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  Despite this, these men are pretty different from each other —Gatewood's been shooting amazing and distinct erotic photos for three decades, while Naz has made quite a mark on the world of fetish photography after less than a decade behind the lens. They do both have books just released by Goliath, though, and that's enough of a tie for our purposes here.After playing in bands throughout the '80s and the early '90s, Naz, who'd always harbored an interest in photography, picked up a camera and turned pro. His first foray involved homeless people around the city, and landed him his first gallery showings. Capitalizing on connections he had within the domina scene in Los Angeles, he began to focus on these women and their imagery. "Most people with fetishes are creative," he says. "Imagination becomes reality, and I love capturing that reality on film." Naz's most recent book of photography, Panties, finds him embracing the simple, choosing to focus on women without making, wearing nothing but cotton panties. "In Panties, I'm showing innocence and vulnerability in a natural, stripped-down setting," he says. "No shoes, lingerie, or extravagant dress. Just simply cotton panties and naked faces."  Well, obviously not just faces. As in his previous books, such as Lust Circus, Naz has an uncanny knack for collecting women who embody idyllic femininity in all its varying forms. From porn stars to petulant college girls, from innocent nubiles to girls who look like they'd just as soon kick you in the nuts as lick your neck, there's a lot here for those who, ummm, like naked chicks and stuff.And yes, the unifying theme is nothing but cotton panties. While this doesn't always result in a feeling of vulnerability (some, like model Aria Giovanni, look almost threateningly defiant in nothing but skivvies), it certainly does provide a feeling of simple, unadorned beauty and, on occasion, a sense of intimacy that is sometimes lacking in more complicated shoots. Panties is a great collection of photos from an artist who definitely appreciates the simple elegance of a beautiful woman unburdened by trappings. Yep, no doubt about it, this one's destined for my coffee table.  Gatewood, of course, is a giant in the world of erotic photography. Often referred to as the "family photographer of America's sexual underground," Gatewood's work delved into the alternative culture body modification long before traveling rock festivals delivered it to the masses. His landmark book Primitives: Tribal Body Art and the Left-Hand Path helped document and define America's Modern Primitives movement.His approach for his Messy Girls book is a lesson in opposites from Panties. Where Naz opts for the power of the uncomplicated goddess form, Gatewood (never much one for freshly scrubbed neophytes) slathers his models in everything from blueberries to chocolate syrup. Kind of like a Splosh! party, these images are interesting to look at, but I can't help but think of who had to bust out the 409 to clean all this mess up. The Spaghetti-Os seem particularly insidious… Still, it's hard to dismiss Gatewood's master touches as a photographer. You can practically feel the slime creeping through the lens, and it's clear that these girls are having an awful lot of fun parading through the muck. Also, the way Gatewood juxtaposes different substances to create eye-catching palates of color is brilliant.
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