[Leica] Was Need printing paper advice, Now NUDITY TINA.

[B. D. Colen]

I believe I’ve shot nudes twice in my life - both times to women to whom I was married, and both times produced images that were, to say the least, barely mediocre. But...

Some time in the early 2000s I took an workshop with the astounding documentary photographer Gene Richards. One day during the morning session Gene handed out copies of Whitman’s “I Sing of The Body Electric,” and told us that after lunch we were to pair off and see what would happen - he was pushing us into shooting each other nude hoping to get us out of our “comfort zones.”

At lunch I sat with a woman in the class who, like me, was of a certain age, and offered to ‘partner up.’ We both laughed about what Richards wanted us to do and she said, “Not this Catholic girl.” To which I responded, “ Well not this Jewish boy.” So we spent the afternoon shooting hands, feet, hair, hands in hair. And as I recall the one interesting shot I got came when we went down to the boatyard - this was in Maine, and I had her stand behind the translucent plastic sheeting draped over a hull, with the plastic pulled close to her face. A bit better than mediocre, but not by much.

I have to say I find the whole “glamour shot” sessions, and nude sessions, more than a bit creepy. That said, to each his or her own, and many a young woman and man has worked their way through school, or just kept food on the table, posing nude. The vast majority aren’t forced to do it, or coerced into doing it. 

Sent from my iPhone

> On May 7, 2018, at 2:19 PM, Tina Manley via LUG <lug at leica-users.org> wrote:
> 
> Thanks, Ted.  I know you never photographed nudes!  Irene had something to
> do with that, I'm sure ;-)  Tom knows my opinion of pornographic photos but
> even he jokes sometimes that I could make more money doing "erotic" photos
> and has volunteered to recruit models.  (NO!!  He knows his life would be
> in danger!)
> 
> As the only regular female contributor to the LUG, I feel a responsibility
> to stand up against the trend on OTHER sites (not the LUG) of taking
> advantage of young girls by "dirty old men" with cameras.  I skip such
> sites and block them whenever I can but that doesn't help the young girls
> who are being taken advantage of.  Speaking up for them might help them to
> realize that their bodies are their own and to be valued instead of
> merchandized.
> 
> This is a site on FB that I have blocked.  It's premise and statement have
> nothing at all to do with the photos that are posted.
> https://www.facebook.com/groups/spbph/
> 
> This is the kind of salacious photography I am talking about.
> 
> Most of the nude photography that has been posted on the LUG falls into the
> "art" category and I appreciate that.  It's wonderful for a family to visit
> an art gallery and admire beautiful depictions of the human body.  It's not
> fine for a family to look over Uncle Randy's shoulder as he peruses
> pornographic websites.  That's the difference for this LUG family member.
> 
> Thanks, Brian.
> 
> Tina
> 
> On Mon, May 7, 2018 at 12:22 PM, Ted Grant via LUG <lug at leica-users.org>
> wrote:
> 
>> Hi Tina,
>> I agree with you absolutely! I many many years ago tried to shoot a nude or
>> two! But I was always freaked out about doing them that I'd get in real
>> trouble with my wife Irene. On top of that "my art photos" were about as
>> interesting as a pile of bricks!
>> Actually I think a pile of bricks would've been more interesting and
>> exciting. :-) So I stuck to war, sports and the world over enjoying myself
>