Around Christmas time I get a lot of e-mails asking for advice on how to take good nude images of wives or girlfriends, so I’ve distilled some of my thoughts

The digital camera is a wonderful invention - you can create very high quality personal images without the need to involve a processing lab. You don’t need a particularly advanced digital camera to create good images, I've used a range of them from simple 2 megapixel Kodak DC280 right up to an 17 megapixel EOS 1Ds II. But, if you’re an experienced film photographer and you’re hoping to use a digital SLR like the Canon 400D or Nikon D50 remember that the dynamic range from most DSLRs is quite a lot less than film and correct exposure (!) is key.

Are there any real rules in photographing nudes? well, not really. The only real rule is to practice under as many different conditions as possible and to learn from the experience. But I can give some general observations that might speed people up the learning curve.

Nudes are easy to shoot badly and are probably the most difficult subject to shoot well. Put the most beautiful woman in front of a camera and it’s a guarantee that the images will be less than ideal, most men would be distracted by the beauty of the woman and not the beauty of the shape of the nude. But in reality we work with real women with real bodies and the challenge is to work with your model to create images that you and her will be proud of. I get a real kick when a model asks for a print of an image to give to her boyfriend.

Always remember that a body is a collection of curves and round shapes and good nude photography will try and emphasise those shapes. Female nudes are about curves so try and create images that either accentuate the curves or have some sort of movement. My best shots have been taken when the model was lit from one side or above. If you can create images with shadows then you can begin to emphasise the models best features and hide others. Flat lighting and front lighting will tend to reduce the visibility of the curves and so avoid it if you can.

Lighting is what a nude shot is all about. I tend to create shadows by lighting from the side. Daylight is ideal - you don't have to use a studio. Having a model on a white sheet underneath a window gives a good starting point. Many of my best images have been shot in houses rather than studios. The nude should give lots of image opportunities and you don’t need really expensive lighting for really good effects. Most people advise against shooting in direct sunlight, but try it: shoot in sunlight to create shadows on walls or on your models. You can use a white wall or white sheet as a background for the nude, and equally a plain black background is a good start - try and avoid patterned backgrounds at first. If the shadows are too strong then defuse the light by using a net curtain, or try using a white reflector (a white sheet or card) on the other side of the model to lighten the shadows. Be careful of using bounced flash - it often gives too soft an effect for nudes. Remember that ultimately it is the lighting that will determine how successful the image is. Oh and by the way, the main image on my site was taken without any artificial light - I just used daylight a fast lens (85mm F1.8)

Let the model do what she’s comfortable with and don’t try and create poses that are too revealing at the first session, let your model decide how erotic she wants to make things and hopefully you’ll have many photo sessions. Try and think about "movement" and sensuality, and remember that you don’t have to see everything to create an erotic image. Let your model hide her face if she wants - most women will pose nude if they are reasonably anonymous.

OK, some practical suggestions. Any location for the shoot should be as warn and secure, you don’t want the model to feel cold and you don’t want any unexpected visitors during the shoot. A good rule of thumb is that the room or studio should be uncomfortably warm for the photographer if the model is going to spend some time nude. If you’re in a studio try and have music playing, it creates a warmer atmosphere.

Plan well before a shoot; when you’ve persuaded somebody to take her clothes off there is nothing more disconcerting for the model than a photographer who can’t think how he wants to photograph you. If you haven’t planned the shoot and your wife is the model and she takes her clothes off - chances are you won't take more than 20 shots !!!!. Even if your model is a close friend, it usually takes some time for a rapport to build between model and photographer, I usually plan on the first 45mins of a photo session being less productive for that reason. Models should not wear any underwear for at least one hour before the shoot, the elastic leaves marks on the skin that looks pretty unsightly.

If you're trying to shoot erotica, remember that its not what you see, but what you think you're seeing that makes good erotic images. Try and find interesting locations; the obvious location is the bedroom but how about the stairs or the living room. Although not possible in all places, a secluded wood can be a good location for a nude shoot. Try and use props to create a contrast with your models curves, and use different camera angles and lenses of different focal lengths. Photograph your model from above, go close in for some unusual images.

Technically, use the best camera and lenses you can, an SLR is easier to work with than a compact and prime lenses are much better than zooms, they're faster and sharper. If you want the best quality then film is still just better than digital (even my professional digital kit) because of the contrast ratio and shadow detail, and B&W film is better than colour for the same reason. But practically for most photographers digital cameras (and Photoshop) gives excellent results. Don’t be afraid of using high film speed settings. On most cameras 800 asa is a good place to start

Hope that helps - if you'd like to send me a few of your shots (file size no more than 20KB)  I'll try and give you some thoughts about them.