Picture Yourself

Nothing quite does it for a man like a visual treat. So, this holiday season, why not surprise him with some sexy photos... of you! Not sure how to do it? Don’t worry, we’ve got all the planning taken care of for you. Just choose some of the great ideas below and create a masterpiece he will treasure forever.

Getting Yourself Ready

• If your photos are going to be nude ones, make sure you don’t wear anything that will leave lines on your skin (like bra straps or tight waist pants) for an hour or so before your photo shoot.
• If you are worried about the appearance of cellulite or imperfections, consider a self-tanner. Some do-it-yourself ones work pretty well. Something to remember is to wash your hands thoroughly after application. Also, use a slightly damp towel to rub your wrists, elbows, ankles, feet, and knees immediately after application to avoid discoloration (that isn’t in the directions, just a tip from an experienced do-it-yourselfer). If you don’t want to risk doing it on your own, visit a salon and get a spray on tan. They work very well and most people are satisfied with the results. If for some reason, you aren’t, a solution of lemon juice and water does a great job of removing self-tanners.

Getting the Location Ready

• Make sure you have a while for privacy. You don’t want to have to be warding off the children while trying to be sexy.
• Lighting can help you or hurt you in a photo shoot. For example, fluorescent lights are the most unflattering option you could choose. Yellow lights (colored lights, not the soft yellow/orange that comes from lamps – lamp light is very flattering) are a close second, casting a very un-sexy sickly hue on your skin. Red, purple, and blue lights, however can be very nice. Candle light and lamplight are nice, but many cameras don’t take very good photos in that kind of low light. Spotlights, or something working like a spotlight like a floodlight propped up high, can allow you to get very creative with light and shadows.
• Think about the final look before you begin. If you want sultry, think of what colors, fabrics, and lighting go along with that. If you think he’d like fun and flirtatious better, than imagine what setting might capture that feeling. If you are hoping to make a real piece of art out of your photos, take the time to really plan it out.
• Whatever setting you choose, make sure that it is clutter free. You don’t want to get the prints back and realize they are starring you next to a trash can, a box of tampons, bills, the television, or a basket full of laundry.

Printing and Packaging Your Photos

• If you don’t have the capability of printing the photos yourself at home, I must warn you that some photo shops will not print nude photos for you. So, to avoid the embarrassment, upload the photos to a web album and order the prints to be sent to your home. That way, you will never have to see the face of the person who printed your photos. If that still sounds risky to you, burn your photos to a disk, take it down to the photo machine at your local drug store (the kind that print out of the machine, not the ones that print out behind the counter – I’ve made this mistake… not as funny as it sounds), wait until there is no one around, and print them as fast as you can.
• Some ideas for delivery of your photos are: by email or phone photo messaging, in a scrapbook with notes and decorations, in a treasure box, in a frame, as a calendar, or in a photo album.

Photo Shoot Ideas

• Dress up in a sexy costume (use your imagination: Daisy Duke, Little Red Riding Hood, Cleopatra, Princess Lea, Marilyn Monroe, a bumblebee, a cat a schoolgirl, a racecar driver, a French maid, a flight attendant – you get the idea) and pose yourself in sexy positions. Imagine yourself posing for one of those calendars you see in mechanic shops for inspiration. For the holiday season, consider costumes like a naughty little elf or hot Mrs. Claus.
• Wear a white t-shirt or a bathing suit and photograph yourself washing his car, getting all wet and soapy in the process. Don’t forget to get your hair wet and play with it a lot during the shoot – men love the wet look.
• Dress in retro lingerie or a retro bathing suit and do your hair and make up in the same theme. When you have completed your photo shoot, mess around with different color schemes like black and white or black and white with lips and nails red.
• Try a Western themed photo shoot. Dress in one of those fluffy, saloon-style dresses with ringlets or messy hair and cowboy boots. Use a shimmer powder on your legs, arms, cheeks, and cleavage to simulate the sexy kind of sweat men like to see. Take your photos with the sun beating down on you. Focus your shots on your bare shoulders, chest, and legs. Pull your skirt up to the top of your thighs in a suggestive, tough, but sexy way like you are posing for a movie poster starring Selma Hyack and Sharon Stone as brothel temptresses turned bank robbers.

Arranging the Perfect Setting

• Choose a setting appropriate for the feeling you are going for. There are plenty of great places around the house that are great for sexy photo shoots. Pose with his precious car or in his shop holding an electric drill. Take your camera to the water. Take photos of yourself in the bath, shower, or pool. Take photos of yourself in the kitchen baking cupcakes wearing nothing but an apron and stilletos. Photograph yourself lying on the bed or sitting on the side. Try all different angles. Position your camera to take photos over your shoulder or from a place slightly above your head while you are lying down. Take some photos using your hands or the sheets to cover your bikini area. Focus on shots of your back, tummy, hips, legs, lips, neck, and cleavage for classically tempting photos.
• Take progressive photos of you taking your clothes off. Begin to unbutton your shirt in the first photo. Turn around and drop your shirt in the second photo. Reveal you in a sexy bra for the third. Undo the snap in the fourth. Take it off in the fifth, but use your hands to cover your nipples until the last shot.
• If you want to make a real piece of art with your body, paint your entire body with a solid color and sprinkle glitter dust over yourself or paint a modern art style mural or tribal pattern on yourself. Pose yourself in interesting positions to highlight the artistry in your photos.

Taking the Photos:

• Set up your camera to take a series of shots and take a ton of them so that you have plenty to choose from.
• If you like having fun with camera effects, trying using the settings on your camera or your photo editing software to make an art deco pic or antiqued print.
• Experiment with close-ups of your face, lips, hips, or neck and shoulders. Take full body shots and partial body shots. Place your hands by your face or on your body. Use props appropriate for your theme, if you have one. Sheer fabrics over your body are a great way to add a little mystery to your photos while also masking imperfections.