Certain professions are still a taboo, or at least not the first thing you share with your friends. In this series of portraits I want to give a glimpse into the lives of people with a special profession. Because, well, who isn’t a bit curious about what the life of a nude model, weed farmer or SM mistress looks like. Today a portrait of Ricardo, nude model for all your parties and celebrations.
Ricardo is still a student and like many fellow students, he works alongside his studies. A job in a cafe or supermarket is an obvious choice, but soon he discovered that there are also jobs where you easily earn 4 times as much per hour. Only then without a uniform.
“I appear as a nude model at bachelorette parties for an event agency. Often the sessions are for model drawing, sometimes I am booked for a striptease. Both events are fun. For a 2-hour drawing session I get 70 euros, for a striptease 95. I would have to stock shelves for many more hours to get the same amount of money…”
Sneak peek
“Women are often curious about what I do. I am careful about my privacy and tell them that I work in the business world. That is not a lie either: my internship is in logistics. A lady once asked me for courtship. I laughed a little uncomfortably but did not go into further detail. Something like that feels unreal, someone who declares her love after she has only drawn you. I just cannot take that seriously.”
“I notice that there is quite a high demand for nude models, hiring them for bachelorettes is very popular. I am booked regularly. Ladies can choose on the basis of profiles. There are no photos of me online, which I want to keep that way. Before I have to go ‘on stage’, I always sneak through a window or around the door. I’m afraid one day I’ll see someone I know. I mainly work outside my hometown, to further reduce that chance.” He is not necessarily proud of his work. “Nobody in my surroundings knows that I am doing this and I definitely want to keep it that way. When I get a girlfriend, I’ll stop immediately.”
A tanga brief with elephant trunk
How do you become a good nude model? “You have to be aware of your target group and walking a little showy always works well. I have a tanga brief, one with an elephant trunk. The happy bride-to-be can undo that. There are colleagues who have complete costume collections for their work, haha. That’s a bit too much for me.”
Is it difficult to be naked with many women who are all focused on the largest pencil in the room? “Yes, sometimes. I once experienced that in a room full of young girls, one of them opened her blouse and I got a boner. Especially in the beginning that happened sometimes, it is a natural reaction I think. But it is embarrassing.”
What is the weirdest thing that you have ever experienced as a nude model? “That was during a last minute shift. I was called if I could come to work that evening. I agreed, went to the location and the supervisor was a man, which is normally not the case. As I walked toward the room, I heard lower voices and when I opened the door, a whole group of men was awaiting me. That was a bit of a surprise but I had to just suck it up as I said yes already… However, I still prefer to model for ladies, if I’m honest.
Ricardo is not his real name. His real name is known to me and the fictitious name is chosen for his privacy and safety. Do you also have a job that is still a taboo? Contact me and I might make a nice portrait of your profession as well…