Go abstract
Shoot alluring abstracts for captivating nude imagery
Sometimes less is more when it comes to nude photography and leaving things to the imagination can create a far more intriguing image. “Photographing an abstract nude is inspiring yet challenging. Abstract nudes create a level of sophistication and class that makes you appreciate the beauty of the body. It is difficult to create an artistic nude that has the shock and wow factor without being oversexualised. The nude naturally draws attention and when combined with dramatic lighting and a great pose, it can create a powerful and effective image,” says Parker.
Focus on specific parts of the body and isolate the most sensual and striking shapes. Shooting abstracts of the human body is a way of taking the overt nudity out of the image and instead draws all focus to the lines and shapes. It forces the viewer to look carefully at the lines, shapes, shadows and highlights and appreciate them as a work of art rather than just an image of a naked body.
“Today images are everywhere, and it is getting increasingly harder to attract attention. Everywhere you look, there are images of people – often using the body as a way of getting attention, likes, creating controversy and so on, but the only way to keep achieving that is to do things even more ‘over the top’ every single time. The end result is that you as a viewer become immune to what you see,” explains Nielsen.
“I have never thought of my work as abstract. To me it is the simplicity of one model, one
light and often very limited post-processing. I think of my work with bodyscapes as simple and true to the models. But I appreciate them being seen as abstract. That means that I have done a good job.
“My inspiration has always been my love for art history. I get just as much inspiration in ancient Greek art, the work of masters of light like Rembrandt as I do on 500px or Instagram. I love doing crazy retouching for fashion, love the possibility of creating surreal photos and spending hours on making something really special. I take a ‘less is more’ approach. The aim is to make aesthetic photos that are more
“The aim is to cause the viewer to notice the beauty, the lines and the light rather than the nudity”
likely to cause the viewer to notice the beauty, the lines and the light rather than focusing on nudity. The consensus in many places is that nudity is offensive and only relates to sex, and I believe that is a bad approach and creates a culture where the body is shamed, forbidden – and can only be shown to play on sex. I would like my work to be viewed as people would view paintings in a gallery.
“As a photographer, I have the power to show only what I want the viewer to see. People feel drawn to what they don’t see. A photo that shows too much is not interesting for more than a split second. Abstract photos can be intriguing and be something you can look at again and again.
“Many models of mine have their photos hanging on their walls at home. Since they are almost exclusively anonymous, they don’t feel exposed, and guests only see it as art. I love the idea of someone admiring a photo on the wall while unknowingly actually talking to the model on it. Had it been another genre other than abstract, that might not have been possible.”