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See more photography by Alena
joies_jazz@yahoo.com
http://www.innersecretsphotography.com/
SENSUOUS
SADIE: There are some amazing photographs on your website. What
attracted you to fetish photography? How does it differ from the
"vanilla" photography you also do?
ALEYNA: "Thank you for the compliment on my photos. From the time
that I finally 'found' the lifestyle, when observing the people in the
scene, what they are truly like, and then seeing how we are portrayed on
most websites, it made me come to the realization that I wanted to
photograph 'real' people in the lifestyle and show them in a beautiful
light. To show people the romance and beauty that I see when a couple
scenes, the love and trust, and the sensual, erotic side of it also. My
goal is to someday have enough images to have a photography exhibit on
the lifestyle. One that vanilla's can go to, and see for themselves what
we are all about. I try to keep my photos as sensual as possible, so
they will draw the viewer in.
"The biggest difference between my fetish photography and my
vanilla photography is people. My fetish photography is totally about
people, nothing else, whereas my vanilla images are almost exclusively
about things... flowers, landscapes, sunsets, and such. About the only
person I photograph a lot is my daughter. When people view my vanilla
photos, the first comment I usually hear is 'there are no people.'...
I'm sure Freud would have a reason for this."
Sadie:
You comment on your website that viewers need to approach the art
with an open mind. Which of your photographs have turned out to be
challenging for viewers, or possibly controversial?
Aleyna: "I think whenever anyone goes to any website to view
photos, it always needs to be with an open mind. We are all very
different, and some things that I like, you won't like. It's very true
that you can't please all the people all the time. For some people, my
work is too 'soft'... not enough hard BDSM in it, for others, I have
been told that some of my photos are very hard hitting, like the needle
play, fire play, and also the suspension. My photos are only my
interpretation of what I see. I genuinely hope that everyone who views
my images finds something in them that they can take with them.
"One of the things that I have found to be controversial is the
male nude body, showing not only the penis, but at times a partially
erect penis. Myself, I find beauty in seeing a woman who is aroused, why
not a man who is aroused? And why should it be any different? I feel the
erect penis is a thing of beauty, and keep checking back on my site, :)
I'm slowly leading up to some of those images. It is just a part of our
human sexuality, and I like to explore that."
Sadie:
What other services do you offer? How much does it cost to do a
session with you? Do you travel?
Aleyna: "My site and what I offer is ever expanding. Right now, I
offer calendars for sale as well as matted prints, I am in the process
of producing a small book of images, no calendar dates, just beautiful
images, printed out on top quality photo paper. I also will take scene
photos, of actual scenes, but the price on this is higher due to the
difficulty of doing that.
"My prices range from a flat fee of $40 per hour for a regular
private sitting, to $50 for scenes, I also do travel and charge a
mileage fee. Prices for prints are separate from the sitting fees, and
they vary from size to size, whether matted, and if single or double
mat. I also burn images onto CD's, and can even set up personal web
pages. My prices are variable, depending on the type of sitting, how
many people in it, and where it is. I can travel when necessary, and
when doing so it is always best for me if I can line up enough
appointments to make the trip work for me."
Sadie:
You sell a popular calendar of scene personalities. What kinds of
subjects do you look for with the calendar?
Aleyna: "People just like you and me. I am trying to portray a very
diverse group of people, from all aspects of alternative lifestyles. I
want to show as many different people as possible, in as many different
situations. When I photograph someone, the first question they always
ask me is "What do you want me to do or bring with me?" My
answer is always: bring yourself, and what ever you like. I want to
photograph you as the real person you are, and not just someone posing
for me. The very best images I get is usually towards the end of the
session, when people are really loosening up, and then at times they
will ask me to take such and such a photo of them, how they want to be
seen. I find that these photos are usually my best images, for it is
then that I get the person who is really there in front of me."
Sadie:
What kind of models do best in fetish photography? Do they need
to be thin, beautiful, and tall?
Aleyna: "Not at all. Again, just ordinary people, and we come in
all shapes, sizes, and colors. What a smorgasbord to work from, and from
the artists view I have the most glorious palette to work with. The only
requirement for my fetish photography is that you be in the
lifestyle."
Sadie:
Many of your models prefer not to show their face. What are some
of the ways you use to take a great photo that doesn't identify the
person's identity?
Aleyna: "I love working with light as anyone can see. But the
easiest way to keep someone's confidentiality is to shoot parts of the
body, not the whole form, and I find these kind of images can be just as
erotic, and tell just as much of a story as the whole figure. I also can
take the photos with a backlight, which gives a shadow affect, or to
take the shots from the back. There are many ways to accomplish this,
the person could hold something up in front of their face, or wear a
hood, blindfold, or mask. I always respect peoples need of privacy, and
will not show their face if they don't wish it."
Sadie:
You write that, "It is my aim to find the beauty that is
within each of us." How do you find that beauty using your
photography?
Aleyna: "Everyone has their own definition of what beauty is. For
me, it is the use of lighting to show drama, it is the look on a
subject's face, or the interaction of two people, or just the aesthetics
of the scene. I try very hard to put across a mood, a feeling. When I
hear people exclaim 'Wow!' then I know I've accomplished what I started
out to do."
Sadie:
What do you find are the most popular kinds of fetish photos? IE
how do the models like to show themselves?
Aleyna: "This question brings a smile to my face. I'm finding that
submissive males want to be seen fully naked. That is the most common
trait I've found so far, and most of these men are 'newbies', and trying
to find a way to break into the scene. I turn quite a few people away,
when I feel their reasons aren't what they should be. There are some
people who are natural born exhibitionists who love to be in front of a
camera. I love this group of
people. Sadly, there are a growing number of people who are very lonely,
and are in hopes that if they are seen in my calendar, it will cure
their loneliness, that the love of their life will see them and knock at
their door. This isn't likely to happen, and I feel a sadness for these
people. A lot of people have made big changes in their lives, and want
to celebrate those changes, I applaud that. There are many reasons why
people approach me for photos."
Sadie:
What are the photos that are the most fun to take? Why is this?
What are the most common fears that you face with your models?
Aleyna: "Any photo where the person modeling for me is having fun,
is very much fun for me to take, and easy too. It is much harder when
someone is nervous and tense. The most common fear is of being 'outed.'
The second is that they won't look good."
Sadie:
You are also active in the scene. How would you describe your
BDSM interests?
Aleyna: "My interests run very deep within me. I am a very owned
and collared slave. I enjoy my slavery immensely, being owned by such a
wonderful person, as my Master is a true joy. Dominance and submission
is my biggest draw. Bondage is a close second. I was first introduced to
BDSM when I was seventeen and tied to a St. Andrew's cross. At the time
I was a photographer's model in California. I had no idea of what was
going on, but I found I loved being tied up to that cross, and the image
of that has stayed with me all my life. Perhaps that sculpted the part
of me that is now a photographer taking photos of scenes."
Sadie:
Your partner Master Ursius is also a fetish photographer. Is this
how you met?
Aleyna: "No, we didn't meet through the photos, but that was one of
the many things we had in common. He is one of the most intelligent men
I have ever met, with a mind that is always learning. He is a very
accomplished amateur photographer, and I feel he could be a professional
if that was his wish. He is living in Michigan, and is taking photos
there to be in the calendars. It is so nice to be able to get photos of
people from different regions of the country, so much like the huge
melting pot that adds to the total diversity."
Sadie:
You are a bit of a Renaissance woman in that you also do some
writing, including poetry. What other arts interest you?
Aleyna: "Art, in all its forms, is my love. I just recently
received my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a double concentration in
photography, and printmaking. Now if I just had a printing press of my
own, and a darkroom. :) Photography is my first love, but I do a lot of
writing, poems and short stories, and I also make homemade books, I love
to sculpt and paint, and drawing is also right up there. I wish there
were enough hours in each day for me to devote to each of these
pursuits, but at the moment, the photography is taking up just about all
of my time. In my home, you can find blocks of hardwood and huge pieces
of rock ready for sculpting, also blocks of clay, I have drawing pads
everywhere, watercolors and paints, and am constantly collecting items
to draw, such as a huge paper wasp nest, animal bones found on a walk
through the forest, pieces of bark, and beautiful tree fungus that I was
lucky enough to find. Now if I can just get the time to do all
that."
Sadie:
You use a digital camera for your work. What kind do you use, and
what are the settings you choose to make the most of your photos?
Aleyna: "The digital camera I am using is an Olympus C-700 ultra
zoom. I have five sets of batteries that I try to keep charged up at all
times, and three 64 meg smart media cards, each of which can hold the
equivalent of four rolls of 36 print film. The settings I use depend on
whether I am inside or outside. My first preference is natural light,
and second is my studio light. Most often I just use the P setting which
allows me to manually control some of the options. Since I mostly work
in very low light settings, and hardly ever use the flash, I have
learned through trial and error how to get a sharp image worthy of
enlarging, without a lot of grain."
Sadie:
You also do some digital manipulation of photos (airbrushing).
What are your favorite kinds of work in this area?
Aleyna: "I LOVE to layer multiple photos to achieve an image that I
have in my head. I have an extensive library of images to work from, and
can find about any subject I might need to accomplish what I want from
the image. I will soon have a page on my website with just manipulated
images. When working with models, sometimes they will have a cold sore,
or skin blemish that they want removed, or with some people, if there
are identifying marks on the body, like freckles, that I feel detract
the viewers eyes from the subject, then I will remove them."
Sadie:
Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers?
Aleyna: "Thank you Sadie, for allowing me to share my thoughts. My
only hope is that people will continue to enjoy viewing my art, and find
the beauty that is there for all to see. It is my way of giving
something to others."
Sadie:
Thank you very much!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sensuous
Sadie is the author of It's Not
About the Whip: Love, Sex, and Spirituality in the BDSM Scene (http://www.trafford.com/robots/03-0551.html).
She is the founder and leader (1999 - 2001) of
Rose
&
Thorn,
Vermont
's first BDSM group. Comments, compliments and complaints, as well as
requests for reprinting can be addressed to her at SensuousSadie@aol.com
or visit her website at www.sensuoussadie.com. Sadie believes the universe is abundant, and that sharing information
freely is part of this abundance, so she allows reprints of her writing
in most venues.
Copyright
2003 Sadie Sez Publications
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