How to Shoot Nudes Like a Pro!

If you're a long-ish-time reader, you know I don't often pimp stuff. (Other than my ego.) That's not to say I don't pimp. I do. But I've never wanted this to be just another photography blog more interested in pimping photography products than meaningful discussions on this thing we do-- this pretty girl shooting thing.

But I do pimp!

And I'm going to do some pimping right now.

A veteran pretty girl shooter in the U.K., Ashley Karyl, has put together an e-book titled, How to Photograph Nudes Like a Professional. Ashley, I should mention, is a guy. Those Brits can be gender-benders when it comes to first names, can't they? Course, we had Johnny Cash and his boy named Sue. My staying-on-topic, writing attention disorder aside, Ashley's title is clear and concise and describes, in simple words, the book's subject.

None of us, I'm guessing, are hoping to shoot nudes like an amateur. Hence, Ashley's book's title. You might already know how little surfing it takes--present PGS blog company excepted, of course--to understand how many folks, GWCs and others, are accomplishing the feat of shooting amateurish looking images... obviously, without the help of helpful books like How to Photograph Nudes Like a Professional.

To fight the tide of amateurish pretty girl photography--Hey! If you have the girl you might as well shoot her well--Ashley took on the daunting task of authoring and publishing a comprehensive text, with plenty of accompanying pretty girl photos, covering the art and craft of nude photography. This book serves it all: From soup to nuts! (Well, most all. Nothing can include it all. I'm just sayin.)

(Side Note: I don't know about you, but I've never ended a meal with nuts. In fact, I can't ever remember being served nuts for dessert. Fruits yes. Nuts no. Unless it was pecan pie or some nut-laden ice cream or other nutty concoction. I don't know how that "soup to nuts" saying got started. I have been told, however, and on more than a few occasions, that someone wanted to serve me my nuts on a silver platter. But that saying has a much different connotation. And it has little to do with desserts... except for the (would-be) server believing that doing so, i.e, serving me my nuts, would be my "just desserts." Again, I'm just sayin.)

Anyway...

Not only is Ashley's e-book a great learning tool, it doesn't assume all its readers are stuck shooting amateurish photos. This book is as equally helpful to those starting out (shooting pretty girls in the buff) as it is for advanced hobbyists and pros alike. To accomplish this, you might guess, How to Photograph Nudes Like a Professional is a very thorough text on the subject.

From the gear to the girls, this e-book leaves little out. As Karyl states in his e-book's intro, and I'll paraphrase, he intended to write about lighting and quickly realized a more thorough look at the craft would be much more helpful to his book's readers.

I agree! While lighting is important, very important, it ain't the end all/be all of good photography regardless of what your camera is pointed at.

To answer the question, who is this book for? Ashley advises--and once again, I'm paraphrasing--the book is for those who are passionate about photography and who have specific interests in photographing female nudes in various forms and genres. He adds that the book targets the advanced hobbyist who already thinks "professionally," as well as working pros themselves. How to Photograph Nudes Like a Professional assumes its readers have a basic understanding of Photoshop, are already shooting nudes or hope to begin doing so, and have a working knowledge of their camera gear and other tools needed to produce exceptional images of the naked female form.

I give this pretty girl shooting e-book an enthusiastic thumbs up!

If you want to learn more about Ashley Karyl's, How to Photograph Nudes Like a Professional, or you're interested in purchasing a copy for yourself, CLICK HERE or on the graphic link to the book located in the right-side side column of this page.

The pretty girl at the top is one I snapped of glam-model, Nikita Lea, a few years back. She's awfully purdy, no?