London - It sounds like a mortifying ordeal most of us would shy away from, but more and more women are posing for nude portraits as presents for their partners or morale-boosting treats for themselves.
* Businesswoman Rachael Ritchie, 41, lives in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, with her husband, James, a 41-year-old mechanic, and their daughter, Charlie, 17, and son, Sam, 12. Rachael says:
I’ve spent 20 years bemoaning the way I look and enduring endless diets in an attempt to change my body shape.
Since I married James in 1991, I’ve been every size, from a 12 to a 20. Yet through all those years of yo-yo dieting, my husband has always told me I am the most beautiful woman he knows.
He buys me pretty underwear and tells me I’m sexy, but still I beat myself up over my curves.
In our home we have several pieces of art that feature naked women of all shapes and sizes. I see beauty in them all, yet struggle to do the same with myself. The older I get, the more tragic that seems to me.
That’s why, when I saw an advert for a studio that specialises in nude portraits, I decided to go along.
I wanted to finally see myself the way James does – to have proof that, though I might be a size 18, I’m still an attractive and desirable woman.
James was delighted when I told him, especially when I explained the reason.
Yes, it was nerve-racking undressing in front of strangers, but I knew they were just trying to make me look beautiful. I felt so self-conscious about my tummy, but when I saw the pictures that wasn’t what I noticed.
I just thought I looked fabulous. For the first time I saw what my husband sees: a sexy, curvy woman.
He wants to put one of the portraits up in our house – perhaps in the dining room. More importantly, though, I’ve made a promise to myself that I will never diet again.
* Claire McLauchlin-Whitehead, 28, is a public relations executive. She lives in Manchester with her businessman husband, Anthony, 27. Claire says:
No one knows what I’m doing today – my husband thinks I’m working late. It’s not that I’m embarrassed; I just don’t feel the need to tell people about it.
I’ve no idea how Anthony will react when I give him the pictures. They’re a gift for our first wedding anniversary. He’ll either love them or think it’s vain and self-indulgent.
It doesn’t really matter to me because the reason I’m doing it goes much deeper than the end-result. I’m having the pictures taken because we’ve been together for seven years and I want to remind Anthony that he still doesn’t know every last thing about me.
I want him to remember that the girl he married 12 months ago is still full of surprises. That I am daring and unpredictable, and perfectly capable of running off and being photographed stark naked without telling him first.
Just as importantly, I’m doing this because I want a set of photographs of myself before time and children take their toll on my body. I want to be able to look at them in years to come and remember what it felt like to be a young woman.
I’ve always hated my legs – I’m convinced they are bigger and chunkier than they actually are – but seeing the shots made me realise it’s all in my head.
I know my body is far from perfect, but having these photos taken is a way of teaching me not to agonise over my looks.
All women should have a set of nude photographs done, whatever they decide to do with them, so they can be reminded there are more aspects to them than most people know.
* Hollie Brackenridge, 26, is a full-time mother to Scarlette, five, Isabella, three, and 14-month-old Brodie. She lives in Luton with her husband Matt, 34, a vehicle inspector. Hollie says:
Taking off my clothes to be photographed naked is my way of hammering the final nail into the coffin of the person I became after I was struck down with post-natal depression following the birth of my middle child.
These pictures are proof that the real me is alive and kicking again.
I had a set done five years ago to celebrate getting my body back after my first pregnancy. My favourite picture from that shoot has been hanging on our living room wall ever since.
During my illness, I would look at it and wonder how I found the confidence to do something so brave.
At first, that picture tormented me. I was barely functioning at the time – just getting out of bed and pulling on clean clothes felt like a huge effort.
Matt was keeping the family together. He took time off work to look after the children and me; he was more like my carer than my husband. I felt like a failure as a woman and a mother.
It was medication, counselling and, surprisingly, another pregnancy that finally flicked a switch in my head. By the time Brodie was born, I was functioning normally again.
Suddenly, that picture gave me something to aim for. So, as soon as I lost my baby weight, I vowed to have another set of nude photographs taken as a gift for Matt to show him that he has his wife back again.
I’m more proud of these pictures than the ones taken when I was so much younger. My body and I have been through so much and these photographs are testament to the fact I’ve survived.
* Jilly Tatlow, 34, is a management development co-ordinator. She lives with her partner, Chris Julian, 31, a salesman, in Manchester. Jilly says:
The idea of posing for a set of naked pictures to give to my boyfriend for a surprise Valentine’s Day gift seemed like a fun, frivolous thing to do.
But when I arrived at the studio, I suddenly felt vulnerable and afraid that I might leave discovering I actually don’t look that great.
I’m in my prime and want to capture myself as I am right now. I don’t feel I need to lose half a stone or
tone up my abs — I feel good about how I look just the way I am. This is the most confident I’ve ever felt.
Strutting around the studio, I felt incredibly sexy. I got over the fact I was naked by reminding myself I’ve revealed as much to my beautician. I was disappointed when it came to an end. Like a lot of women, I have always hated my bottom, convinced it was too big.
But seeing the photos gave me a new perspective of my body.
I think we’ll put one up in the privacy of our bedroom. And when I look at it I hope I’ll remember exactly how good I felt about myself. – Daily Mail