It has been a long, long year.
To celebrate vaccination, I got together with E, who was actually one of the last people I did shibari with prior to the pandemic.
My ropework was a bit rusty, my fingers stumbled through knots, and I only gradually remembered the structure of the ties. Gradually I was able to get out of my head and embrace a spirit of play, just enjoying a moment of intimacy with a friend without judgement.
Megan is an actress in Los Angeles, and we connected though some mutual friends on social media. This was one of those photo sessions that just demands to be in color, so of course I must obey. Its easy for me to get caught up in a dark mood and aesthetic sometimes, so it was refreshing to go for a lighter approach with this session.
Read MoreAnything that can be looked at has probably been photographed, but it’s the expression that matters. Even my work with my dear friend Ryan, who I have known and been photographing since we met in college, continues to change and grow, just as we do. Each time, better than the last.
Read MoreThis is from a recent shibari session with my friend Karissa.
To be frank, I consider myself an absolute beginner in this art, and it would be foolish for me to claim to have much more experience than that. My rope tying is improving with practice, but like photography, the real art is in the deeply personal communication that takes place during a session. Literally anyone can learn how to tie some knots, and with practice make it look good. But that’s just the beginning, not the end goal.
Read MoreThis was our second time doing a shibari session together, and in the three years since the first one, I’ve certainly grown. It was a fantastic experience working with someone who has been a dear friend for several years, and being free to create and explore without judgement.
Read MoreI was recently thinking about inspiration and how people develop a personal style. There's a phrase, "follow your Muse." But what's a Muse?
In modern times, a Muse is considered a person or thing that inspires you. In Greek mythology they had a different idea: the Muses were goddesses of music, poetry, comedy, and other arts, and they were responsible for providing inspiration to humans. A song was not invented by humans, it was created by these goddesses who would whisper it into the mind of a musician. Divine inspiration.
Read MoreAfter a few years I'm still somewhat new to doing Shibari/rope sessions, and even though I feel like a total beginner, I can feel myself improving with each session. I'm finding better ways to continue ties, getting better at knots and managing tension, and working more efficiently. Sessions like this have some extra challenges as well: the model loses mobility so you have to plan or improvise poses that look good in photographs, likewise the placement that would make for good lighting. Of course, there's also the challenge of making something meaningful that communicates more than just "Look at this person's body!" That's always the most difficult part in photographing nudes, the mind and competency of the artist is revealed.
Read MoreBelinda is someone I’ve known for many years, and the last time we shot, I was still a beginner, using a film camera I had borrowed from a friend. Of course, I still feel like a beginner..
For this session we went with a shibari theme. Shibari is the Japanese art of rope bondage, which has been around for centuries. It started out as a set of techniques for binding and torturing prisoners, and over time became both a fetish and an art form. This was my first time trying a Pentacle/Star harness, and the lower waist/arms tie was improvised, as were the following ties. Still a beginner, of course.
