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Sensuous Sadie
Your Fabulous Fetish Photo Shoot
Introduction & Part 1; Choosing an amateur or professional photographer
By Sensuous Sadie
SensuousSadie@aol.com
www.sensuoussadie.com
A Four Part Series
1. Choosing an amateur or professional photographer (this article)
2. Getting the most out of your shoot
3. Expressing your dominant or submissive side in your photographs
4. Tips for the Plus Size & Proud!
Introduction
When people first meet me they sometimes do a double-take because I don't
look quite as glamorous as the photos on my website. The truth is, my
photos are more a work of art than they are a true representation of me.
Sure they're me, but they're the me with a pound of lipgloss, two pounds
of hair spray, and more than my fair share of airbrushing. This is true of
most professional photography but while the industry generally plays it
down, I admit it with glee. I want my photos to look absolutely fabulous,
even if I didn't look quite so fabulous when I woke up that morning. If
you want your pictures to look fabulous too, then read on.
Photographs are a wonderful way to validate both our inner and outer
beauty. I've always been bothered by people (read: almost everyone) who
says "I'm not photogenic." I usually reply, "there are no
unphotogenic people, only bad photographers!" Although I am not a
professional photographer, I know how to find the beauty in any person and
capture that beauty on film. You also might see a beauty in yourself that
you hadn't seen before.
Choosing a Photographer
If you're looking for a photographer, ask around your kinky friends and in
no time you'll find an amateur who will quite likely be thrilled to take
some photos of you. They may or may not have samples of work you can look
at, but you should be sure that you like the kind of photography they do.
Some photographers focus on glamour shots, and some like a more gritty
look. David Lawrence, a fetish photographer and specialist in Shibari
bondage suggests that you "interview several photographers so that
you can have a choice and in choosing make certain the person listened to
you and commits to capturing what your desires are. This is critical! Many
photographers assume that because they can take a photograph they possess
that capability in all circumstances. Not true. The requirement here is
relationship, understanding and commitment. If anyone is missing there
will be no magic. When they are a trusting is exchanged and there is only
magic as a result."
Be sure to choose someone who is in alignment with your goals. You might
even send them some photos that you like of other people as a sample of
what you're looking for. Finding a professional is somewhat easier because
most of them have websites with their samples and prices stated up front.
David adds that, "When photographing someone it is most important to
talk with them and understand what they want to communicate with the
images. The purpose of the images and who the audience is are equally
important. Knowing who you are is key to understanding what you want in
the end result. The photographer is merely a means of capturing that
personal expression."
Pro or Amateur?
If your photograph will be seen by the masses, then use a professional
photographer. That being said, most of my photography was done by talented
amateurs. The result was that we probably spent more time on more film for
fewer really great photographs, but that's not such a bad trade. Most
everyone has a friend who loves to take pictures and can be finagled into
some fun fetish work. Be sure you choose someone who you trust implicitly
particularly if there is nudity involved. I've known several people whose
former spouses used those nude photographs against them in court, or
otherwise distributed them on the internet.
Who's Dom at this Photo Session?
You may laugh but if you are an admittedly "bossy subject" like
myself, you'll want to get the ground rules down before you get to the
photo shoot. I am also a photographer so I often have lots of very
specific ideas about what I want to do. That's why I let my photographers
know this in advance so they don't get annoyed when I boss them around.
(sometimes they probably do anyway!) Either way, make sure that you have
an agreement about who is in charge of what during your shoot.
Privacy and Nudity Issues
I strongly recommend that you think carefully about how you will use your
photographs before they are taken. Will you share your photos on the
internet or other places? If so, you may want to take a more conservative
approach. Please see the references for my article on protecting your
privacy in the scene.
You may decide that you need to hide your identity. If so, utilize a hat,
veil, sunglasses, mask, bizarre makeup or even the lighting to cover up
your eyes. This is usually enough to prevent positive identification
unless CSI is on the job. Try using wigs or other paraphernalia which can
really change how you look.
Also consider how much nudity you want to go with, and come to an
agreement about this with your photographer in advance. If you post your
nude photo anywhere on the internet, it is more or less public property.
You cannot control who does what with it, so don't publish anything unless
you are prepared for the consequences. That also includes sending nude
photos to online friends. My advice is, don't do it!
Contracts and Copyrights
You might wonder how to negotiate a contract with a photographer.
Sometimes they will be building a portfolio and ask you to model for them.
In a case like that, you will probably not have to pay and they might even
pay you. However most times you will need to ante up some bucks. There are
two basic approaches to this. One is that you pay for the photographer to
work as "work-for-hire" which means that you own the negatives
(if any) and all rights to the photography. This will cost you somewhat
more, and you'll want to be sure to get a full signoff by the
photographer. On the other end of the spectrum is a photographer who owns
all the rights to your images and can use them any way they wish. This
will probably cost you less because the photographer is presumably using
the pictures in some commercial way. Many people negotiate something in
the middle which means that you might agree to keep control of the full
set of pictures, but they could use certain ones freely in their work.
The key thing is to decide in advance how important it is to you to
control your image. Because of my writing situation and my need for
privacy, I always pay photographers on a work-for-hire status so that I
know exactly where my photos are going. I can't risk a photographer using
any picture of me that shows my identity. But for other people, this is
not an issue. If the photographer is using their own equipment and film or
memory cards, and there is no legal contract signed stating otherwise,
then they own the copyright to those photos as well as any income
generated by using those images. Either way, be sure to get it in writing!
So, What's this Going to Cost Me?
This is a tough one. If you know an amateur with a digital camera, it
might not cost one thin dime. Professional photographers can run from a
few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars a day, and that will vary
more depending on who gets the rights to the pictures. What it all comes
down to is what do you want to do with that photo and who is going to see
it. Once you have these questions answered, you'll know how professional a
photographer you need.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REFERENCES & SOURCES
Thank you to all the photographers and models who send me suggestions! A
special thank you to Dove and Helen Von Mott for many of the photo tips.
Articles of Interest by Sensuous Sadie:
The Fetish Wardrobe, a three part series that includes:
Part 1: Can't I Just Wear My Flannel Shirt? Why Fetish Wear is De
Rigeur
Part 2: Developing a Fetish Wardrobe on a Budget
Part 3: Accessorizing for Pain & Pleasure
http://sensuoussadie.com/sadiescolumns/series/fashion.htm
Protecting your Identity in the BDSM Scene
http://sensuoussadie.com/sadiescolumns/community/protectingprivacy.htm
Weblinks of Interest:
Guest Photographers on Sadie's Website featuring many of the photographers
quoted here
http://sensuoussadie.com/guestphotographerslist.htm
Resources & Photographs for People of Size
http://sensuoussadie.com/resources/bbwresources.htm
The Rotunda
A fabulous website featuring the beauty of super large and lovely nude
women. http://www.rotunda.com/index2.html
Photos of Plus Sized Models: http://www.rotunda.com/places/shopping/models.html
BDSM for People of Size
This is a discussion group devoted to people of size in the B-D-S-M
community, especially for Big Beautiful Women (BBWs), Big Handsome Men
(BHMs) and their admirers. We welcome discussion and announcements about
any issues having to do with being a larger person in the leather
community, particularly size-positive articles, websites, and resources
that are available at no cost. This group is Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,
Transgendered and Questioning (GLBTQ) friendly.
To subscribe send an e-mail to:
SM_PeopleofSize-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or visit: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SM_PeopleofSize/
Photographers & Models Quoted Here with Permission (alphabetical
by first name)
AbsoluteW, Fetish Photographer & DJ for Dominate Radio
admin@bdsmrealities.com
WebMaster and Owner of:
http://bdsm-news.org/
http://bdsmrealities.com/
http://mistresswebdesign.com/
http://pro-district.com/
http://mzlisa.com/
http://mzlisas-domina-guide.com/
DJ for Dominate Radio... http://www.dominateradio.com/
Aleyna, Fetish Photographer
joie@photosbyjoie.com
http://www.innersecretsphotography.com/
Barbara Nitke, Photographer & Activist
Author of Kiss of Fire, available on www.amazon.com
barbara@barbaranitke.com
www.barbaranitke.com
David Lawrence, Fetish Photographer & Shibari Bondage Specialist
http://www.shibariartphotography.com/
davidlawrence@shibariartphotography.com
David Southwick, Fetish Photographer
Poetic Photography
poeticphoto@earthlink.net
http://www.poeticphotographyvt.com/
Dove, Retired Model & Editor of ST BDSM
DOVE@sbcglobal.net
http://www.slavedove.com/
http://www.ST-BDSM.com
Ms. Heart of San Francisco, Professional Model, Domme and
Community Activist
msheartsf@att.net
http://www.mistressheartsf.com
http://www.mistressheartsf.com/WOC.html
Helen von Mott, Model & Founder of Virago Wrestling
vonmott@gmail.com
www.dangergirlz.net
www.viragowrestling.com
Merlot,
Fetish Photographer
Scargasm@aol.com
Persiphone Hellecat (Persi)
nursiepersi@persiphonehellecat.com
www.medicaldeviatesr.us
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Sensuous Sadie is the author of It's Not About the Whip: Love, Sex, and
Spirituality in the BDSM Scene. Read an excerpt at 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 2004 Sadie Sez Publications
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