Ahhhhh the controversial word…nudity. Some people love it and some people don’t. Some people are okay with it and some people don’t care. But in the modeling world, it seems to be a big dilemma. I am representing, of course, the group of people out there who are just plain uncomfortable being completely or partially nude in front of the world. A little nipple here, a crack over there, what’s the big deal? Well for some of us, it is!
I was contacted by a company who wanted to schedule a very well paid photo shoot with me with some European designers. I spoke to them briefly on the phone and they explained the process and I was to meet with them in a few weeks to take some photos and to submit them to the designers for them to choose their favorite models. I saw a good amount of the company’s photos online and overall they were decent but a few contained some frontal top nudity. I am okay with implied where I could cover myself with my arms or hair, etc. but no nipple showing for me.
So then the time came for me to contact them about coming in to meet with them, and the dreaded question…Would I be okay with shooting a shoot like the ones I’d seen? Right away I said no and that implied would be okay as long as I discussed everything right away. And again, they asked me, wanted to make sure that what I was saying was my final answer. Of course it was! If I’m uncomfortable the first time, why would I suddenly change the second time you ask me? This particular person I was speaking to told me that they had modeled before and that they do not disrespect my opinion about nudity, only that we had different views about it. Then they went off saying that every successful model ever has posed nude at some point in their life. Their work honestly was just decent and I don’t think any kind of nudity would have made it any better. Also, they wouldn’t be able to control what the designer’s needs would be. If they wanted me to show some nipple, I would have to do it. Are nipples such big deals?
Well maybe for others they are comfortable with it, but I said no. I said NO to $1500 for the photo shoot. I said NO to giving up my morals. I said NO to a decision that I soon realized was a much bigger decision than I thought.
I am completely not undermining some artist’s work of fine arts or a photographer’s artistic portrayal of a female’s body. I am simply saying that some people use it for the wrong reasons. Everyone’s heard of the term “sex sells” but can’t we figure out more innovative ways to sell a product? Why take the easy way out? Why not challenge your audience?
