'Sex is about anticipation not culmination.'
Chloe Thurlow
For me, my appreciation of the nude male form is heightened... after seeing the model clothed first. I post many shoots devoid of any fashion, where each image, featured the model totally nude. FH readers know however, how much I love a good reveal. This leads me to the question... can a body truly be naked, if it wasn't dressed first?
Although there are exceptions of course, when most of us meet someone new, they're dressed. Through their clothes and how they're worn, we often form judgements and make assumptions about the person. We also often imagine, especially if we're attracted to them, what their bodies look like under their clothes. Sometimes the clothing gives us hints, but sometimes, the clothing acts to hide and deceives...
When you look up the meaning of nude and naked, the first response is usually, 'without clothes.' This implies a body is only truly naked, after it's undressed. So many artists have explored this subject, including photographer Ewoud Broeksma, who dove into the dressed / undressed theme in his work and in his book Seeing Double.
There are so many reasons to shoot a model both dressed and undressed, starting of course with visual contrast. There's an added layer of enjoyment and interest in seeing a body both dressed and then undressed. Our minds automatically decided which visual we prefer, and in which state of dress we prefer.
Featuring a model dressed first, also adds to the level of vulnerability one they're undressed. When you see a series of images where the model is nude in them all, there's less of a reveal. Without the initial protective covering of clothing, there is less of a sense of risk and exposure, and the baring of body parts usually hidden and protected.
For many photographers, shooting clothed shots first also serves other purposes. First off, most models what a variety of looks for their portfolios. Even if they shoot nudes, it's important to have examples of how they look both in, and out of clothing. For the photographer however, even if their focus is the nude male form, shooting dressed shots, often makes for a smoother path to the undressed portion of the shoot.
Working on FH for so long, I've had many artists share that the 'dressed' portion, is actually sort of a dress rehearsal, or practice for what's to come. This can be especially important with new models, not used to posing, and for models shooting nudes for the first time. Beginning the shoot with clothed or underwear shots, can help with a model's comfort level, reduce nerves, and build trust with the photographer prior to their clothes coming off.
When it comes to dressed and undressed, one of my favorite visual recorders of the reveal is Jim from Studio1x. Regular FH readers know how much I love featuring Jim's work, especially his studio shoots. Unfortunately, a move meant Jim no longer has a study close by to work in. I did however ask Jim awhile ago to send on some past studio shoots from his archives. I thought I' had spotlighted them all, but then when looking back in my Dropbox folder recently, I found a few I hadn't yet featured on the site.
Some of you might recognize Carl from his previous appearances on the site. I think Carl first appeared on FH back in 2020 on February 14th. In that series, Jim photographed the tight, compact hottie all dressed for a holiday date. Of course it doesn't take long for Carl's clothes to come off. I think Carl may have ditched his date to eat all of the Valentine's chocolates himself. (Part 1 / Part 2)
In theses new shots, Carl models various fashion styles with again, the goal to quickly slide out of them, stripping down just to the suit he was born in. As is clear in Jim's shots, Carl looks equally enticing, both in and out of his clothes. You can check out more of Carl, mostly undressed, on the NEXT PAGE HERE:
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