Overview:
What does a world-class erotic photographer do after proving himself in the pages of Penthouse and Playboy? Why, start a website, of course! J.S. Hicks is the man's name, taking photos of nude models is his game and when it comes to eroticism he just won the pennant. Digital Desire is the online domain of Hicks and a few fellow erotic "artists" like Mark Lit and Scott Evans (who has his own section of the site). As a still photographer, Hicks' attention is largely on the traditional still photograph but he doesn't discount the value of a good video clip either. Loading the site with lots of very high quality content produced by masters of the "art form" is definitely a recipe for success. I must confess, however, that the photographer's treatment of what are essentially beat-off photos as a form of high-art is quite annoying. If you enjoy taking sexy photos of naked chicks then go for it; it is what it is, and what it is is sexy stuff!

Digital Desire's main members' page gives a good introduction to the classy design and content within. The site's 8 main photo categories are laid out at the top via a sensible tabbed banner system. Those categories are Dreamgirls (shot by Hicks himself), Creamgirls (shot by Scott Evans), Girlfriends (shoots with two girls), Hooters (amply bosomed models), Covergirls (a featured model) and the self-explanatory Pornstars, Just 19 and Seasonal Spotlight.

Each category is subtly different from the last, but all are of equally high quality and feature some of the hottest nude models currently working. The newer galleries provide 4 resolution options when viewing individual photos: 800, 1024, 1280 and 3000 pixels. The image clarity on the 3000 pixel images is amazing and has to be seen to be believed. Other viewing options include downloadable zip files and slideshows. Most galleries contain 100 to 150 photos, with some older galleries dipping slightly below that figure.

The video portion of Digital Desire is on par with the stills section in all but one aspect: quantity. Videos only started being added in 2001 and as a result there are significantly more photo updates than video updates. Regardless, the movies are all of impeccable quality and come with very good download options. QuickTime, WMV, MPEG and iPod compatible formats are provided and each is pretty clear and well defined for its respective codec. If you can spare the bandwidth, DivX is the top choice with a very bright and vibrant image. The "HD Dreams" category of the site features some truly wonderful High Definition videos that hit resolutions of 1280x720 that are beautiful to watch. Inexplicably, however, some of the HD video downloads are zipped. I can't figure out a legitimate reason for this, as the file size reduction is minimal if at all.

The action in both the images and the videos is tasteful and focuses not on the explicit but the erotic, sensual side of pornography (but don't let Hicks hear you use the P word!).

The models are all gorgeous and very adept at posing in the styles usually seen in mainstream nude magazines. Playful and with a hint of innocence, the women definitely seem to enjoy being photographed by someone of Hicks' stature. This translates well across what can be a very impersonal medium, the Internet.

Contrary to this philosophy, there's now also a hardcore aspect to the site. Offering the same technical achievements that the softcore content boasts, this is an enjoyable addition from Digital Desire as it features some really great steamy sex action starring some of your favorite DD women.

Navigation across all parts of the site is fairly easy with the only confusion coming from the fact that there are so many different categories to choose from. Where do you start?

After clicking around for 5 or 10 minutes you'll surely get the hang of it, but nevertheless it could do with a little simplification.

So is the membership fee of $18 per month worth it for this kind of site? That depends entirely on two things: What you're into and what the pros and cons of membership are. Where do you find these "pros and cons?" Right here, man. Right here.

Pros:
- As you would expect from someone with his resume, Hicks' galleries have incredible image quality that really bring you up close and personal with the models.

- Lots and lots of great content is here, and in a variety of user-definable viewing formats.

- The introduction of a hardcore section is a great idea, and the section itself is full of very hot material.

- The depth of Digital Desire is almost limitless. There are dozens of different sections holding gigabyte upon gigabyte of great downloadable content.

Cons:
- If Playboy style photography bores you, you'll find little to do around here; you should direct your attention to a more explicit online porn vendor.

- Slow server speeds were a hindrance to making full use of downloadable content.

- The sheer amount of slightly different content categories seems a little excessive. It would be much easier for the members if a few of them were consolidated for easier browsing.

Conclusion:
Aside from slow server speeds and somewhat sketchy user-friendliness, there aren't many negatives to a Digital Desire membership. I mean, what do you want from a porn site? Videos and photos of hot women that are high quality, right? Well, that's what Hicks and his associates deliver. And when I say deliver, I mean deliver!