Fashion Photography and Women’s
This paper examines the relevance of fashion photography as a source for the study of women’s modernity in Germany between the wars as it focuses on the work of a fascinating and prolific professional photographer of the late 1920s and early 1930s—Else Neuländer Simon—known by her artistic name Yva. Yva discovered her own unique visual language somewhere between the commercial clichés and the modernist idioms of her time. As a successful professional photographer, she continuously searched for an image of the woman in fashion and advertisement photography that was not reductive and degrading. In an era when images of the woman as a sexual symbol were dominating mass media and were proven to attract customers, Yva positioned her photographed female model in a way that did not diminish her to a mere eye-catcher for the male spectator.
The most striking proof of photography’s extraordinary validity today is the increase in the number of illustrated newspapers. In them one finds assembled everything from the film diva to whatever is within reach of the camera and the audience. . . . The new fashions also must be disseminated, or else in the summer the beautiful girls will not know who they are.
As the above quotations testify, many of the present debates about women and their role in modernity have their origins in the early twentieth century. After lagging for decades behind developments in England and France, post-World War I Germany entered a period of unprecedented social, economic, and cultural modernization, a period that coincided with the rise and fall of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933). Dazzling changes took place in all spheres of everyday life, and the emergence of the "New Woman"--both as a mass-produced image and as a sociological phenomenon--constituted one of the most visible, and thus, most debated trends among the new realities. In his famous 1927 essay "Photography," Siegfried Kracauer discusses with apparent irony the ubiquitous presence of women’s images in the mass press and hints at the manipulative power of photography, especially of fashion photography, to attract female consumers and cultivate their tastes. Unlike Kracauer, Lotte König, herself an "enthusiastic photographer," focuses on women in photography not as objects of representation but as active agents in modern life. In her essay, "Die Frau als Photographin" ("The Woman as a Photographer"), König describes in very practical terms the institutional conditions that allowed women in Weimar Germany to become professional photographers and also highlights the actual achievements of individual freelance female photographers.
Special Featues photography
From mathematician to nature photographer, Sheila Caim, has made a glorious transition. She sees beauty in places most people would never think to look. “I taught mathematics at West Virginia University at Parkersburg. I have always had an interest in computers. When I bought my first camera, it opened a whole world within myself.” With her camera, she sees things or gets feelings from little things. She says that the feeling is “just there”.
Although from the big city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sheila said that she had always dreamed of living near nature. She and her husband had done extensive traveling. When she visited West Virginia, she knew this was the right place for her. She and her husband moved here in 1975 and built their own home in the country. She loves living in the country and having the freedom to take the time to do what she wants. “I love going out in the woods and just being quiet. This is my element. I am at peace with the world and use my camera to capture the beautiful things in nature that I see.”
One of the incredibly beautiful pieces she creates are her “cityscapes”. “When people look at my cityscapes of downtown Parkersburg, they sometimes don’t even recognize the photos. People comment all the time that they have never seen the beauty of the city in the way it is apparent to them through these images.” Sheila hopes that people see the beauty in places they have never looked. During lunch while in Parkersburg, she would walk in alleys and backstreets. With her camera in hand, her eye was ever so observant to the little things that most of us would never look at and that the average person would never really see the beauty that surrounds them.
“I am a very optimist person. I believe there is good in the world. I believe most people are good. Society keeps us locked in holding patterns. Yes, I’m aware of the tragedies in the world. I care about the world, animals, and nature. The world is connected and my art emphasis that connection”. Women photographers are in the minority. Taking up photography is good for women in that it is good to encourage women who have a lot of talent and don’t feel comfortable expressing it. Photography allows women to overcome boundaries placed on them from the outside world. It is a way to let that ‘specialness’ within them have a voice”.
Photography of Women by a Woman
Have you ever wanted to have professional intimate photos taken, but don’t feel comfortable having them done by a man? You’re not alone; many women feel the same way. But you have a choice. Annette Lovejoy Photography is a woman owned and operated business. Our goal is to make you feel comfortable from the moment you arrive. It is important that you feel safe and secure and know that you are in charge. When you are relaxed your inner beauty will shine through and by combing that feeling
with the experience of our talented photographers it allows us to get some of the most amazing photos you’ve ever had. Our goal is to help women see the beauty of their body where it is today and to feel comfortable and confident in their own skin.
Photography of Women
This stock photo of Bermuda, Woman reading on the beach is available for licensing through Digital Railroad Marketplace for commercial and editorial uses including websites, books, magazines, brochures and advertising. Restrictions may apply for images which contain third party copyrighted material or sensitive subjects. Photos of artwork are for editorial use only
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