Digital Desire review

Mr. Pink’s review of Digital Desire
Review Date 06/14/2011

Overview:
You know what it takes to be an erotic photographer? It takes brass balls to be an erotic photographer and let me tell you why. Not only do you have to find women willing to be naked on camera, you have to find women willing to be naked on camera in front of you while you instruct them on where to place their hands, at what angle to hold their legs, how directly to address their erect nipples, all while you wear a backwards baseball cap and snap away on a digital SLR. J. Stephen Hicks is clearly a man to whom this job comes quite naturally. His Digital Desire website has been online since 1997 and in that time has firmly established itself as a paragon of tasteful softcore pornography in the classically glamorous style of such notable publications as Penthouse and Playboy, both of which have featured Hicks’ work in their pages. Showing off the incredibly well-formed physiques of some of porn’s most enticing women - Aria Giovanni, Monique Alexander, and Shay Laren are all featured prominently on the tour pages - Digital Desire promises 150,000 photos, 750 videos (many in HD), 3000px photos, and an extensive supply of bonus material that’ll make your $24.95-a-month membership truly worthwhile. Is Digital Desire really a change from all those tepid and tired softcore sites we’ve seen a thousand times before? Is it really the pinnacle of glamorous nude photography it seems to be? J. Stephen Hicks and Mr. Pink’s have the answer.

Pros:
If you, like every other man in the Western World, has beaten off to a Playboy Playmate or Penthouse Pet centerfold, you’ll instantly recognize the style of Digital Desire. Based largely on Hicks’ work in such publications, it shares their high-gloss sheen, clear lighting, and moist, carnal atmosphere.

If you only want to ogle those nude models whose bodies best match your fantastic idea of physical female perfection, Digital Desire has you covered. With porn’s most sizzling performers (both hardcore and softcore) appearing here - and plenty of behind the scenes content keeping you current - you’ll have a great time staring at the likes of Ashlyn Rae, Capri Anderson, Eufrat, Danni Kalifornia, Sasha Grey, and Justine Joli.

Digital Desire has always offered optimum visual quality and current members enjoy 1280x720 pixel High Definition videos and 3000px photos, both of which look utterly gorgeous and are only the peak image formats, leading the smaller MOV and M4Vs to your desktop.

Split into a dozen such categories as Dreamgirls, Toy Lovers, Flashback, Ethnic, and XXX Stars, the content held here at Digital Desire is easy to browse and you shouldn’t have much trouble locating the exact photo set or video you desire. The variety of genres available here is also impressive and ranges from toy-assisted mutual masturbation to non-nude teasing.

Mr. Pink’s readers know he’s always on the lookout for a bargain, right? Well, Digital Desire is yet another of the sites discounted by that good ol’ Pinky thriftiness and you - yes, you! -  can now sign up for a Digital Desire membership at the meager cost of just $18 a month.

Cons:
Digital Desire’s page design could use updating. Its bland, blank whiteness looks dated and doesn’t even hint at the eroticism that lies within the galleries and scenes. Something more evocative would be a great improvement.

Recently, Digital Desire has moved into more explicit territory with hardcore masturbation, lesbian, and even straight sex scenes. Softcore advocates will likely reject this evolution, just as hardcore fans will welcome it, splitting Digital Desire’s audience down the middle. (Also present but not vocal: the “It’s all choice pussy to me,” contingent.)

Some of the new daily updates appear to have been shot a number of years ago and look comparatively ancient next to the latest Lexi Belle gallery. It’s great that Digital Desire is still devoted to its roots, but there was an era of erotic photography that seems best left alone. Why the webmasters are presenting it so eagerly is beyond this reviewer.

Conclusion:
Digital Desire has always been on the forefront of online eroticism and the sites sterling reputation for delivering the highest quality photos and videos of porn’s most desirable women in varying states of undress and exhibitionism is well deserved. Lately, however, it seems many of Digital Desire’s competitors are catching up and encroaching on the stronghold this site held along with Twistys and The Big Three (Playboy, Penthouse, Hustler). Other sites have started showing 1080p HD videos and 4000px photos, leaving Digital Desire to come in a close second or third in terms of quality. With more older galleries and scenes popping up on the still-updating-daily homepage, Digital Desire’s focus seems to be on its history, not just its present. As long as this once premiere site doesn’t lean to heavily on its substantial laurels and keeps one foot firmly in the future, a membership to Digital Desire should hold its seemingly relentless appeal.