Fetish photographer

A fetish photographer takes photographs of people in fetishistic situations, such as in bondage, or wearing rubber or leather clothing. More extreme fetish photography depicts paraphiliac acts such as urination, enemas, or SM activities. Depending on point of view, fetish photography can be considered as fine art, erotica, or pornography. Once only published in bondage magazines, fetish photography is now also published as "art books". Taschen is one prominent publisher printing fetish books on a mass scale. Bondage and fetish imagery has also made its way into mainstream pornographic magazines.

Pioneering fetish photographers include John Willie, who published a famous fetishistic magazine, "Bizarre" from 1946 to 1959. Another pioneer photographer includes art photographer Paul Outerbridge who introduced fetish elements into his color photographs as early as the 1940s. Contemporary fetish photography has much since entered the mainstream with Helmut Newton bringing focal elements of high heels, lipstick and leather within a fashion-centric sphere. Further pushing the concept are today's fetish masters such as Lochai - winner of the 2006 International Erotic Fine Art Photographer of the Year award for Beach Bound, which incorporated elements of Japanese rope bondage.