Victorian Glamour Photography

In the 19th centuries the classical arts were very much admired; sculptures and paintings showing the naked body were the major part of art gallery and museum exhibitions. However the Victorians were very strict on morality, and in the family home a portrait of the Queen, a framed religious tract or a landscape print would be the normal pictures to grace their sitting room. No nudes here!

Soon after the invention of the photographic process by Daguerre in the 1830's the first nude photographs were created. These early photographs were intended to provide good reference material for painters and sculptors. Many of the early nude photographs were posed in the manner of classic oil paintings to make them more acceptable to critics of this art form.

This new technology of photography was quickly taken up by artists eager for new ways to illustrate the undraped feminine form - and to make a lot of money! In the moral climate of the 19th century the only officially sanctioned photography of the body was for the production of artist's studies. However many were produced as erotic images for the 'discerning gentleman.'

The reality of the photographic image was considered quite ugly at this time, so the closer the photographer could make the photograph resemble a classical painting the less likely he was to be accused of creating something obscene. The model who was willing to pose unclothed was considered immoral, and 'respectable' women rarely posed in the nude during the early days of photography.

The technical process in the early years required extremely long exposures, so the nude model often had to stay extremely still for up to ten minutes while the shutter remained open. The pose of the model was often contrived. Theatrical settings were used - the chaise-longue covered in heavy brocade, floral drapes, large classical urns and other paraphernalia were used to set the scene.

One picture could cost a week's salary, so the audience for nudes mostly consisted of artists and the upper echelon of society. The French pioneered erotic photography, producing nude postcards, so named because of their size, although they were never meant to be postally sent as this was illegal. Nude photographs were marketed in a monthly magazine called the "La Beaute" that targeted artists looking for poses. Each issue contained 75 nude images which could be ordered by mail, in the form of postcards, hand-tinted or sepia toned. Street dealers, tobacco shops, and a variety of other vendors bought the photographs for resale to American tourists and servicemen.

The emergence of the glamorous pin-up photograph came about because not only was the female form revealed in all its splendour, but it also allowed the model a chance to put her own personality into the picture. Often, burlesque actresses were hired as models and semi-nude photographs appeared on the cover of publications and throughout; while these would now be termed softcore, they were quite shocking for the time. Later on publications masquerading as "art magazines" or publications celebrated the new cult of naturism, with titles such as Photo Bits, Body in Art, Figure Photography, Nude Living and Modern Art for Men. Health and Efficiency, started in 1900, was a typical naturist magazine in Britain.

In this way the nude photograph caused a sexual response from the viewer as well as an appreciation of the artistry of the picture. Erotic postcards enjoyed considerable popularity at the turn of the 20th century. They could always be obtained, by those in the know, from suppliers in every walk of life who were out to make money from a profitable trade.

The majority of the pin-up cards were mild by today's standards. They were created to show a pleasing image which would entertain and stimulate the viewer. These images have innocence about them. Although often saucy, they were not the blatant images seen in the top-shelf magazines around today.

In spite of the contrived coy poses of the models these vintage photographs have great charm. The use of a primitive lens, slow film and daylight studios created a luminous quality which any glamour photographers would be happy to achieve in their work today.

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Photography" article category.

People interested in the above article "Victorian Glamour Photography" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

Stills Photography in Cape Town: The Best Beaches

Cape Town is unique in that it boasts not one but two distinctly different coastlines: the Atlantic seaboard and the Indian Ocean coast. Although it makes up only a miniscule percentage of the 2,500km long coastline, it does offer an extravagant array of choices for professional photography in South Africa.

Mastering Shutter Speed In Low Light Situations

With today's enormous variety of fully-automated digital cameras it can often be difficult to capture low-light indoor and action photos that are pleasing and successful. For example, pictures from a recent indoor family gathering might be full of red-eyed friends and relations and clusters of people brilliantly over lit by the flash. So, how does a photographer avoid this?

How to Make Money Taking Pictures: 3 Great Ways To Make Money With Your Camera

Are you currently strapped for cash? Wish you had another source of income? Well, if you have a digital camera on hand, then your problems are solved! All you need to do is learn how to make money taking pictures. Learning how to make money taking pictures is easy. You don’t have to become one of the paparazzi in order to get paid well for your photos. If you’re interested to make some extra money, read this article.

Crouching Tiger Hidden Camera

Hidden cameras to capture amazing photos of wildlife in their natural habitat is not a new concept, but has definitely been on the rise as the technology improves and researchers better understand how best to implement it. Scientists have greatly increased their efficiency in the painstaking labor of cataloguing exactly what species of animals reside in a given region, as well as document behaviors of the animals that would be impossible to observe directly.

Vintage Posters - Elevating the Looks of your Living Place

Getting hold of vintage poster was very difficult during the earlier times. One needed to know about particular shops that sold these posters. Price difference in different shops was also a concern that bothered many customers. During those times, the vintage posters were mostly accessible to the rich class of the society; however, the emergence of the Internet has played a vital role in making vintage posters available to a wide category of buyers.

Online Stock Photography - A World Where Pigs Fly

Not long ago, before there was an internet, stock photography was produced primarily by a small group of talented photographers, and marketed to high budget ad agencies. The world has changed and stock photography is going online in a big way.

Is it Ok to Use Cheaper Media in your Digital Camera?

Especially in today's troublesome economy, with the high prices of digital cameras, rechargeable batteries, tripods, filters, and other accessories, you might be tempted to save some money by purchasing cheaper, generic digital camera media. And why not? Photos taken with cheaper media should look just the same as those taken with more expensive media, as long as the files get written correctly. Your JPG images will not come out more pixilated, and uncompressed TIFF and RAW files will contain the same information.