Going to bed with a camera

Abstract

• Many sexual encounters are nowadays photographed by the participants. The article examines the photographed sex in the historical contexts of the visualization of sexuality, pleasure and desire, and the new norms of photographed self-documentation. Based on research conducted in Israel, I show that photographed sex produces not only new sorts of pleasure, but also knowledge: about one’s self, partner, sexuality and relationship. This ‘objective’ visual knowledge is often privileged over subjective, haptic knowledge. Photography also introduces new peformativities, and encourages borrowing from media-representations of sex and rational self-improvement. •