A subject I've wanted to cover awhile now.
In pinup and vintage we're constantly recreating past eras, looks, styles and starlet's. With pinup magazine owners, their personal taste, very much comes into play. One magazine can turn down a set, but another magazine wants to publish it. One magazine may not see your set as a cover, while another magazine will! Flaws are usually things left on the model or within the photograph that visibly stand out, in a negative way, by most people. To me, there's no denying visible flaws, big or small. However, there are those of us who've seriously studied vintage images, and its clear those images had many visible flaws left. I honestly can't see anyone who's a true fan of pinup and vintage, caring too much about the flaws that were left in vintage images we love. The model or starlet is beautiful, has sex appeal, great facial expressions and poses, top quality styling and fabulous wardrobe. Those things will automatically stand out, way above, and out shine any flaws, within the photo. I've been building mini sets for a few years now, using different color and different fabric, curtains. Satin looking curtains were extremely popular in the 50's and in pinup today. Yes, I would agree that when the curtains are steamed and hung correctly, they give off a more polished look. However, we are recreating the past, pinups and starlets of the past, and vintage photos that had flaws, and no one cared then, as no one cares now. I'm a huge supporter of editing, and photo shop! I see no point in shooting to gain publication, if you have no intentions of editing images well, or using any photo shop skills. Yet, that's why I'm personally not the biggest fan of modern - day pinup. Reason being is, the rough, edgy look is completely missing. The colors too bright and vibrant, the images too sharp and perfect looking. The models can be edited so much that it looks nothing at all like vintage styling was done on her. I remember a photographer who photographed me with my set - ups and curtains. He said he was spending so much time trying to edit the curtains to be perfect. I asked why he'd use that amount of time, just on curtains in the background, and requested he leave them, as is. The way they were edited, to me, stood out more than leaving them alone. From that shoot and images on another shoot, using the same curtains, I landed 2 covers, 2 feature in the biggest pinup magazine in the world, and one in a huge, very selective pinup magazine! Only 1 magazine owner mentioned the curtains not being perfect, yet still published several images, from 3 sets of photos, with those curtains. They also mentioned that my bangs, on my Bettie Page wig, looked a bit messy and could have been fixed in photo shop. As well as my wig looking too shiny. I agree the curtains weren't perfect, that my bangs were a bit messy, and shiny hair. All things I knew before, during and after the shoots. All things I purposely left, and either never requested to be fix, or asked to not be fixed. When recreating Bettie Page, you'd have to be blind, not to see the visible flaws left in every one of her images. Curtains were basically never ever perfect! In this blog are the actual images to prove that. Her hair was also not always exactly perfect and was often shiny! If you study the images below you can clearly see, my point is valid, and backed up by facts. So, back to magazine owners and their personal taste effecting which images they select to feature inside, and on the covers. If they personally don't like imperfections left in curtains or props, or imperfections left on the model, that's completely out of anyone else's control. I'm usually, all for a very polished look, and I notice every single flaw, always! However, to those of us who are truly vintage fans, have seriously studied vintage fashions, starlets and images, taking away every single flaw, takes away from a true vintage look overall. I see images with flaws that not only stand out, but don't help add to a true vintage looking photo. Like harsh lines and bags left under the eyes, shiny skin, clothing tags sticking out, bruises, veins or scars left on the model, etc. I've never felt those flaws have much of anything to do with personal taste. They are just plain out, visible flaws that lower the overall quality of the photos. To me, imperfect curtains, messy bangs, etc., are clearly and obviously a major part of vintage images. Same as imperfections left on a back drop. Study vintage images, and you'll see that. When I recreate a huge vintage icon such as Bettie Page, before I book the shoot date and begin to prepare looks, I ALWAYS research heavily!!! To recreate vintage images of her and her looks, means that ALL flaws will not be removed and no extensive amount of photo shop will be done to me. Study these images please. My goal wasn't to try and change ANYONE'S outlook, point of view, opinion, or personal preference and taste! Only, to merely point out that, Bettie Page didn't always have a flawless hairdo, with no imperfections. Her clothing wasn't always on properly And the sets she was photographed on, had many tiny flaws, never removed in editing. Pinup Talk host Dianna Prince
1 Comment
Jeff Osborn
4/19/2018 05:34:19 pm
Bp102. Anywhere to get poster or something large enough to frame for my wall? This is my all time fav picture of her
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