Charles Gatewood

This article is part of 'The Legends Project'

As part of the "Legends Project", Charles Gatewood has been recognized as an BDSM Icon
for the work they have done to make the BDSM/LGBT/Leather communities what they are today and awarded a
Certificate of Appreciation

Charles Robert Gatewood (November 8, 1942 – April 28, 2016) was a photographer, writer, videographer, artist and educator, who lived and worked in San Francisco, California.

Opening page from his website at ~~www.charlesgatewood.com~~

This free site showcases the photography, books and videos of San Francisco artist Charles Gatewood. Starting with artistic nude photography, William S. Burroughs and Wall Street in the 1960s and 1970s, his subjects expanded in the 1980s to include radical sex practices, s/m, bondage and discipline, dominance and submission. In the 90s Gatewood photographed modern primitives, erotic tattooing, extreme body piercing and blood sports. Now he web surfs to find twenty-first century tattooed and messy girls, goths and vampires, radical pagans, Burning Man and many other kinky kinds of people.

Death

Gatewood died in San Francisco on April 28, 2016, after sustaining serious injuries in a fall from his balcony three weeks earlier, in an apparent suicide attempt. He left several notes behind. He was 73.

Wikipedia article: Charles Gatewood

Books published

Discovery in Song, New York, Paulist Press, 1969
Sidetripping with William S. Burroughs, New York, Strawberry Hill Books, 1975, Last Gasp, 2002
People in Focus, Garden City, New York, Amphoto, 1977
X-1000 with Spider Webb and Marco Vassi, Woodstock, N.Y., R.Mutt Press, 1977
Publishing Ink: The Fine Art of Tattooing with Spider Webb and Marco Vassi, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1979
How to Take Great Pictures with Your Simple Camera, New York, Doubleday, 1982
Wall Street, Woodstock, New York, R. Mutt Press, 1984
Hellfire, New York, Pocket Books, 1987
Primitives, Woodstock, New York, R. Mutt Press, 1992, Last Gasp, 2002
Charles Gatewood Photographs, San Francisco, Flash Publications, 1993
Badlands, Frankfurt, Goliath Books, 1999
A Complete Unknown, San Francisco, DanaDanaDana Editions, 2009
Burroughs 23, San Francisco, DanaDanaDana Editions, 2011

Interview

(This page is a "direct lift", spelling errors and all)

CHARLES GATEWOOD’S KINKY INK - TATTOO PIN-UP PHOTOGRAPHY

Hi everyone! My name’s Charles Gatewood, and I enjoy a great life taking nude photographs of the world’s loveliest tattoo girls. Tough job, huh? What’s even more amazing is that almost all the tattooed cuties who call and e-mail me each week are glad to pose for free, asking only that I show their beautiful body art and give them high-quality prints of the pictures I take. How did I get started? How does one meet top tattoo models, and what is the etiquette of working with them? In this and future columns I'll explain how I create my finest erotic tattoo pictures -- and how you can too!

I began my photographic career in New York

In the mid 1970s my involvement with tattooing grew deeper when I began working w

In 1987 I moved from New York to San Francisco to be closer to the Bay Area’s awesome body art tribes. Here I found a whole new generation of hot tattoo punkettes eager to pose for pin-up pictures. Woohoo! These West Coast girls have their own unmistakable style*an irresistible mix of punk, hippie, S/ M, Goth and fetish. My models are North Beach bohemians, South of Market slum goddesses, Haight Street hotties. They’re artists, performers, club kids and exotic dancers. Many are into retro fashions, like vintage corsets, high heels and black-seamed stockings and bullet bras. The girls share other cool looks too, like wild colored dreadlocks, thigh-high boots, elaborate slave collars, latex miniskirts and elaborate body piercings. They all know and adore pin-up queen Bettie Page, and often ask to pose for classic “cheesecake" pictures*quite different from my earlier documentary photojournalism. Adventuresome, fun-loving and hugely creative, these heavily decorated cuties bring outrageous props, erotic toys, kinky accessories and sassy attitudes. Almost all are willing to pose completely nude, or topless, and many have no limits at all. Hugh Heffner -- eat your heart out!

The question I'm asked most often is, “How do you meet such gorgeous models?" My answer is that since I'm well known for high quality tattoo pin-up photography, more than half of my awesome models contact me. They know my work from books like MODERN PRIMITIVES, TRUE BLOOD, MESSY GIRLS and THE BODY AND BEYOND, and they see my pictures in Skin and Ink, Skin Two and other tattoo and fetish magazines. What a joy!

Here are some other ways I meet great tattoo models:

I look and act professional. I'm respectful, I do good work and I honor my commitments.
I attend tattoo conventions and events where would-be models like to show off. Duh!
I cruise fetish clubs like Bondage-a-Go-Go in San Francisco, complimenting the tattooed girls, showing them my body art books and offering my business card.
I advertise for models in BDSM publications, tattoo websites, weekly alternative papers and the San Francisco Chronicle.
I post flyers in clubs, fetish stores and Haight Street Cafes: TATTOO PIN-UP MODELS WANTED. I've met some fascinating models this way.
I network, passing out cards to models and friends and asking them to recruit new talent. I also sometimes exchange models’ names with other erotic photographers.
I have tattoo “spies," savvy club kids who make all the hottest scenes and know which girls have the look that will make me smile.
I have tattoo pin-up galleries on my free website, www.charlesgatewood.com, where prospective models can admire my style and contact me.

Today I'm having more fun than ever. The world’s prettiest tattooed cuties keep calling, and it’s my great pleasure to accept the c

When prospective models call, I ask them to send nude photos showing their tattoos, piercings and other forms of body adornment. I also ask if they have any stretch marks, scars, or bad amateur tattoos I should know about. Then, if I like their look, I ask them to fill out the MODEL SEARCH form

Once we've agreed to shoot and discussed the session in detail, I give the models directions and ask them to arrive on time, clear-eyed and well-rested. I also remind them to wear loose clothing, so we don't have to wait an hour for bra and panty lines to disappear. If they have fresh or half-finished tattoos, I encourage them to wait until the work is finished, completely healed and looking its best.

I also ask models to bring their favorite music, plus costumes, accessories and props that will add zip to our session. My whacky models bring the darndest things! Sides

Before the model arrives, I set out bread, cheese, juice and bottled water. If the day is cool, I build a fire in the fireplace to warm the room. When she arrives, I make her feel welcome and at home. After some friendly chat, we examine the accessories and props she brought. Then I ask her to apply her make-up and think of ways to cover or hide any bad tattoos or physical imperfections. And when she walks out of my dressing room, naked and gorgeous, saying, “How do I look?", I thank the heavens for giving me the best job in the world.

I put her music on the stereo and our dance begins. I take charge and tell the model exactly what to do. All models*even top professionals*need direction. “Take some deep breaths," I usually say. “Relax. Now move your body... slowly... now turn that full-sleeved arm toward me and bring it a little higher. Good. Chest out, tummy in. Big smile." Click! I keep the friendly, supportive chatter going as I try new props, new poses. I also ask the model for creative input, and our collaborative energy often produces some surprisingly wonderful photographs.

Other tips for posing models:

I often “go into a zone" while working and forget half my preconceived ideas, so I make “wish lists" before every shoot, detailing the poses and, props and scenarios I want to explore. I ask models to make idea lists too*and this creative brainstorming produces many wonderful creative surprises..
I'm flexible. If a model arrives with bruises, whip marks, cuts, burns,
I style the model, choosing props and accessories which will add visual excitement. Whenever possible, I use a professional stylist or make-up artist to give the model that “superstar" look.
I ask models to help me by striking animated poses. Calm, static poses are great for serious portraiture, but I also especially love catching the ecstatic expressions as models act out “this is FUN!"
I often try to add a “kicke

After I've shot plenty of film and worked through our idea lists, I ask the model to sign a model release allowing me to publish and exhibit the photographs (I've adapted mine from a standard form available at large camera stores). On the release I also ask for age, stage name, contact information, descriptions of all body art, and names of all tattooists, piercers and others involved. I'm also careful to photocopy her photo ID to clip to the release form. Most magazines and book publishers, by the way, won't ac

Some other lessons I've learned:

If a model shows up, drunk, stoned or otherwise wrecked, I cancel the shoot.
If a model becomes angry, abusive, paranoid or unstable, I stop shooting.
If a model flakes, or is really late, I try to be patient. If the model is special, it’s worth it.
I am Mister Nice Guy, polite and respectful.
I never touch a model without asking.
I avoid flirting, even though models sometimes flirt with me.
I deliver courtesy prints promptly -- and boy, do my models love that!

If you or one of your tattooed friends would like to pose for my camera (I photograph men and couples too), visit my website, www.charlesgatewood.com, check out my photo galleries, and write me! I live in San Francisco, and I visit New York and Los Angeles at least once every year. Let's get together!

The End

Timeline

1964-1966 - I lived in Sweden and traveled widely in Europe--Oslo,Copenhagen, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Venice, Austria, Switzerland, Greece, Turkey, Moscow, Leningrad. Most of my pictures show people and human behavior - hippies, protests, sex, drugs, music. Personalities include Martin Luther King, Mariam Makeba, Bob Dylan, Ornette Comeman, Boz Skaggs, Joan Baez.

1966-1978 - I lived in Manhattan. I was staff photographer for the Manhattan Tribune newspaper for several years. I also photographed on assignment for Rolling Stone, Time, Harper's, New York Times, Business Week and other magazines. I specialized in photos of the counterculture, and shot every major protest. My first book, SIDETRIPPING, was critically acclaimed, and my photos of slums, pollution, education, social problems, and social change appeared in over a hundred textbooks.

In l970 I took the first of fifteen annual trips to New Orleans to photograph the Mardi Gras celebrations. I also shot in Italy, Spain, Greece, Germany, Morocco, Algeria, Tunesia, Libya, Egypt, Mexico, Key West, Minneapolis and San Francisco. Personalities include William S. Burroughs, Bella Abzug, Al Green, Ron Wood, Carlos Santana, Rod Stewart, Allen Ginsberg, Sly Stone, Luis Bunuel, Bernardo Bertolucci, Abby Hoffman, Al Green, Etta James, Gil Evans, Dion, Spider Webb, Jimmy Page, Nelson Rockefeller.

1978-1987 - I lived in Manhattan and Woodstock, NY. I did lots more editorial and textbook photography, and received my third New York State Arts Council fellowship to publish my four-year photo essay "Wall Street." That book won the Leica Medal of Excellence for Outstanding Humanistic Photojournalism. Photos from this period include protests, nature, gender issues, erotica, tattooing, piercing and other forms of body modification, outlaw bikers and radical artists. I photographed in San Francisco, Hollywood, Key West, New Orleans, Paris, and Amsterdam--and taught workshops in Woodstock, Chicago, Minneapolis, Martha's Vineyard, and Arles, France. Personalities include Larry Clark, Ed Sanders, Annie Sprinkle, Fakir Musafar, Marco Vassi, Lyle Tuttle, Cliff Raven, Michael O'Donoghue, Ira Cohen.

1987 - 2007 - I've lived in San Francisco since 1988. I'm a staff photographer for Skin & Ink magazine, and my photos have appeared in lots more textbooks, magazines, newspapers, and on posters and post cards. Eight books of my fine-art photographs have been published, and my work has been exhibited and published throughout the world. San Francisco subjects include the Folsom Street Fair (11 years), Burning Man (three times), Dadafest (4 times). My documentation of body modification, fetish, and the radical-sex communities is unmatched. During this period I also photographed in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Hawaii, Mexico, Vancouver, Copenhagen, and Thailand. Personalities include Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Michael McClure, Jack Micheline, Carol Queen, Jello Biafra, Ron Turner, Anna Banana, Herb Gold, Charles Henri Ford, and others.

The Gatewood archive contains several thousand prints, 250,000 slides and negatives--plus contact sheets, proof prints, personal papers, correspondence, books, and ephemera. It also contains master edits of 36 documentary videos, plus three films (including a rare copy of Dances Sacred and Profane, and a choice collection of prints by other photographers.

Photographers whose work has involved fetishistic elements:

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