This weekend was Houston Skyline Studio’s Fine Art Nude workshop and I noticed something I wanted to share.

One of the things people wanted to know in my recent survey of the Photographer and Model email list was how to NOT seem creepy to models. So this was in my head while I was observing at the workshop.

When shooting nudes I think the fear of appearing creepy to the model is enhanced, as is general uncomfortableness. Most of us aren’t used to standing in front of a naked woman, even if she doesn’t really care. (See Lesson 9 of the mini course).

When you are photographing any subject you will stare intently at it. You’re looking at how the light is hitting it, what the lines are, what’s in shadow. When the subject is a model, you are also looking for imperfections and how you need to pose her to cover them. This is natural and necessary.

Second you may be nervous, or just really in the zone so you stop talking because you are thinking.

This is where the problem comes in.

It is creepy to stare intently at someone and not say anything.

You really need to keep talking. Tell her what you are doing or what you are trying to do. Just keep the lines of communication open so she doesn’t think you’ve gone off into creepy voyeur land.

Ran this past a couple of models and they agree staring silently is creepy. Sallie Lou mentioned it in her interview on the podcast, saying she’d break out the autopsy stories if you were too quite.