How to take the perfect nude, according to a sexologist

The ultimate guide to sending nude selfies.

Sydney-based somatic sexologist and sex and intimacy coach Alice Child is the founder of Vulva Dialogues. She works with individuals, couples and groups, helping people achieve happier, healthier and more fulfilled sex lives – whatever that means for them. Visit her website for more.

Humans love a nude! Whether it’s on cave walls, in oil paintings or through a camera, we’ve long been obsessed with capturing ourselves in all our naked, beautiful glory. 

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With the rise of the smartphone, taking a nude is easier than ever – but capturing an amazing spicy pic is harder than it looks. Here are some tips to help you contribute to humanity’s favourite art form. 

Self-love is sexy

Ever noticed how good your body feels after a massage or workout, and how fluid you feel after a long bath or time with your favourite toy? It’s because your body is flooded with happy pleasure chemicals, which make you feel on top of the world. 

These same pleasure chemicals also help us to be our most luscious, divine selves in front of the camera. A body that is happy and loved comes to life in a photograph in a way that is always breathtaking. So before you start snapping, spend some time with your body thinking about what it needs to be its most happy self for the camera. Which environment will make you feel your best? 

Play some music and get into your body

Playing some uplifting, sensual or powerful music really helps you get into the mood. Having a dance, moving your body, and setting a sexy atmosphere around you can make all the difference. You can also try a workout or some power poses to help get that blood flowing. 

For an extra-sexy shoot, you can always masturbate before (or during) your session – it’s a great way to get out of your head and into your body.  Whatever you choose, remember your pleasure and joy are more important than the final photo. So have fun and love yourself!

Get the lighting right

No one likes a poorly-lit, grainy, out-of-focus nude (I’m looking at you, creepy Tinder dudes), so let’s talk about how you want to set up the shot. Lighting can make or break a photo but thankfully, it’s not that hard to get it right. Try your photos with natural light if you can – morning and evening light is best. 

If you’re after a softer look, you can try lighting the room with candles and lamps. Try to avoid overhead lights, which can make you look washed out or shadowed. If you already have a ring light, this may also be the perfect time to bust it out and get that glowy effect.

Work your angles

Next, take some time to play with angles and choose the one you want. Different angles can absolutely transform the final outcome of a photo. For example, shooting from above can create a sense of vulnerability and softness (it can also be very flattering). Shooting from below can make you look more powerful and striking.

Alternatively, for more of an arty look, try shooting at a slight angle to add some depth to the image. You can use a mirror to see which angles work best before you get out the camera. 

Go hands-free

It’s much more liberating to be able to move in front of the camera instead of holding it in one hand. Find a place to prop up your phone, or put it in a holder while making use of the self-timer to get that perfect shot. This is particularly important if you don’t want to twist yourself into a pretzel trying to get that perfect booty pic! 

More is more

Take as many pics as you can and come back to the full album to cull down to your favourites. Seriously, don’t stop at just two or three pictures. Keep going so you have lots to choose from!

Share the love, with consent

While taking nudes for someone else is amazing, don’t forget you can take them just for yourself. It can be beautifully empowering to look at your own naked art, and I know more than a few folks who will even masturbate to their own pics. Now that’s self-love!

But if you are sending them to someone else, make sure you always have consent. Here are some easy ways to ask over text:

• “I’m having a bath and thinking about you, want to see?”
• “I just took so many nudes wearing my costume for tomorrow’s party… interested?”
• “If I send you some nudes, can you help me pick a favourite?”
• “Want to see how excited I am to see you tonight?”

Privacy and safety

Thankfully, the world is slowly starting to wake up to the fact that naked bodies are beautiful and should be celebrated. But we’re not all the way there yet. For a lot of us, leaked nudes can be a scary risk with potentially large consequences depending on your job, community and lifestyle. With that in mind, make sure you think about how you’re taking and showing your photos. 

Do you have your face in them or an identifying tattoo?  Have you texted it or sent it on a self-deleting app (like Snapchat)? These decisions can help you shape your nude photography to best fit your safety and privacy needs. 

And remember if you’re lucky enough to receive a consensual nude, you must never share it with anyone else without discussing it with the sender. Otherwise, it’s not consensual – and it’s also a crime in many places. If you’re under 18 (or 21, depending on where you are), do not take or share a nude. 

Remember that first and foremost, it’s about you! Taking your own nudes can be an amazing way to supercharge your confidence, build your self-love and fire up your libido. Remember the more you love yourself, the more the camera will love you!

For more tips on how to improve your sexual self-esteem, head over here.