Behind the Scenes: Getting the Cover Shot

A lot of prep work goes in to multi-model shoots as I have mentioned, and my Independence Day shibari shoot was no exception. I had to prep three different colors of rope, tie up each model individually while making sure all three line up (knot-wise, as best I could) and then shoot the entire series while on a very tight time schedule because we were prepping for the PRIDE shoot outdoors, which had to be shot in a *very* specific time window.  As a refresher, here is the completed preview image for the shoot, which debuts the first week of July over on my deviantART account:

 

In order to get this shot (which is rotated 180° from how I shot it) I had to use a step stool and some tricky useage of my LED "hot" light panels to avoid major shadowing, as seen below:

As you can see, I actually shot this in the Old West/Gentleman's Lounge set room (Old studio B) as Studio A was being used at the moment.  I don't think we did too bad considering the lack of space.

The model in blue rope, Kore, had never before modeled nude, so this was a first for her. Fortuneatly, she took direction well and was easy to work with.  Actually, the hardest thing with this shoot was getting all three ropes to match up, as each one was a different material.  The red rope was diamond-braided "silk" style kinbaku rope, the white was natural hemp and the blue was dyed cotton.  Although all three models had been at least casually tied before, it was also still a pretty new experience for all of them.  I'm not entirely sure how many processed images I'll end up with (there is only so much you can do with a single color backdrop and no props) but it should be available for download by the end of the week.
Cheers!

Behind the Scenes: PRIDE (2019) with Video

Shooting the (now 1st Annual) PRIDE shoot was a ton of fun.  Everyone was laughing and having a grand time, and we have lots of ideas for how to expand on this in the future.  First up, here are some behind the scenes photos taken by one of the model escorts on site that day:

 

And if for some reason you want even more of the crazy, here is a short film we took while shooting the actual series: 

PRIDE (2019): Behind the Scenes with Unique Nudes from Nakayama Studios Films on Vimeo.

Prints for Sale: The Reluctant Detective

You can now digitally download the entire Reluctant Detective series for just $6.00, or buy any of the prints listed below for anywhere from $5 to $165 depending on the size, media, etc.

"Noir Goddess"

"Private Dick"

"Eye Spy"

"Respite"

To purchase a print, simply click the name below the portrait and follow the directions on the right hand side of your screen.  Signed prints and custom images/frames can also be purchased.  For more information, email info@uniquenudes.com

Preview: Shoreline

I had a great shoot today with a male model; the first male nude I've shot in sometime.  And this post will probably get passed on by a lot of people, not for lack of the love of the male nude, but because I've gotten a 24 hour ban on Facebook today for the mere mention of this website so I can't promote this post.  (It's not against their official policy, I checked and requested a review, but it's still annoying.)  In any case, here is Avery in his first ever shoot "Shoreline".

Pride & Previews: Today's Shoots

Today I ended up doing five photoshoots altogether; consisting of 3 solo shoots and 2 multi-model shoots.  It's been a hell of a long day, so I'm just going to leave you with preview images for now.  But we have a TON of behind the scenes images to share later on, as well as a "Behind the Scenes" *video* of the PRIDE shoot, so keep checking back for more stuff.

 "Kitten on the Keys"
Lena

"Greaser"

Leia

"Red, White & Boobs: A Patriotic Shibari Shoot"
Leia, Lena & Kore

"PRIDE (2019)"
Leia, Lena, Gwen, Lynn, Rosalin, Kore

"Professor"
Kore

It was an amazing time had by all.  One model, Kore, had never before modeled until today, much less nude, so we kind of tossed her in the deep end, metaphorically speaking.  But all the shoots turned out awesome and I'm quite pleased with how the day went.

Cheers!
-- Richard

Prep Work: Pride & Powder

Tomorrow (Saturday, June 22, as we near the end of Pride Month) I have a bunch of models coming in from all over the United States for a day of shooting, culminating with a final shoot in which at least 8 (and possibly more) models will be running around the lawn at Nakayama Studios Riverside covering themselves and each other in brightly colored Holi powder (the same stuff used in the Indian festival as well as color runs).  I spent all day yesterday cutting open tons of bags of the stuff, and sorting it in to the 12 bottles you see above.  Even being super careful I got it all over myself, so I can only imagine how the shoot is going to go.  I plan on doing a lot of action shots, and with any luck I may set up one of my DSLRs to run some video while we're shooting.  The whole day looks like it's going to be spectacular, so there will be lots of new content both here and on deviantART over the summer.
Here are our confirmed models for the final shoot tomorrow night:

Besides the prep work for the Pride shoot (clearing the lawn of hazards, dust-covering gear, etc), I also have to finish prepping shibari rope for a 3-model, 4th of July themed kinbaku shoot, set up backdrops in the studio, clean off the outdoor sets, charge extra batteries, prep paperwork and so on.  Whenever anybody says "Oh, your job is so easy! I wish I could do what you do!" I just silently laugh inside and go about my day.  This is a fun job, but it's still a LOT of work.

Anyhow, stay tuned for behind the scenes photos, video and more from tomorrow. 

Cheers!

-- Richard

Recent Work: New Model Lynn V

Let's start off this new site like we did with the OLD OLD site way back in the day - posts about my recent work, upcoming shoots, etc.  This weekend I have some models flying in from Chicago to shoot, and huge plans for a PRIDE shoot featuring them plus some local models.  But before that, I recently had the pleasure to shoot a brand new model who just turned 18.  We did 3 shoots in one day, and have plans for more before she heads off to college out of state next month.  Her name is Lynn, and she was absolutely a joy to work with.  Here are the preview images:

Her first shoot, The Reluctant Detective, is already going live over on my deviantART account, and the rest will debut after the PRIDE shoot, as it's time sensitive.  Anyhow, it's nice to have a blog back where I can post my preview images; I hope you guys are as excited as I am.
-- Richard

Unique Nudes - In Exile

Welcome to the temporary home of UniqueNudes.com, the site for the Fine Art Photography of Richard Rasner.  While we update to an all new server, please enjoy this site instead.
Yes, it's really me, and not one of the many spoofs people have tried over the years.  I'll be updating links here from my personal Facebook page (yes, the weird French name one), my official Twitter, and my deviantART account.