Glamour photography

For other uses of the term "Glamour", see Glamour (disambiguation).
Marilyn Monroe photographed by Earl Moran c. 1950

Glamour photography is a genre of photography in which the subjects are portrayed in attractive poses ranging from fully clothed to nude, and often erotic. Photographers use a combination of cosmetics, lighting and airbrushing techniques to produce an appealing image of the subject.[1][2] The focus lies in the beauty of the subject's body or portrait;[3] as such, beauty standards are often a key determinant of glamour model trends.[4] A popular subset of this type of photography is "pin-up", for women, and "beefcake", for men.[5][6]

Since glamour photography can include nudity, in such cases the distinction from softcore pornography is largely a matter of taste, although depictions of sexual contact are not considered within this genre and are considered pornographic. Glamour photography is generally a composed image of a subject in a still position. The subjects of glamour photography for professional use are often professional models, and the photographs are normally intended for commercial use, including mass-produced calendars, pinups and men's magazines such as Maxim; but amateur subjects are also sometimes used, and sometimes the photographs are intended for private and personal use only.

  1. ^ Thomas, Mike (May 12, 1994). "Glamour Shots Take Writer from Bland to Bond". Toronto Star. Orlando Sentinel. Section B, p. J.3.
  2. ^ Peterson, Maggie Wolff (September 1994). "The Glamour Side of Photography". North Valley Business Journal. 5 (11). Section 1, p. 1. ProQuest 211586981. (As cited by ProQuest (subscription required).) Publisher's website.
  3. ^ Downey, G. W. (June 2011). "An American travesty". UNED Research Journal. 5 (2): 23–31. ISSN 0093-7061. PMID 1659.
  4. ^ Coy, Maddy; Garner, Maria (November 2010). "Glamour modelling and the marketing of self-sexualization: critical reflections". International Journal of Cultural Studies. 13 (6): 657–675. doi:10.1177/1367877910376576. S2CID 145230875.
  5. ^ Rosenberg, David (12 April 2015). slate.com; "The Secret History of Hunky Male Beefcakes".
  6. ^ Murray, Jessica (2021-03-05). "How the term cheesecake pinup originated". VintageReveries - Vintage Fashion Shop and Blog. Retrieved 2024-06-23.