Book Review: Taschen's The New Erotic Photography

This is a book that's been vaguely on my shopping list for ages, although it always got ousted by others... perhaps compilations somehow don't seem as focused, but I needn't have worried - rather, am now kicking myself for not getting it sooner. I felt a little sorry for the postman, carrying this large book to my door - approx 32x24cm, with 6 or 8 pages each from over 50 photographers, so over 400 pages; it could even be imposing... if it weren't for Maki Miyashita's (um, perhaps not actually hers?) floral panties hung out to dry on the cover.

Edited by Dian Hanson - formerly editor of Leg Show magazine, now Taschen's sexy books editor (however you wish to parenthesise those last three words) - and fetish photographer Eric Kroll, this is (as the title suggests) a showcase of erotic photography, with submissions from a few photographers familiar to me, and a great deal hitherto unknown ones. Far too many great photos to mention them all, but some of the highlights for me were:

• My two favourite Japanese photographers - Yasuji Watanabe's modern, contemporary work, and Ken-ichi Murata's gothic - and rather pervy - hand-tinted fairy tales;
• along with newer photographer Maki Miyashita, whose studies of women in their underwear I found interesting and witty
• The way that German photographer Markus Amon captures the smouldering eyes of his models (although the nylon and sheer underwear helps too)
• Susan Egan's very candid pictures of real couples having sex
• The deservedly popular Steve Diet Goedde being less fetishy than usual - the lovely Emily Marilyn doesn't have a stitch (not even latex) on her
• A few trademark-style motel-fetish, neo-noir pics from one favourite photographers, Chas Ray Krider
• Richard Kern's quirky, humourous, documentary-style shots of young, tomboy-ish (as he describes them) women; and Dave Naz's similarly stripped-down, natural girls
• In contrast, Florian Lohmann reminds me that there's still very much a place in my, er, heart? for ultra glam, styled shots (especially near-naked stewardesses and French maids)
• Nicola Ranaldi's very erotic close-ups of faces, with lustful looks and a finger slipped between lips
• And back to Japan for some pics from Joan Sinclair's Pink Box, a documentary book on Tokyo sex clubs - very enlightening, that I shall review sometime.

Given how good - and more to the point, how exciting - the photography is, I almost don't want to admit that the text nearly tore me away from it - there are some genuine insights both in the editors' introductions, and the introduction to each photographer's work. I suspect  the intros were prompted by some standard questions, since there are a couple of themes that keep cropping up. One is the relative merits of film vs digital; opinions are divided, from Bob Coulter's 'Anyone who prefers film at this point is retarded' to Ken-ichi Murata's 'I work only with film because it is the height of quality' - personally, I don't see a distinction, especially to look at eg Will Santillo's grainy, atmospheric images and then read that he uses digital. I guess it's more down to the way the photographer wants to work; the immediate feedback of digital vs having to think and prepare more with film.

More interesting is the concept of the difference between porn and erotica; for me, I do see a distinction, but also think that there's no hard and fast line between them, and I enjoy material that's one, the other and in between - but again, there are some very different views here. Some photographers see porn as a line that they don't cross; Lisa Boyle feels it's any kind of penetration; Didier Carre suggests that in porn, men don't love the models in the way he does as a photographer. Petter Hegre implies very subjectively that visually they could be very similar, but differing in the intention with which the pictures are taken. Photographers like Ed Fox, Dave Naz and Richard Kern - who often shoot for top-shelf magazines - see less of a distinction, the latter saying 'I don't consider myself an erotic photographer and I hate that term - It brings to mind black and white photos of naked people with oil on them'.

Although I appreciate and enjoy the work of all the photographers here, ideologically I'm with that last trio; there doesn't have to be a distinction. If there is one, though, I think Ms Hanson has nailed it in her introduction: 'First, toss out all the bodyscapes' ... 'More important, it must capture some genuine emotion on the model's face'. And, pre-empting balancing my focus here on the photographers, 'If it sounds like I think erotic photography is as much about the model as the photographer, I've made myself clear'.

Anyway, for all that prose, this is a great book of exciting, arousing, thought-provoking pictures, and is thoroughly recommended - a steal at about £15! You can see more pics through Taschen's video of the editors discussing the book.

Site review: Breath Takers

Breath-Takers is one of a couple of sites featuring the work of UK photographer Michael White. I'll admit that, as with some other sites I've tried, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but it was bumped up my list a couple of places by a recent price reduction - but I needn't have worried, since there's some great, fun and sexy photography here.

It's hard to know quite where to slot it; the photography is perhaps a little arty, with frequent bokeh and emphasis on natural light; but I wouldn't call it art-nude (which, at least for me, would make it rather a turn-off if it were). This is, in no small part, down to the emphasis of clothing (and removal thereof) here... art-nudes tend to be just that - nudes; whereas at Breath Takers, many of the photo sets start with a fully dressed model, and follow her teasing the viewer by gradually disrobing. It's made more believable by the fact that the models actually wear appealing clothes; the kind they might actually wear themselves; and similarly underneath we get to see a great variety of sophisticated, sexy lingerie and nylons.

And of course, clad in these are some lovely models; leaning towards UK, but you'll also find French, east European and US girls. There are some well-known models, such as the (deservedly) ubiquitous Ariel and Eufrat; some lovely French models; and some others who I suspect may not be found anywhere else. Particular favourites for me were the very petite, but oh-so-sexy Ayla Sky; the elegant and naughty Joceline Brooke-Hamilton; pinup and fetish model Anita De Bauch; charming and very racy starlet Samantha Bentley; and oh-my-gosh-those-legs Danielle Maye.

The levels of explicitness vary by model here; the majority of sets end up with full nudity but within that, some models are a little coy (you know full-well what I mean) whereas others are less so, and some recent photos and videos are very racy, with some masturbation - which is welcome and adds more to the mix, I appreciate eroticism from the subtle to the not so.

Locations are also good; many photos are within a light, airy, tastefully decorated house, which the photographer makes good use of all rooms of; there are also plenty of other locations, including European villas. Some are outdoor-themed, such as walks in the park with a little teasing; sometimes these are a bit more risqué but I'd love to have seen a few more so! And I like that there's often a theme or narrative of some sort; such as a sexy phone call, reading a magazine or domestic chores - it's all the more fuel for the imagination as you browse.

Technically the site is good too; pics are 3K-5K pixels and videos 720p. There are a few navigation oddities, but it does have a good update shcedule, with 3 galleries and one video per week. And with a few years' material here, it's also easy to see the progression of the photographer; some earlier galleries are too shadowy, perhaps a bit too moody; but later ones are better lit, but still relying on natural light, and not at the expense of the erotic atmosphere.

So although it has a completely different feel to it, it's positioned similarly to Petites Parisiennes, and there are actually a few of the same models on both sites. It doesn't quite meet my one unique quality of PP, which is that there I found something I liked from literally every model; and it's perhaps not quite as sexy - but it's close, and different enough to be complementary rather than competing. Recommended, and I shall return!

Visit Breath Takers - or click on any of the pics for some sample galleries!

eBook review: Quickies In New York, Stories: Winter to Spring

Bit of a departure here, given my habit for erotic photo books. I enjoy physical books; the tactile sensation of turning the pages, not knowing quite what I'll find on the next - it's somehow more of an illicit thrill than looking online. And similarly, I'm usually lowbrow enough just to get books for the pictures; although I know there is a lot of really good erotic fiction around, there's some part of me that can't shake the bodice-ripping stereotype. (Notwithstanding, I have a very good friend who assures me that some recent Mills & Boons are decidedly racy.)

So it's strange to be writing about an ebook of erotic prose... but I'll confess to cheating a bit. This blog isn't intended to be a reference to all things erotic; merely some reviews of things that specifically appeal to the reviewer. And before accepting Guy New York's offer of a review copy, I knew that I'd enjoy it, having previously noted my feelings for the wonderful Quickies in New York blog.

This isn't erotic writing as you'd imagine it; I'm unsure - and unfussed - as to how fictional it may or may not be, but more to the point, it's delivered in very short, discrete, stories that take no more than a few minutes to read. And they are as diverse as they are concise; some very explicit, describing sex from the slow and tender, to the frenzied. Others focusing solely on details; of undressing a partner, deliberately fumbling with clothing to anticipate the sex. Some are simply conversations between friends or lovers, occasional or full-time; and some introspective reflections of love and sex that once, or perhaps never, was.

What they all have in common is that they linger for far longer than they take to read - the writing is always thought-provoking and I've found that pondering them takes as many forms as the stories themselves. Mild envy at the passion of a well-described lover; empathy at love lost; fuel for ideas for my own future encounters; interest and bafflement at some of the polyamorous situations presented (I'm a bit old-fashioned...).

Anyway, rather than try to do it the required justice, I've grabbed a few passages of note. You can, of course, read the full text of most stories at QNY; but even as an eBook, there's a tangible quality, a purity of purpose, to specifically reading the kindle version, as opposed to it being one in a wash of browser windows and tabs.

My only - very minor - issues are that firstly, that there's no navigable table of contents (forgive my pedantry, it comes from working in publishing and having built eBooks); and that it doesn't include any of The Dirty Gentleman's equally erotic, evocative pictures. Neither detract from how enjoyable this is, especially for the ludicrous price of $2 - and as such this is hugely recommended.

As I strongly suspect the mooted physical - and illustrated - book will be!

Book Review: Roy Stuart V

Roy Stuart is - as best I can describe - an erotic auteur, an American photographer and filmmaker based in Paris - and his work has that familiar, appealing feeling of French eroticism that I like so much. He's also often the subject of tiresome is-it-art-or-is-it-porn discussions - I'll skip that comparison since art is highly subjective, but I'll say his work is definitely erotic and likely pornographic - and very exciting for it. He's been a fixture in Leg Show magazine for some years - which is all the better for it - and this is his fifth book via Taschen, the only one that's readily available to buy (a shame that Taschen seem to let books go out of print relatively quickly).

This is definitely racier than some of my recent glamour-based reviews. The content ranges from simple portraits and undressing, to full nudity and sex - there are individual models, scenes with two girls, couples and threesomes. Which arguably makes it porn - which is fine with me - although rather different from the run-of the mill kind. I can think of two major aspects that set Mr Stuart's work apart; first is the quality of the photography itself - the lighting, focus and bokeh is very evocative, bringing out the subject of each shot - be it a flash of panties; the face of the model seductively looking at the camera; or her hand wrapped around her partner's cock, guiding it into herself.

The other key aspect is narrative; the book is a mixture of different styles, with some documentary and portraiture, but most of it is taken up with short sets depicting a story. These are as diverse as a couple simply having sex (and authentically looking like they are enjoying it); grabbing a chance look up skirts in the park; having panties (rather improbably) stolen; or coming to a more-than-amicable resolution of a minor traffic prang. It's this aspect that, for me, make it very exciting, to imagine either being part of the story or simply a voyeur as being a reader makes me.

Models here (the female ones, that is - there are some men including the photographer) are naturally beautiful women; but it's worth noting one of Mr Stuart's other defining features, is his disapproval of the last-decade-or-so's trend of shaving pubic hair. This is perfectly OK with me, since being waxed bare has never really appealed to me; I prefer my eroticism with models who look natural - and without fail, every model here is unshaved. Another feature is the locations; some Parisian scenes, but many in the classical French interior of the studio, with baroque chairs and the like.

The book itself is of the usual Taschen quality, well printed - 280 pages and slightly oversized (approx 25x31cm). A coffee-table book, but only if you have lovers or particularly open-minded friends round for coffee. It also come with a DVD; about an hour of clips of the photographer's film projects; the subject matter is similar, with some crossover with the scenes in the book - but the very graphic sex and porn aspect is obviously heightened when viewing it as video.

You may think that it sounds a little pretentious; I find more of a hint of that when viewing Mr Stuart's work than with some other photographers. And you might arguably be right - but then what is eroticism and fantasy, but a kind of pretence? Either way, it's all the more thought-provoking - and arousing - for it. Definitely recommended, if you don't mind turning the heat up a bit from typical art-nude books.

Site review: Alt Exclusive

I chanced upon Alt Exclusive last month, and - as I strongly suspected - I couldn't resist the immense lure of so many lovely models, and so many great photographers. Although I don't have the physical magazine, I signed up to the accompanying site is where they post more full sets of the magazine shoots - including more nudity than makes it into print, together with some out-take videos and the like.

Alt Exclusive is a relatively new venture - now on the third issue of the magazine - devoted to pinup, fetish and tattoed glamour. That being the operative word here - I'm tempted to dispute the 'Alt' label since to me that suggests more punk/emo-type alt porn, along the lines of Suicide Girls, God's Girls and Burning Angel - which are all great sites, but this is definitely high glamour, albeit with tattoos and latex.

It's hard to know where to start describing the work here, because there is such a concentration of talent; somehow they've managed to get the top names in models, photographers and clothing designers all in one place - and I'm hugely enthused about it.

To start with, Viva Van Story has some amazing work here. Some wonderful pictures of Laura Dore, Marlo Marquise and Sharon TK, in her trademark evocative retro kitchen and bedroom scenes; but perhaps even more interesting are her more recent shots of Mosh, Jade Vixen and Angela Ryan, in more contemporary settings and in and out of some very seductive latex dresses.

And some great shots by Shannon Brooke - who I'm very fond of, since seeing her work in Korero's Kustom Kamera - including Sabina Kelly, Notorious Ang and Lourdes. Some of Ms Brooke's photos are done against a plain studio background; generally I prefer more context, but in this case, everything is spot on and they look amazing. But others are even better, contrasting the beauty of Mosh, Masuimi Max & Darenzia with harsh industrial backgrounds.

Continuing the who's-who theme, models you'll also find here include Ludella Hahn, Lauren WK, Vanessa Lake - and great to see Cervenna Fox & Ulorin Vex from the UK. And photographers Redrum Collaboration (Ludella in blue latex, on the left), Lithium Picnic (Mosh and Masuimi Max as geishas is inspired) and Monique Antoinette (Mosh and Bernie Dexter in bondage is very racy). And there are some fun behind-the-scenes videos, where we get to see the models chatting and posing for the camera.

Although the content can't be faulted, I have a couple of gripes about the site itself. It's a bit glitchy; some links to zip sets don't work, and the downloadable videos are smaller than the streaming ones. More annoying is that membership only gets you 1200 pixel images; the much-vaunted high-res, 3500 pixel versions are pay-per-download - that's per picture, not per set. The membership fee of $15 is relatively modest, but I'd have been much happier if either this restriction was obvious before joining (I see no mention of it); or if the membership was a bit higher but with access to the high-res pictures.

But, with those caveats aside, this is a good site with unparalleled and unique material. Although it's fairly new, and there are only about 80 picture sets of approx 15 pictures, they are stunning and worth joining get - and to support such a good venture, and all involved.

Book Review: Pantyhose Killer Girls

As a card-carrying nylon fetishist, I was pretty much sold just by the title of Edition Reuss' Pantyhose Killer Girls, by Mathias Angelov. However, I'll confess to a little naiveté, even upon seeing the cover; I read it as Pantyhose Killer Girls - killer in the sense of sexy, beautiful, perhaps a bit dangerous... well, perhaps that does apply, but it's actually very much Pantyhose Killer Girls, since the book is themed around models destroying their nylons for the camera.

The models range form 18-28 (the intro paragraph to each photo set tells us as much, and is a nice touch) and are pretty, mostly girls-next-door - at least some are amateur models and all look very much like they are enjoying themselves! Which makes the photographer's assertion in the preface (somebody has to read these things, after all) all the more believable - that he first came across the theme of nylon destruction as an icebreaker.

And destroy them they do, with obvious glee. The tights themselves are mostly plain, no fancy Wolfords here - but they are purely sacrificial - we see them pulled tight between the girls' legs, yanked up over their breasts, before succumbing to fingernails and having holes ripped in them until they are mere shreds of nylon - leaving only persistent seams pressing into their skin.

The tease of glimpsing a model's pussy though the nylon is therefore rewarded a page or two later by seeing it exposed - there's no shortage of explicit nudity here. The style is relatively unsophisticated - this is unashamedly posed glamour rather than evocative erotica... and I'll risk a generalisation by saying that it definitely has a German feel to it. None of which are a bad thing; the book is done in good humour and with a sense of fun - which in itself lends it a different kind of excitement to it.

Print quality and paper is really good, and the book is a nice size at about 25x18cm. You may pay a little more for this than some books, since it's relatively niche; but if it's your niche, then it's a very enjoyable addition to any collection!

Site Review: Holly Randall & Forever Vamp

Chancing upon Holly Randall's work, I was briefly flung back (an undisclosed number of years) to illicit reading material of my youth, featuring racy photos by her mum, Suze - only to be brought back to the present by Holly's own talents and expertise.

Having recently reviewed Ellen Stagg's Stagg St, Ms Randall's photography could draw comparisons; both contemporary photographers, and featuring many of the same models - from fetish regulars such as Mosh, Darenzia, Angela Ryan, Vanessa Lake & Jade Vixen; to some of the biggest names in more mainstream smut, like Aria Giovanni & Ryan Keely. Ms Randall focuses more on the latter, though, adding considerably to it with many well-known porn actresses, including Alexis Texas and Sunny Leone.

But I'll try to avoid comparing, by way of a disclaimer - Holly's style of photography is a little more centerfold-glamour than the kind of erotica or fetish that I'm normally drawn to - most scenes being very strongly lit, the models quite made-up, the locations exotic more than evocative. But that's purely a matter of taste, and I'll counter that by saying that the standard of her photography is never less than excellent, and that I still found a lot to enjoy there.

My initial lure, her sets and videos of Mosh, Angela Ryan and Jade Vixen, are wonderful, as are those of the other fetish and pinup models, including the stunning Vanessa Lake. But the extra explicitness of the porn models - many sets leaving very little to the imagination with fingers and sex toys - was actually a welcome diversion from the kind of latex and nylon teasing that I like so much. And even though it's not normally my area of interest, I'll confess to enjoying the hardcore extra-racy photos and videos - perhaps it's because they are shot by a female photographer, but I found them more balanced and considered than most porn.

Now, although much of her work is arguably relatively mainstream, there's glamour and there's glamour, which brings me to one of the sister sites, Forever Vamp - subtitled Ultra Glamour Fetish, that's as apt a description as I'd be able to come up with. Here we see the glamour angle ramped up even more, but focusing on latex, alt models and pinups - just my territory, although I'll admit that some of the BDSM shoots out-kinked me! But with a great selection of models and fetishwear, for me this is the perfect direction for Ms Randall's talent and style - and although the site is relatively new, and with not much material yet, I'm looking forward to seeing more there in the future.

A brief note about specs - the sites are easy to browse, search and switch between (with number of additional sites included); recent videos are HD - my main complaint being picture resolution - OK-ish at 1600px, but I'd rather see at least 2000, preferably 3000, especially from such a well-known photographer. But such quibbles aside, the sites are great fun, and definitely worth joining.

Visit Holly Randall or Forever Vamp.