Famous Nude Photographers

pretty woman
Boudoir photography often features nudity.
By
Professional Photographer

Most people think of magazines like Playboy when they hear the words "nude photography" but photo enthusiasts know that there are many famous nude photographers who create beautiful art. Each artist has a slightly different spin on the subject of the nude body and exhibit a variety of styles. Some focus on women, while others shoot men or both genders. Some artists like to take black and white pictures and others shoot in full color. Whatever their style, each photographer makes an individual statement on the human body.

Notable Nude Photographers

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

  • Man Ray : An extremely influential artist of the Dada and Surrealism movements, Man Ray's 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: Arguably the most famous nude photographer ever, Helmut Newton's work is erotic and evocative, and often includes sado-masochistic undertones. Newton's photographs are some of the most stunning nude images ever taken.
  • Edward Weston: Referred to by some as the most influential photographer of the 20th century, Edward Weston, along with Ansel Adams and Imogen Cunningham, founded the group f/64. The f/64 was an artists' collective that advocated unmanipulated sharp focus photography. His nude photos from the 1920s and 1930s are canonical.
  • Robert Mapplethorpe: An important 20th century American photographer, Robert Mapplethorpe 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 publicly funded. Some of Mapplethorpe's most shocking photographs pushed the envelope in regards to what the general public would consider to be art. For example some have 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: The artist Ellen von Unwerth 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 : Though he might be most famous for playing Spock in Star Trek, Leonard Nimoy has been a successful photographer for more than 40 years. His subjects of choice are 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: Known for his unique and beautiful underwater nude photography, Todd Essick 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.

Nude Photography as an Art Form

The nude body can be the subject of beautiful art. Just like any other type of photography, photos of nude subjects can be creative and incorporate a variety of styles and techniques. Whether the photos are taken for shock value or to emphasize the beauty of the human form, these photographers all evoke emotional responses from fans and critics alike.