Larry Sultan’s “The Valley”: Photographing the Everyday Backdrop of Adult Entertainment

Published: August 9, 2025, 14:30 (U.S. Eastern Time)

In the late 1990s, acclaimed American photographer Larry Sultan turned his focus to an unexpected subject — the quiet, middle-class homes of California’s San Fernando Valley that doubled as sets for the adult film industry. His celebrated project, later published in the 2004 photo book The Valley, revealed a striking contrast: the familiar warmth of domestic life against the staged performances of an entertainment genre rarely seen in such a context.

Through careful framing and attention to detail, Sultan documented refrigerator magnets, worn sofas, and half-finished cups of coffee — reminders of everyday life persisting amid the constructed intimacy of the sets. The result was an intimate, humanized view of an industry often portrayed only through its most explicit lens.

A Project That Began Close to Home

Sultan’s journey into The Valley began with a magazine assignment for Maxim, where he was tasked with photographing the daily life of a well-known adult film performer. The shoot unexpectedly brought him back to his childhood neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley — a region that, by the late 20th century, had become a central hub for adult entertainment production due to affordable housing, abundant filming locations, and its proximity to Los Angeles.

Instead of focusing solely on performers or explicit scenes, Sultan became fascinated with the settings themselves. His wife, Kelly Sultan, who joined him during that first shoot, recalled:

“The magnets on the refrigerator, the everyday details still alive in the home — those were what drew him in. These spaces were temporarily taken over by another kind of ‘family’ for the day.”

Suburban Homes as Temporary Film Sets

Many of the locations Sultan photographed were privately owned houses rented for a day or two by production companies. These homes, with neatly arranged living rooms, framed family photographs, and manicured yards, were briefly transformed into film sets where staged intimacy played out against the backdrop of everyday suburban life.

Longtime gallerist Yancey Richardson described Sultan’s fascination as “a parallel reality.” These interiors were familiar yet altered — recognizable as middle-class domestic spaces, but temporarily repurposed into settings for adult entertainment narratives.

Looking Beyond the Obvious

In The Valley, Sultan deliberately placed explicit action in the background or outside the frame. Scenes were often glimpsed only through a doorway, reflected in a mirror, or partially obscured by household objects. His former assistant, photographer Rebecca Bausher, remembered entering film sets where production was already underway — but Sultan’s attention would wander to overlooked details.

“We’d walk in and a scene might be happening, but he’d be drawn to something like a menorah on the table,” Bausher said.

By focusing on the quiet details, Sultan blurred the line between documentary photography and narrative storytelling, creating images that reflected the coexistence of lived-in spaces and staged performances.

Theatrical Spaces and Visible Imperfections

When Sultan worked in production studios instead of private homes, he found a different kind of visual intrigue. Studio sets often featured suburban décor, but with clear signs of artifice: exposed plywood walls, furniture arranged without purpose, and props scattered in ways that broke the illusion of real domestic life.

One image depicts an otherwise ordinary living room, its atmosphere disrupted by curtains pulled back to reveal the set wall. These imperfections fascinated Sultan, underscoring the fragile balance between illusion and authenticity.

Capturing “Anti-Dramatic” Moments

In a 2003 interview with the Oakland Museum of Contemporary Art, Sultan described his philosophy:

“I think of myself on porn sets as documenting fictions. I like the theatrical lighting and staging, but I’m making almost contra-film stills — capturing moments where the drama isn’t at its peak.”

One memorable photograph features adult film actor Sharon Wild between takes, seated on a worn mattress with vivid purple curtains and a casually draped pink fabric nearby. Unlike most of his subjects, Wild looks directly into the camera, acknowledging Sultan’s presence in a moment of quiet authenticity.

“Give me purple curtains and a red suitcase,” Sultan said with a smile in the same interview, “and I’m in heaven.”

Legacy and Continuing Influence

When The Valley was published in 2004, it received critical acclaim for its nuanced approach to a subject often treated with sensationalism. The series has since been exhibited internationally and remains a significant part of Sultan’s legacy in contemporary photography.

Sultan passed away in 2009 after a battle with cancer, but his work continues to resonate. Today, images from The Valley — including his portrait of Sharon Wild — are featured at the Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York as part of its 30th anniversary exhibition.

By reframing adult film sets as part of a broader cultural and domestic landscape, Sultan provided a layered, human perspective on an industry typically seen through a narrow lens. His photographs capture not only performance, but also the everyday spaces that enable it — a delicate intersection of fantasy and reality preserved for future audiences to explore.