Bettie Page

CONTENTS

Foreword: Irvine Welsh

title TK: Petra Mason

title TK: Bunny Yeager

6

8

14

Naked Truth

Sweet & Savage

Boat Ride

16

42

68

Gone Fishing

Sunshine State

Jungle Land

84

108

126

Nutty Cheesecake

She Devil

Queen of Curves

146

184

202

Sources

Acknowledgments

Copyright

255

256

88

HOT & SWEET

89

LEFT AND RIGHT: Bettie Page, Miami Beach, 1954.

26

ICON

27

LEFT:

Untitled, American Indian, 1950s. Untitled, Cowgirl, 1960s.

RIGHT:

124

TOMBOYS & COWGIRLS

125

96

HOT & SWEET

97

128

PHOTOSTORY

Untitled, Star Island, Biscayne Bay, 1959.

W

HILE THE PHOTO-

story style overlaps with photoplay, what sets them apart is that photostories tell a tale, as is evident in the Fireman’s College photostory in this chapter, while photoplay is more like a slow-motion performance. The photographer Bruce Weber, Bunny’s friend and collector, references her signature photostory style in many of his fashion shoots. Bunny reveals how to shoot a photostory: “When shooting a photostory, it’s not like taking single shots; each picture must serve the purpose of tying in with the rest of the photographs to tell an overall story. Also, they should not look posed even if they are. First of all, start out with a plan; don’t depend on guess work or just naturally coming up with the right shots once you are on location. Sit down and make an outline of probable shots. Of course, when you get to your actual location you will take many more, but you must start out with a plan in order to avoid skipping an important shot that you cannot go back and duplicate. Try to pick out the location before you make your outline so that you will know what natural elements and props you will be working with. List every shot you can think of and then when you shoot these pictures look at them from different angles and use several different setups for the same idea so that an editor looking at the contact prints will have a choice. For example, here is an outline of shots that I made up to take with me while

shooting the story “Boat trip with Bettie Page.” You can of course adapt this as a guide and for use in glamorous photostory shoots of your own. 1. Girls hiring a boat 2. Boat ride and eating watermelon 3. Arriving at camp 4. Swimming and sunbathing The girls were each asked to bring the following costumes to pose in: bathing suits (regular and bikini), shirts, shorts, hats, and miscellaneous apparel each one might want to bring additionally. When working with several girls, as in this story, pick out reliable ones who won’t oversleep and stand you up on the day of the shoot. If the girls are to bring special props or costumes, write it down for them so they don’t forget. And don’t forget your own props. Make a list for these also and check each item off as you load your car. When you get to your location, tell the girls to do what they would do normally if they were on a day trip. Don’t pose them except as a last resort.” — Bunny From Bunny Yeager’s Photo Studies

PHOTOSTORY

129

174

BEAUTY & THE BEACH

175

166

BEAUTY & THE BEACH

167

188

H O W I P H OTO G R A P H M YS E L F

189

210

NUDE NOT NAKED

Bettie Page, Miami Beach, 1954.

NUDE NOT NAKED

211

232

NUDE NOT NAKED

233

234

NUDE NOT NAKED

235

178

BEAUTY & THE BEACH

179

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