Why You Should Take Naked Pics of Yourself, Now

(This post is for adults, 18+ please.)

Sometime after I hit my thirties, I began to love my body—to appreciate it, and enjoy it—in a way that I’d never been able to when I was younger. Some of it’s just a natural part of getting older, I guess, and becoming more confident and comfortable in my skin. A lot of it was learning, over a lot of years, how to let go of the shame I’d unknowingly carried around my sexuality since I was young.

I don’t know about you, but I grew up in the late 90s/early aughts, when heroin chic was an actual thing and eating disorders felt not only normalized, but actively encouraged. I thought 0% body fat paired with huge, perfectly round Victoria’s Secret boobs were necessities – ideals I couldn’t live up to, but wanted to. At the same time, so many of the women I found beautiful and confident, women I aspired to be more like—say, Britney Spears or Megan Fox—were so denigrated for owning, or using, their sexuality in any way. It was a baffling mixture of messages that left me confused and embarrassed about my own budding sexuality, let alone any pride I felt in having it.

In my 30s, I’ve learned to care less about what people think. I guess that’s another thing that just happens naturally (at least as a woman – grow thicker skin or perish). Now, when I want to take a photo of myself, I take the photo. And you know why? Because it’s my body and I can do what I want with it. Because it’s mine and I love it. Because it’s beautiful. Because it’s imperfect and flawed. Because I’ve put it through so damn much and I want to honor it. Because it’s mine and sometimes, in the face of evil legislation and rampant sexism, I need a way to remember that. Because I want a reminder of what my ass looked like at age 34 (fucking perfect). Because it’s mine.

If I haven’t convinced you to whip out your smartphone or camera yet, then keep reading, or skip to the bottom for tips and tricks on taking photos.

We’re all getting over the trauma of living in a society. As mentioned above, we’re all recovering from the screwed up messaging we grew up with – and the garbage we still have to deal with today. Taking control of the camera, of your own image, can be a powerful thing in the face of societal bullshit.

It’s not self-centered; it’s a fun, creative way to express different parts of yourself. Self-portraiture has been a thing pretty much forever, right? But I think that because places like Instagram and Only Fans are largely dominated by women, and selfies are often thought of as something only teenage girls do—as if we’re not all sitting at home taking selfies on our couches sometimes—it’s been unfairly deemed frivolous, self-centered, or attention-seeking to take photos of oneself nowadays. Just remember: your body is art, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to appreciate or document it.

You don’t actually have to be naked. Contrary to the title of this post, you can actually be as naked or clothed as you want – this is your trip, honey. Let yourself get comfortable and shed clothes at your own pace, or don’t. Include as little or as much of your body as you feel comfortable with. You can shoot powerful, self-affirming photos with or without clothes on, close-up or far away. See what makes you feel good.

It can be empowering and eye-opening. Taking self-portraits can let you see yourself in a totally new light; you can experiment with different looks, attitudes, outfits, etc. without fear of judgment. You can also find your best angles and the positions and expressions that make you feel good about yourself in a photo.

You do look good enough right now. You don’t need to wait until you hit a certain weight or look a certain way, and you aren’t too old / out of shape / nerdy / insert your own insecurity here. In fact, there’s a good chance you’ll look back at these pictures later and realize you looked fantastic – and you’ll be happy to have the reminder. No matter what you look like or how you feel about it, I promise, there’s a way to highlight the parts of yourself you do like in a photo – and in doing so, you might even discover something new to love about your body.

“Pretty” doesn’t have to be the goal. Maybe you don’t love your body right now, or maybe you’re still struggling to figure out your style or vibe. Maybe you just don’t feel like being pretty, period. But you know what? Looking like a pinup doesn’t have to be your goal – it can be anything you want. You can project whatever image you choose, whether it be tough or aloof or, yes, pretty; that’s the beauty of doing it yourself.

Anyone can do it. With smartphones and social media, we have faster and easier outlets to experiment with photography than ever; you pretty much just need a phone and a place to take photos (your bedroom being the safest bet).

They’re fun to share with friends! If you’re not sharing nudes of yourself with your friends so they can gush over your hotness—and vice versa—are you even living? Just make sure to share through secure methods, and only with people you trust who have consented to receiving them.

Tips for Taking Photos

Follow people on Instagram who look like you (body-wise), but who also inspire you. There are models and influencers of every shape, size, and color on Insta; find one (or ten!) you connect with and use their photos as inspiration for outfits, poses, and so forth.

Get some basic equipment. A ring light will really up your self-portrait game, and there are tons of cheap ones (like, $25) to be found online. If you’re using a smartphone, look for a light that also acts as a tripod for your phone; most will also come with a Bluetooth remote to snap the photos. If you don’t want a ring light—or if you’re one of those lucky folks with good lighting in their house and you want to play around with natural lighting instead—I’d get a posable tripod and a wireless remote.

Make sure you won’t be bothered by anyone for a while, and take a lot of pictures. Pick a time when you know you won’t be interrupted (so you can stay in the flow without worrying about your roommate busting in on you naked), and take a ton of photos. Play around and experiment, let yourself get loose. Sometimes the best photos happen when you’re just messing around.

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Listen to some music and have fun! If you’re not feeling it, change something up about the photo/environment/pose, or take a break and come back to it later. Focus on getting one good photo, not twenty.

If you’re nervous about having nude photos on your phone, put your phone in Airplane Mode until you’re finished shooting and have transferred the photos over to your computer into a safe/locked folder. Consider not showing face/any identifying marks if you’re still nervous.

Once you have your photos, send them to a partner or friend, print them out at home and make your own album, or get them printed by a printer who accepts “boudoir photography,” like MPix (I don’t currently know of any online print company that accepts explicit/full frontal type photographs; it’s also always up to the company to make the final call on what they will or won’t print).

Don’t share nudes with unsuspecting folks! It can be fun to share with friends, but not everyone necessarily wants to see your nudes and lewds, even if you’re really proud of them. Ask before sending.

That’s all there is to it! Go forth and take hot photos of yourselves, lovelies.

Header image via Unsplash.