Do you know the difference between artistic nude and pornography? I don't! Although several photographers have tried to explain the difference to me, I still have trouble differentiating between the two! In the eyes of a professional photographer, these are two different things. So I let it be as it is. The tricky part is not the differentiation but whom do you share these pictures with. This is what I understood when I attended a monthly gathering of photography enthusiasts in Paris.
During such gatherings, many photographers showcase their best works with the rest of the group. So here I was with a professional photographer analyzing the results of the various photo shoots by another professional photographer. The results were stored on a Samsung tablet. Being a novice, the person I was with patiently explained the finer points in detail. According to him, the finer points were the composition and post processing. Even a novice can hardly argue on these points.
That is when a woman moves nearer to us hoping to participate in the conversation. She has no idea as to what we are discussing. The passion might have been evident on our faces which made her interested. On seeing the woman, the person I was with placed the tablet on a table near to him but far away from the woman. The ensuing conversation was awkward and funny at the same time.
Woman: *raises eyebrows* So, are you not going to share the photographs?
Person I was with: *sheepish grin while searching for an answer*
Me: *looking elsewhere trying hard to suppress the smile*
Person I was with: *weak voice* They are not mine.
Woman: *not buying the answer and looking intently for more explanation*
Acquaintance: *gathers courage* Actually, these are glamorous photos. These have to be shared by the owner.
Me: *almost chokes on hearing the word glamorous*
I think I now know the difference between artistic nudes and er... pornography - the former is glamourous and the latter is not ! :-)
ReplyDeleteYou could say so. :) No more comments on this. :D
Deletehahaha!
ReplyDeletelaughed so hard about the glamorous shots!
but i guess dirty minds can turn even the finest nude art piece into something dirty? =)
Actually, it was an awkward moment. He was not comfortable showing the pics to the lady as he was meeting her for the first time. I was more interested in know how he will come out of the quicksand he stepped into unknowingly. ;)
DeleteNice read.. :)
ReplyDeletewat a glamourous post!!
ReplyDeleteone of those awkward moments.. if it was considered art by your acquaintance he would not have felt awkward :)
ReplyDeletehe he he. Good catch. May be he is very shy and cautious in sharing his work. ;)
DeleteWell... u've presented a new outlook here..! I guess to an artist, a nude part is as good as any other object.. it's more of an object to photograph than a part i guess... lik a doctor.. every part is just another organ for them to look into..!
ReplyDeleteI would personally support art in any form, but yes.. you cant blame your friend, along with an artist, he's human too! hehe.. Cheers! :)
For a photographer, artistic nude is interesting because you use a lot of lighting to expose the subject. If you do not get it right, the resulting photograph is not much usable. :)
DeleteMy friend is not embarrassed about what he is shooting. But he is shy to share with strangers. ;)