10 Tips for seeking an artistic nude photographer:

1. Do a Google search of "your state artistic nude photographer" and "your state nude photography".

2. Check the photographers' portfolios for styles of images. Do you like their style? Is it what you are looking for? Do they seem to know how to use light and tone? Do they understand posing?

3. Ask to see more samples in person. Meet with the photographer.

4. Ask to see their studio space before the session if possible.

5. Plan to bring along a friend to the session if you it would make you mor comfortable.

6. Print out a copy of the PAANP's Code of Ethics and ask if they will uphold them including signing all rights to the images to you. (You are commissioning the photographs so have a right to own them. If you are being paid by the photographer for images he/she can use, then you would not own the rights, but since you are paying, you can secure them.)

7. Print out a copy of the PAANP's Model Release and take two copies with you to the shoot--have them signed before the session begins.

8. Ask for references.

9. Expect to pay for a professional's work. If the photographer is offering two-hour session for $50, they may unfortunately just be interested in seeing naked people. Professionals charge professional rates.

10. If the photographer offers to give you the source files and you can print them anyway you like, that photographer is not a professional. A pro maintains the source files and ensures your prints are professionally toned and printed from a qualified laboratory.

11. If all else faills, I have a studio in Boulder, Colorado that many clients fly in to from around the U.S. because they cannot find someone in their area to create the kind of photograph they are seeking. It's an easy flight to Denver and could be a nice weekend stay up near Rocky Mountain National Park.