Interview with Anatoly Borodin – a Russian Pantyhose Photographer

jessica head shotI am pleased to present this interview with Anatoly Borodin, a photographer and an entrepreneur from Moscow. He runs a popular pantyhose fetish-oriented website pro-kolgotki. It has been 10 years since he started photographing women in pantyhose and he is currently working on publishing a high quality printed photo book of his best work. This is a crowdfunding campaign to spread a word about the beauty of women in pantyhose. Anatoly proved to be the most interesting person to interview so far. Some of his answers took me by surprise, some made me disagree, some made me wonder whether he is the next Pierre Molinier, and some made me realize that my degree of pantyhose obsession is no match to his. To sum it up, Anatoly left me with even more questions than answers. Enjoy the read! 

 

How do you select your models? Is it a requirement for them to love pantyhose? I remember helping to dress models at a Vancouver fashion show and many had no idea about basic concepts like “backseam is supposed to be at the back” type of thing.

Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.comI look for amateur girls who want to have good photos of themselves in order to publish them on their own blog and to improve their self-esteem. These are ordinary girls from Moscow, Kiev and other Russian and Ukrainian cities.

There’s no requirement to love pantyhose. If it was in place – I wouldn’t find any models. LOL.

I simply publish a job post in fashion & modelling communities with explanation that ‘we shoot underwear and pantyhose’. Then I make a selection of the best girls who have replied to my job post.  Usually it is 50% of all the replies. Then I contact them and ask if they’re OK to pose in underwear. At this point another 50% of girls leave. The reason for double-checking is that models are usually young absent-minded girls with ‘a wind between their ears’, honestly. So they reply to all castings and all job posts without even looking at the details. Calling a potential model and double-confirming the type of shooting is essential – it saves a lot of time and energy.

I do not tell that the session is of certain fetish type. Because it’s not! Surprised?
Yes, my sessions are NOT related to pantyhose fetish. Don’t want to go deep into details, just check the vocabulary’s definition of ‘fetish’ and you’ll get the clue. My sessions are about women and their true tender beauty. Pantyhose are just a garment that emphasises the femininity of certain girl in a certain session.

Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

Yes, women DO NOT KNOW A THING ABOUT PANTYHOSE. For more than 15 years I’ve been researching this alluring riddle, testing hundreds of pairs of pantyhose, learning the hosiery industry on all continents. Completed hundreds of interviews with women of different cultures and ages learning their attitude and wishes towards nylons.
My conclusion is that women do not really care about hosiery. They purchase random tights at random places without looking at either the brand name or the visual quality.

I don’t judge. I understand them completely. The woman’s world contains so many more important things like health, relations, and daily tasks, looking after kids and so on. The list is endless. A pair pantyhose is at the very end on that list, if there at all.

photo by Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

I adore seeing women wearing pantyhose in everyday life, there aren’t so many of them around. That’s why I came up with my project’s idea – to create more real women wearing pantyhose. It’s all right that they wear pantyhose only at my sessions. But the pantyhose wearing index it’s already above zero. Do you get my point?
This is our reality, and there’s nothing good or bad about that.

photo by Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

Is there a type of pantyhose that is the most difficult to photograph? There are a lot of little details to watch for during any photoshoot, especially the lighting.

Surprisingly, seamless sheer pantyhose is the most difficult to shoot, like Wolford Fatal 15. I love the idea of seamless pantyhose, but it is almost impossible to show them in a beautiful way without going to too explicit images.
The thing is that seamless pantyhose are unthinkable to be worn with any underwear. The seamless concept is so super-sexy and so super-feminine that I can’t allow my model to have anything under them. Any kind of panties look weird and odd under a pair of seamless pantyhose.

Another disadvantage of seamless pantyhose is that they’re too matt and too thin to be clearly visible on the photographs. So it usually takes a lot of efforts to place the right lighting and take a shot under the right angle to make a good photo.

That’s why I don’t shoot seamless pantyhose in my sessions anymore. Too much of hassle of balancing the image between being feminine, tender and pure and the explicitness.

photo by Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

Do you retouch your photographs? I’d like to know where you stand on this, some fashion photographers pride themselves on never releasing an image without first spending a few hours on it in Photoshop.

Yes I always retouch every photograph. One photo takes from 10 to 30 minutes of retouching. One issue of my magazine contains up to 400 photographs. So one issue release takes from 66 to 200 hours of my daily work.
I love what I do, so I’m working without weekends, and at night. But don’t get delusional, a good photograph that people would want to pay money for is always based on hard work and years of experience. Throw away the stories of ‘get rich in one month in two clicks’.

AND! Do not ever listen to any ‘fashion photographers’ who say that. Everybody retouches photos. Without retouching any photo look ‘too ordinary’ . It’s a general trap that many starting photographers get into… sometimes for life.

The whole point of artistic depictions that people would like looking at is in ‘creating a vivid unusual image that one can’t find in everyday life’. It has a lot to do with the increased contrast, vividness, color balance and many other things.

photo by Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

It is a known fact that amateur photos get way more attention on social media than studio photos. Why do you think this is the case?

In my opinion amateur photos are quite popular because of higher level of intimacy on them. A photo of yourself taken in your private kitchen or your bedroom is much more intimate and ‘true’ than any studio photo. But popular doesn’t mean profitable. People want to watch amateur photos for free, and don’t want to pay.

Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

 

Do you have any entertaining photoshoot stories? One time I was at a fashion show in Toronto where the model was in such a rush to put on that jacket, she walked out with the hanger still on her back.

Can’t recall any specific funny story. Mainly because of my sessions are completely directed and pre-arranged. So I’m the conductor of the set and can do whatever I think is reasonable.

There was one plus size girl who brought her red evening dress but didn’t bring any heels. I asked her about what she was thinking about when she packed an evening dress and her sneakers… So we had to shoot her in that dress and with bare feet. The result was still nice.

Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

Oh! Let me tell you the biggest fun: girls do not have a clue of what does them and what doesn’t fit them.

Women do not have a clue of matching pantyhose and underwear colors. They think ‘it’s OK’ and ‘nobody sees it anyway’.
But men see. If you’re a girl reading this, get this clear: yesterday you wore stockings under your skirt and I guarantee most men you met on that day knew you were wearing stockings. Don’t ask how. We, men, train our skills.
If you’re a man reading this, you’d probably agree with me.

photography by Anatoly Borodin, model in yellow tights and high heels

Moreover, when you’re young you never know in whose bed you will end up today. It’s OK. But in order to look holistic, tasty and stylish – please, PLEASE (PLEASE!) think of matching your underwear and pantyhose colors.
There’s nothing more tasteless than a white panties under a black sheer pantyhose. It just degrades you down to a country redneck girl (is that OK to write like that? LOL).

Black pantyhose = black/dark panties.
Nude pantyhose = nude/white/light panties
Colourful pantyhose = up to you, think of and try the complimentary colors.

(Red vs blue, yellow vs violet, pink vs sky-blue, orange vs dark-green… should I continue or you’ve got the point?)

Not saying about all other accessories, belts, bracelets, watches, earrings, and lipstick’s color matching the whole outlook.

Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

And finally:
Some girls come to my sessions having their periods. This is awkward, but to me it is funny! I mean no offense. I’m laughing at myself getting into such an awkward situation. It’s inconvenient for the girl in first place. And when she doesn’t feel secure, the photos would be a complete crap. I can’t even press the shutter button when I see a tense insecure girl in front of me.
When a girl decides to come for an underwear session at her ‘days’, this means she just wants money. I understand and don’t judge. But we won’t get any good result out of that. There’s no easy solution for this, because I can’t ask my potential models about their periods over the phone. It would be too awkward. So all I have is to rely on girls’ discretion, and to laugh at such situations.

Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

Looks like you are an open-minded kind of guy. What is your opinion of men who wear pantyhose for comfort and enjoyment? This is probably one of the most common questions I get.

If that’s making you feel good, then IT IS GOOD.

Yes I wore pantyhose and I found it exciting. The good pantyhose make your legs look and feel so smooth and sleek. I regret I can not wear skirt because when pantyhose are under your pants the legs can’t touch each other. Although I’ve tried it at home. I believe that this sensation of your legs covered by sheer pantyhose touching each other is very important!  And very revealing! Like the whole unknown universe opens before you! A universe of women’s feelings, sensations, thoughts, and motivations. This experience has allowed me to feel what women feel, and as a result to better understand them.

photo by Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

And here I’d like to say that I understand WHY women hate pantyhose. I really do! Because after wearing a pair of sheer pantyhose for 10-12 hours they bring a lot of discomfort at the end of the day. I felt that my legs were like in a cage. And especially the sweat that have spread along the legs, making pantyhose feel like something wet and rubbery.

BUT ONLY THE LOW-QUALITY ONES! Hear me out! Only the low quality pantyhose bring that kind of discomfort by the end of the day! The good ones, for instance Wolford Satin Opaque 50, or Neon 40, are so luxurious that you wouldn’t want to take them off. I’ve experimented with many women of different ages and ethnicity. All of them declined to take them off after a 4-hour long session.

Listen to me; it’s a man telling you this stuff. Don’t take this as an advertisement, I simply haven’t found anything better than Wolford during my 15 year extensive research of hosiery.

I’ve even tried wearing laced sexy panties, but that’s too inconvenient for a man simply because of the physiological reasons. It could give you some bad consequences with your health in a long run. I looked at myself in a mirror wearing laced panties and sheer pantyhose, and it was the most miserable view in my life. I felt it was all too fake. It was like a wishful act – trying to be someone you’re not. That moment I decided that I prefer seeing beautiful underwear and luxury pantyhose on real women.

photo by Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

We all have both male and female essence in us. Seeking for another gender’s essence in you is normal and good for finding yourself. Usually, normally, we go through that sex/orientation thing at our middle childhood when trying on another sex’s garments, shoes, clothing. It’s normal and it’s very important in forming your orientation. That’s what I believe in.

I’d like to emphasise this to all men interested in pantyhose, who are insecure about their interest. If something makes you feel good, and it doesn’t affect anyone else, then it’s nothing but the good thing.

Just do it and enjoy your life.

 

photo by Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

 

Contact Information for Anatoly Borodin: 

E-mail: anatoly@pro-kolgotki.com

Facebook profile: Anatoly Borodin

Facebook fan page: pro-kolgotki (direct transliteration of Russian “about pantyhose”)

Instagram: @pro_kolgotki

Youtube: RuPantyhose

Best Pantyhose Magazine on Earth: pro-kolgotki.com

Crowdfunding campaign to publish his book: Women in pantyhose Photography Book Project.

 

 

This interview was conducted by Jessica, the founder of this website. Please note that views expressed in this interview are Anatoly’s only and they may or may not reflect the views on the same subjects of the Fantasy Stockings team. 

 

The End of the Leg Show Magazine

leg show magazine stopped publishing - finished - out of business

It’s been mentioned on the pantyhose forum that Leg Show no longer publishes its North American edition.  This magazine was of adult nature, with a focus on stockings, pantyhose, and glamorous legs in general.

I am sad to hear that such magazines are becoming extinct with all the online material that is available for bedroom entertainment.  Could the fate of Playboy be threatened too?

 

P.S. Update at a later date… I got myself a copy of a Leg Sex magazine. You may still be able to buy some at the Books Unlimited Store in Vancouver. Google it, they keep on getting vintage magazines.

 

Romanian Supermodel Madalina Ghenea, girlfriend of Gerard Butler

Article by Camelia, our Romanian Connection

Born in Slatina, Romania, Madalina Ghenea has started her fashion career at the age of 15, in Italy. The young woman has crossed the frontiers of fashion and tried her luck, successfully, in television and movies and that brought her to the attention of the public.

After being tagged in adventures with stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Eros Ramazzotti, the top model is now in a serious relationship with Gerard Butler, the actor from 300 Heroes of Thermopile”. Madalina Ghenea has become, during the last years, one of the most famous Romanian models, with a great career in Italy, but has just recently found a sentimental fulfilment.

The beautiful Romanian has immediately caught the eye of some top stars like the already mentioned Leonardo Dicaprio (the paparazzi took photos of the two of them together), Eros Ramazzotti and the Oscar winning actor Adrien Brody.  The press speculated greatly on these adventures, but Madalina Ghenea has always avoided speaking of these things.

And now, what seemed like a new conquestthe Scottish actor Gerard Butler has proven to be much more, especially that the star has officially confirmed their relationship. Invited on Jay Leno’s, “The Tonight Show”, Butler publicly admitted that his new girlfriend is a 24 years old aged Romanian woman. We have been together for seven months, it’s not a record”, the 43 years old actor joked.

He is known for the movies RocknRolla” and P.S. I Love You”, but in the same time for the part of king Leonidas, the hero of Termopile, in the movie 300.

Butler confessed that when he met Ghenea he was so impressed of her beauty that he fell in love at first sight. The couple met early this year, while shooting an advertisement. This fall, they were photographed in loving gestures on the Coast of France.

 

Translation to French:

Né à?Slatina, Roumanie, MГ„Ж’dГ„Ж’lina Ghenea a commencé sa carrière de mode à?l’âge de 15 ans, en Italie. La jeune femme a franchi les frontières de la mode et a tenté sa chance, avec succès, en télévision et les films, et cela l’a portée à?l’attention du public.

 

Après avoir été marquée dans des aventures avec des stars comme Leonardo DiCaprio et Eros Ramazzotti, le modèle haut de gamme est maintenant dans une relation sérieuse avec Gerard Butler, l’acteur de «300 – Héros de la thermopile”. MГ„Ж’dГ„Ж’lina Ghenea est devenue, au cours des dernières années, l’un des modèles les plus célèbres de Roumanie, avec une belle carrière en Italie, mais a récemment achevé une vie sentimentale réussie.

 

La belle roumaine a immédiatement attiré l’attention de quelques stars, comme le déjà?mentionné Dicaprio Leonardo (les paparazzi ont pris des photos de tous les deux ensemble), Eros Ramazzotti et l’acteur qui a gagné l’Oscar, Adrien Brody. La presse a beaucoup spéculé sur ces aventures, mais MГ„Ж’dГ„Ж’lina Ghenea a toujours évité de parler de ces choses.

 

ГђЕ“Гђ°Р“ђВґГђ°Р“С’»Р“ђВёГђВЅГђ° ГÐµР“ђВЅГђµР“С’° ГђВІ чуÐ»Р“ђВєГђ°Р“‘… ГђВё ГђВЅГђВёГђ¶Р“ђВЅГђµР“ђВј Гђ±Р“С’µР“С’»Р“‘Е’Гђµ - ГђВјГђВѕГђВґГђµР“С’»Р“‘Е’ ГђВё Гђ»Р“‘ЕЅГђ±Р“ђВѕГђВІГђВЅГђВёГ‘†Ð°

Et maintenant, ce qui semblait être une nouvelle conquête – l’acteur écossais Gerard Butler – s’est avéré être beaucoup plus, surtout que le star a confirmé officiellement leur relation. Invité à?Jay Leno, “The Tonight Show”, Butler a publiquement admis que sa nouvelle petite amie est une femme roumaine de 24 ans. “Nous avons été ensemble pendant sept mois, ce n’est pas un record», les dit l’acteur de 43 ans en riant.

Il est connu pour les films mais dans le même temps pour la partie du roi Leonidas, le héros de Termopile, dans le film „300”.

 

Butler a avoué que lorsqu’il a rencontré Ghenea il a été tellement impressionné de sa beauté qu’il est tombé amoureux au premier regard. Le couple s’est rencontré au début de cette année, lors du tournage d’une publicité. Cet automne, ils ont été photographiés faisant des gestes d’amour sur la cГѓВґte de la France.

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ГђВјГђВѕГђВґГђµР“С’»Р“‘Е’ ГђВёГђ· Гђ Р“‘ƒÐ¼Ñ‹Ð½Ð¸Ð¸ - ГђЕ“Гђ°Р“ђВґГђ°Р“С’»Р“ђВёГђВЅГђ° ГÐµР“ђВЅГђµР“С’° - ГђВЅГђВёГђ¶Р“ђВЅГђµР“С’µ Гђ±Р“С’µР“С’»Р“‘ŒÑ‘ - чуÐ»Р“ђВєГђВё

ГђЕ“Гђ°Р“ђВґГђ°Р“С’»Р“ђВёГђВЅГђ° ГÐµР“ђВЅГђµР“С’° ГђВЅГђ° ГђВѕГђ±Р“С’»Р“ђВѕГђ¶Р“ђВєГђµ Гђ¶Р“‘ƒÑ€Ð½Ð°Р“С’»Р“С’° ГђВІ чуÐ»Р“ђВєГђ°Р“‘…

Interview with Finn Magazine

Finn Magazine is the only Canadian magazine that focuses on the beauty of hosiery and women’s legs.  I am pleased to present this interview with the editor and PR manager of Finn Magazine, Mr. John Zueck.  

 

How did you come up with the name Finn?  Does it actually have anything to do with Finland?

We get that a lot.  There were a few other suggestions on the table as well but Finn just felt about right at that moment.  It stands for feet in nylon and I think gives the idea of what we offer the best.

 

What was it that inspired you to start your own magazine focusing on legs and hosiery?

As far as back I can remember I always looked for a magazine that captures what I’m into kind of thing.  I was lucky enough to find a couple magazines that offered what I like.  I was really excited but they were not kind of magazines that I could read in the public, like school, the park or even in my apartment. I had to hide them so no one could see them.  I thought why wouldn’t there be a magazine which I don’t have to hide.  I’ve never thought I would be a part of it though.

 

What was the hardest part of starting this magazine?  I am sure that gathering your team from all over the world isn’t easy.

Working with people who are into same fetish with you is awesome.  We met our photographer on vacation.  We were in a restaurant and he was taking photos of her girlfriend’s feet.  Right there we mentioned him our project and offered him a job.  The hardest part to start up a magazine would be to decide “are you ready? and do you really want to do it?” So far everything went so good and we hope it to be so for the future too.

 

I wonder what the gender breakdown of your readers is.  I could imagine that most women would get very curious when they see a nice pair of shoes on the cover.

We have been contacted by some of our women customers who purchase the magazine for their friends or husbands.  I can’t really say how many of them actually buys Finn for themselves.  It would be nice to know though.

 

 

Why do you think that hosiery became such a rare site these days?  I am amazed to see young women in December going to Christmas parties in evening dresses and bare legs.

I see a better future for hosiery.  I mean It may not be where it deserves to be today but it certainly in a better place where it was 10 years ago.  I have to say though due to nature of my business I travel a lot and I can say that hosiery is much more common in Europe than in North America.  It’s almost the opposite when you compare them.  You barely see a pair of bare legs on the streets of London, Paris or Moscow especially in winter.  Whereas women in North America prefer to wear pants but it’s changing  thanks to celebrities and commercials.

 

A lot of straight men who visit my blog admit wearing pantyhose for fun and comfort.  Does Finn Magazine have any position when it comes to men who enjoy wearing hosiery?

I am aware of this trend.  In fact one of my neighbors in the building where I used to live wore them in public and very colorful ones too.  Everyday a different kind and color he used to wear.  I certainly appreciate his courage about being this open.  It’s kind of like our motto for Finn letting people know what you’re into.

Based on what criteria do you choose your models?  I wonder what kind of a woman would make the perfect Finn cover girl.

We have never worked with a modeling agency.  In fact we met all our models on the street and most of them had pantyhose on at the time we met them.  We explain them what we do, some of them say no and some agrees to work with us.  A perfect Finn girl is who knows there are guys out there who find her more attractive in pantyhose and she uses this perfectly.

I am sure that you get people who ask why someone would want to create a magazine with a focus on feet.  What do you say to those people on who are on a completely different wavelength when it comes to viewing feet as an attractive body part?

I have to admit I like telling people what I do.  Most give me a face wondering if I’m normal at first.  Especially women who ask “A magazine for pantyhose and feet, are you crazy? Being a part of something somewhat unusual makes a great conversation with people who I newly met too.  I like what I do and I’m glad I’m involved in this project.

 

This year is almost over.  Do you have any New Year Resolutions for Finn Magazine to accomplish in 2013?

The first and most important goal for us would be to make Finn a monthly magazine.  Right now it is published four times a year.  We didn’t think it would draw this much attention.

 

Finn magazine comes out four times a year and you can subscribe for the next issue here.  It is an excellent choice if you’re into pantyhose and foot in nylon.  www.finnmagazine.com

Calendar with Victoria Secret Models

I saw these beautiful images online from a calendar.  I didn’t know who the photographer was, so I put up the question here for my readers.  Carl from UK (as you can see in the comments below) was the first one who helped me to make some sense out of who these photos are by.  This photoshoot is for VMANS magazine’s 25th issue and photography by Willy Vanderperre from Belgium.

I looked up a little bit more information and the stylist to thank for such pantyhose exposure is Carine Roitfeld.  She worked with Victoria Secret models for this magazine.  It really looks like the brought the best of the best together to make this happen.

Models Featured:

Doutzen Kroes is Miss January

Joan Smalls is Miss February

Lily Donaldson is Miss March

Miranda Kerr is Miss April

Adriana Lima is Miss May

Izabel Goulart is Miss June

Candice Swanepoel is Miss July

Ana Beatriz Barros is Miss August

Alessandra Ambrosio is Miss September

Anne Vyalitsyna is Miss October

Chanel Iman is Miss November

Karolina Kurkova is Miss December

*Friends, please notice the sponsor advertisement, as it is the main source of funds for this blog.*

Spick and Span Magazine – Vintage Lingerie

I am glad to point out that now I own an original copy of Spick and Span thanks to my fan who sent me these scans!  He shipped me the original.  It was a breath-taking experience to hold something that beautiful from the 1960’s.

I also couldn’t believe how real these British pin up girls looked.  They had sincere smiles and regular bodies, not like the cookie-cutter girls these days with a blank gaze in the magazines.

Spick and Span was a British magazine in 1960’s of women showing off their knickers, stockings, and bras.  At that time there was no pantyhose just yet, only stockings and garter belts.  One of my friends from the Netherlands has sent these scanned pictures and I am so pleased to be able to share these vintage pin up photos with you.

You can click on the photos to see enlarged version to read the text.

 

Besides lovely garter belts and stockings, I am drawn to the fact that these women are real people with a spark in their eyes and genuine smiles.  I am very grateful to get these photos from Spick and Span magazine and to be able to share them with you.

Later Gerard sent me a few copies to treasure!  I keep a Spick and Span magazine that tucked into a picture frame in my bedroom and this is the first thing I see in the morning when I wake up.  I love it!  My favourite photo is of a girl wearing a wreath with a fun story to go along with it.  Maybe I’ll scan it for you some day.

My Video Reading Spick and Span Magazine

*Friends, the only funding for this blog is from the shop section.  Please indulge your pantyhose obsession and show some support for my work!  Your purchases make this blog possible.  Some vintage pantyhose and stockings are there too!*

for open-minded only: Novelty Stores

Sometimes I visit a local novelty store in Vancouver on Granville street from time to time to chat with the owner and I may buy an item or two for novelty entertainment.

It’s a taboo topic to some people to even talk about this kind of stuff. World’s famous sexologists recommend couples to visit this kind of places, so do I. Sexuality is a big part of your life, no matter whether you accept it or deny it.

It’s kind of funny, but whenever I am stuck with some kind of computer problems I call there because the owner is very-well skilled with all the tech stuff.  Yes, I call the sex shop to get help with my computer homework!

Isn’t that a novelty already?