In reality, those engaged in the art form, especially during more conservative eras of the 20th century, suffered a crushing lack of respect. Paul Outerbridge, for instance, was an erotic photography trailblazer in the 30s and 40s but never had his work exhibited during his lifetime.

If we have anything to do with it, history will look back fondly on these pioneers while celebrating those still hoisting the proverbial torch. Herewith, some well-known fetish photographers you should definitely check out.

Irving Klaw

Working from the 40s to 60s, Irving Klaw may be most renowned for his bondage-inspired photographs of Bettie Page. Klaw also worked with many burlesque dancers such as Tempest Storm and Blaze Starr, using them as models for his mail-order photography business. Although none of Klaw's photographs actually featured nudity, he was attacked by the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency that was drawing a tenuous link between so-called pornography and juvenile criminal behavior. Frustrated with the puritanical attacks on his art, Klaw stopped his work and burned all his negatives. Many modern fetish photographers claim Klaw as a huge influence.

Elmer Batters

Elmer Batters was a pioneer in illustrating foot, leg and stocking fetishes during the 1950s, a time when people would whisper about these things if they discussed them at all. Batters' most influential and admired photographs can be found in two books, Legs That Dance to Elmer's Tune and From the Tip of the Toes to the Top of the Hose. As the fine folks at the Website, Stockings HQ, have noted, "Elmer is to stocking, leg and foot-loving folks as Elvis is to rock and roll... His art and affection are timeless!"

Eric Kroll

New York-born, San Francisco-based Eric Kroll is perhaps best known for his 1994 coffee-table book, Fetish Girls which sold 200,000 copies. Kroll's work has been praised for introducing many newcomers to the fetish world. Kroll draws a broad line between his fetish photography and pornography, saying "Pornography is repeating the same image over and over. These are thought-out images that deal with sexuality." Although he worked as a respected photojournalist for many years, Kroll credits the fetish scene for his awakening as an artist. In his words, "I don't think my work stood out until I started using elements that really turn me on -- high heels, stockings, vintage girdles."

Barbara Nitke

The Village Voice praises Barbara Nitke for her pursuit of "humanity in marginal sex." Nitke, who worked for many years as an on-set photographer for porno movies, has gained critical praise for her potent photographs that chronicle relationships within the BDSM scene. Rather than using fetishes as a cheap prop, Nitke's work focuses on the interplay and love between her human subjects. As art critic, Arthur C. Danto says, "Everything from the choice of film and setting, to the use of light and framing, contributes to the power of these images to convey, almost like dance, modes of erotic conduct that derive from the deepest sources of the self." Her book, Kiss of Fire: A Romantic View of Sadomasochism, has done much to prove Danto correct.

Chas Ray Krider

Above-mentioned Eric Kroll said that "Chas Ray Krider was the world's greatest erotic photographer not to have a book." Well, that statement is no longer true with the publication of Krider's Motel Fetish: A Hideaway for Dreams of Desire. Krider takes a noir approach to his images. They are imbued with a retro look that harkens back to Klaw's sexually charged pin-up photographs, but with a remarkably modern sensibility. There's almost a David Lynch quality to his photographs. They both capture and subvert the classic American images of women, cars, and the motor inn. As Kroll says of Motel Fetish, "He takes you places where you only vaguely think you have been."