#1 April 25th, 2007 07:38 PM

paintjam

Member

is it me, or?

as long as i have been visiting and participating in this site, i have always read the
artists statement for each folio.

is it me or do quite a few girls have some sort of negative impression of themselves
in some way before doing the shoot, that in many cases gets washed away  because of it???

there are so many gorgeous sisters in the world and on this site i cant help but wonder how some of us would need the help of a digital camera and the lack of clothing to feel better about ourselves, but it is true in some cases.

a lesson to be learned here?

does personal beauty need to be discovered?

jamie

---

'stay beautiful'

Agamemnon

Member

Re: is it me, or?

I've notised the same thing.  I wonder if this is, in fact, the result of advertising, and celebrity culture, where woman (and even in some cases men too) get the reinforced message of inferiority at not meeting a standard if they don't use a particular product, have certain attributes or fit some other arbitrary stereotype.  In this case it's not so much the use of a digital camera as much as an artist actually observing herself on her own terms possibly for the first time.
As a male I've probably missed the point completely but it's something I've noticed, and like you, thought about.

turtleman

Member

Re: is it me, or?

I myself had a fairly early in life natural and good exposure to natural nudity.

As a kid (as was maybe 11 or so....) I was sent to an Island for a health vacation (paid by health insurance and the government - Germany). Guess what? This island is packed with nude beaches with some non-nude beaches in between. The name of the place is Sylt - in case you wonder.
OK, here I was....
We were the oldest group and stayed out later on the beach. I'd separate myself a bit from the group and "collect shells" and got close to the nudists walking through (which was allowed by law) to get to another stretch of beach. They - the girls and ladies -usually smiled at me.

Anyway....this time (6 weeks of that...) changed my outlook on nakedness and nudity. I saw how good, natural and beautiful it is.
There were some other exposures...
But the 6 weeks on the beach formed me the most and is something I still look back to a lot.

The other summer I went to our local (Sandy Hook, NJ) nude beach and said to myself "That's it!" and took my clothes off. Oh what a great that was. Gotta go back this year. Last summer I didn't make it since somehow it got too crazily busy and the summer too short....
One thing I missed there....didn't know anybody and there was nobody to talk to.

Well.....mmmhh...the question.....

Yes, I do think we often need to discover and jump a barrier....but not jump back, LOL!

liberation

Member

Re: is it me, or?

Yes, I concur with the above. Additionally, Western society believes all things can be ranked. So, for example, a woman may think of herself as attractive on a scale, more attractive than dirt, but less attractive than someone who has a lot of pictures taken of her (because, of course, if you have your picture taken a lot it must mean your attractive, right?). Many women would never think of modeling in any context because they aren't "the most attractive."

Of course, here in ISM land we all know that we are each beautiful individually, no comparisons needed, nor wanted.

blissed

Member

Re: is it me, or?

Of course, here in ISM land we all know that we are each beautiful individually, no comparisons needed, nor wanted.

Ooh yes I agree!!

centrevom

Member

Re: is it me, or?

as long as i have been visiting and participating in this site, i have always read the
artists statement for each folio.

is it me or do quite a few girls have some sort of negative impression of themselves
in some way before doing the shoot, that in many cases gets washed away  because of it???

jamie

Yes, I've noticed how incredibly many artists say it was liberating, or confidence-building.  But what stimulates this feeling?  Seeing the photos they have taken, and realising they are much more beautiful than they previously believed?  Possibly, but that seems to me unlikely. After all they have seen themselves naked in a mirror many times, and they are not seeing anything about themselves they haven't seen before. I guess they aren't responding to the sight of themselves, but rather to the fact that they know, as they write, that they are about to be seen naked by thousands of others. And the realisation that they can do that, and not feel shy, humiliated or ashamed (because they know the ethos of ISM won't allow that).

So my guess is that it's the posting, not the taking, or even the seeing, of the photos that creates the positive experience.  And that's the real genius of ISM - I can't see how any other format could achieve this result.

Or am I on the wrong track here?

paintjam

Member

Re: is it me, or?

what an interesting perspective to come from.

i know for myself there was no problems with my naked self, and there certainly should have been in my case, but i had been posing nude for other artists for many many years.

thanx for your input
jamie

---

'stay beautiful'

paintjam

Member

Re: is it me, or?

Yes, I concur with the above. Additionally, Western society believes all things can be ranked. So, for example, a woman may think of herself as attractive on a scale, more attractive than dirt, but less attractive than someone who has a lot of pictures taken of her (because, of course, if you have your picture taken a lot it must mean your attractive, right?). Many women would never think of modeling in any context because they aren't "the most attractive."

Of course, here in ISM land we all know that we are each beautiful individually, no comparisons needed, nor wanted.

yes this is true for many as well.
one of my dearest friends almost died from anorexia because of this rating system.

she saved herself from this fate, started eating, stopped watching t.v. and buying fashion magazines, shaved her head, got a few tattoos and has been a very successful nude model for photographers since, even while pregnant.

i wonder it much of it is subliminal?

jamie

---

'stay beautiful'

paintjam

Member

Re: is it me, or?

I've notised the same thing.  I wonder if this is, in fact, the result of advertising, and celebrity culture, where woman (and even in some cases men too) get the reinforced message of inferiority at not meeting a standard if they don't use a particular product, have certain attributes or fit some other arbitrary stereotype.  In this case it's not so much the use of a digital camera as much as an artist actually observing herself on her own terms possibly for the first time.
As a male I've probably missed the point completely but it's something I've noticed, and like you, thought about.

i think this could be so in part for many.

i can tell you this though, it can quite liberating to see oneself nude on a computer monitor for the first time.  for some even addictive.

this site would never be as much of a unique success if the artists did not photo themselves.

perhaps being in control makes all the difference.

jamie

---

'stay beautiful'

turtleman

Member

Re: is it me, or?

"this site would never be as much of a unique success if the artists did not photo themselves.

perhaps being in control makes all the difference."

jamie

I have seen sites where women were treated well and with respect, but yet, it was never like this here....
Here a woman, also the occasional men can be their real self. Can show they way the see and discover themselves. Say look here, look there...that's me...etc.

It's a complete different world, yet very real and the real one.
Hard to explain...

I don't want anything else any more.

Am I addicted???? Who cares, LOL!

liberation

Member

Re: is it me, or?

I don't want anything else any more.

Am I addicted???? Who cares, LOL!

God bless.

Personal Liberation