It’s undeniable that the adult content creation industry has become a bit saturated. It may feel like it is impossible to stand out in the sea of other content creators promoting across different platforms. Let us reassure you that it is possible!
One of the most successful ways to get noticed is QUALITY CONTENT. Anyone can stand in front of a mirror or take a casual selfie, it’s up to you to put effort into the details. Regardless of your experience and equipment, creating attention-grabbing content is within your capabilities!
Equipment
Camera
Most recent smartphone models will take excellent photos- if used correctly. You do not need a fancy DSLR or a photographer (unless you’d like one). When using your phone for creating most of your content, it’s a great idea to upgrade it as regularly as possible; the camera upgrades alone are worth the investment!
Reminder: A camera is only as good as the cleanliness of the lens! Oil and dirt can easily build up on both the front and rear-facing cameras, whether you see it or not, so it is good to get in the habit of always wiping them before you start shooting!
Lighting
Natural lighting is essential and certainly the most flattering. Having a space with a window that lets in lots of natural light is ideal. If you haven’t heard the term “golden hour” before, it’s a period of time right before the sun sets when the light is soft and warm. This can be optimal for photo-taking and mixing up the look of your content.
There are plenty of options for artificial lighting when natural lighting isn’t an option or when it’s nighttime! Many creators swear by their LED ring lights. Using a ring light produces balanced lighting that is evenly distributed on yourself. Ring lights really bring quality to your images without a large price tag. This can be especially helpful to illuminate those parts of you that are usually shadowed 😉. There are even mini ring lights that can be clipped onto your phone for those selfie shots!
Phone/Camera Holders
Self-shot content where you need to be hands-free requires a little bit of assistance. Bluetooth remotes that control your phone’s camera are affordable and easy to use. Tripods can be very handy when photographing, but you don’t need a cumbersome floor stand to get the job done. There are many styles of mini tripods with flexible legs that can take your shots to the next level, especially when shooting in trickier spots. Want to get a sexy new angle in the shower? Simply bend the tripod legs around the shower rod. Want to get a bird’s eye view? Wrap the flexible legs around one of the ceiling fan blades (while it’s off, of course!) These easily change to different angles and have a wide range of motion while also stabilizing your camera.
There are also tools if you are big on taking selfies and find yourself holding that phone out often. Selfie sticks and phone grips such as pop-sockets can really elevate those selfie skills. These will allow you to get even more angles and are also very affordable.
Set The Scene
Background
Clean it up! Not only is a messy room slightly embarrassing, but it can also be very distracting from the most important part of the content- you! Shooting amateur content does not mean you can get away with a messy room with the justification that it’s realistic. Because while it is realistic, it’s not what people want to see. An unmade bed right behind you might be fine if it sets the scene… but the plastic water bottles and snack wrappers on your nightstand? Not so much. Even something as simple as closing your drawers or closet door will make a surprising difference.
Another important note- if you do not want to be identified, you need to make sure the background of your photo doesn’t give you away! People can be surprisingly observant, so even things such as college university gear, photos of friends and family, pieces of mail, or being in public locations may give people key clues to your life.
Mirrors
The classic mirror selfie is an amazing way to make sure your entire body and all your amazing features are in frame. A good-quality, full-length mirror positioned in an area with good lighting is ideal, and make sure it is clean! When using the mirror technique, it is especially important to take note of what the reflection captures in the background.
Variety
Doing the same thing again and again simply because it’s been popular in the past isn’t necessarily the key to success. Even if you have limited options of places to shoot, you can always incorporate a backdrop such as sheer curtains or a French screen. This is where a portable lighting source like a ring light is necessary to help you move away from that window!
Props can also be a great way to spice up a photo! Using additional items can add another dimension to your photo or be used to hide parts of yourself (see our section on censoring below). Things like lingerie, high heels, jewelry, adult toys, and even food can make excellent props for mixing up your content!
Techniques
Posing
This can often be one of the trickiest parts of taking photos for some people. Sometimes, it feels unnatural to “pose sexy,” but how you pose depends on what you’re showing off! It can be helpful to try and recreate poses from other creators’ content but also remember it works to do what’s natural for yourself! Find the poses that work for you and repeat them until you feel comfortable.
Selfies
This can be one of the easiest methods to take nudes, but there are tricks to doing it right! Lighting is obviously incredibly important for taking selfies as well, so use that light (ring or natural)! Ensure you get the features you are trying to highlight completely in the frame. This may be challenging because our arms are only so long, but that’s where the tools such as selfie sticks, phone grips, and mirrors come into play.
To get a steady hand, professional photographers borrow a technique from marksmanship experts to get a clear shot that works just as well for selfies: Set up your shot, exhale half a breath, pause, and click the button. This helps keep your hands from shaking and steadies your focus.
Multiple Takes
Save yourself the frustration of reshooting, take multiple images all at the same time to make sure you get it right. Nothing is worse than sitting down to edit afterward and realizing the photo with the pose you love could have used some changes. Take a few photos in the same pose, only making minor adjustments to your position, one of them will easily jump out to you as the best of the bunch. It will give you more options to work with rather than taking one photo, disliking something about it, trying to recreate the pose, and repeating the process. It’s worth taking the time to figure out the right framing during shooting, so you don’t have to do too much fixing/editing/cropping afterward.
Editing
Apps
You don’t have to be a pro with Photoshop to polish your photos, there are tons of simple and easy-to-use photo editing apps. If you don’t already have a favorite, here are some popular suggestions from creators: Adobe Lightroom, FaceTune, Airbrush, Peachy, and VSCO. Most have free and premium versions/subscriptions, so consider investing in the premium version of the one you like best. Think of it this way, if this app is going to handle almost every piece of content you create- the premium features may be more than worth the price.
These apps have many features, but these are a couple that creators find the most useful. You can remove unwanted things in the background with the eraser tool, which is helpful when you don’t notice something while shooting. Or use the background blurring tool to make you stand out more, like a portrait mode look. When using the “auto” functions on these apps, make sure to inspect your photo closely. Sometimes the background blurring doesn’t look right around a certain part of the photo, or the smoothing effect makes your skin look overly airbrushed.
Watermarking
The most important thing when it comes to posting promo is protecting your content by adding a watermark to every photo and video. This will discourage people from using your content for catfishing, and in the unfortunate event it is stolen and reposted, it will at least have a way for someone to look you up for more!
Choose a watermark design and stick with it. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, selecting a legible font and using your creator/username is perfect. The biggest tip here is placement and opacity (how transparent it is). Adding a watermark to the corner of photos can easily be cropped out, but adding the mark on or right next to your body is much more useful. A more advanced editing tool would be needed to remove it, which is usually too much effort for someone stealing content. Opacity settings allow your watermark to be present but not overly obvious and distracting. But no matter what, your watermarking strategy should always be what you feel comfortable with for your content’s protection!
Censoring
It might seem fun and playful to use emojis to obscure things, but most people are turned off by this method. Ditch the cartoony emojis that detract from your look, and get creative with props or angles! If you don’t wish to show a certain part of your body on social media and save it for your paid platforms (which is a very effective strategy, by the way), either leave that part clothed or hide it with something simple or fun. Draping your clothing or a bedsheet over those areas looks sexy, and people are especially fond of things being hidden with hands, like the classic “hand bra.”
Sometimes you may want to create a censored preview of something where you only want to leave a little bit to the imagination. Take the time to learn how to use your favorite editing app to use the blurring or pixelating features.
If you are a creator that chooses not to show face, it is preferred to have your head completely out of frame or obscured with something tasteful. We say tasteful because we’re not talking ski masks (unless that’s your look!) or anything you need to have stuck to your face. There are plenty of subtle and sexy ways to remain anonymous, whether it’s behind your hair, dangling a scarf, turning your head away, or lowering the brim of a hat.
Creating quality content takes time and patience. Putting in the effort to make these simple process improvements will take your content to the next level.
