march30–april12, 2020 | newyork 43
oneoftheinterestingsideeffectsofthe
recentself-isolationmeasuresis that people
seemtobege ttinghornier. Maybeit’s a pri-
malresponsetotheanxiety ofthemoment
ora desireforhumancontactthat hashard-
enedintosomethingmorecarnal.Perhaps
it’ s just theniceweather.Butunlessyou’re
quarantinedwitha regularorpotential
sexualpartner,youroptionsforhavingsex
withanotherpersonarelimited.Which
means:It ’s a goodtimetotake somenudes.
- Findyourlight.
Naturallightingis themost flattering,so
ifyouhavea roominyourmatchbox
apartmentthat getssomesunintheafter-
noon,takeadvantageofit onyourlunch
break.If not,a well-placeddesklampcan
worknearlyaswell.Afrequent-nude-
sendingfriendsuggestssettingupyour
lightsource(ideallyyellow—“it’s lessclin-
icallooking”)soitcomesfroma single
angle.Ifyouhaveaccessonlytocool
whitelight,trydrapinga colorfulscarf or
blouseoverthelamptochangethetone.
- Thinkabouta background.
Avoidincludingthefollowingobjects,
whichmakeforratherbleakmilieus:toi-
lets,trashcans,large pilesoflaundry,
dirty dishes,andlitterboxes.Acceptable
backgroundfodder:books,plants,clean
furniture, exposed brick, attractive
lamps,props. That said, nudes are
extremely subjective, and a lot depends
on what you want to communicate. A pile
of laundry can convey indifference.
Adjust accordingly.
- No mirror, no problem.
Don’t fret if your only mirror is in your
dingy little bathroom—mirrors are not
necessary for an excellent nude. Try,
instead, the belly flop. Here’s how to exe-
cute it: Lie on your stomach and either
bend your knees to push your butt up or
place a pillow under your thighs. The idea
is to highlight the curve of your back and
rear. Another simple, mirror-free approach:
Sit on the side of your bed (or a couch) and
take the photo from above. For a woman,
it highlights the chest and thighs and is an
easy option in terms of setup and execu-
tion. There’s also the bathtub nude,
wherein you can use bubble bath to your
creative advantage: Conceal and reveal to
your heart’s content.
- And if you do have a mirror?
If it’s movable, lean it against the wall and
tilt it at a 70-ish-degree angle. This will
make you look longer and leaner. If you’re
doing a full-body shot, place one leg in
front of the other to accentuate length, and
push one hip out to highlight curves and
sharpen your waist.
- Try an in-the-moment nude.
While many people tend to default to
staged nudes, there are also merits to tak-
ing a more spontaneous approach. This
type of image is best sent after some lead-
up (saucy texts, flirting, etc.), which is both
titillating and can help you ensure that the
person actually wants to see the photo. The
spontaneous nude generally requires you
to slip into a bathroom or unoccupied
room, pull back your clothes a bit, and
snap a hasty, less staged picture.
A few more notes.
Use a self-timer. If you don’t have a phone
stand, there are plenty of DIY options (like
binder clips). If you’re not taking an on-
the-fly nude, treat it like a photo shoot and
do plenty of takes. It’s generally not advis-
able to include your face in your nudes if
you plan to send them to someone. And
whatever the case, remember to send and
save all your photos securely: Password-
protected photo apps are good for this, and
if you’re sharing your pictures, consider
doing so via private text, rather than a DM
on a third-party app. Even if your face isn’t
in the photo, it’s worth considering doing
your hair and makeup anyway; it’ll help
you feel more confident. Or take a cue
from Harry Styles and throw on a pair of
fishnets and loafers. ■
TAKE A
WELL-LIT NUDE
BY SANGEETASINGH-KURTZ
22
PHOTOGRAPH: JEKATERINA NIKITINA/GETTY IMAGES
