photo via She Hit Pause Studios

Shooting naked photos together can be embarrassing and even terrifying, but it can also be an incredibly sexy and intimate experience. Plus, no matter how you feel about your shape, we’re pretty sure that in thirty years you’ll wish you had that body — and you’ll be glad you captured it for posterity!

1. Only shoot naked pics with someone you trust completely — if you wouldn’t invite them home for the holidays, can you really trust them with naked evidence? You can double-down on privacy by keeping your face out of the shot and/or shooting with mini instant camera (no negatives and no instant ability to “forward”). If you must send your partner a saucy pic of yourself, be sure to use an app like SnapChat that only displays the pic for a few seconds before self-combusting.

2. Full nudity is overrated — sometimes the sexier images happen when you leave a little to the imagination… leave on an item of clothing, or artfully drape a sheet, or coyly place an arm or hand in the way of the camera.

3. Penthouse-style spread-eagle poses are overrated too — and there’s nothing worse than someone striking that pose when they don’t feel entirely comfortable naked in front of the camera (chances are, that’s you sunshine!). Go for candid, action shots instead — the action can be as innocent as laughing or blowing a kiss or something, er, racier.

4. You don’t need to be Annie Leibovitz, but it’s worth taking a few tips from the pros: Avoid overhead lighting (it highlights imperfections) and flash (it looks amateur) — try instead daylight from a window, low-wattage bulbs in lamps, or candlelight. Also, never shoot your subject from below (so unflattering!). Remember that a tripod lets you both be in the shot. Finally, a little blurriness can make a pic look more arty and less porny (e.g. your bodies are both completely still except for a blurry hand or mouth in a certain place…).

5. You don’t need to be Gisele, but it’s worth taking a few tips from the pros: Don’t slouch, do tauten your muscles. When standing, pose at an angle rather than straight on, and do something with your arms.

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