Fur/Fetish in Fashion

Paul Outerbridge "Woman with claws" 1937

"Outerbridge was a designer and illustrator in New York before turning to photography in the 1920s. In 1925, having established himself as an innovative advertising photographer and graphic designer, he moved to Paris and worked for the French edition of Vogue magazine. There he met Edward Steichen, with whom he developed a friendly rivalry. Around 1930, having returned to New York, Outerbridge began to experiment with color photography, in particular the carbro-color process. He focused primarily on erotic female nudes, images that occasionally had menacing overtones and whose shocking, full-color realism resulted in a scandal, hastening the end of his photographic career. In 1943 Outerbridge moved to California, where he photographed only intermittently."

I chose to add these images on my blog to show what fetish photography can look like in the mainstream. It used to be risky and controversial but now photographers can push the boundaries much more. There is no need anymore to show a female nude in fetish photography, this has been done by many photographers. Much more effective would be to show as little as possible. I tried this with my own shoot.

Paul Outerbridge "Idle Collar" 1922

Fetish Photography - A fetish photographer takes photographs of people in fetishistic situations, such as bondage or wearing rubber or leather clothing. More extreme fetish photography depicts paraphiliac acts such as urination, enemas or Sm activities. Depending on point of view, fetish photography can be considered as fine art, erotica or pornography. Once only published in bondage magazines, fetish photography is now also published as 'art books'. Taschen is one prominent publisher printing fetish books on a mass scale.
Pioneering fetish photographers include John Willie, who published a famous fetishistic magazine 'Bizarre' from 1946 to 1959. Another pioneer photographer includes art photographer Paul Outerbridge who introduced fetish elements in his colour photographs as early as the 1940's.

[fet-ish, fee-tish] Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. an object regarded with awe as being the embodiment or habitation of a potent spirit or as having magical potency.

2. any object, idea, etc., eliciting unquestioning reverence, respect, or devotion: to make a fetish of high grades.

3. Psychology. any object or nongenital part of the body that causes a habitual erotic response or fixation.

My low key Set up

A studio lighting set up can use 3 or 4 lights, it can be intimidating thinking about how the lights will all work together and what the lighting ratios will be. As I wanted a very low key, atmospheric lighting set up I only used 2 lights, mostly only one light with a snoot on it to direct the light onto certain aspects of my model, highlighting them by creating a spotlight.
A lighting ratio is the difference between the main light and the fill. If your main light were twice as bright as your fill, the ratio will be 2:1. A factor of 2 is equal to one stop of exposure, and if you increase your exposure, and if you increase your exposure by one stop, you are allowing in twice the amount of light.
A 2:1 ratio would mean that there is a one-stop difference between the lights. A 3:1 ratio would be a stop and a half difference, and 4:1 would be a two stop difference.

Friday 29th Feb 11:00

Tutorial with JO

- Re edit photographs into themes and folders, pick better images, more effective ones. By doing this it shoould help me find a final 3 images.

- Show evidence of the specific lighting from the shoot, how I got it and what I changed. Use notes taken, diagrams etc.

- More research into fashion photographs and fine art photographs using animals and taxidermy, reference older and more contemporary photographers/artsists working in this area.

- Look into fetish photography and 50's style. Fetishism, what they were trying to achieve, what is beautiful the them.

- Set up some more shots at home with more animals and dramatic lighting. Could create this with directional torches or candlelight.