About 25 years ago, Howard Schatz and Beverly J. Ornstein went to drop off some film from a previous day's shoot at a lab in the commercial area south of Market Street in San Francisco. There they encountered an astonishing scene of what seemed to be thousands of people, many in elaborate costumes and makeup, and some totally or nearly naked: men and women (though precise gender was, with some, not easy to determine) taking part in a theatrical world of countless fantasies. The Folsom Street Fair is held every year in San Francisco on the last Sunday in September, celebrating the world of kink and bondage, discipline and sadomasochism (BDSM). The encounter that day in 1991 became the trigger for a serious photographic exploration now spanning a quarter century. Schatz rented an exhibitor's space at the fair, built an outdoor studio and made portraits of attendees year after year. These portraits are the creative, intriguing, amazing and sometimes shocking result of his exploration. Howard Schatz has received international acclaim for his work and is one of the most sought-after photographers working today. Over the past 25 years, 21 major books have been published of his work; he has made editorial photographs for well over 100 magazines and has won virtually every award in photography. His fine art work is represented in galleries in the United States and abroad and he has had over 100 museum and gallery exhibitions worldwide. Schatz has made extraordinary images for such advertising clients as Ralph Lauren, Escada, Sergio Tacchini, Nike, Reebok, Wolford, Sony, Adidas, MGM Grand Hotel, Virgin Records and Mercedes-Benz, among hundreds of others. In 2015 a major retrospective of his work was published, entitled Schatz Images: 25 Years. It is a magnificent two-volume boxed set including 32 separate projects, 830 pages and 1,080 images. All the books have been the result of a unique collaboration between Schatz and his wife and editorial and business partner, Beverly J. Ornstein. For more information about Howard Schatz, visit howardschatz.com.