john_n._wall

I must say that every time I see a nude-in-the-environment image like this, I think about what it must have been like to sit bare-arsed on that rock. I know what she's thinking -- how much dirt will I have clinging to my bottom when this guy lets me move. And, how much am I getting paid in modeling fees and is it worth it?

In other words, thoughts evoked by imagining what it must have been like to be in this photo get in the way of any aesthetic or other consideration.

This image has strong foreground interest, strong background -- great clouds. But the important thing is the decision to place the nude figure in the image. This has, for me, some initial strength, but after a while it wears thin.

I must admit that when I see images of nudes in natural settings, I am drawn not to the image but to wonder about what it was like to be in the picture. I see photos of nudes in the forest and I wonder about bugs and poison ivy.

In this case, I can't imagine this person being able to climb up on that big rock naked without skinning her knees. Maybe that's why she is facing away from the camera.

Also, the light here is not particularly flattering to her bum. I think nudes are hard to shoot, and I've seen better.