How to Take Intimate Pictures with Your Digital Camera: Ten Special Tips

When most people see the words "intimate photography," they assume there is going to be nudity. The fact is, this may or may not be the case. What is usually true about intimate photography, is that the goal is to capture the private side of a person or persons. In this way, intimate photography is definitely not pornography, where the purpose is to objectify, which is the complete opposite of intimacy. To create intimate photographs, the person on the other side of the lens has to have trust in the photographer. This is just as true in every day life as it is with photography. Intimate photography is about capturing those moments when people let down their guard. It's about capturing another human being, being human. Yes, at times, the person might be dressed casually, or not at all, as sometimes we are at our most human when naked. The ten tips below on how to take intimate pictures with your digital camera should help anyone that has run into trouble in the past.

1 - Choosing a mood. Which also sort of implies that you have a subject to photograph. Sometimes the person posing dictates the mood. Other times it's the other way around. Regardless, choosing the mood you're after is critical to a successful shoot. To be clear, by mood, I'm talking about what sort of emotion you're trying to project when the photograph is viewed. You might be going for sultry, or sensual. You might want shy, or awkward or even something approaching pain. This is why it's so important to choose what you're going for before you start. In order to capture the mood you're going for, you have to know how to set up the shot. To create sensual shots for example, you may want to use low lighting and perhaps some close-ups. You may also want to have your model partially dressed or holding a prop or two. All of this comes up once you've chosen your mood.