Au Naturel
“The Essence of a Nude Model”
By Rick Trottier – RJT Images-Light Works Studio
She is that Icon of Beauty that we can’t deny nor fully admit how much we esteem her splendor. Since the time of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, through the heady years of the Renaissance and into the Romantic Period, she has dominated the Art World. Even during the era of the Impressionists, then the Expressionists and finally the Post-Moderns, she is that Muse who walks through all the corridors of the artist’s soul, whispering encouragement, inspiring and haunting every thought and feeling. She has created controversy and redirected entire channels of artistic thought. She has stimulated schools of philosophy that have transformed the way we see the creative experience. She has burned herself into generations of men’s minds and spirits, and even transformed the ways that women see the world and themselves. She is the Nude Model, that incandescent beauty who comes to an artist’s studio, disrobes for the painter, sculptor or photographer and allows her feminine landscape of curves to be the canvas by which art can be brought into being. Of course, she has as many detractors as she does admirers. Nude Models have been excoriated over the years and endured scorn aplenty from all quarters of society, primarily from those self-appointed paradigms of cultural virtue who see such expressions as licentious and lascivious. But as the centuries have passed, even millennia have come and gone, she is one of the most enduring of all icons in human experience.
Becoming a Nude Model is not something to take lightly nor is it something to just “jump into”. For many years I have preached to models “Make your choice about the kind of modeling you most love and want to do, then OWN IT!” What I truly mean by that statement is to plot a course on the river of modeling and understand that while changes here and there allow you to wander with the currents of style to a greater or lesser degree, once you have stepped into the stream of your choice, there is no real turning back. Because true modeling success is derived from creating a fan base who want a model to be precisely what she is best at being time and again. All the preeminent and most successful models understand this and grow from it. Christie Brinkley made one of the brightest names for herself in modeling before the term “Super Model” had been coined by donning the sexiest swimwear she could so that an entire generation of men would become believers. Ms. Brinkley worked in other veins of modeling, but she will forever be known as a “swimwear model” and is an icon for her steadfast choice of that genre. The same can be said for Nude Models who have become iconic. For once a Nude Model has chosen to embark on that journey, once that ship has sailed, there is no bringing her back to port. But that is not a sentence, nor a curse, but a blessing. For choosing the path of being a Nude Model brings with it many fabulous blessings to be sure. Anna Nicole Smith tried to be many things to many people, but she will forever be linked to her fabulously unforgettable Playboy pictorials, which in one fell swoop reinvigorated the interest in supremely curvaceous models and sparked the flame of modern nude pinup after it had just about died. If Nude Modeling is such a taboo choice, why is it that so many stars have chosen to pose for Playboy in every decade since the magazine’s inception? Being a Nude Model is one of the most life-affirming and exhilarating of choices, but it is not for everyone.
There are many and varied assets that a spectacular Nude Model needs to ascend the ladder of success but the two most important fall into the categories of Native and Acquired talents. A native talent is precisely just that, an ability or quality that is inherent and has been so since birth. Native talents can be refined and honed over time, but they are a blessing bestowed upon the Nude Model through the vagaries of genetics and probability. She has those traits and is often an object of jealousy as a result. An acquired talent is also self-explanatory. It is a faculty that has been attained through hard work and consistent practice. While a predisposition for modeling may be latent, it is only embryonic in nature and must be developed with effort, devotion to excellence and a sense of purpose. The unforgettable Nude Model recognizes her native talents and develops all the acquired talents within her power to achieve.
The Irresistible Nude Model’s most important native trait is her ability to blend her natural beauty of face with her immeasurably alluring figure into portraying the ultimate Fantasy Girl. It sounds so very obvious and easily done, but Great Nude Models have an almost perfect mix of beauty between her pretty face and outstanding figure. Most men, when asked, would immediately assume that any nude model must be all physique to be appealing, but close reflection and analysis shows this not the case. Many are the lesser ranked models of low-quality Men’s Magazines who have spectacular figures and yet something is either unappealing or not engaging about their countenance. Without first-rate facial beauty, the appeal of a dynamic figure quickly wanes. It is the age-old paradox of what ensnares a man’s attention more. In the end, if he can’t look at her face for very long, the physique might be masterful but it cannot master all the forces at work in a man’s mind and desire. Conversely, the loveliest face on the planet cannot distract from the weaknesses of a poor physique. Whether it is a model who is too thin or carrying too much weight in all the wrong spots, a model who has a grave physical deficiency or an awkward arrangement of her anatomy, much can be concealed by thoughtfully considered attire. But a Nude Model can only mask so many physical problems by her pose and Photoshop can only do so much. In the end, The Nude Model must have special gifts of face and figure that are blended in perfect measure, otherwise she is unable to reach out for and then hold the attention of an audience of admirers, fans so important to her success and glory.
All professions require a certain amount of study and practice to attain proficiency and advanced accomplishment and modeling is no exception. Most people labor under the misapprehension that models “just stand around and look pretty” but for those of us in the Industry who are acquainted with the reality of the situation, Great Models have sharpened their skills to the finest of points. All models spend time studying the poses and facial expressions of superior images of other models and then practicing the mechanics of both sides of the modeling sphere. Without dynamic posing skills, an image can be flat and lack vibrancy. The entireworld’s photographic skill in framing, composing and angling an image cannot conceal the awful reality of a model who cannot pose. On the other side of the coin, facial expressions sell the mood of an image and create a direct connection with the viewer of the picture. A model who cannot engage the camera and energize the atmosphere of an image is unable to do a large percentage of her job. For the Nude Model, posing and facial expressions become even more important for a wide variety of reasons. In the nude image, no matter how dramatic the background and mood of the picture, the focus is always on the nude figure at the center of the composition. As such, the pose and expression of the model is even more important for establishing a sense of purposeful atmosphere. The pose must highlight all the fabulous gifts of the Nude Model’s figure without being vulgar or crass in nature. Nude imagery can and should be tasteful and stylish, and the pose of the model can instantly establish that feel. Even more so, the expression of the Nude Model has the ability to draw the viewer into the depths of the photograph like a vortex, creating tangible connection or it can create a lifeless and miserable feel that turns off any potential admirer. The Nude Model must be an absolute master at weaving a spell with her pose and her countenance, being the unqualified essence of allure and sensuality without falling into the trap of being a soulless vamp without a shred of appealing humanity. The Nude Model must take all of her boundless and impressive native blessings and marry them to as many skills that she can accrue to be at the very top of her game. Any weak link in the chain means that her ability to be a heavenly enchantress is diminished and likely she is coming across as a dark and malevolent succubus, which is not the desired outcome of most sophisticated nude photography.
One quality any great Nude Model must have that combines both native personal traits and acquired talents is that of courage. The Nude Model must be born into this world with a strong spirit, but only time and life’s challenges provide the necessary tempering of the soul’s steel to bear up under the withering assault that is to come. For as any model will tell you, putting up with the petty jealousies of other models or the eeriness of low photographers, is tough enough without the added stress of dealing with the miserable people who derive joy from demeaning a girl who follows a dream like being a model. Nude Modeling requires an absurd amount of strength and bravery just to do the act of posing nude for an artist. But then to see that art circulated for public consumption takes even greater mettle. It is the nature of the internet and social media, that all kinds of friends and family can see the images almost instantaneously and can then voice their opinions in all manner of methods. The boldness that Nude Models must show and the invective they have to endure is nothing new to the Industry, such has been the case since the beginning. But the torrents of abuse that models must suffer are far greater now than at any time in history. As such, Nude Models today can find success more easily than in the past due to the nature of technology and the relaxation of societal mores when it comes to tasteful sexy glamor. But at the same time, Nude Models are subjected to faceless and baseless cowardly assault disguised as “personal opinion”. Many is the time that I have seen dazzling and talented young ladies with all the prerequisite brilliance succumb to the fusillades of hate and jealousy, stepping away from modeling when all the world could have been at their feet had they just been a bit stronger.
And that brings us to the models featured in this article. Like most young ladies, each of these beautiful young women dabbled in varied types of modeling since they started working in the modeling biz in days gone by. But as time passed and our work together evolved, it became patently obvious where their immeasurable strengths were to be found. Each of these paragons of loveliness is the very essence of what makes a Nude Model great. Each was born with incredible physical gifts of a beautiful face and figure, both in perfect measure and complementing the other. In addition, each took their study of modeling and practice of its skills very seriously and the growth I saw in all of themwas so very impressive. Each girl was totally fearless, ready to tackle any project and try any new concept, but was also thoughtful about maintaining a sophisticated appeal. As such, all of them are worthy of praise and celebration for their grace, elegance and incredibly dynamic. And each of these ladies was someone who I could not have in front of my camera often enough.
