The art of Glamour Photography has come a long way from its very appearance to what we can see today. Like any other genre of photography, it witnessed some dramatic changes, withstood many cultural revolutions to finally emerge in its present state.

I would like to take you on a journey from the birthplace of Glamour Photographs to nowadays, and then take a sneak peek at the possible future.

Childhood. As to the starting point of the history of glamour images - nobody is certain. There are people who believe it can be traced back to “French postcard” that flooded Paris back in 1930’s, whereas many prefer to think it originated from Victorian photography. Some think that cultural foundation and inspiration for beauty photography lies in XVI and XVIII centuries. To put it simply, the question of origin of glamour images is far from being answered. 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. Also, it is from the first half of 20th century that the history of classic beauty photography can be traced.

Brilliant 50’s and Beyond. After World War II, glamour pictures reached the apex of their glory, closely followed by controversy and outrage. Shining star of Betty Grable was in zenith ever since pre-WWII time; thank to Marylin Monroe beauty photography gained open support and recognition, as this world-famous actress appeared on Playboy’s front in 1953. Pamela Green and other famous and charming models contributed to glorifying glamour photography at its finest, winning the heart of audience worldwide.

Modern Times – Going Digital. Color wasn’t the only achievement that glamour pictures acquired - they turned into something more creative and provocative. Dita von Teese and Hope Talmons gained young and ambitious competitors like Heidie Van Horne, Lucy Pinder, Bernie Dexter and others. As it happened, film gave way to digital photography. Technical progress improved the visual quality of glamour pictures and made the process of shooting dead simple. An amateur in possession of DSLR could potentially become a 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.

Never-the-less, I gaze in the future with a smile - after all, no art has ever been forgotten; oils and film have an army of admirers, as do many other genres. 3D art undoubtedly deserves for its own niche and admirers. Technology rarely matters - inspiration and devotion are the most important pillars of any art. No real photographer ever forgets this - and I’m sure that neither will you.

Glamour Image Ressources

Tags: glamour, images, photography, photos

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 2:55 pm and is filed under photos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.