Kerri Taylor
1. What led you to become interested in bondage photography?
Getting into bondage photography was something I sort of half-blundered into. I'd always had a long-time interest in bondage, and had been half-serious about photography since the early 90's, i.e. making the jump to shooting 35 mm slides and prints, some digital about 2007. An acquaintance here passed along that he was organizing a nude bondage shoot at a studio relatively close enough, and I couldn't think of a reason why not. After that, got accepted into the modeling sites, and started getting inquiries from local and traveling models.
2. Do you have a bondage site? And, if not, where can people see your work?
No current dedicated website, just the highlights here, and the usuals like Fetlife, Flickr, plus modeling websites. It's on the long-term radar, and more medium term working on some sets for bentbox, etc.
3. How do you find the models who work with you? Who are some of the models who have shot with you?
Most of the models I've worked with I've met through the usual modeling websites (modelmayhem, one model place, etc.), plus the occasional ones through Fetlife and here. Looking through the last list, I've worked with more models than I realized, lol. Some of the more nationally well-known ones people may have noticed elsewhere include Amya Solace, Kerri Taylor, Violetta Storms, Debbie D, Ashley Graham, Rachel Adams, Dakkota Grey, Katie T, Rebecca Lawrence, Vika, Constance, Tara Tied, Kimberley Jay, and maybe a few others. Some of the more local models have been very popular though, especially Kayla and Lucy Mason.
Alyse-Ann, Bella Stolinski and Rachel Adams
4. How much work goes into preparing for one of your bondage shoots?
It's hard to pin down a number as to much how much time I'll put into a shoot. More often than not there's a multitude of e-mails, texts, and phone calls for months ahead of time to set things up. If I'm shooting locally, I'll probably spend at least a half day or better setting things up, and the same taking things down. For road trips, kind of depends if it's at a studio with lights, etc. already there, or setting things up from scratch that might take 1-2 hrs, outdoors not so much. Sometimes more if you're trying to make a hotel room look like a creepy dungeon, a couple of more hrs.
5. How do you decide what outfits or positions will be used for one of your shoots?
Figuring out what wardrobe works for a shoot often depends on what a model's worked with before, and what she's brought with her, especially if she's on a road trip. In a way, nudes are the easiest! I'll usually look over a model's portfolio ahead of time to see which looks of hers looks right for what I've got in mind. I'll usually have a general idea of what clothing seems appropriate for the scene and her looks, and usually tweak that to what's on hand. Occasionally either the model or myself will pick up something to complete a look.
Overall, I'll usually try and get a feel for what sort of scene fits a model's looks, and think up scenes and wardrobe that fit that, as often as not a model has as good an idea or better. Since I'm still shooting a variety of themes, wardrobe and positions vary, and depend on what a model's comfortable with. I tend to stick with the DID classics for a start, i.e., tied to a chair, tied to a pole/post, standing bound, sitting bound, hogtied, arms overhead, etc. If a model's comfortable with shooting scenes more torture/peril oriented, we'll try and work that in. Generally, I'm trying to stay a couple of steps back from a model's limits, I'd prefer to have her have a good time and want to come back.
And then again, as one photography instructor said, "Feel free to forget all this and do something else if it feels right."
Sometimes there's things like a model's new hairdo, or new wardrobe, or just a general vibe, where you toss that all out and go for something else. Or situations demand a change at the last minute, and you have to come up with what seems to fit the situation and model(s) with what's at hand.
6. Describe one of your typical photo and video shoots from start to finish?
Hmm, a typical shoot might be hard to nail down, but overall probably familiar to models and photographers. Usually there's weeks or months of e-mails, texts, etc. ahead of time so we both a have a general sense of what we're going to try and do, and what's in a model's comfort zone. When she arrives, the usual greetings and hugs if it's somebody I've worked with before, then picking out wardrobe and the logistical details...the bathrooms are over there, fridge and snacks there, do you want some music on or do you have your favorites on your phone, etc. We'll usually discuss what type of tie and scene I'm thinking of, and go from there. Then on to the next after we discuss that. I'm not the slave driver type of photographer; short breaks are OK. I'm way too familiar with being a "bottom line" type hourly employee. Generally, I try to keep things pretty light and fun. Off camera, we're usually either trading jokes or trading inside industry gossip; it's less serious than people might think.
Shoots are usually pretty clock-driven though. Besides of hourly costs, most models are on a tight schedule to get to their next shoot, and it's shooting up until the last second and then getting the untying, dressing, packing, paperwork, etc. done in a rush before a goodbye hug and out the door. There's the occasional model that isn't a in a rush though, and we'll unwind with a beer and some food at a local restaurant. Shoots tend to be stressful and intense. After they're over, I just want to pass out with a pizza and a beer, lol!
Geo
7. What has been the most memorable moment for you out of all the shoots you’ve done?
Wow, don't know if there's one memorable moment. It's more a situational thing I think. The first one on one bondage shoot I did after the main group shoot was over with Tatiana, got a feeling there was something cool going on through the lens. Same thing when doing a conventional shoot with a regular model at a downstate IL train station, something just started seeming "Hey, this is cool, I can do this!" But there's been times like a scene I did with Britany Sands where we were waist deep in a cold, rushing small river....and thinking "Umm, maybe we're getting a little too out there?"
8. What is the dream shoot you have not yet done during your career as a rigger and site producer?
I've probably got a couple of "dream shots" to do yet, that's for sure. I've had requests to do nude group gallows hanging type scenes, plus wanting to do group dungeon bondage scenes. Not impossible, but more a matter of budget and logistics. It's hard enough to get even two models at the same place and time with months of planning.
9. What are your favorites: gags, type of restraint, bondage position for the model, outfit for the model?
Favorites: a) ball gags b) ropes or metal (chains, shackles) c) arms behind the back or arms overhead d) nude/topless, jeans/boots, jeans/topless, formal wear (cocktail dress), 70's B-movie look (Daisy Duke shorts, tied-up blouse), uniforms (Hooters/Tilted Kilt/Twin peaks waitress, USN, RAF, USAF, etc.)
10. How did you develop your technique for rigging and photography?
Rigging wise, before I started the bondage photography stuff, I went to some Shibaricon workshops, plus read a few books, watched videos, etc., so I had an idea of what works and what's dangerous or stupid. Photography has been more or less self-taught, picking things up from hanging with fellow railfan photographers, joining some Meetup groups, going to one-day classes, and just generally hanging with pro photographers after hours at studios, etc.
Briella Jaden
11. Can you describe your very first bondage shoot and then describe how you’ve seen your style/technique evolve since that first shoot?
The first bondage shoot I was involved in was a Meetup group nude bondage shoot at a studio in an old warehouse in Wisconsin. Not well-organized, more paparazzi style, and I didn't have a freaking clue about shooting with studio lighting! Luckily, I ran across some good pro photographers and experienced models there, and gradually picked-up some studio photography skills. Bondage-wise, I kind of stuck with what they taught at Shibaricon workshops, "Stick with what you can handle and don't get in over your head." Gradually you try a few things more once you figure things out, but generally I've stuck with pretty basic stuff and made sure it was OK with the "victim".
Lots of thanks to local model Kayla (usng12.deviantart.com/) and DA fave PhotographChik (photographchik.deviantart.com/) for the time to try something a bit more extensive than the usuals.
12. Are there any riggers/producers who have influenced you over the years? And if so, how?
Probably there are more riggers/producers that have influenced me than I realize. And some I still pay attention to. But going back to the beginnings, HOM and Harmony in the magazine, pre-internet era. Once I got ahold of that first internet connection, Imago Studios, AES, First Time Tied, and Bound Coeds. Since then, there's a lot of people I like to check out their work. Ropexpert (ropexpert.deviantart.com/) and JB (JB Roper) are both talented and good guys to work with. It's not my usual style, but I like checking out a few kink.com sites, too.
13. What advice would you give to a person who wants to begin a bondage website as a producer/photographer/rigger?
Starting out, I'd probably advise somebody not to get their hopes too high about getting rich. Those days are probably past. Have fun with what interests you and if you're breaking even and have enough of a budget to hire good models, do multiple model shoots, and attracting favorable comments from a variety of the public, you're doing good. Find a niche that you're interested or experienced in that nobody else is doing, and put your best efforts into it as far as quality.
14. What else do you want people to know about you and your work?
It's just a semi-serious hobby for myself. I have a day job and other obligations that frequently seem to take up weeks of my time, like it or not I still enjoy shooting photos of all types, I'm just about as happy being next to the tracks shooting a rare steam locomotive, at an air show, or doing a weekend group shoot in a studio as the creepy basement dungeon bondage scenes. Overall, I try to aim for increasing the quality of everything I shoot, and what I pick up doing other work eventually drifts into the bondage scenes.
When I started shooting bondage scenes, I wanted to do better than what was a bit too average at the time; out of focus shots, "red eye", lousy compositions, etc., stuff you'd get a "D" for in a high school class. My thoughts were that a model going to the personal effort and stress of doing a bondage shoot deserved better, as well as the viewers.
One thing I've been pleasantly surprised by is the numbers of female viewers and fans. It kind of says I'm hitting something with an appeal beyond the "naked, tied-up chicks are hot" male crowd.
I'm always striving for more quality and originality in my shoots, hopefully that shows compared to the earlier works.
And that would be awesome
Would you, by chance, like to join him in being interviewed in the near future???? Pretty please???
Even though you don't seem to like artwork, I hope to see you poke around my gallery one day.
Actually I do like checking out artwork on those rarer opportunities I have the time. There's something to appreciate when the only limit is an artist's imagination...I try not to stress models too much!
I find it to be an ongoing puzzle how photographers/riggers/etc. with no earlier experience in bondage modeling and photography get themselves situated and find ways of connecting into the scene, learning, and being successful. One would expect, at the very least, a sort of business plan. You know: sources of funding while ramping up, initial targeted audience,marketing and PR, etc. etc. And maybe they exist. But nobody ever talks about them. It comes across as, "Well, I was interested, and a buddy told me about X, so I went, and met Y, and got a chance to try it out, and learned from Z, and, well, here I am." I'd believe this scenario could have happened to maybe a couple of erstwhile folks, but all of them say something like this. Simply puzzling.
Whaddaya say, BG59? Do you operate according to a business plan these days? If so, at what point earlier in your career as a bondage photographer did you formulate one? What caused you to do so, after diving in without one?
It occurs to me that some bondage photographers, as BG59 carefully states, do this as a hobby, and have day jobs that support them. That would account for the absence of a business plan, that's for sure.
This is the kind of thing that has kept me from ever considering doing something like that. And, of course, there's that little issue about me not having any real talent as a photographer!
Yep, it's still just a semi-serious hobby view of it I'm taking, although I go into each shoot with a professional type approach as if it was a full time job. The day job still pays the bills and has benefits way better than the photography ever could, therefore the lack of any serious business plan. Even some of the best pro photographers I know usually have regular jobs, it's hard to have enough steady work that pays well enough to cover studio expenses and make a decent living off of it.
Based on some work I used to see, I don't know if having photography skills was a prerequisite. Lots of older stuff looks like it was shot with some cheap point n'shoot camera, the early DSLR's were out of a lot of people's hobby budget. The better stuff from 10 years or so ago was probably more often shot on 35 mm film and then scanned. That kind of screened out the untalented, not many places would develop "porn" type shots film, and good scanners were expensive. Kind of almost needed your own darkroom and know how to use it. The good thing about the price and quality of DSLR cameras and smartphones getting better is that it's letting more people do some good and creative work that wouldn't have been able to before. It's also ruined things for pro photographers somewhat, you can find somebody on Craigslist to shoot a wedding for $200 with a kit camera they got at WalMart last week.
Yes, what you describe does make sense to me. And although my (professional) talents run deeper in story-writing than photography or art (both of which demonstrate my amateur status without question), I've still relied on my day job forever. (If you're interested, you can read some of my stories...including one about a photogapher DiD...on my posting site BandMachArt. There are also some of my artwork, too...but not any photos.)
I'll make sure to get to you dA page and put a watch on it. I do like your work a lot.
Best regards,
Danny
I always give lots of credit to good writers, it takes talent to paint a picture in people's minds with words, especially without it taking up pages like I tend to do! Art is it's own world, some people's creativity and talent kind of blow me away sometimes, lol.
Sorry! 🙃