The Portfolio
Though he's got his own DVD now, Steve Diet Goedde doesn't have the following or national recognition that other fashion photographers do. That's probably because he works in the area of fetish photography, which keeps his art in front of the fringe's eyes, and not the usual gallery goers and taste makers. This DVD will certainly put his photos in front of new eyes, but whether they'll gain an appreciation for him remains to be seen.

With 14 years of photography to cover on this DVD, the photos had to be categorized to make navigating the material a pleasure rather than a chore. Nine galleries kick things off, each with a different theme. There are four black and white galleries, Goedde's preferred style, which run approximately 17 minutes each, and include a large number of different models. Two color sections of a similar length give a look at his more vivid work, and three shorter areas with focus on models The Porcelain Twinz, Dita Von Teese and Aria Giovanni. In all, there's over two hours of art to look at in these galleries.

Goedde may photograph women in latex, bondage gear and ridiculous high heels, but the results are more about the beauty of the image than a statement about the emotions and feelings involved with such underground practices. These women could be nude (and occasionally they are) and the photos wouldn't change much. They'd still look great.

In addition to the nine theme galleries, there are nine very short areas devoted to individual models, including Emily Marilyn, Gina Velour, Kitty, Kumi, Masuimi, Midori, Persephone, Yolanda and Yvette. Similar in style to the model-focused sections in the galleries, they present more photos of the women, along with video of some of them.

There's a tremendous amount of content in this portfolio, but some is repeated from section to section, and it's unlikely most viewers will be looking to see it again. After all, most people go to a gallery when the artist is new or the collection has changed. That doesn't happen here.

One note on the unique presentation: Not being able to control the progression through the galleries and having to view partial images most of the time, is not the best way to appreciate an artist's work, but at the same time, it's a well-done presentation, designed by the creator himself. It's sort of a Catch 22, trying to adapt the material in a new and creative way to a medium that's not ideal, but far-reaching. In the end, more people will know who Steve Diet Goedde is, but they will know montages of cropped off images as his output.

The DVD
Packaged in a Super Jewel Box, "Living Through..." is a one-DVD affair. The disc features full-frame animated menus that allow you to watch the galleries as one long two-hour show (not three hours, as the menu says) or pick through the content. Subtitles are listed when watching the interviews, but nothing seems to be visible, and there is no closed captioning.

The Quality
The photos are quite gorgeous, with outstanding detail and color. Grain is visible in extreme close-ups, but for the most part, the images are superb. Disappointingly, the disc is presented in full-frame, which means it doesn't fill a widescreen monitor without stretching.

The interviews and behind-the-scenes footage seems to have been shot on consumer-level digital video (at least, one accidental reflection seems to say that), and have the grain and noise that comes with that quality video. The audio, mostly ambient score presented in Dolby 2.0, is simple and effective. At times, it's hardly even obvious, which means it's working, as the focus is the photos and the audio creates an atmosphere.

The Extras
Under the label of "More," six areas of extras are available. First up is an audio commentary by Goedde and the DVD's producer, Michael Dean, on the nine main galleries. Because there are so many photos and they move so quickly, there's not much time to talk about each model. Most of the time, the commentary includes the model's name and the location of the shoot, though when a woman in on-screen for more than 30 seconds, the chat gets a bit more informative.

Next, there are six interviews with some of Goedde's models, including Dita Von Teese, Aria, Midori, Gina Velour and Masuimi, and one of his friends and collaborators, Molly. Among the topics covered are Goedde's skill as a photog, their experiences in the biz and their own individual feelings on fetish and photography. These interviews are combined with behind the scenes clips, to create short featurettes that run between three and five minutes apiece.

More video goodness can be found in Behind the Scenes, a 10-minute featurette about Goedde. Most of it is the models polishing the photographer's apple, but there's some of Goedde talking about his art as well. It's a good intro for those unfamiliar with him.

The 24 stills in the photo gallery are an example of what this DVD probably should have been, as the user can flip through the pictures at their leisure. Unfortunately, they are not full-screen.

A credit roll and a list of web links wrap things up.

The Bottom Line
As someone who appreciates art and takes in as many museum shows as he possibly can, I found this DVD to be a great portfolio of a great photographer, but at the same time, very frustrating. The DVD has a decent amount of extras, but most of it is of the same type of content, making it less "extra" and more of the same. Fans of Goedde's work won't be disappointed with the portfolio's content, but the presentation might get on their nerves. Word of caution to those drawn solely to the erotic aspects: this is art, not a stroke video.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.