Transvestite Bridal Shower - What do you think

OK, this is one for the records. I was asked to shoot a transvestite

Bridal-Shower/Bachelor -Party/Whatever-the-Hell-it-Was. I kid you not.

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=835522

 

I'm still not sure what happened, but it was certainly interesting.

 

After the initial shock when I got there my wedding photographer instincts took

over. Eventually I switched over to art-photographer mode. See what you think.

Love is better than war. Everyone has the right to be happy, free, safe, protected by the law, and loved by someone. I wouldn't mock the hand that feeds you.

I mock it not. It WAS very interesting. And I think I was very sensitive in the photographs.

"It's rainin' men...in drag!"

 

Looks like all the guys had a great time! Not sure how tractors and flintlocks fit in with a drag show like this, but it sure makes for some unusual images.

 

Nice photography, Ed!

I think you did a great job at taking your subjects seriously, it was just the "Whatever the hell it was" comment that caught my attention. I appreciate that you're open-minded enough to do it in the first place. A lot of photogs wouldn't be.

A mixture of grown men, women's lingerie, tractors, guns, beauty supplies, an open field and a photographer.

 

Michael, I gotta say, I don't know what the hell that is myself, other than a VERY unusual shooting assignment! Nothing wrong with it, but very unusual.

And now for something completely different. Why don't I even get fun asignments like this? Great job.

Now I want to see what the wedding will be like! :)

Even MORE soft focus, next time!

Cool!

Nice shots.

 

Just when you think it can't get any weirder, it can get much weirder.

 

"When the going gets weird, the weird turns pro." ~ Hunter S. Thompson, the good

doctor.

Did you dress the part for this shoot?

 

Lol. I'd have loved to have shot this one. I just hope saying that doesn't get me banned as it did from another forum - lol.

 

My question - why did you make them look like men in drag rather than as women? I just find it strange that in so many photos I see transvestites portrayed as men in drag rather than as the women they try to emulate.

Because that's what they wanted. I think. Getting up on the tractor was their idea, not mine. One of the weirder things was that they did nothing to change their voices. The tall one had a deep basso voice. Very disorienting. But as I said, at some point my wedding and art-photographer responses took over and I just went with the flow. And fun was had by all. I'd do it again, no problem.

I find it a very strange phenomenon that a lot of transvestites seem to be pantomime women rather than trying to emulate the real thing which is what on the face of it would seem to be their desire.

 

Having said that, it's very popular in Britain for men to go to stag parties in drag. I never had a stag party unless you count my best man and I driving around like mad things, picking up a friend from Mexico from the airport and zipping around looking for food and hotels in pouring rain with horizontal lightning streaking across the horizon.

Rhys, You're talking about female impersonator or drag queen, not transsexuals. They're not the same thing. I believe the ceremony was with transsexuals, not transvestites. I'll probably technically screw up the definition, but a transsexual is one that mentally believes they are the sex other than that which they are physically born. Many then pursue therapies and surgeries to change their body to match their mental state

I don't know. It's just very strange that these people wear women's underwear (largely) and pose in very masculine poses with very masculine props (tractors. guns). Are they making the statement "we're men and we can wear skirts if we want" or is there some deeper meaning there?

First off....there is a distinct difference between Transvestite and Transexual, and Transgendered. <a href="http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/sexinfo/?article=activity&refid=035">Here is a link that explains it better than I can</a><br>

These men were dressing in drag, not because they want to be perceived as women and live their lives as such, but usually continue to present as men. The tractors and guns really do fit in with the "message" if there is one, of transsexualism-gender roles be damned, if a man wants to dress up in women's clothing and go shoot guns, he can. <br>

That said, I do think you did a good job with the ceremony, and captured the joy and energy of the couple. <br>

I'm shooting my first same-sex marriage in a few months, and I really do plan to approach it the same way I would any other wedding, because it really isn't any different-two people that love each other are committing to a lifetime (hopefully) together, same as any other wedding I've ever shot.

Ok. I see the point now. It's a message of "take us as we are".

They were definitely "in your face" about it. The short one talk a lot about his wife and kids, and none of them had any problems with my putting the pictures up on the internet. As I said, I haven't quite figured out what was going on around me, but it was very, very interesting and surprising.

 

BTW: I'm really not sure but I got the impression that they were all hetro.

Hmm... Interesting. I have seen some people on the web doing this kind of thing for quite a while. In fact, 20 years ago a guy wanted me to take photographs of him, his wife, his wife's lady friend and his male friend in women's under garments. I would have obliged but for the fact that I had the uneasy feeling that he wanted me to join in and that it was going to turn out as some kind of sex orgy. Judging by what the guy had said to me before, I would not have been too surprised for that to have been the intended outcome. Thus I declined.

 

I have no problem taking photos of people as long as my own safety is not compromised. I operate a hands off policy in which I keep my hands off the models, minders and everybody else and I expect everybody to keep their hands off me.

 

I have no problem taking photos of a gay/transexual/lesbian/bisexual/transvestite photo shoot. In fact I may well be booked for a lesbian wedding in Charleston later this year. I am registered as a vendor at several alternative wedding websites.

 

What puzzles me is why people with alternative lifestyles wish to broadcast themselves over the internet. I would be concerned in their position about the effect such publicity might have on employment prospects.

I think I understand it. While my grandmother was alive she wouldn't let anyone in the family tell the outside world we were Jewish. Her sister was a dean at Johns Hopkins and she was afraid of what it might do to her employment prospects. 30 years ago, when my grandmother died, I came "out of the closet" and told all my friends I was Jewish. I felt like an enormous weight had been finally lifted from me.

 

Being a transvestite is a few steps removed from being a Jew, but I think they must carry the same heavy weight around as long as they hide it. So more power to them. I have to admire courage.

Hi!

 

Went on a trip to Scotland last year. My wife and I wanted to go to Gretna Green--the place to which English couples used to elope to get married under Scottish law which did not require crying of the banns. (That would warn the parents, who might kill,beat or drive off the groom.)

 

So we get there and are walking around (sad to say it's an outlet complex these days) and we see--a gay wedding. I have NO problem with this, nor does my wife, but it was so DAMN incongruous, given our romantic 18th century notions.

 

Their suits were awesome. We gave 'em the 'thumbs up' and went on. Sounds like you had fun at the party, and got paid(?). What more could you ask?

Some fantastic images I have spent some time working as photographer in a London TV club.. Fantastic people and a good night out :)