I recently had my third nude model photoshoot in my studio. I feel that I slowly get a grip on the whole process of such a shoot. Although I have quite some photographic experience, photographing a model in such an intimate setting is still a challenge to me. How do you make your model, but also yourself comfortable? What is the concept and in what detail do you need to explain the concept? What are all the elements within the process of such a shoot?

So many questions, but with every shoot my confidence and experience grows and I guess it is all a matter of just doing.

What's also still challenging is to me is posing a model and creating a composition. Composition is not new to me, but posing models to create a composition certainly is. Suddenly so many details besides the composition also need attention! How are the fingers placed? How does the pose of the model change the form of the body? What expression do you want the model to have?

In street photography the photographer does not have any influence over such details. Objects and people form a composition and it's your job as a photographer to be at the right place at the right time in order to capture the composition which is unfolding within the frame. In the studio the photographer needs to know the wanted composition before he is able to recreate the composition. This aspect is new to me.
Luckily Noa is an experienced nude model and had no problems to pose, but I wish that I'm quickly capable to "see" what I want before I make the shot.

I also lack the skills to come up with a good concept. I might have some idea in my head in the form of an atmosphere or elements I want to use, but I'm not able yet to use these ideas to form a concept. Sometimes I wonder if I need a concept, but then....what am I going to photograph...

So much still to learn!