A personal view on Erotic Photo Art.
I'm no expert on the various photo techniques and what kind of
equipment one should use on the various occasions, lights,
weather and so on. But I'm fully capable of judging what I like
and consider as quality.
There are a lot of details that separate the best and most
passionate photographers from the amateurs who are more
interested in taking many pictures and make money fast. Photos
taken in ordinary surroundings, and presented more or less as
personal and amateur photos certainly have their charm. A
website like "Ishootmyself" is a genius idea, where the models
(for the most amateurs or semi-professionals) need to hold the
camera themselves to get their photos accepted. It's amazing how
sexy and brilliant some of the pictures are. Many of the girls
are very creative in their contributions. But, when the pictures
are presented as professional, and they promise high quality, it
is very disappointing to see dark and misty photos in some
unpleasant basement somewhere. For a foot and leg lover, some of
the most erotic and inspiring views is a tasteful picture of a
beautiful female model with her legs and feet in focus of the
picture. A couple of websites worth mentioning in this category
are Conner Photo and Leggy Pauline. Their way of presenting
their models are more often tasteful and elegant, compared to
more vulgar and mass produced websites.
Photographers who are to hasty and superficial in their job,
often forget details like this, and they cut the picture just
above the foot. They are missing some significant points. The
liking of photos of models in nylon stockings or pantyhose is
usually very close connected to a foot and leg fetish. The
details are important for the perfectionism.
Locations are another important part of the high quality
pictures. I understand that many photographers put a lot of
effort in finding the right surroundings for their photo
shootings. Especially many of the Art Nude photographers like
Hegre Art and Femjoy have a lot of outdoor series in wonderful
surroundings. Sometimes the surroundings and the lights almost
take the attention away from the model, but the combination of a
model in wonderful outdoor surroundings and natural lights,
usually gives a great result.
But you can get away with more simple locations like an ordinary
apartment, as long as the other things are done right. If the
apartment or room is tidy and not overfilled with furniture and
stash, and the lights and posing are right, the photos can be as
erotic as any outdoor shooting. The New York photographer
Richard Kern is more of the last category.
Implied nudity is an art for the best photographers. The typical
hardcore porn is straight forward photos, with wide open legs
and the camera lens almost inside the model. I guess that's a
must, for a maker of a money machine porn site, where the art
and details doesn't matter that much. In many of the softer
sites, from photographers who like to deliver a more tasteful
product for the viewers, the direct nudity is toned down. It's
all about catching the beauty of the lines and contour of a
female foot, leg, nipple or a shoulder for that matter. One can
take an explicit picture, which shows most of the model, but the
posing and angle can make a large difference, from the more
vulgar and direct pictures.
The using of transparent clothing like a pantyhose, will also
tone down the direct and explicit exposure of the models,
although you see it all through the nylon material.
The age of the models is a controversial topic. I register that
most of the largest sites and most famous photographers use the
youngest models, probably in the age from 18 to 22-23. This is a
cynical business, where the use of the female models often is
speculative, and the youngest models are most popular among the
surfers. It's a pity though, because I think many viewers of
sites and magazines, would like to see models in various age and
ethnic origin. The posing of a mature, beautiful model can give
a lot of class, experience and elegance to the photos. This is
not a commercial article for any chosen website, but just a
subjective opinion in the discussion about good and bad erotica.
The websites mentioned is just my personal favourite, to
illustrate the points in the article.