Sexy Selfies: How to Take Nudes in 11 Easy Steps
Sending nudes are one of those things that are thrilling to some people, but daunting to others. It’s nothing to be afraid of though, and contributes to a very sex-positive attitude towards yourself, including encouraging you to love your body in all of its glory. From clothed, sexy selfies to full-frontal nudity, mastering the art of capturing nudes is an important lesson to be learned. This holds whether you’re posting nudes for the world to see or only sending them to a specific person.
To help you learn how to take nudes, we’ve outlined 11 easy-to-follow steps below.
1. Think about your background
When learning how to take nudes, one of the very first things to consider is the background that will appear in your photo. First things first: avoid anything distracting that detracts from you. Instead of a busy backdrop, find a solid coloured wall or simple bedsheets (if taking a picture from above, while lying down).
This is also a sure way to eliminate any chances of potentially mood-killing items in the background, like a toilet in the washroom, an open bag of chips on the desk of your home office, or dust bunnies collecting on an unswept floor. Taking all of these things into consideration and keeping your background as minimalistic as possible is your best bet when striking a sexy pose.
2. Contemplate the room’s lighting
Are you trying to master the art of sexy selfies? Go for natural light! Nudes are best taken during the day, where natural light is in abundance. This makes photos appear softer (read: less harsh) while highlighting your body and features in the most flattering way. Face that light source and let it filter over your body!
Getting your lighting right is especially important when posting nudes, as severe lighting can make them seem unrushed and effortless (but not in a good way). However, if you need to resort to unnatural light, use a side lamp or something equally soft.
Whatever you do, avoid your phone’s flash or any bright light. Yes, that means no flashlights or lighted makeup mirrors, either. You don’t want any unflattering shadows, do you?
3. Consider being suggestive, not erotic
You don’t have to put your entire naked body on display when taking sexy selfies. There are other ways to show off your sensual side and tease yourself without being completely explicit. A photo taken while still in your undergarments, whether they are casual everyday pieces or something used exclusively in the bedroom, can be even more inviting than a picture of your genitals, butt, or breasts (if you have them).
The tease of being partially clothed allows the recipient of the image to imagine undressing you, thinking about what’s underneath either from real-life memory or, if they’ve never been with you in-person, their own inventiveness. In combination with sexy poses — think about your leg and arm placement, angles, and which body parts you’re opting to feature — even a small glimpse at a patch of skin can be a total turn-on.
4. Discover your best angles
One of the main take-aways when learning how to take nudes is that angles matter. Before sending off any photos of yourself, play around with various angles and see how they look. In combination with lighting, backgrounds, and props (more on the latter in a bit), you’ll find that some angles will work much better than others. Experiment to find what works best for you!
Take advantage of varying perspectives to accentuate the attractiveness of your body, including particular body parts. Offering multiple points of view allows the person receiving your nudes to envision themselves in front of you, moving around your body and seeing it from multiple viewpoints. Talk about creating a heated atmosphere while sexting.
5. Understand that butts have an appeal
In a world where people like Jennifer Lopez, David Beckham, Nicki Minaj, and Channing Tatum are idolized for their butts, it should come as no surprise that most people would enjoy a good bum photo. Regardless of your gender, capturing a picture of your butt and thighs are a sure bet, especially when done at the right angle that accentuates the curves of it.
This is usually a go-to pose when posting nudes, as butts are less societally risqué and generally more accepted than (as two examples) a penis or vagina. However, you can also get a little more suggestive with these photos; when positioning your camera just right, you can catch just a glimpse of your more intimate body parts in the background, too.
6. Get creative
Nudes aren’t necessarily about seeing your body naked. Of course, while that can be an integral part of it, the primary purpose of these photos are to tease at your body (often as an accompaniment to sexting messages). With this in mind, you can get a little artsy with your shots.
Immortalize your body in sexy poses, taken from interesting angles. You can snap a photo that will elicit a sense of your partner looking at you from a particular perspective, perhaps from between your legs or while hovering above your torso and looking down at you. You may also want to paint yourself in another light, twisting your body slightly to get just a small glimpse of certain body parts.
7. Add in a prop
Take your sexy selfies up a notch with an added prop. You could use your undergarments as one; tugging slightly at the waistband of your boxers or pulling the strap of your bra off of your shoulder is enticing.
However, if you want to think a bit more outside of the box, something like a sex toy could be added, either being used or held up to the camera. Also consider something simpler and equally seductive, like a lollipop, a pair of handcuffs, or a blindfold.
As an added benefit, having something to do with your hands is a good way of avoiding feeling awkward and not knowing where to place them. By holding or playing with something, you keep your hands busy and nothing seems out of place.
8. Capture your reflection
Using a mirror when sending nudes is an excellent way to get that perfect shot at the right angle and position. Whether you’re arched or bending, twisted, or standing, your mirror’s reflection has you covered.
Consider moving away from the classic sexy mirror selfie: standing upright and snapping a quick picture face-on. Instead, take advantage of a full-length mirror, sitting in front of it in a suggestive pose. These are ideal for an over-the-shoulder shot, full-body, or a kneeling image. You can also hold your phone over your reflected face to obscure it from view, if you don’t feel comfortable being identified in it.
Just make sure to have a clean mirror when taking your photo! A smudged reflection will detract from you, and you don’t want that.
9. Disguise distinguishing features
The next time you capture a series of sexy poses, make sure that nothing distinguishing about you is visible in the pictures. This is especially important to think about when you are posting nudes to a more public space. Individualizing markings like tattoos, beauty marks and moles, and scars (to name a few) should be obscured or edited out before sending. After all, any photo sent to another person is out there in the online world forever. Any unique pieces of jewellery should be taken off prior to your photo session, too.
In taking preventative measures, you can avoid identification in the unfortunate case that your nudes were ever leaked. Though sending provocative images is a great addition to spice up sexting, you still run the risk of the recipient sharing your photo. It can be a nerve-racking thought, but it is a reality that you must be aware of and vigilant of.
10. Don’t be self-critical
Perhaps the most important thing to take note of when trying to figure out how to take nudes, is to avoid self-criticism. Though it’s easy to do in a world where ‘idealized’ beauty standards are consistently funnelled into our minds and ingrained into our ideologies, it’s something that we must actively fight against. Know that every body is different and when it comes down to it, not one person is entirely ‘perfect’ (in terms of what the media claims we should look like).
On the other side of the coin, don’t be a contributor to sext-shaming. Respect other people’s privacy, don’t mock someone’s body, and don’t subscribe to the idea that you can treat people as lesser because they “asked for it” (based on the way they dress, act, etc.).
11. Act natural and have fun with it
Sending nudes should be fun! Not only is it a way to turn on your partner, but it also helps get you in the mood to express how you’re feeling in the midst of a hot and heavy text exchange. By snapping some sexy selfies, you’re expressing yourself in an empowering way.
With this in mind, have fun with it! Know that the desire to have a good time and share personal sexual photos is entirely ‘normal’ and nothing to feel ashamed about. Yes, even if you're sending them to more than one person, or posting nudes online! Just act naturally, enjoy experimenting with different poses and lighting, and let your creativity shine through.
Whether you’re posting nudes for the world to see or sending them to a particular person, becoming well-versed in the art of naked (or partially unclothed) photos and sexy poses is a must. It doesn’t matter if you’re putting everything on display or just teasing a small part of your body: both are equally tempting when done right. Now that you’ve mastered the art of how to take nudes, your sexy selfies will have allure, strategy, and — above all — exude confidence.
How do you feel about sending nudes? Are there any tips and tricks that you use to capture the perfect shot? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
