It's a Matter of Perception... Saturday, October 17

I've been asked to do a nude photo shoot. 

There, I said it.  I'm throwing it out here for all to know.

I've been asked, been offered pay, have never done such a thing but definitely pondering it because of the timing of it.  It fits right in with where I am in my life.

I met with the photographer yesterday, went over the details, and then today I met with my Boy J to discuss it.  I may get Boy J to come to the shoot with me, just to kind of watch over things and be a means of support for me as I do this thing that is not only totally out of my comfort zone but also totally out of my norm.

I'm going through a lot here in Canada, more than most can imagine, but in saying that I feel it's been such an amazing experience because I feel like I'm really coming into my own.  It's just so dead on and appropriate, me doing such a shoot, with everything in my life at this particular moment.  I want to capture this moment, my evolution, and I think using the medium of photography is such an awesome way to do so.

"No frontal, no 'girl-down-there' parts or 'roses-in-the-back', no nipples, and nothing raunchy, distasteful, or anything I'd be embarrassed if my brother saw.  I want it to be respectful, clean, simple, and fresh", this was what I told the photographer.  He agreed and he said he'd send me a photographer/model contract to read and sign.

I think the human body is beautiful, regardless of it's size, shape or colour but I think it's society -- and I hate to use such a broad term here but it's true -- and how they perceive the body that makes it perverted.  We cut, colour, shave, perm and whatnot to make our hair more beautitful.  We paint our nails, pluck our eyebrows, tattoo our skin, tan our skin,...some even bleach their skin... all for the sake of beauty.  So if the body is this medium by which we express our beauty than why is taking nude shots of it in it's natural state so negatively perceived by many and considered inappropriate.  Their rude thinking is what's inappropriate.

My mom can take a nude picture of me when I'm a baby but I can't take a nude picture of myself at age 35?!  Of course you can argue the context at which the two pictures are taken are different, as well as you could argue a million other things, but it all comes down to simply one thing for me... why not?  Why can't I take a picture of my body?  It's my body.  I'm socially allowed to stick a needle a billion times into my skin with colour on it but snap a picture of it is wrong?!  Ya... no.

I saw many of the photographer's pictures and can vouch that they're simply beautiful.  The simplicity of his shots, how he used the light to emphase a curve here and there and how nothing but the body in it's most simple state made for some gorgeous shots.  I want to do this.  I want to do this for no one but myself but the only real question I have is whether or not my body and who I am as a person, this rough and tough athletic girl, will be able to produce a shot like those others I saw.  I don't know if my look will come out in the pictures looking fresh, soft and beautiful or just too hard.