Belfast - Germaine Greer did it in 1999 at the age of 60 and Demi Moore did it when she was pregnant. Alicia Silverstone did it to promote vegetarianism and Jamelia did it for Peta. Even Naomi Campbell and Marge Simpson did it for Playboy. With the likes of Gok Wan's “How to Look Good Naked”, posing nude isn't quite the taboo it used to be.
Sex columnist Rowan Pelling turned down both Penthouse and GQ when she was in her early 30s. Ten years later after two pregnancies, a burst appendix and a heart murmur she changed her mind and allowed a female photographer friend to snap away. She found the experience liberating.
More and more women these days are baring all in front of the camera and it turns out you don't have to be famous to do it. Times have changed and women are looking differently at their bodies; both at what they've been through and also how they mark major events in life.
A nude photo shoot can be used to mark any occasion. After weeks of gyms and dieting many women choose to have a nude or risqué shoot in their wedding lingerie before they get married as a wedding present for their other half.
Others choose to document their bodies during pregnancy. Many simply decide that now is the time before age and gravity take their toll. A surprising number of women were happy to step forward for this piece.
Each of them had a different reason for displaying themselves, either private or professional. Every single one of them described their experiences as being a huge boost in confidence and left them with keepsakes to be treasured rather than hidden under the bed.
Mireia Cerezo, 32, is a model who spends her time between Barcelona and Belfast with her son Oliver, 2.
She says: “The chance to have my photo taken in the nude with Oliver was offered to me through my modelling agency when he was about five months old and I jumped at the idea.
“Working as a model you get used to people being around you with no clothes on - it wasn't really the first time for me so I was perfectly OK with it. I also knew the photographer Mark McCormick and he's always professional so I was comfortable with him.
“Tracey Hall from The Style Academy was there at the same time so I didn't have to worry about anything. Nudity has never been an issue for me as long as it's tasteful.
“It is definitely a confidence boost for any woman to have their picture taken like this, not just one who does this professionally.
“The pictures that were taken were just beautiful. Both Oliver and I were nude but you can't see anything in them. It's a wonderful memory for both Oliver and I to have.” -
Belfast Telegraph