More Than Just a Body: How We Photograph Our Lives
How to Take Naturist and Artistic Nude Photos That Show Personality (Naturist & Artistic Tips)
We recently received a thoughtful comment asking about the “how” of our photography. What angles do we use? What equipment do we prefer? How do we make our images feel artistic or naturist? Literally… a how to take nude photos guide. It was a genuine compliment, and we really appreciated the curiosity.
There is the Canon DSLR camera, the waterproof Olympus TG-6, the Go Pro, our cell phones and the tablet. Which one is the best… blah blah blah.
But as we talked about it, we realized that for us, the “how” isn’t really about the camera or the settings. It’s about the “what.” What exactly are we trying to capture?
We’ve realized that we don’t look at naturism photos the same way we look at artistic nude photography… even though we create both. It’s a subtle difference, but it’s the filter that shapes everything we choose to share.
When a Nude Photo Feels Naturist (At Least to Us)
Let’s forget the gear because we have to clarify a distinction that often gets blurred online. To us, fine art nude photography is about composition… light, shadow, form, the way a body line creates a specific curve. In that world, the body becomes an object of design. A face can disappear, and the image remains powerful because the focus is purely aesthetic and artistic.
But naturism photography is looking for something else entirely. It isn’t about shaping the body into art; it’s about showing a life. It’s about presence, personality, and context. They’re about looking at an image and thinking, “That feels real.”
It’s the difference between looking at a sculpture and looking at a person.
Naturism, to us, is the body as lived experience… not as a form. A naturist image isn’t trying to turn the body into art; it’s trying to show the body as normal. We aren’t applying fine art standards to these photos… we’re applying human ones. We’re looking for the cues that tell us a person is actually there: an expression, a posture, a bit of awkwardness, or a genuine laugh. It’s a very different emotional goal.
We’ve shared images that feel artistic and deeply naturist at the same time. But the way we interpret them, and what we look for is different. And when those purposes get blurred without intention, that’s when things start to feel generic.
What I’m Actually Chasing
The other day I told Corin something that sums this up better than any technical manual: When I photograph her, my goal isn’t to show her body. It’s to capture the person I see through my eyes.
That’s what I’m chasing, and honestly, it’s not easy.
I am also capturing memories as we wrote about in Capturing Memories of Your Naturist Life.
I’ll often take hundreds of photos in a single session… micro-shifts in angle, a slight change in posture, an expression that didn’t quite land. Most of them get deleted. Not because the lighting was bad, but because they didn’t feel like her. They might be technically very good, but if the image doesn’t carry her warmth, her humor, or even that slightly shy way she sometimes stands, then it’s just a body in good light. That’s not what we want to share.
I can also tell when she’s just not feeling it. Sometimes it’s subtle… a tightening in the shoulders or a “polite” smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. When that happens, we stop. Not because the setting failed, but because if she isn’t feeling confident and relaxed, I’m not going to capture the true Corin. It’s better to try again another day.
When she is feeling confident, relaxed, playful, comfortable in her skin… the camera barely has to work. The images feel effortless. You can see when someone is having fun. You can see when someone feels strong and comfortable.
And you can absolutely see when they’re not.
Authenticity Lives in the “In-Between”
If there’s one practical tip we can offer, it’s this: you aren’t supposed to nail it in five shots. We take hundreds to get one or two that feel right.
The “magic” usually lives in those tiny, unscripted shifts… the way your weight settles on one hip or the moment you stop thinking about the camera or how you look. If you take ten photos and they all feel “off,” it doesn’t mean you’re bad at this. It just means you haven’t relaxed yet. Keep moving, reset, and let the good ones happen in between the poses.
If You Can’t Show Your Face, Show Your Life
We’ve learned that faces anchor an image quickly. A genuine smile goes a million miles in naturism photography. It softens everything. It shifts the tone from “look at this body” to “this is a person enjoying their life.”
In artistic nude work, the mood is often serious, dramatic, or contemplative. There’s a certain tension there that makes the art work. But naturism isn’t about tension; it’s about ease.
This is why a genuine smile… or even a goofy “the wind just hit my face” expression… is so powerful in naturist photography. It shifts the tone from “look at this body” to “this is a person enjoying their life.” If you can show your face, let it be real. If you can’t, let your life tell the story instead.
That doesn’t mean every naturist photo needs a big grin. Forced smiles are obvious. But a relaxed expression, a mid-laugh moment… those details feel human.
Capture Movement, Not Just Position
Personality doesn’t live only in your eyes. It shows up in posture. In movement. In context. Stillness often looks posed. Movement looks lived. But movement alone isn’t the magic trick. You also have to pay attention to what you’re actually capturing.
There’s a big difference between filming yourself hiking through the forest with the camera focused tightly framing one body part as the focal point… and stepping back far enough to show your whole body walking the trail.
Both involve movement. Only one feels like a person enjoying nature.
Framing changes everything. When the camera zooms in on one body part, that body part becomes the message. When the frame widens, the story expands. Now we see stride, posture, environment, energy.
Camera height matters too. Eye-level framing tends to feel natural because it mirrors how we normally see each other. Extreme low angles or tight close-ups can unintentionally intensify the tone. Sometimes that intensity is deliberate and that’s fine… but if your goal is everyday naturism, a comfortable, human perspective often feels more grounded.
Add a face with a relaxed smile if you can, and the tone shifts instantly. It stops feeling like “watch this” and starts feeling like “come walk with me.”
Personality shows up in your environment. Are you stiff and centered, presenting yourself to be evaluated? Or are you mid-step on a hike, sitting in your favorite (and slightly worn) backyard chair, or laughing because the dog just wandered through the frame? A blank wall says nothing. Your messy deck and your half-finished coffee say everything.
They remind the viewer that you’re a human being with a life, not just content on a screen.
Stop Trying to Look “Good”
This one took us a while.
The moment we try to look impressive, seductive, perfectly positioned, the image tightens up. It starts feeling like we’re performing. The moments we like best are when we forget the camera for half a second. That’s usually when Kevin says something dumb and Corin laughs. Or when Corin shifts her weight and relaxes instead of holding a pose.
Those micro-moments are where personality shows up. And you can’t fake them.
You have to let them happen.
Knowing Your Lane
Let’s be honest… we’re a married couple. We haven’t renounced attraction. We enjoy sensual photography, we enjoy desire and intimacy. And we’ve created plenty of images that are intentionally charged and shadow-heavy. We are not monks who renounced attraction.
Sexuality exists in our relationship.
But when we do that, we know what we’re doing. We don’t disguise a sexual image as “everyday naturism.” Those images serve a different purpose, and they stay in our private folders. 😁😁
If it’s art, make it art. If it’s naturism, let it feel lived. If it’s sexual, be honest about it… even if that honesty simply means it doesn’t need to be shared publicly. Blurring those lines without being honest about it is where images start to feel like “content” instead of connection.
A Simple Gut Check
Years ago, we heard a question that became one of our permanent filters: “Would you take this same photo clothed and share it with your family?”
This isn’t about shame or seeking approval. It’s about focus. If the only reason the photo “works” is because you’re naked, then the nudity is the point… not the naturism. If the photo would still feel meaningful, still tell a story, and still feel like “you” if you were wearing a sundress or shorts, then you’ve captured something deeper than anatomy.
The second filter we always use is… “Would we ever feel embarrassed if these images we viewed by our family, friends, or employer?”
We’ve asked ourselves that more than once before hitting “publish.” Sometimes the answer is yes. And that’s okay. So again… those stay in the folder.
Naturism has changed us for the better and we are proud to be a part of the community.
Before we hit post, the last filter question we ask ourselves is… “are we sharing who we really are”? That’s the difference between a picture of a body and a picture of a life.
The internet isn’t short on nude bodies.
What it’s short on is emotionally present people who happen to be nude.
Kevin & Corin
Living honestly. Living nude. Living human.
If this resonated with you, we’d love to hear your thoughts.
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