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How appropriate is "being involved with your subject" in this photography?


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<p>Was browsing for some wallpapers and came across a great photographer! First few photos were amazing. I noticed a disturbed feeling in my gut. Perhaps I'm American and this guy is Russian. But I'm going to clear my thoughts and see what everyone thinks here instead, but before you read my comments look at the photos first then read my comments below. <br>

NSFW<br>

http://fedorshmidt.tumblr.com/post/142387339079/fedorshmidtcom<br>

http://fedorshmidt.tumblr.com/post/141127716304/fedorshmidtcom<br>

http://fedorshmidt.tumblr.com/post/140190942553/fedorshmidtcom<br>

http://fedorshmidt.tumblr.com/post/139663670289/fedorshmidtcom<br>

http://fedorshmidt.tumblr.com/post/132270477867/fedorshmidtcom<br>

http://fedorshmidt.tumblr.com/post/125753298834/fedorshmidtcom<br>

http://fedorshmidt.tumblr.com/post/122664534209/fishing<br>

@ (Look at 60 seconds) = https://vimeo.com/85395440<br>

http://fedorshmidt.tumblr.com/post/137839489004/fedorshmidtcom<br>

http://fedorshmidt.tumblr.com/post/121100123173/fedorshmidtxxx<br>

<br />SERIOUSLY? http://fedorshmidt.tumblr.com/post/121183355415/fedorshmidtxxx<br>

Am I missing something here? Is this guy like some jock or alpha male that he can get away with this? Is this a cultural thing in Russia? Or is he in some sort of industry that's not the norm here in the USA? Would he be successful and booked by the top industries here in the USA if he moved here? <br /><br />That being said, let me know your guy's thoughts.</p>

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<p>No, he is not "some jock or alpha male" so far as I can see. He's doing a bit of soft-core fetish imagery. Been around for a very long time. All of his models appear to be adult. I see nothing intrinsically 'wrong' with what he is doing. It's not my cup of sexy, but neither does it cross anything I would label as a boundary. There is a feeling of male domination here, but not a violent sort. There are plenty of femdom images that go <em>way</em> further than these. I wouldn't buy these, or use them as my wallpaper, but I suspect many people would.</p>

<p>This "industry", by the way, is quite common in the US, and in most of the world. It can be art as well, although I do not think this guy is anything more than a reasonably competent studio photographer who hires attractive models. I also think it rather peculiar (to say the least) that you joined this site in order to make this post. If you are a troll, I know a very gruff billy goat. If not, then what <em>is</em> your purpose here?</p>

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<p>To me, they're not much different than most of the photos seen in PN's nudes section. So the guy's hands are involved here. That just adds a new element but it's still about titillation and exploitation. Still pretty boring and vapid. An exercise might be to look again at these pics, then look at more typical soft-core nude amateur photos masquerading as "art nudes" and consider what the differences actually are. Really, the vision and sensibility is mostly the same. Only difference is the presence of hands of the male photographer, but the male photographer's presence is usually pretty implied even when not overtly shown as here.</p>

<p>I won't guess at who this guy thinks he is or what his motivations are. It's actually not a bad idea, and one I've played around with myself (I photograph mostly men, though). I've tried several times to bring myself into a shoot as part of the photo. Just haven't reached what I'm searching for yet. But it wouldn't be this type of sensibility, which simply furthers a vision I might call "high gloss soft core cliché."</p>

We didn't need dialogue. We had faces!
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<p>I had previously worked on a "photographer involvement" series mostly to see how people what viewed the show would react. Element of the show were going to require the viewer to also make contact with the photographs. I killed the series because my model became a teacher and I didn't want to jeopardize her career.</p>

<p>Still this is a fascinating study into how passive/active the viewers at an art show behave. (I'm not saying that this is why he did these photos)</p>

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<p>I think he spotted a great way to market his tattoo artist; i.e. I am wondering if the pictures would work if they were done by a blank skinned photographer. As they are: "sex sells inks" - Not really unexpected.<br>

No clue about the USA. - Never been there.</p>

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<p>It's called POV (point of view). I'd guess that the models are pros and know exactly what's going on.</p>

<p>If you want to do this, you seek models willing to do soft POV. Don't spring it on someone unsuspecting. There are plenty of willing subjects.</p>

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<p>Unique erotic photography. I kind of like it, but the concept would be a hard one to push if you are just starting out on it, even as an established photographer you'd need models who knew what they were getting into, and the context of the work. I think it's just one of the many creative spins that can be done with photography-model interaction. Not entirely my cup of tea but, I can see the creative merit in it if there is to be one. On the other hand, I think even I would have a hard time taking it seriously in a photo art form. </p>
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<p>Well these phifotographs are not unique here or in Russia if one is judging content and I asked many in the Russian community what he is talking about and American scholars so I do not know. But Nick certainly looked at a lot of them in his research. Nick may be a new entity but my sense is that he is quite familiar with PN posting. Some kind of weird troll. Maybe Fedor Schmidt is Nick, Nick</p>
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<p>Okay let me rephrase, Maybe some kind of weird troll. Maybe Fedor Schmidt is Nick, Nick. Not an accusation at all. Just speculation. And I was not the first on the line of thought. Some one else brought the thought earlier, why would someone join PN just to raise what in my opinion was an asinine question? I have seen worse and more vitiolic here and no one says boo. Maybe you might know who they are.<br>

</p>

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<p>As to the Title question:</p>

<p>Aesthetically, it's irrelevant to judging the work. Ethically, that would depend entirely on the relationship between artist and model.</p>

<p>As for the rest I can only give my personal reactions:</p>

<p>I guess somebody has to help adolescents with their auto-erotic fantasies. Though I found two of them to have at least some aesthetic value, I rather liked the one with smoke. And the last, the one of the (somewhat ithyphallic) arm and fist grasping the model's shirt visually interesting though personally I found it unsavory in its implications.</p>

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Okay, I apologize on many accounts.i dug up an interview of Fedor and shared it wit a few people. After reading his

interview he appears shallow, not much substance and bordering on plain pornography and nothing profound in his

answers. Nothing there to impress any one. Also there seems to be a consensus that there is a male self image culturally

the "alpha male" that is stronger in Russia than in many countries. My apologies to Nick Nick and Jeff. Nick Nick instincts

are not far off in my opinion after rethinking. Thre is great nude photography out there but I do not know if this is part of it.

http://designlenta.com/post/fedor-shmidt-interview.

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