Why laughing models make a mess of everything in nude photography
When you think of emotional nude photography, the image immediately springs to mind: a serious expression, a seductive look, as much drama as possible in the field of vision. The classic. As if every naked woman is automatically transformed into a mixture of Botticelli and an erotic catalog.
And don’t let anyone laugh.
Laughing in emotional nude photography is almost an affront – as if someone has forgotten to look serious while being naked. But that’s exactly the point: many of the pictures look as if they were produced for a church newspaper – even though the church and naked women are known to have difficulty getting along. A little laughter would certainly do them good. Honest now
Naked and lying on the floor laughing – sure, why not?
I love it when a model laughs. Not a “rrr – I’m so hot for you” look, but an honest laugh. The kind that bursts out because I’m talking some nonsense that even she can’t contain herself.
And that’s exactly when I take the shot. No artificial expression, no contrived look – just a real snapshot, genuine emotional nude photography that captures the mood perfectly.
What I then have is not a perfectly staged “act of art”. Not an Instagram-ready filter moment or a styled glossy image. It’s a shot that shows the mood. That conveys exactly what happens during the shoot: Closeness, trust, looseness. Emotional nude photography without posing.
The difference between porn and portrait
Why is that so rare? Perhaps because many photographers continue to lose themselves in categories: Sensual = serious. Naked = lascivious. Anyone who laughs is no longer sexy.
I say: Such a shame
Laughter is sexy. Laughter is intimate. Laughter shows that someone is being themselves – and doesn’t have to pretend an inch. No duck face, no “fuck me look” – nobody needs that when the picture already has everything. Eroticism doesn’t have to moan, it can also laugh out loud.
I don’t need poses from a basic porn course or a look that has been chewed over a thousand times. I’m interested in the moments when someone lets go. Without a mask. Without self-dramatization. Just the way you are when you’re not thinking about what you look like – and that’s when emotional nude photography becomes exciting.
You can’t plan laughter
I don’t have “laugh shoots”. That just happens. I talk a lot – okay, a lot. I comment, make nonsense, provoke, upset models. And that’s what it’s all about: I want the model to forget herself. To stop thinking about how she looks. No more posing, just reacting. Be real.
And when it happens – that one laugh that wasn’t planned – and I’m quick enough to catch it before it’s gone again? Then I have exactly the photo that sticks. Maybe blurred. Maybe not technically clean. But it’s alive. And that’s what counts.
Emotional nude photography without devotion
These images do not polarize. Quite the opposite. The feedback is almost always positive. Perhaps because people finally want to see photos again that don’t look scripted. Perhaps because you immediately sense that nothing has been staged – a moment has simply happened.
One of my favorite comments was: “Finally a nude photo that doesn’t pretend to be an altarpiece.” And yes – that’s exactly the point. No halo, no golden glitter, no pathetic posing. Just a human being. Just like some of the pictures in the Collector’s Edition – There’s nothing left but light, skin and the question: Why exactly this picture? That’s exactly why.
Naked, relaxed, with an honest grin on her face. No staging for the museum, no “I am art” look into the distance – but a moment that happened. Because someone laughed. Because he felt good. Because nobody was waiting for perfection.
Emotional nude photography is often underestimated. Too often people assume that nudity must automatically be something serious and dignified – as meaningful and profound as possible. But it is precisely this heaviness that kills many pictures. I don’t want photos that look like religious murals. I want pictures that stick with you because they are real. Like with SIGNED. FRAMED. ICONIC. – where every shot is a short, clear cut. No posing. No plan. Just this one moment. For four weeks, then that’s it. Because you can see: There was someone there – and they were simply having fun at that very moment. And that’s what makes the difference.
And for those who still need it scientifically:
Laughing is not only good for the image – it’s also good for the body. According to Harvard University laughter has been shown to improve mood, reduce stress and activate feel-good neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. So: laughter is not only allowed – it’s healthy.
The great art of losing control
Laughter is a loss of control. And that is precisely why it is so valuable.
So much is controlled, corrected and concealed in photography. The light, the posture, the look, the effect of the image. Everything has to be right. And the end result is a picture that is technically brilliant but emotionally dead.
A laugh breaks this claim. It says: Fuck control. Here I am – and yes, I’m naked. And I’m having fun doing it.
And if you want more than a single picture – if you can think in series, in moments that add up to something bigger:
The Book & An Other Book tell just such stories. Between the pages: Laughter, lust, emptiness – and everything in between
Conclusion? Save it. This is an appeal!
Let them laugh.
Take pictures that don’t fit neatly into any feeds.
Take pictures that rustle, disturb, live.
That don’t have to please you – but get under your skin.
That scream, grin, breathe.
Because if you’re just waiting for the perfect expression at the next shoot, remember:
The laugh could have been the best part.
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🔸 Collector’s Edition
Exclusive collector’s items, large format, strictly limited.
👉 To the Collector’s Edition
🔸 The Book & An Other Book
Two books, €70 saved, one hundred pages of photographed truths.
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