surfidaho

Old Idaho State Penitentiary in the foreground, Idaho Botanical Gardens

Winter Garden a'Glow in the background.

While it's true that most men (including me) are visually hardwired to prefer nubile young women, it's also true that mature and sophisticated men love and appreciate their life partners, and Love Trumps Lust. At least in my case it does.

Well, that's enough philosophy for one evening. Let's get back to criticizing the picture on it's merits, shall we?

And Rebecca, if you don't like what you read or see, you're welcome to go elsewhere.

Rebecca:

As an amateur, I am comfortable being photographed in settings and poses that are natural for me. Male receptive is not natural for me, but it's natural for a lot of men, and for a far greater number of women.

As a professional model, I might entertain the possibility of posing in a more contrived manner that is a little outside my comfort zone. How much money are we talking about, anyway?

Rebecca:

You say degradation, I say celebration. It's likely we'll never agree on this.

For what it's worth, there are nude pictures of me in existence (relaxing in hot springs out in the wilds of Idaho) and I don't consider myself degraded or objectified by them. I just like being naked in nature, and I don't mind being depicted that way. If there was a forum on photo.net for "50ish Nature Freaks in the Buff", I would happily post there.

So if models like posing for these types of pictures, it's just them being them. There's really no difference, except perhaps they make more money at it, and their pictures are much more flattering.

As for whether this image is suitable for a public forum, for me, that's a resounding yes. The very fact that there has been a spirited discussion about it's merits (or lack thereof) makes it valuable.

"Receptive" implies "consent".

Those posters that wax effluent with pontifications on the negative meaning of "receptive" do not understand the meaning of the word. Anyone (male or female) forced to do anything, is not receptive, and therefore not consenting.

I submit that nothing between consenting adults is offensive. Some persons fantasies simply may not be your cup of tea. I also submit that it's a very short journey between the censor's pen and the burqua.

I refute thusly the commentator who stated that this image makes the woman look like an animal in heat.

Most animals are in heat seasonally. We are unique among the animals in that we are in heat all the time. Therefore it is an accurate depiction of the human condition.

To those that say this is degrading, I say balderdash. The nude feminine form in a receptive posture can never be degrading.

Now if she was covered by a burqua, that would be degrading.

I also believe it's a masterpiece.
My interpretation is that the soft light side of the young lady symbolizes innocence, and the light with chain link shadows the harsh reality of the city.

I had a lot of fun shooting this. Your comments and critique are

appreciated.

It was a small room, and the couch was not movable.

I wanted it to look like an old fashioned cameo brooch.

It either works or it doesn't. And for me it doesn't work.

It's just too "cute" for it's own good.