her views reflect a dramatic shift in the culture, as many young women actually do call themselves feminists these days. Her politics, especially about the body (show it off), attention (why should women not want it?), assertion, and self-acceptance occurred to me as mostly very good news."

Don't Take My Word for It

Past models also available for reference. Typically said by past models (incl. shy first-timers): "I can't believe how QUICKLY I'm feeling comfortable, and how much fun it is!"

If you would you like to talk to one of them, please let me know.

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