Synopses & Reviews
Shoot yourself: Sexy self-portraits by everyday women.
Inspired by a babysitter he surprised in front of the bathroom mirror shooting pictures of herself with his Polaroid, photographer Uwe Ommer decided to put together a book of erotic self-portraits by inexperienced photographers. Arming participants with cameras and basic technical instructions, Ommer asked them to photograph themselves in any way they pleased liberated, so to speak, from the voyeuristic eye of the photographer. Some chose to use mirrors as they captured their portraits, while others braved the camera without the help of their reflections. While many subjects required no intervention by Ommer, for others he acted as "ghost photographer," helping them with the lighting and setup; in both cases, the models were free to indulge their inspirations in any ways they pleased from sexy and provocative to romantic to simply being themselves. The cast of self-portraitists includes a wide range of personalities, from students to artists, actors, stylists, dancers, models, musicians, teachers, and more. This highly original book gives us a rare glimpse at the way everyday women see themselves or wish they did.
Review
"Do It Yourself has nothing to do with power tools or flat-pack furniture. Instead it's the new book from German photographer Uwe Ommer except that he didn't take the pictures. Inspired by coming home to find the babysitter unashamedly photographing herself naked, he gave 'everyday women' (who just happen to look like models) a camera and free rein to take self-portraits alone and completely uninhibited. The results are not always subtle; ranging as they do from the glamorous, coquettish or coy to blatant, roaring sexuality. So is this just thinly veiled soft porn? In part, yes, but with such a frank insight into how women (or, at least, some women) view their own sex-appeal that it has the welcome twist of female autonomy." The First Post, London
About the Author
Uwe Ommer became fascinated with photography at a young age and in 1962 moved to Paris, where he initially worked as a photographer's assistant. Within a few years, he opened his own photography studio, primarily shooting fashion and advertising photos. Quickly gaining respect for his work in Paris, Ommer began showing in local galleries and eventually published his first book, Photoedition Uwe Ommer, in 1979, a collection of personal and advertising works. In the following years, he would publish five more books of his photographs. In 2002, Uwe Ommer was awarded an Honorary Fellowship to the Royal Photographic Society for the impact of his lifetime of work. His other books for TASCHEN include Black Ladies, Asian Ladies, Transit, and 1000 Families.