Shoot me!

It seems that there are viewers (mostly USA?) that are offended by images of and with nude females (I can only guess how they would feel about nude males). I think it's already a sign that one can choose in this forum to see images with or without nudes.
My advise to those is to please stay away and study the subject of the history photography first. Maybe that will cure them, I hope so. Recently I saw in a German magazine a series of photo's by Erwin Olaf, a great professional photographer. That series can also be viewed on the website <http://www.erwinolaf.com/> under 'hotel'. These are great images but not for people that want to ban or moderate and want us to believe that nudity is a 'sin':-)

Thanks for the link to Erwin Olaf'd work, Jan. They are terrific photos and definitely worth viewing.
<Clickable link>

Jan:
My advice to you: if you don't like other people's comments, (mostly from the US) then please stay away from them and go read something else.

I'm somewhat bemused by some of the comments made here about the woman being "strong" in this picture. A faceless woman down on her hands and knees peering into a camera is strong? In what sense? This woman has as much presence and individuality as a woman covered from head to toes in a burqua, chador... with only a pair of eyes peering through a slit in the cloth. The depersonalisation is the same. Would a man in a similar pose also be considered "strong"? This picture is provocative, yes, but strong - no. And certainly it is dehumanising, objectifying, and demeaning. As for all the so-called "technical prowess" supposedly portrayed... I don't find anything particularly spectacular...

Jan;
 
Thanks so much for trying to educate us ignorant North Americans about art. So do all people who do not share your views suffer from some sort of knowledge based deficiency or just us non-Europeans?
 
The issue being discussed here, whether either of us agrees or disagrees, is not about nudity in art but rather about  the depiction of women in violent and degrading situations.  I do not see the wonderful work of  Erwin Olaf as violent sadomasochistic sexual fantasy expressly conceived to arouse men.  I have no trouble making a distinction between the two,  but then maybe that's just one of those North American things.

Absolutely brilliant.  

Rebecca, don't judge me so fast. You'll notice a lot of question marks in my post. I'm not pretending to have the answers to anything here, just bringing up possible motivations. And your reply landed on dramatic conclusions that I don't agree with. For example, "Aren't barren and unnattractive women useless? God, I just wish they would stop existing," is an over the top exaggeration. We're not talking about personal worth here, but aesthetic worth in a visual medium.

but I can see how my comments would be offensive, and I apologize for that. it's not easy to express oneself on this topic without stepping on toes here or there.

These are not portraits. The model is playing a part. I see no exploitation (except in the political sense, i.e. Communism) but rather collaboration, the photographer and models seem to be working together on some sort of photo essay.

Unless there is some reason for it I'm not sure that the models motives for taking their clothes off is the issue, but this is not exactly blunt force Eros.

If the model where clothed then it would be a photo about fashion or some other such thing. Here it is about Woman, not this woman, not your mother or sister, perhaps Russian women, for whom the model is representative.

If it were an old woman it would have another meaning entirely, like the effects of a repressive society on self image. This is a flower growing in the junk yard of a failed system.

This not a coherent statement, (the photos taken as a whole), more like a notebook than a finished and bound book. Ideas tossed about, insight and rambling.

Trying to force it back into the mind set of half of a century or more in the past is hardly fair, and is in fact the polar opposite of where this seems headed. Does the model have to be soft focused, standing next to a draped Roman column and holding a water pitcher for it to be art?

The model in the once fearsome icon of the Hammer and Sickle. Freedom is a wonderful thing.

Love it. Woman has the body of a greyhound race dog. Beautiful.

Outstanding image. Great composition and excellent use of lighting. I can see all the range of tones. Congrats.

gorden on jans behalf.... he didnt mention all of north america,,, he excluded canada and mexico!i tend to agree with jan. maybe a little more au natrual and a little less violence would do us all some good!

I wish we would hear from Igor Amelkovich about his photo (and the portfolio that has been mentioned in many of the postings). I'd be interested in knowing what he wants to convey in his photos, what has influenced his individual style, and his reactions to some of the general comments (positive and negative) on this POW. That always seems to round out the discussion on the POW, and I think it would give all of us more understanding of this particular photo.

I really like Igor's portrait folder. I'm struck that the mood in all of the subjects is somewhat serious. I'd like to know why he seems to choose that particular expression, and if he thinks that photographic tendency has been translated in some way in his "Nude and Erotic" folder.

Stephen, this is a quote from Igor taken from his 'How do I do this' page:
"My film style is not a reporting. Within limits of one shot I express what is formed in my brains."

Maybe it's best that Igor lets the picture speak for itself.

While the opinions may differ, one thing is clear. The Elves picked a good photo for discussion. It has been fun watching

the many comments.

I still like the photo a lot, but I enjoyed seeing the critiques too. I think different people expect different things from photos

particularly when nudes are involved. I don't mind that I am not learning about her as a person. It is not a portrait. It is

also not particularly erotic. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I don't see the photo as a commentary on the

strength of women, or their objectification. Here, for me, the model presents shapes and textures that serve as a

counterpoint to the wonderful old camera. It is more like the meeting of two alien species (as I have said before). But,

maybe I view images differently.

In any case, I have enjoyed all the discussion, and once again I thank Igor for sharing his photo with us. -Dan

I still like it also, Dan. Not as an Igor manifesto, just a composition. I still see the model (who is looking for a dropped contact lens perhaps, just kidding) as a prop for the sexy bellows camera and dimpled elevation wheel with spokes and hardwood stand. Something,that view camera, a gizmo that the young ones will one day say, hey what is that, Gramps...they won't ask about the blonde.

A photograph that includes photography, sensuality and charming nudity all set so much well that personally i would put it into the Pantheon of expressionism history.Regards

GREAT!

Nice photo aesthetically but the dumb blonde insinuation, looking stupidly into the camera lens is disturbing to me.

Cliche? PFHT! It's a HOT model... of what we can see of her staring into a big, old camera lens. Were she riding the camera... that would be a different story. Personally, I love nudes when they are of women! As Jack Nicholson said in A Few Good Men, "There's nothing sexier than a woman you have to salute in the morning". Amen! The female form, in a... lean manner (referring to women that don't require help from Jenny Craig)... ahem! It's hot! There's nothing sexier, as the engineers at most auto plants will tell you. Many cars have been designed around the female form. Ladies, my hat's off to you. God put woman on this earth for one main reason, to give a man something to smile about and his heart beat and this photo induces a light adrenal increase and would make any straight man smile. Hell I know gay guys that would think this photo is hot! The image, while crude and lacking better props or better composition gets extra credit for the fact that the model (main subject here) is nude, but not fully exposed, thus leaving something to the imagination and that is why I make this my PIC OF THE WEEK.

Igor, question buddy, is this film or enhanced digital?

Excellent lighting, great composition!
Well done!