I think my images tend to be more glamour/erotic than art nude, and I know it's a fine line between what the majority would consider 'tasteful' and 'obscene'.
Thanks again. It's been a useful topic and I've learned a bit more about competitions and salons.
I know that you'd probably like to put this topic to bed now, but I've only just seen the posting, so I thought I'd stick my neck out and throw my comments in.
Nudity has always been a controversial topic with some people, but I think that we need to remember that it was only just over a hundred years ago that showing a lady's ankle or bare arm was considered scandalous. However, times have moved on, and now we see the female (and male) naked/semi-naked bodies in all forms of advertising on a daily basis in television and the press. The reason is because they are "desirable" and attract one's attention - either because of physical attributes (e.g. body toning) or sexual allure.
I personally see photography as an art form, whether shooting people, places, nature, or especially when doing the type of creative work done by Gerry, Keith, and Neil (and forgive me if I've missed anyone out here). Thus, to me the naked body, if shown in a tasteful and artistic form, has a rightful place in a photographic club/annual book.
I can't define what is tasteful, since "tasteful" is a very subjective adjective, but I can give one example of what is distasteful - and for this I will echo the long-ago words of the Sun glamour model, Samantha Fox: "I won't do the type of photo that shows me naked with one leg over that arm of the chair, and the other leg over that arm of the chair". Your photos (in my humble opinion) are very artistic and show the female form in a very compelling way that accentuates the beauty and characteristics of the individual model, and I would love to aspire to your quality of photography.
There are those who might consider that images of this type could be seen by children, but I agree with John's comments regarding parental responsibility re children and the raunchy videos that they are subjected to every time they get a pop song on TV or their iPhones. In any case any child who has been on a continental holiday has been subjected to many bare breasts and string bikini pants on topless beaches.
Re showing nipples, etc, the media is very hypocritical; for instance, last week in the Daily Mail, a lady whose breasts had been deformed into a square shape due to a bad implant operation was featured; her breasts were shown close-up in entirety, but a tiny black dot was shown over each nipple. Where's the logic in this??
Paul, you are not an ADAPS outsider - quite the opposite - you are an ADAPS pioneer, and your photography is to be admired. Let's have more.
There - I'm glad to get that off my chest - I'll get down off my soap-box now!
Mel
"Aim for the moon - if you miss you'll land amongst the stars."
