Famous Nude Photographers

From LoveToKnow Photography

Most people think of magazines like Playboy when they hear the words "nude photography"; however, photo enthusiasts know that there are many famous nude photographers who create beautiful art. Ever since the camera was invented, photographers have explored ways to take sensual photos of people. Call it human nature, but many talented photographers have devoted a significant amount of time to perfecting the nude photograph. This article will take a brief look at some of the most notable artists who use nudes as the subject of their work.

A Brief List of Famous Nude Photographers

The following are some of the world's most famous nude photographers:

  • Man Ray – Man Ray was an extremely influential artist of the Dada and Surrealism movements whose photographic work was truly groundbreaking. His photograph of a woman with F holes painted on her back, so her body resembled a cello, is one of the most famous nude photos of the modernist era.
  • Helmut Newton – Helmut Newton is arguably the most famous nude photographer ever. His work is very erotic and evocative, and often includes sado-masochistic undertones. Newton's photographs are some of the most stunning nude images ever taken.
  • Edward Weston – Edward Weston has been called the most influential photographer of the 20th century. Along with Ansel Adams and Imogen Cunningham he founded the Group f/64, an artist's collective that advocated unmanipulated sharp focus photography. His nude photos from the 1920s and 1930s are canonical.
  • Robert Mapplethorpe – Robert Mapplethorpe was an extremely important 20th century American photographer whose nude work focused on the male body. His work was important not only because of its artistic merit, but also because he created controversy about how the arts are publically funded. Some of Mapplethorpe's most shocking photographs pushed the envelope in reagrds to what the general public would consider to be art. In addition, some have even suggested that his photos of nude black men were exploitive. Mapplethorpe is also famous for taking the cover photo of the Patti Smith album Horses.
  • Ellen von Unwerth – Ellen von Unwerth's work focuses on erotic femininity. Her photographs have been published in half a dozen books. She also produced several short films and made music videos for pop bands. Her photography has a dangerous edge while remaining very sensual and feminine.
  • Leonard Nimoy – Leonard Nimoy might be most famous for playing the role of Spock in Star Trek, but he has been a very successful photographer for more than 40 years. His medium of choice is naked women, and he typically shoots in black and white. His work is on display in galleries and museums from New York to Los Angeles, and a dance piece has recently been performed based on Nimoy's Shekhina collection of photographs.
  • Todd Essick – Todd Essick is very well known for his unique and beautiful underwater nude photography. His work attempts to fuse the beauty of the sea with the beauty of the female form, an allusion to Venus, who came from the sea and was the goddess of beauty. His photo shoots are extremely intricate, involving dolphins, stingrays, and even sharks. You are quickly swept away into an alternate reality when you view Essick's work. He has published a book of his photographs called Beginnings Goddesses, Sirens and Mermaids.

More Information

For more information on nude photographers, please check out the Fine Art Nude Network. You might also be interested in these LoveToKnow articles that deal with nude photography:

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