How to photograph your own nudity?

Filmly × Purpur

18+ · Practice · A photographer on nude self-portraits

An important disclaimer

A nude self-portrait helps you look at yourself differently, notice your body and explore your relationship with it. It's a practical method of self-reflection and self-documentation.

But a self-portrait is not therapy. On its own, it will not take away shame, will not raise your self-esteem, will not teach you to love every part of your body and will not make being naked comfortable. And that's okay.

It's okay

It's okay not to like yourself in a photo.

It's okay to feel awkward or ashamed.

It's okay to feel nothing special at all: not every shoot has to become a revelation.

It's okay to stop if the process causes strong discomfort. You don't have to push yourself for the sake of the idea of "acceptance".

On your relationship with your body

Our relationship with the body is rarely linear: today you like a shot, tomorrow it irritates you, and a few years later it suddenly becomes very dear to you.

The goal of a self-portrait isn't always to love yourself more. Sometimes it's enough simply to look at yourself more closely.

A self-portrait may not change your attitude toward your body directly, but it can help create a space where you can look at it without the obligation to immediately judge it and pass a verdict.

How to start photographing yourself if you feel shy?

You don't have to stand in front of the camera undressed right away. It's easier to start with whatever gives you a sense of safety and curiosity.

Don't start with full nudity.

You can photograph your shoulders, back, legs, belly, silhouette or reflection. The point isn't to "make a nude" but to get used to seeing yourself in the frame.

Hide your face if that feels calmer.

Sometimes it's the face that triggers self-criticism the most. You can cover it with your hands or hide it in your hair, turn away from the camera or leave it outside the frame.

Try movement.

While you don't yet know your angles, it's easier not to force a flattering pose but to move: sit down, stretch, lie down, turn, walk. In motion the body behaves more naturally and you feel less need to "look right". Shooting video and then picking stills works well for this.

Use light and shadow.

Half-shadow, silhouette and backlighting help create distance and let you start more gently.

Don't check every shot.

Constant evaluation quickly turns a shoot into an exam. Try to forget about the result for a while and enjoy the process itself.

Let the photos sit for a while.

A shot that irritates you today may look completely different in a few days.

Don't try to copy someone else's body.

You can draw inspiration from light, composition and mood, but someone else's pose, body or figure shouldn't become the standard for how you should look.

Replace the question "How can I look beautiful?" with "What do I want to feel or show?"

Freedom, calm, strength, vulnerability, the wish to hide, tenderness. Then you're no longer photographing a figure but a state of being.

Keep the photos for yourself.

A nude doesn't have to be published or sent to anyone. Sometimes knowing that no one will ever see this shot gives you much more freedom.

All in all, the less you try to "please yourself", the better your chances of actually seeing yourself.

• More on why to take nude self-portraits in the previous post.

18+ · Practice · A photographer on nude self-portraits