New to photo and need a "start gear list" to start and learn nude photography...

[Masterchief0123]

Hi everyone,

disclaimer: I am French! and i know gear is "not that important" but i want to start well!


i am new to photography, i learn fast (because i love to learn new artistic skills an i have ideas) (i know it takes time...).
I want to make boudoir photography, nude photo and erotic.
My father (photographer) gives me as gift a Canon 1300D with 18-55 (i start with it but it is poor even with manual mod and i m frustrated);

For boudoir: i wanted to buy a Sony A7 (II or III). The Sony seemed to be simplier, perfect and cheaper than canon eos mk pros AND I could use old lenses from "argentic" (cheaper too).

I have learned than i will need 50mm old lenses (or bigger (for shy models)) with f1,4 1,8 (for closer focus...) and bigger apertures too . (too expensive so looked at M42 old lenses...)

i ve seen than 4/3 hybrid mirrorless from olympus or fujifilm (i m not sure one or the other or the twice) could do the job (adapt old lenses and good quality).

The problem is the AutoFocus versus Manual Focus in this kind of situations!

Someone said to me than it's better to start with lingerie (easier and better results for beginner).

How and what can i use? I know "gears don't make good photos" idea but in the other hand it's false.

I think i need big aperture with any lens but fixed (fixe in french) if possible.

Good quality with high isos (in darker situations) (black and white prefered).

Am I wrong?

Any idea for cheap but good gear(s) for BOUDOUR OR related?

Even old alternatives (16 M PiXels AT LEAST).

Thanks in advance!

 

[AlanKlein]

If you already have a bunch of boudoir subjects, you started well and are way ahead of most photographers.

 

[Soocom1]

Equipment is meaningless as stated. Its the PHOTOGRAPHER'S talents.

There was a ton of bordour-erotic-lingerie-et-al shot on 1 and 2 Mp cameras in the early 2000s. Its techique and lighting. AND a goodly amount of persoanl comfort and couth that makes the shots.

An A7 will do just fine but if your uber serious, start with what you have and move up to Med. Format. Thats where the high quality shots fall.

 

[Jeff15]

Good luck......

 

[smoke665]

i am new to photography

i know gear is "not that important" but i want to start well!

I'm sorry but these type of posts leave me shaking my head, like when someone comments how my camera sure takes great pictures. I'm 70 I started at 16 and I still learn something new all the time. It's like a newbie to golf that goes out and pays thousands for a set of clubs, then wonders why they can't hit the ball. I've seen outstanding art portraits made with the simplest of pin hole cameras, I've seen terrible portraits made with expensive equipment. Maybe the reason you're frustrated is because you don't understand the basics?

Rather then worrying about equipment, why not post some shots. There's a ton of people here willing to help and give guidance. As you learn and improve you'll be more capable of asking the right questions. Otherwise you'll be just as well off buying any one of the current cell phones with their built in apps, no knowledge required.

 

[Designer]

I think i need big aperture with any lens but fixed (fixe in french) if possible.

Good quality with high isos (in darker situations) (black and white prefered).

Hi!

Well, --- You're going to need a nude. And a camera. With a lens. And some light.

The large aperture is only for making your DOF thin. This means very little of your subject is in good focus. Everything else is blurry. If that is what you want, then a lens with a large aperture will make a thin DOF easier.

Most lenses with a fixed focal length will give you a larger aperture, but you still have to pay attention to the specifications of the lens.

Fiddling with the ISO setting is "busy work", IMO. Just let the camera set it automatically.

Why do you prefer B&W? With B&W, you are leaving out some of the most important features of portraiture, namely the skin tones, eye, and hair color, to say the least.

By far, the most important factor in photography is the light. Almost any camera and lens will make a good photograph, as long as the photographer pays attention to the light. This could mean using a flash, or daylight, depending on your intent. Learn how to use and modify the light, and you can make very good photographs.

Good luck!

 

[mjcmt]

This photographer may help. He has lots of talent, and his lighting and softness are very arty. His blog has a wealth of info too.
Las Vegas Photographer, Ted Vieira – Beauty, Boudoir & Portrait Photography, Las Vegas Street Photography, Las Vegas Urban Landscapes

 

[Pixeldawg1]

Hi everyone,

disclaimer: I am French! and i know gear is "not that important" but i want to start well!


i am new to photography, i learn fast (because i love to learn new artistic skills an i have ideas) (i know it takes time...).
I want to make boudoir photography, nude photo and erotic.
My father (photographer) gives me as gift a Canon 1300D with 18-55 (i start with it but it is poor even with manual mod and i m frustrated);

For boudoir: i wanted to buy a Sony A7 (II or III). The Sony seemed to be simplier, perfect and cheaper than canon eos mk pros AND I could use old lenses from "argentic" (cheaper too).

I have learned than i will need 50mm old lenses (or bigger (for shy models)) with f1,4 1,8 (for closer focus...) and bigger apertures too . (too expensive so looked at M42 old lenses...)

i ve seen than 4/3 hybrid mirrorless from olympus or fujifilm (i m not sure one or the other or the twice) could do the job (adapt old lenses and good quality).

The problem is the AutoFocus versus Manual Focus in this kind of situations!

Someone said to me than it's better to start with lingerie (easier and better results for beginner).

How and what can i use? I know "gears don't make good photos" idea but in the other hand it's false.

I think i need big aperture with any lens but fixed (fixe in french) if possible.

Good quality with high isos (in darker situations) (black and white prefered).

Am I wrong?

Any idea for cheap but good gear(s) for BOUDOUR OR related?

Even old alternatives (16 M PiXels AT LEAST).

Thanks in advance!

If you're going mirrorless, you might want to also consider the Nikon Z series as well. I love mine. You keep saying "gear isn't important", but I have to disagree with you. Getting the proper gear IS important, particularly when photographing nude images. Good lighting equipment is the most essential item to make the figure look its' very best. lighting a nude properly takes practice and patience, so my advice to you is consider getting 4 studio strobes with softboxes, so you can give your subjects the perfect lighting. It is a lot of extra work to set it all up, but the results are magnificent and worth the effort. A camera is a camera is a camera, and all of the modern Mirrorless and semi-pro and pro grade equipment will give you equally good results.

Good luck in your research regarding this.

Cordially,

Mark

 

[Quassaw]

Forget about new cameras and lenses - your Canon is plenty good enough. Find someone to tutor you on lighting and posing. Learn the basics - many, many years ago I was made to buy a pineapple and take 100 different photos of it, using different lighting, colour, mono, filters, composition etc. Back in those days I learnt about printing pineapple images on different grades of paper, nowadays you can practice different mono conversions in photoshop (much cheaper too!). Still a good way of learning about hard and soft lighting I think.

 

[Rickbb]

Some of the best art nudes I've seen were done on equipment far less capable or expensive than what you already have.

Find a place to take some basic photography classes, and/or practice on things in your studio other than people.

I was taught to start out using manual only, B & W only and pose and shoot eggs only. I had to do this until I understood lighting, contrast, dof. Only after that were the students allowed to shoot models, which is another challenge in itself.

The instructor said if you can't get a shot of a posed egg with interesting composition and lighting then don't waste your models time.

 

[Soocom1]

Another point to consider.
Nude photography in any form is a highly personal and in some cases a bit intrusive aspect of someone's life.
Boudoir photography has two primary areas, client requested and photographer implemented. Egro,. the photographer is doing it for themselves.

This is true with all levels of nude and erotic photography.

What needs to be remembered also is not so much the equipment, but how you approach this. In plenty of cases the two parties are quite open to the subject. In other cases not so much or if the photos are for personal use by a client, then the approach has to be highly professional.
Reputation is key here.

If you make a bad reputation for yourself, you wont find much work at all or willing models.

Being mentored is extremely advised because the approach and prose you take will determine the success of the images in the end.

How YOU take the phots will be as important if not more so than how the model poses. Their comfort level will need to be high to get a good shot, and that is reflected by how YOU behave.

 

[smoke665]

I hate to be suspicious but a brand new member, first post with rambling contradictory questions, a newbie who wants to take nude photos, and hasn't followed up yet. Hhmmm.

 

[JoeW]

Okay, here are some thoughts.
1. Like any genre of photography, there are a wide range of styles. And that is going to shape your settings (nude in nature/environmental nude vs. glamour vs. B&W or even low key/chiaroscurro). I won't go there because that's a long post in and of itself.
2. Soft light is what you're going for (especially for boudoir). It hides lines and blemishes, flatters the face, minimizes shadow lines. So you're probably going to need 2 soft boxes and a giant reflector or piece of foam core.
3. Fabric is good. You can use it to modify light (turn a harsh direct light from a window in to a soft light). Models can wrap in it, use it to create interesting or dynamic poses.
4. Generally speaking, most boudoir work has a narrow depth-of-field.
5. Focal length--that varies. If you're shooting landscape settings, you'll want a wide angle or a zoom (because the model may be on one side of the creek and you're on the other side).

 

[mjcmt]

The OP has disappeared and doesn't seem that interested. I wouldn't put much stock in answering him.

 

[limr]

I understand that the OP hasn't responded yet, and yes, it is certainly possible it was a post-and-run, but it's been only one day, so I don't think it's fair to say he or she has disappeared yet.