CANVAS

FADE OUT

Prints of the sultry pin-up girl have graced the walls of college frats and military lockers for decades, but it took one creative surfer to convince the girls to love the art as well.
Brooklyn-based photographer Matt Schwartz, of She Hit Pause Studios, has been photographing his idea of the classic pin-up girl for over ten years now. But instead of Bettie Page look-alikes in black lace and curls, Schwartz poses his girls with unconventionally sexy attire and props, like knee-high socks and gum-balls. He says he is still surprised that his biggest fans are usually women.

But his unique approach to subject matter isn’t the only thing that sets his work apart. Matt uses a process called Polaroid transferring, taking Polaroid film, peeling it apart and dipping the negative in water colors for dreamy feel that balances out the sexiness of the picture. The result is a print that any hipster would be lucky to have hanging in their loft.

Matt recently started a series on surfing, traveling to Ecuador and Costa Rica to shoot some surfers and beach settings with a truly vintage look. And since he’s stocked up on the discontinued Polariod film for another three years, maybe he’ll just have to squeeze in a few more work trips.

–Johnie Emma Gall