First Time Nudes (Male) w/ question about

09/02/2004 02:58:43 AM · #1

These are my first attempt at some nude photography. I took about 300 shots and here are just a few of the first ones I've processed. Comments are appreciated.

question: What are the rules against male genitals here? I saw quite a few women's in the nude challenge, wondering about the male aspect of it.

Thanks

Message edited by author 2004-09-02 03:04:01.

09/02/2004 03:01:44 AM · #2

Originally posted by aerogurl:

I'm pretty sure genitalia is OK as long as it isn't *focused* on the area, or showing erections, sexual nature, et al.
Also, keep in mind the general societal double standard that quotes: "Female nudity is artistic, male nudity is disgusting." ;)

I'm not an admin though, so I don't have the final say, but I'd imagine you'd be fine as long as it's tasteful.

David.C

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

09/02/2004 03:36:17 AM · #3

Originally posted by aerogurl:

These are my first attempt at some nude photography. I took about 300 shots and here are just a few of the first ones I've processed. Comments are appreciated.

The lighting is good, a few hot spots here and there, but not too bad. The poses however don't seem to have much to say. The forth pose is the best, but I dislike the cropped hand and arm. The cropped head doesn't bother me as the body is obviously the intended subject -- perhaps a tighter crop around just the part of the body you are wanting to focus on.

Originally posted by aerogurl:

question: What are the rules against male genitals here? I saw quite a few women's in the nude challenge, wondering about the male aspect of it.

Thanks

The Terms of Use state:
"4.2 You will not use the DPChallenge.com Service to post content or to design, manufacture, market or sell a Product that (i) infringes the rights of a third party, including, without limitation, copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets, rights of privacy and publicity, (ii) is libelous, defamatory or slanderous, (iii) condones, promotes, contains or links to warez, cracks, hacks or similar utilities or programs, (iv) contains explicitly sexual content, (v) does or may denigrate or offend any ethnic, racial, gender, religious or other protected group, through use of language, images, stereotypical depiction or otherwise, (vi) is designed to or does harass, threaten, defame or abuse others, (vii) exploits images or the likeness of minors, (viii) encourages or depicts the use of drugs, alcohol or cigarettes or (ix) is generally offensive or in bad taste."

It has been drawn up by a lawyer to be intentionally vague (giving the site admins as much control as possible) and is freaquently ignored (in whole or in part) by the SC. It is vague enough it could be applied to the display of genitals if so desired, but does not explicitly say anything about them.

***

The challenge rules (which are commonly taken to be site rules, in this regard) say:
"Nudity. Nudity is an acceptable form of art on this site. Photographs may not, however, show a penis or a vagina or any acts of sex. Nudity should be presented in a tasteful manner."

but the challenge rules only apply to challenge entries.

***

Should you choose to post images of male genitals, you certainly would not be the first to do so. Here are a couple of images found on the site (neither of which was a challenge entry):

But, it would be good to get an official word on it.

David

TooCool

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

09/02/2004 04:10:44 AM · #4

Originally posted by aerogurl:

I saw quite a few women's in the nude challenge

Ya did? Damn and I missed them? (not that I actually went through the shots three or four times looking for them...:-P Really I didn't...) The rules do clearly state that a girls sticky part isn't allowed, also the boys dangly (how exactly do you spell dangly?) part...

VisiBlanco

Canon EOS-5D

09/02/2004 04:14:54 AM · #5

Pretty nice photos aerogurl. I like the dramatic lighting. The shadow in the 5th photo seems to work okay (although I would like a bit more fill light) the third photo, however, almost makes him look like an amputee victim.

Personal opinion, the amount of neat image (i am assuming) on the color versions ruin the photo for me. I prefer a more "raw" look, not a wax sculpture. People in real life don't look like that! Airbrushing and editing in magazines like Playboy really piss me off sometimes.

Edit: Also, some detail (especially in #3) is lost due to overexposure. It looks okay, and it really depends on what you are going for, but placing the light differently may give you a bit more even lighting.

Message edited by author 2004-09-02 04:18:11.

Chiqui

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro

09/02/2004 04:34:33 AM · #6

I thought the rules said no vaginas or penises were allowed...but that's just me. However, I don't see how the heck someone would take a picture of a vagina unless the got the lens IN it since the vagina is an internal organ. I'm sure they meant vulva

June

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

09/02/2004 06:21:51 AM · #7

Great job, Dana... I love the poses for 2 and 4. The lighting is good, and is probably (what I would guess, anyway) the most difficult aspect and you seem to have done well for a first try! 5 is also nice, maybe with just a bit more light from the left? Not really crazy about the pose in the 3rd one, but the lighting and the grain work well. The first one is wonderful...the lighting and the composition really came together well - I wonder what it looks like in B&W. Overall, I would have never guessed this was a first attempt at nude portraiture... good work! ;o)

longlivenyhc

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Canon

09/02/2004 06:28:46 AM · #8

Originally posted by chiqui74:

However, I don't see how the heck someone would take a picture of a vagina unless the got the lens IN it since the vagina is an internal organ. I'm sure they meant vulva

June

lol, dont give anyone any ideas.

09/02/2004 02:02:26 PM · #9

Thanks for the comments everyone :)

I do not agree with the comment about the female genitals being inside, showing below the belly button of man or woman is showing genitals. These are two photos from the nude challenge that definitely show the female genitals, even though I think these images are gorgeous, its a bit of a double standard.

//www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=99228
//www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=99226

Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8-4.0 Aspherical for Canon

09/02/2004 02:49:24 PM · #10

genitals in challenge entries = bad
genitals in photos in your portfolio = ok (so long as the photo doesn't violate other paragraphs in the ToS)

Someone above (I think david) had it right.

Rooster

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

09/02/2004 03:00:49 PM · #11

I dont think u can shot the penis in a shot here.

The shots are great!

annasense

Olympus E-500 EVOLT

Olympus 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital ED

09/02/2004 03:01:02 PM · #12

i think your photos are quite nice, aerogurl, especially the lighting, but just my personal preference, i'd rather not see the hint of pubic hair, especially on the third one. i would have cropped it above that, but that's just my opinion...

...just wishing I had a nude male to photograph... sigh...

good job, brave and attractive model! :)

midnightride2

Canon EOS-10D

Canon EF 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

09/02/2004 03:07:38 PM · #13

Speaking as a man and I think most men and women would agree that the female body is much more appealing to the eye than a mans gentles. There is nothing more beautiful than a women be it full body our just in the eyes. Your photos are great in showing what is appealing about men. (my wife agrees with me so I must be right) Æ�Âº

09/02/2004 03:27:41 PM · #14

Originally posted by aerogurl:

It's a huge double standard, and quite frankly, it really gets my goat sometimes. If this site is honestly going to put a rule out that says that showing a penis and a vagina (let's not be pedantic about this people, we use "vagina" to mean the external genital area of a woman), is not allowed in a challenge, then photographs that show the external genital area of a woman.. (whether the majority of people think it is more aesthetic than a male or *NOT*), should be DQ'd from the challenge.
Either that, or the rule should be changed and both should be allowed.

You can't have your Pie and hide the salami!

09/02/2004 03:57:32 PM · #15

the application of the nudity rule is applied equally to photographs showing models of either sex.

09/02/2004 03:58:59 PM · #16

Originally posted by frisca:

the application of the nudity rule is applied equally to photographs showing models of either sex.

Obviously not, because there were a couple of photographs in the latest nude challenge *clearly* showing female genitalia..

*edit* (which, personally, I'm not *against*.. I just want to see fair and balanced application. I'll get off the soapbox though, because I'm clearly in the minority. Nudism and society's clear aversion to it just really bugs me... a lot. /end rant)

Message edited by author 2004-09-02 16:02:55.

09/02/2004 04:04:42 PM · #17

I voted on every photo in that challenge, as well as commenting on nearly half of them. I can only recall one shot where there was the silhouette of the outside of female genitalia and in that shot it was a very small, completely shadowed element and thus, was judged to not run afoul of the rule.

If you have any concerns about photographs from that challenge having violated a rule, it is open to you to ask the SC to review the image through the DQ process.

The application of the rule is to avoid gratutious displays of genetalia without much artistic intent.

edit: I am not against photographs which show genetalia, so long as it is done tastefully (a purely subjective criterion, but not unquantifiable). DQs for violation of this rule are generally rare for male or female models.

Message edited by author 2004-09-02 16:07:03.

09/02/2004 05:11:26 PM · #18

i went back and looked at the challenge again, and I back off my original opinion. I think there has been a bit of a double standard when it comes to the application of the nudity rule. I'm not sure what to do about it.

09/02/2004 05:39:55 PM · #19

Originally posted by frisca:

Personally, I'd word it to allow "moderate genitalia if shown in full or 3/4 body shots, with an emphasis on the figure as a whole, and not on a specific region. No sexual content, including visual stimulation or petting." Or, something similar along those lines.
Something to think about, or discuss with fellow admins/site council?

dwolff

Nikon 1 J1

09/02/2004 05:48:29 PM · #20

Originally posted by aerogurl:

showing below the belly button of man or woman is showing genitals.

If below the belly button is "showing genitals" then I see nudes every day on the street. I take the "rule" for women to mean not spread eagle showing everything. I think the "rule" for men should be changed to not showing erections rather than not the penis. I went to the Art Museum last weekend with two of my daughters (9 & 12) and they couldn't stop giggling over the nudes wether it was a man or a woman, but they got to see a penis.

Message edited by author 2004-09-02 17:49:37.

09/02/2004 06:16:40 PM · #21

Originally posted by dwolff:

If below the belly button is "showing genitals" then I see nudes every day on the street.

I didn't mean that quite so literally. I simply meant that showing full frontal shots of a man or a woman is the exact same. And I do not take the rule as anything goes except 'spread eagle'. As a woman I can assure you that when I stand in front of the mirror naked I see my genitals, whether my legs are spread or not. This is simply a double standard. No two ways around it...

GoldBerry

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

09/02/2004 06:19:34 PM · #22

I agree with a post on DrJones' latest submission in the Nude II challenge, that it's more 'porn' than art. The human body is a work of art, but to sexualize it publically in a blatant matter isn't cool to me.
There was a photo posted on DPC a few weeks ago of a woman [naked] covered in whipped cream and the title was "with a cherry on top" [I think]. I found it highly inappropriate and I hope it was taken down..there's enough gratuitous nudity on the web as-is.

That doesn't mean showing genitals or breasts/butts is pornography, but I think it's easy to judge the content and intent.