Beauty Photography is a relatively young artistic genre, yet it already boasts impressive and rich historic legacy, possesses its own legendary characters and turning points. After countless changes and transformations, numerous revolutions and much controversy, glamour photography became what we can see today.
I will gladly take you on a short mind trip from the very dawn of Glamour Pictures to their modern state – afterwards we will dabble in foreseeing their probable future.
Childhood. It is a very controversial issue of where the history of glamour pictures really begins. Some derive it from so-called “French postcards” which were quite popular in the streets of Paris in the early 1900’s, some address to Victorian pioneers of this art. Some think that cultural foundation and inspiration for glamour pictures lies in XVI and XVIII centuries. Franskly speaking, the birth of glamour pictures cannot be discovered with any degree of certainty. I prefer to consider that classic and contemporary fine arts contributed in equal measures to create this unique genre – and it is the melting pot of 1920’s culture that we owe its birth. We can clearly trace the classic glamour images beginning from the first half of the former century.
Zenith of Glory and Later. The period that started with 50′s was perhaps the most successful – and hard – time for glamour pictures. Betty Grable conquered the hearts of the audience before the war started, and remained one of the prominent figures in glamour photo ever since; Marilyn Monroe brought even more recognition to glamour photography by her famous appearance on Playboy’s cover in 1953. Pamela Green and other famous and charming models contributed to glorifying glamour photography at its finest, winning the heart of audience worldwide.
Nowadays – Digital Fever. Color wasn’t the only achievement that glamour pictures acquired – they turned into something more creative and provocative. New names started conquering the stage, glamour magazines and beauty photography admirers – those were Dita von Teese, Heidie Van Horne, Lucy Pinder, Bernie Dexter and many others. Additionally, digital format started dominating in photographic arts. The tidal wave of progress improved glamour images’ technical quality and drastically simplified the very process of photo production. Everyone with a DSLR camera could become another glamour photographer. In a combination with Web technologies, this was like a clamor of billions and billions of both talented people and senseless dabblers.
Are you Afraid of 3D? Finally, nowadays we face a new era, when 3D rendering easily re-creates that very glamour that we are so striving to deliver. Though nobody doubts it is art, 3D appears to rival not only the photography techniques but artists and models themselves. However, it is my firm belief that no computer-rendered beauty can ever substitute for genuine model, real lighting and sincere artistry. If this is a struggle of old and modern, my side is with the former.
I feel optimistic about the future – oils, film and digital have found their admirers and seem immortal. 3D art undoubtedly deserves for its own niche and admirers. It is not technology that is behind each glamour picture – it’s the soul, the inspiration and the dedication: that of photographer and the model. A true artist at heart can never forget this simple truth – so you remember it as well.
