Customer Reviews

Layley

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Voyeur:
1)A person who derives sexual gratification from observing the naked bodies or sexual acts of others, especially from a secret vantage point.
2)An obsessive observer of sordid or sensational subjects.

I met Layley on Myspace and getting to know a little about her as person has given me a modicum of affection and respect for her. Subsequently I decided to purchase her book, both to satisfy my curiousity as a heterosexual male as to how she looked naked and to help support a new friend. What I expected was some pretty pictures of a pretty woman maybe showing a few "naughty bits". What I recieved was very much more. From the introduction to the last page I was intrigued and captivated. Layley is obviously an attractive well built woman. The pictures told an additional story. A story of a young woman getting to know herself and her sexuality. A story of a woman discovering a power within herself she had previously not known was there. This was a story told page after page. When I had finished my first strip through I felt something totally unexpected. A bit of embarassment almost as if I had been peeking in a window at her personally and not just gazing at images. I was amazed and all subsequent viewings have only made me more of an admirer of her and the photographer who was able to capture all of this. This was the best money I have spent in a long long time and I want to thank Layley and John personally for the experience they have provided.

I highly recommend this book and anxiously await the sequel(s).

Kin Orr

From Thomas S. Roche (Eros Zine):
John Donnegan's Layley is an interesting book in that Layley, the model, had never posed nude before John Donnegan turned his lens on her. Layley, as you can see from the cover, is drop-dead gorgeous, and her sensuality comes out explosively in the more than 150 pages of artful black and white shots. Despite this intense sexuality, the work produced in this collaboration between Layley and Donnegan is subtle, tasteful and nuanced. Some other reviewers said they find the shots cold and distanced, but that wasn't my experience of them at all. The book features mostly nudes, with some bondage and fetish elements and some lingerie. Very sexy pictures of a very beautiful young woman.

This is a marvelous book of nude portraiture from a photographer that was relatively unknown in the genre of art nudes, at least up until now. This book is sure to catapult Donegan to ever greater heights, especially given his renown in the commercial sectors of fashion and music. Every image is black & white, razor sharp, and superbly composed, with just an occasional of hint of quirkiness that reminds one of Helmut Newton's similar tendencies. The production quality is flawless. Text is provided in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.

The sole subject of this book is Layley. She is quite young and unquestionably beautiful. She also bears a striking resemblance to film actress Robin Wright. But this book is more than a portfolio of nudes. It is a collaboration between model and photographer where Donegan serves not so much as the director or coach or even her lover. The amazing dynamic captured here is Layley discovering and unabashedly relishing her newfound sense or power, derived from her own sense of self and burgeoning sexuality. Donegan serves as the divining rod, he's a water boy drawing from the well. Layley is electrifying. She poses and prances and twists her delicious frame oozing sexuality from every pore unlike anyone seen before. Rarely has a work generated such heat without resorting to the obvious cliches so rampant in porn. The work presented ranges from soft nudes to sensual fetish to nuclear-powered spread shots. And what she does with her derriere is absolutely incredible. Layley possesses more charisma in that single region of her body than most snake-handling evangelicals can generate in even the most orchestrated retreats.

This book is a good collection of photos - erotic, with decided fetish and bondage elements, but well short of the hard core. The main focus is on Layley, the only model that appears here, and on enticing the imagination a moment beyond what the photo shows. Clips, phallic toys, improbably high heels, restraints, and latex-like costumes are just a few of the props that encourage the mind to wander, if that's the kind direction you like. I have to admit, though, that I generally prefer the unadorned allure of the model herself, like the shots on page 35 or 144. And, although the photos generally seem to present the photographer's goals fairly well, pages 42 and 72 give examples of background features creating odd, unintended visual interactions with the space between her legs.

Layley really is a lovely young woman, with a long, lean, athletic figure. Given her innate beauty and the generally erotic tone of the collection, I had to wonder why this set of pictures left me cold, on the whole. Maybe the shots on pages 4 and 45 say it best - a perfunctory display, seemingly more of a chore than a pose. Her face does not convey a woman happy in herself and engaged in sharing that happiness with the viewer. Instead, it's a bland, bored look that I might expect if I interrupted her when she was thinking about cleaning the bathroom. I would have found this whole collection a lot more enticing if she smiled once in a while.

--wiredweird

Layley is a unique work from both the photographer's and model's viewpoint. Its rare to see this type "discovery" in this genre and I is both an artistic and sensual success. Given that the subject had not posed nude before the story of the discovery is really what its all about for the two of them. A nice addition would have been a longer commentary from the model's perspective about various poses, "discoveries" and experiences, but maybe next time!

Where to begin? The poses for the most part are unimaginative and repetitive, the models expression fixed and emotionless. Lighting is primarily frontal flash yielding a washed out effect,low contrast, and shadow. This, together with the small picture size (some are a quarter of the 5 by 7 page) make it difficult see what detail there is to interest the viewer. With rare exception the photograper appears unwilling to get close to his subject which gives his pictures a distant quality and reduces the model to a stick figure on a small page. Amateurish at best. The rave reviews seen above are highly suspect to me. Save your money and skip this boring piece.

Thank you Layley and John Deonegan for 150 pages of one of the most incredible erotic photo books that I have had the pleasure of owning! First, the quality of the printing is outstanding. You will not be disappointed. The B&W images are pin-sharp and John's technique for consistent skin tones throughout the book is amazing. It reads like a visual diary as Layley poses in numerous settings, both indoor and out. Layley is an extremely beautiful and sensual young lady whom is obviously quite comfortable with her own body. Throughout the book she explores her sexuality through the use of various props and explicit poses. Yes, this book does often show her genitals, but in an artistic erotica manner. John has also incorporated a generous amount of bondage gear into the book that will definitely leave a lasting impression on you! Layley poses as the ultimate sex kitten strapped spread-eagle with clothes-pins located in all the right places - ouch! As a professional glamour photographer myself, I give this book and Layley two thumbs up for the wonderful and creative work that each put into this book. Truly a classic that will last throughout the ages of photo-eroticism. A "must own" for collections of this genre.

These are wonderfully personal, almost private photos of a young blonde named Layley. She could actually be that slender pretty girl who lives down the street or even next door, the shy one. She has a "biting her lip" kind of innocence in many pictures, but she also finds herself experiencing what looks like some very real fetish scenes in other photographs. The contrasting images of her are quite exciting. These photographs show a sexual force you don't expect from such a lovely innocent creature. Very hot. Very cool. A collection of images I will look at over and over.

This book is truly a work of art.
The quality of the pics of this book is good, but repetitive.
It makes a wonderful gift or addition to a collection.
Recommended.

Donegan has produced an excellent book of nude photographs of Layley.Layley is in superb physical condition and has a very appealing way of blending into the various backgrounds of the photographs.One area of shortcoming in the book is that there are no beach photographs.Perhaps this oversight could be remedied in a future collection of photos of Layley.Another area of shortcoming is that there are no color photographs in the book.This could also be remedied in a future collection.