The act of sending someone nude photos is a salad of risk, vulnerability, and intimacy—some of the most important ingredients of horniness. While it once was somewhat taboo, it's standard, if still spicy, fare these days. One found that about one third of people under 45 have sent nude photos before, and I would be shocked if that number hasn’t gone up during our winter of distancing. Virtually everyone is at least on board with sexts, but how do you make the jump from flirty sexting to nudes? And how, if called upon, do you take a hot pic yourself? Let me—and some of my fellow nude enthusiasts—tell you the rules.
Whether we’re talking in-person or on-screen, seeing your body naked is still seeing your body naked. You should therefore never surprise a person with a nude pic unless you two have a longstanding relationship where you frequently show each other your naked bodies. Okay? Obviously, you should only be sending nudes to someone who asked for them, but you should also be building up to the ass selfie or sultry bedroom shot just like you would with real life nudity.
You don’t need to shift your persona into Joe Manganiello mode to take a sexy picture. This should not feel like a chore or a great endeavor. You should be enjoying the process as you go. Sending someone a nude should turn you on, too. If you’re too serious or intense about your nudes, you risk coming across a 50 Shades of Gray cornball.
The Gentleman’s Guide to Taking and Sending Nudes
Thankfully, there are steps we can take to make the act of sending nudes safer, and to lessen the impact should photos fall into the wrong virtual hands.
