Exposing the body - Baring the soul

Abstract

It is often considered important that clothing should not be visible in a good medical photograph. Medical illustrators offer the clinical professionalism to allow most of their patients to feel comfortable being photographed. For some patients, however, consenting to medical photography involves more than a temporary embarrassment. This paper seeks to explore some of the religious and cultural beliefs that the medical photographer may be asking the patient to compromise in the studio.