Shedding Some Light on ‘Erotic’ Photography

What constitutes ‘erotic photography’ – or, indeed, sets erotic imagery apart from the pornographic – is largely a matter of individual taste.

The dictionary does a poor job of defining ‘erotic’ as a concept, and for good reason, considering that the notion is one widely varied in interpretation. The vague explication of “relating to or tending to arouse sexual desire” gives us a starting point, but ultimately lends itself to include everything from lipstick shades to knife-sharpening techniques and from movie-screen pirate winks to documentaries about goat breeding.

So in the interest of clarity, let’s try to narrow the field a bit, shall we?

Eroticism, to me, must evoke a sense of intimacy. In imagery, eroticism is suggestive rather than overt; it is sensually tantalizing; it hints rather than hammers. An image that is erotic says Oh, so you like what you see, do you? and invites the viewer in to discover more. Erotic photography, then, is specifically a photographic image that carries those qualities.

Does a photograph have to contain nudity to be erotic? Does it have to depict a sexual act? Must it be explicit?

My answers to these questions would be “no,” “No,” and “NO,” but others are likely to have different opinions. 🙂

Much like the question of What is sexy?, the question of What is erotic? can be answered (or argued) in myriad ways. The photos below (all linked to their contributors and used with permission) are a few examples of photographs – all by members of the sex blogging community – that I have found erotic in recent months.

Playfulness

One of the biggest elements of eroticism in photographic imagery (again, for me ~ you are welcome to your own opinions on the matter and I encourage you to share them) is that it is about what isn’t seen. 

We live in an era where the element of mystery is largely absent. Any and every body part – including genitalia – is easily view-able at the click of a button, and one of the results of the onslaught of full-frontal visual availability is that we sometimes lose our grasp on the idea of teasing. In a ‘tantalizing’ way, yes. But also in a “Sex (/sexuality/sexy-ness) is FUN!” kind of way.

This image by Happy Come Lucky is an excellent example of playful, teasing, Oh you want to see more do you? eroticism. It is like a Petty pin-up seen through a zoom lens, modern but timeless, and oh-so-simply sexy.

What We DON’T See

I am a huge fan of “Show, don’t tell.”  In writing, it’s a way to invite the audience in, to allow them to experience emotion through sensation, to feel the story, to relate. In photography, the Show portion of “Show, don’t tell” can easily be interpreted as “Show every single detail! Leave nothing to the imagination!”

Except…

No.

The whole point of “Show, don’t tell” is to invite the reader/viewer in.  To show only so much.  As in this photo by Jayne Renault:  It is an illustration of a concept, a single entry in a multi-faceted vignette, a tiny piece of the overall  puzzle. Show in erotic photography is – rather than baring it all – showing just enough to hook your audience on the storyline without telegraphing the plot twists or giving away the ending.

Just as – when interpreting the written word – there is much to be deciphered between the lines, so too is there significance – where photography is concerned – in the shadows.

Likewise, there is significance in the point of view – the perspective – from which those shadows are framed. The strange becomes familiar and the familiar strange, when the angle from which it is being presented changes.

The combination of perspective shift and “Show, don’t tell” are beautifully embodied in this photograph by Nikki (of Love is a Fetish). It’s at once familiar and strange; the pose is explicit yet not; it implies much but reveals nothing.

Revelations of Form

Some of you, I’m sure, are *nodnodnod*-ing along with my hide/reveal pontifications above. And some of you, I’m equally sure, are thinking, Yes that’s all very arty, Feve, but… Revealing is good!  Because, butts! And boobs! And all that stuff!

To which I say:  YES.

(And all that stuff. 😉 )

While the shadow-dance of conceal/reveal is enticing, there is also much to be said for the beauty of the human form, especially when presented creatively, as demonstrated here in this steampunk-feel photo from Krystal Minx.

Full-Bodied Beauty

Some people are attracted to specific pieces of the human anatomy [insert emphasis here] and there is nothing wrong with that.

I am not personally wired that way, but I can understand – intellectually – the appeal.

I think one of the reasons I tend toward ‘tease’ and ‘let me read between the lines’ when it comes to imagery is that I have a distinctly…adverse…reaction to objectification.

When a single body part – and only that body part – is the focus, with no tease and no story… That, to me, feels pornographic. It is the wall-of-dicks that can be found on AFF. The disembodied fleshy bits that are hyperfocused-on for the moneyshot in porn. It is not personal or intimate. It is, instead, dissociative and de-humanizing. And that, to me, is the opposite of erotic. When it comes to objectifying images:  At best, I am meh. At worst, I am actively turned off and/or upset/irritated/angry/insert-negative-response-here.

With that in mind, I definitely have a preference for full-bodied images. 

I understand (and myself mostly adhere to) the boundary of not showing one’s face in erotic images posted online; photos that include the face become about the facial expression (which can definitely convey erotic intent ~ this is a topic all its own that I may tackle another time) and are – especially in this age of internet censorship and vindictive vigilante-ism – perhaps both too risky and too revealing.

But to see a whole body — or more of it than a single anatomical piece, clothed or otherwise — is somehow…

Vulnerable.

Powerful.

It is intimate and relate-able and real in a way that nothing else is.

And when an erotic photograph of that nature is manipulated to tell a story with a very different ending than the original implied, such as these two examples from Jack at Frisky in the 916, well…

Let’s just say that’s *exactly* the kind of thing that entices my Alice heart to scurry down the rabbit hole. 🙂

And speaking of Wonderlands…

Isn’t this breathtaking?

Now, you!

What are your opinions about erotic photography?

Do you have go-to {types of} images or artists that just ‘work’ for you?

The current Wicked Wednesday prompt is ‘erotic photo’ and the month of February is all about showcasing photography, erotic and otherwise.

Click the badges above or below to see what other people are posting. 🙂