While everyone moves at their own pace when it comes to their body image, taking nudes of yourself can be a fantastic way to feel like a total baddie. There’s a wide spectrum of what can be considered a “nude,” and you can take them for any reason or occasion. Just take it from the experts — if anyone knows how to take good nudes, it’s creators on OnlyFans.
Founded in 2016 by entrepreneur Tim Stokely, OnlyFans is a platform where content creators can post practically any kind of content they wish; this inevitably opened up a space for sex workers and more NFSW content creators to sell their content via subscription, changing the way many view digital sex work. After the pandemic hit, OnlyFans saw a drastic increase in creator sign-ups — jumping from 120,000 in 2019 to over 1 million by December 2020.
Now, the platform now has over 150 million registered users and 1.5 million creators. The site currently pays out over $5 billion to creators annually — so it’s safe to say those making the content on OnlyFans have the art of nude pics down to a science. While you may not want to start selling your naked pics for profit (or even let them be seen by anyone else), here are some tips on how to take good nudes, according to OnlyFans creators.
What To Wear When You Take Nudes
While the word “nudes” may seem pretty self-explanatory in terms of what you’ll be wearing, there are definitely options other than your birthday suit. Take it from OnlyFans creator Charlotte Lavish, who has over 47,000 OnlyFans subscribers. Lavish says her favorite kind of nudes to take are partial or even “implied” nudes. “I think it’s really cute to have some bubbles covering certain parts or using my bedsheets to partially reveal myself.”
If you want to ease yourself into taking nudes for the first time, you may even consider wearing a T-shirt, OnlyFans creator Luna Winter says. “If you’re doing semi-nude [photos], show off whatever part of your body you love most.” Winter, who’s an expert in 4K quality videos and breast-play content, recommends using a baggy T-shirt to show off your bottom half if you’d rather not show your stomach, or getting creative with a silk robe and pulling it down a bit to show off your cleavage.
Lingerie can be a great option if you’re open to showing lots of skin but don’t want to take full-on nudes. OnlyFans creator Belle Grace, who has over 3,000 pictures posted on her profile, thinks you should feel hot when you take your nude pics. “You’ll want to wear lingerie that you’ll feel most comfortable in and think ‘Wow, I look hot in this!’” Grace recommends investing in a few pieces of high-quality lingerie (her favorites are from Honey Birdette) so that they feel sexy in what they’re wearing.
Figuring out what to wear when taking nudes is more about comfortability than anything else. As long as you’re feeling confident, you’re much more likely to settle into your sexiness in photos; if you’re having an “off” day, though, that's fully valid. Even the pros have those from time to time — OnlyFans creator Bri Dempsey, who also has over 110,000 followers on TikTok, says she picks her outfit based on what will make her feel best. “It really depends on my mood and how I feel about my body that day.”
What Angles & Lighting To Use When You Take Nudes
All of the creators Bustle spoke to emphasized that angles are everything when it comes to taking nudes. “It’s important to learn your body and what positions you love, but also to come out of your comfort zone,” says Grace. “Just because you tried an angle once and it didn’t work, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it again.”
Dempsey, who grew up taking plenty of beach photos in Hawaii, knows a thing or two about angles. “If you’re taking a photo of the front, high angles are your best friend!” she says. “But if you’re wanting to take a photo to show off your booty, low angles will always win. You have to turn your hips a little, prop up your foot that’s facing the camera, and take that low-angle photo.”
For shots with those hot angles, Lavish and Winter highly recommend taking videos of yourself in addition to still photos. “Pro tip: record a video with the back camera of you slowly and sensually moving or posing and then screenshot the stills that you like,” says Winter. This will allow you to have more fluid control of the angles you’re trying, and give you more options for stills to choose from. Plus, many people find movement in photos to be exciting and sexy.
For lighting, it comes down to personal preference. While Winter and Lavish speak highly of using natural lighting, Dempsey prefers to use an LED light (like this one from Neewer), which she says helps conceal blemishes or anything she doesn’t want to highlight in photos. Natural light can help you get creative, however. “Natural light will always look better than indoor lights in my opinion,” Lavish says. “If I take pics of my vagina, I use oil or lube to make it glisten. This looks really nice in sunlight.”
When To Send Nudes
If nothing else, comfortability and consent are most important when you’re taking nudes. Both Dempsey and Winter emphasize how crucial it is to feel secure and not pressured whatsoever before you decide to take or send nudes. Simply put: if you feel uncomfortable sending nude pictures of yourself to someone, or if you don’t have their consent to do so, don’t. If you’re sending nudes via text, many experts agree that it’s best to hide your face in the pictures to protect yourself. Once you send them, you have no control over what happens afterward, so use plenty of discretion.
That being said, these creators have some great tips when it comes to sending nudes when you do feel excited and have consent. To prepare for a nude photo session, Winter says to start with a shower. “Shave if you need to. Exfoliate, get out your body butters, brush your hair, and do whatever else you need to to feel sexy. Self-care is sexy.”
Lavish says you can even send a nude when you’re cozy in your bed. “In bed, selfies give off a personal intimate vibe. I usually prop my phone on my nightstand or on pillows if I need both hands for my pose.”
Sending a fun text along with the nude is a great option as well, says Dempsey. “My go-to is to text them ‘I have a surprise for you’ or even ‘Wish you were here.’” If Grace takes a nude for her OnlyFans, she captions it with something “naughty” like “‘I’m working naked today, wanna join me?’”
If you want to take a nude, but struggle with body confidence, Winter says not to be too hard on yourself if the pictures don’t turn out perfectly the first time. She says those small things you feel self-conscious about might be appreciated — or even sexy — to others.
Dempsey says the best time to send a nude is “Whenever you feel like a bad bitch!” She recommends pumping yourself up in the mirror and putting on some of your favorite hype music (her personal fave is Megan Thee Stallion).
Above all, it’s important to remember that the nudes you take don’t have to be for anyone else. If you know that it would be an empowering experience, that is what matters most — even if the nudes are for your eyes only. “The best tip is to be kind to yourself,” Dempsey says. “You only have one body your whole life — spend that time loving and embracing it!”
