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Introduction
to Figure Photography
Kim Taylor for 180 degree imaging © 180 degree imaging, 2005. All Rights Reserved. History of the nude in photography Photography, as we know it today, could be said to have begun in 1839 with the deguerrotype, although the earliest "photograph" in existance dates from 1826 by Niepce, the deguerrotype was the first practical and widespread process. The first nude photographer may be N.P. Lerebours 1808-1873 who was photographing artist's models in 1840. At the time the models would have had to stay motionless for many minutes. In 1841 Voitlander was producing faster lenses that reduced the exposure to 1.5-2 minutes and later in the year new emultions were developed that permitted exposures of only seconds thus opening up the field for portrait photography. By 1850 photographers were providing nude images of models for artists who found it easier to paint from the photo than from life. Pioneering photographers such as Nadar the so called "father of photojournalism" who began taking pictures in 1853 did nudes for artists. Some of the other photographers in this field were Belloc, Braquehais, and Valon de Villeneuve. Doubtless some of these photos were also produced for their own sake, as art, erotica and pornography as the "cochonnerie" industry was established. The naughty "French Postcards" date from this era. Eugene Delecroix commissioned nude photographs from Eugene Durieu to his specifications from the early 1850s. Gaudenzio Marconi (1841-1885) took over the studio of Belloc and began shooting nudes for the sculptor Rodin. It has even been suggested that Manet's famous Olympia (1865) was painted from a photograph, rather than from life, although one wonders that perhaps his model Victorine Meurent, may simply have taken the pose from a photograph or even more likely, was the model in the photograph itself. It has also been suggested that Meurent posed for some of the photos used by Delecroix in his work. Muybridge was producing multiple exposures of nudes by the late 1880s in his various scientific researches into motion. Around 1900 Wilhelm von Gloeden and W. Pluschow rejected the Pictorialist soft focus and produced their nude works in a precise and sharp focus. von Gloeden was mostly known for his male nudes posed in Homeric themes. By 1900 the figurative nude was well established but technical advances and new art movements were beginning to affect the nude as well. Surrealism had a tremendous affect on photography and artists like Man Ray, Andre Kertesz, Frantisek Drtikol, and many others were experimenting with distortion, solarization, and abstraction. Meanwhile artists like Edward Weston were working not so much with absraction as with form and light. By the end of the Second World War, figure photography was as varied and complex as any other art movement, and most of the themes we find today had been well established. Themes in figure photography Pictorialism - soft and dreamy, emotionalism, theatrical Erotica - designed to stimulate sexually, "glamour" (pinup) to pornography Fetish - part of erotica for some, surrealism designed to shock for others Abstraction - surrealism, dadaism, appealing to the intellect Distortion - similar to abstraction but a strong subset. Light and form - similar to abstraction but not designed to confuse or deceive. Shadowplay - echos of the spirit world, moves back toward pictorialism Preparation for figure photography
Dealing with the nude model Be professional (detached, confident, assured, considerate). Changing area and robe. Warm, soft working area (soft for comfort, warmth and no lines). Working area warmer than changing area. Models: comfortable, experienced, aware of clothing (loose). Lighting the basic nude figure. Figure and floor, side, back, top, front lighting, single source. Hard and soft lighting. Reflected lighting. |
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