The Art of Sexting & Nudes

You’d think having good sexting game is all about the right light, the right clothes (to take off) or choosing the right frames and angles.

But as recipients of NSFW images, is that really what we focus on? If that’s not it, then what makes a good nude and how do you know when you have one?

For anyone who’s new to the nudes game or wants to know if they’re doing it right, here’s our quick guide on photographing yourself!

Photographing yourself when you feel unsure of your body and your preferences is hard. Before you jump into the act of photographing yourself for someone else, start with the intention of trying it out just for you.

Explore your body

What angles do you like? What positions, lighting, outfits or props do you feel most comfortable in? What pictures feel most like you?

Test running your self-shoot is also a great way to catch little things in your surroundings (art on your wall, personal care products on your desk) or on your person (tattoos, jewellery, scars) that might give away your identity and compromise on the level of anonymity you were hoping to maintain while sharing these photographs. 

If identity markers are unavoidable, this will also help you plan what needs to be cropped out of frame or edited in your images.

Know your recipient

We’re often led to believe that only very specific parts of our bodies are considered attractive or worthy of having the spotlight in nudes. But what if that’s not all that gets your partner/s hot and bothered? 

Texting/Sexting beyond images to better understand what the other person craves is a game-changer. Show off your collarbones, zoom in on your waist, shoot a little video of your hands running down your ribs or down your neck and tell them you still remember how their lips felt against your skin, and leave them waiting, wanting and begging for more.

Find out what makes the person tick and you won’t have to take every piece of clothing off or turn on a ring light every time they ask for a picture.

Not all your nudes have to actually be nudes. Work smarter not harder, boo.

Be a tease

You know how hot it can be to anticipate a kiss or watch your partner slowly undress?

Take that giddy feeling and add it to your sexting game. Sure, maybe the person asked you for a very specific photograph, but who says you can’t make them suffer a little as they wait for it?

Photograph yourself through the stages of you getting undressed. Take a photograph that’s ever-so-slightly out of focus. Shoot a video that feels like you’re about to be completely naked in it, and end the video just before you’ve revealed yourself.

They’re already waiting to see you. A few more seconds will only hurt in the best ways.

Work those hands

Listen.

Hands are so, so underrated.

Nudity is great, but making someone watch your own hand run through your hair or down your skin or undoing a button can sometimes be enough.

If you know your recipient well enough, you can flip a page on a book with all your clothes on and still drive them wild.

Work. Those. Hands.

Trust us.

Use a timer

When you’ve played with selfies for a while, you might start to feel limited in the poses and angles in your pictures. Use that timer. Not only will that let you play around with the distance set between you and your camera, it will also help you feel freer and give you space for more movement and action.

Feeling physically free from the camera button might help make you feel even sexier, and the photos that come out of this could show you a whole new side to yourself.

Nudity doesn’t have to be sexually graphic or aggressive

If looking straight into the camera or watching your own body on your phone screen feels strange, or if posing ‘sexily’ feels weird or foreign, do something that makes you feel comfortable. 

Set up the camera, photograph yourself nude or partially nude as you read or sip on some tea or dance or play a video game, and watch yourself be sexy through mundane activities. In all likelihood, that’s how people already see you and you just haven’t had the chance to catch yourself like that.

Embrace the possibility of rejection or being ignored

Maybe it wasn’t the kind of photo the other person was looking for, maybe they aren’t in the mood to sext anymore.

None of that is a reflection on you. You can take incredible pictures of yourself and look fantastic in them all, and still not get the attention or validation that you were looking for, and that’s okay!

You’re attractive enough no matter what, even if that remains a secret between you and your camera.