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Top 13 Figure Model Photos of All Time

Naturist nude circa late 1950s

This is a purely subjective list of the top 13 figure photos of all time. The list is at 13 because 10 just didn't cut it.

Photograph 1 is by Rimantas Dichavicius who shot Jovita in the mid 1960s. The leaves framing and covering a her face and body create mystery and is done in such a way that is not cliché.

Photograph 2 is the first of two Alexander Baege photographs on the top 13 list. First off, this photo is beautifully toned. The model is a dancer and the muscles on her back are plainly visible. The skirt, sky and sand all work well together. Her body is a monolith in a wasteland.

Photograph 3 is by world renowned filmmaker Russ Meyer of his gorgeous wife Eve Meyer. Although he is known mostly as a film producer, he was an avid photographer. Russ Meyer took a beautiful series of photographs of his wife Eve for Playboy in June 1955. Although the photograph is almost too busy, Eve Meyer's body looks great parallel with the fence and hammock. If you look deeper into the photo, the top half being the visually active part, is bright and the grass on the bottom is dark making a nice overall contrast.

Photograph 4 is of a model sitting on a fence by an unknown photographer. She is showing enough to be revealing without the image degrading into banality. From the top of her head to the bottom of her right foot, a line is created which bisects the photograph diagonally and breaks up any monotony which otherwise may have existed. Her left leg is the most weighted object in the photo and draws attention to the center of the photo. The many triangles contained in the image makes the photograph very interesting geometrically.

Photograph 5 is extraordinary. It is almost a perfect perspective shot with the lines of the clouds and model converging in the upper left. Horace Roye was a renegade and sometimes controversial photographer who was very adept technically. The sunlight which emanates from the upper left, strategically shades the periphery of the model making her an interesting 3D object instead of flat 2D.

Photograph 6 is by Arundel Holmes Nicholls and has everything going for it. The image is greatly overexposed. The light magically engulfs the model and makes her an integral part of her surroundings.

Photograph 7 is the second photograph by photographer Alexander Baege on the top 13. Simply a great naturist photo on the beach. The heat of the day can almost be felt just by looking at the photo. The model is beautiful and sports a great hair cut.

Photograph 8 is a platinum print by photographer Tom Millea. Tom worked exclusively with platinum photographs for many years until it adversely affected his health. The model Carrie is very tribal and animalistic in this pose and this platinum photograph exploits the warm toned black in a way other mediums typically can not do.

Photograph 9 is by Edward Weston of his model and eventual wife Charis Wilson. He did a series of photos in the same place but this particular image is a favorite. Charis looks like a rag doll haphazardly thrown down into the sand which created a beautiful shape. Charis looks perfectly comfortable while in this pose. It is a great all-around photo and frequently finds it's way into auction houses.

Photograph 10 is a Charles West masterpiece of 1950s model Bettie Page. It is a classic pose and Bettie conveys not one ounce of false modesty. This striking image was a highlight of PRIVATE PEEKS magazine published by Belier Press. I also have a few of these photos (8x10") available signed by Charles West!

Photograph 11 is by an unknown photographer of the German model Ivonne. Overall it is a great photograph for tone, color and shape. Ivonne was also in the stage of her career where she was exalting in her stature as a desired model and celebrating her beauty. The Volkswagen is a nice backdrop.

Photograph 12 is of the beautiful Stacy Martin taken by husband Yogi Klein in Hawaii during their 1971 honeymoon. Yogi worked as an editor for fetish magazines in the late 1950s through the 1960s. I do not think he was a wizard when it came to photography but all the elements which make a good photograph are here. Color, position and background all work together. Some of the better elements are the rail and the shadow it casts. The shadow also extends Stacy's leg. Stacy shows the importance of having a model who can project a piece of herself onto the film plane to incorporate herself with the photographer's concept or overcome a lack of one.

Photograph 13 is a beautiful photogravure by the photographic team Bertram Park and Yvonne Gregory. The model is positioned in a perfect Art Deco style in appearance and spirit. Without any distracting background, the bold lines and curves of the model create movement.