There is Glamour Photography and Intimate Glamour Photography. There is Exotic Photography, Celebrity Photography, and Erotic Photography. There is Fashion and Commercial Photography, Model Photography and even Artistic Photography. These are all terms with somewhat distinct meanings but which point at the incredible interest in and consumption of the Female Body in these various forms of its portrayal. When you add the words exotic and erotic to photography, it leans toward the sexual. Then there are also art photos, Artistic Female Photos, perhaps interpretive, sometimes sexual but sometimes focusing on the models soul rather than her body. There are also Pin-up Models and of course, Playboy Models.
I want to try to point out specific differences in photography relating to the correct use of words such as ‘exotic,’ ‘glamour,’ ‘erotic’ and ‘sensual’ here, in particular. The word erotic, for instance, has come into widespread misuse, regarding both erotic photography and even erotic stories. This is partially because of the overuse it has been given on the Internet especially by adult sites. Adult venues have “adopted” the term erotic and used it enough to describe their wares that it has taken on a broader meaning than had ever been ascribed to it in the past. Many adult sites may indeed contain erotic photography but in its true meaning erotic photography does not even necessarily include nude photography. Correctly used, in fact, erotic photography perhaps arouses sexuality but does not necessarily display it.
Naturally, most people believe what they see rather than challenging the definition of a word which may be vague in their understanding anyhow. So when they repeatedly see the words erotic photography attached to graphic sexual content they associate the two things as one in their mind. Erotic Photography could be more correctly describes as “Sensual,” which has more to do with the feelings evoked by a photo rather than the actions depicted in it.
The term “exotic Photography” really has to do with a sense of distance or the unusual. A photo might more logically be called exotic due to the type of unique clothing featured in the photo rather than the models lack of clothing. The model herself may have an exotic look or appearance. Glamour Photography requires a sense of glamour, and a sense of the world as a venue for glamour. Glamour photography may or may not be erotic, exotic or sensual. Glamour photography is about the photographer allowing the model to reach inside herself for the exact expression necessary for the particular feeling which is to be conveyed in the photo.
To summarize, in general, words have a specific meaning. In practice, though, meanings change. Erotic Photography, even erotic stories are meanings in flux. Exotic photography is more distinct and leans toward the unusual. Glamour photography is bringing a sense of the glamorous to the art of photography. It usually results from the unique collaboration of a Glamour photographer with a model able to react from inside herself to convey an idea or feeling within a photograph. Sensual photography is what should be described in the term erotic photography but for the common misuse of the term currently. Erotic photography and erotic stories, correctly used, do not imply prurient sexual activity.