Portrait Photographer in Los Angeles known for dramatic use of light and shadow, and intimate views of subjects.

Journal

Meditations on Shibari

Meditations on Shibari

Shibari is a mysterious thing. How can the sensation of being restricted give the feeling of freedom?

Maybe it only seems like a paradox from that perspective. Lao Tzu describes the Tao, the Way, as one of yielding and “returning.” Letting things flow, like water running down a mountain into a valley. Perhaps rope bondage is simply a guide to that space of acceptance and letting go, which is a feeling that our culture tries to avoid at all costs. I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe it is neither. It is also possible that the appearance of conflict arises simply because our minds, overwrought with puritanical doctrine, want an explanation deeper than “touch feels good,” as if that wasn’t profound enough.

PhotographyShane KingMay 14, 2022shibari, black and white, photography, boudoir, boudoirphotography, essayComment

Black and White Shibari session with Jessica

Black and White Shibari session with Jessica

Jessica writes: It was such a pleasure to work with Shane. Before we started we talked about my boundaries. He listened and helped guide me through out our shoot. Watching him tie was very intriguing and relaxing. I felt so at ease the whole time. As we shot he would show me what we had shot and I couldn’t believe it was me. He captures you perfectly and elegantly. Looking forward to shooting again.

PhotographyShane KingMay 9, 2022shibari, boudoir, boudoirphotography, black and white, photography

What Shibari Means To Me

What Shibari Means To Me

This is a question that I’ve been hesitant to approach, because for a long time I wasn’t sure.
It took me over ten years of photography before I started to find my voice and figure out what it was I had been trying to say all along, and likewise shibari has taken some time, about ten years off and on. Most of my realizations have come after I found my voice through the art of photography, and started to find parallels.

Photography, EssaysShane KingApril 26, 2022essay, shibari, flowers, erotic, black and white, photography, boudoirphotography, TiffanyComment

Shibari and Flowers with Ciencia

Shibari and Flowers with Ciencia

When Ciencia and I were planning this session, I had been thinking about my work, and how to better communicate the messages I try to put forward. This time, I decided to start the session with images that convey Ciencia as the normal woman she is— funny, relaxed, maybe a little reserved— before diving into the fantasy world of ropes and flowers.

Shane KingApril 13, 2022Comment

Boudoir Session with Tiffany at Winter's End

Boudoir Session with Tiffany at Winter's End

This boudoir session with Tiffany took place just as winter was starting to end in Los Angeles, though it may look like summer to folks elsewhere in the world. The session itself was effortless, I truly believe that when photographer and subject are in sync, soulful photographs are as natural as sunshine.

PhotographyShane KingFebruary 11, 2022black and white, boudoir, boudoirphotography, garden, gazebo, TiffanyComment

Intimate Boudoir Session with Angel

Intimate Boudoir Session with Angel

This is kind of a special one.

PhotographyShane KingJanuary 7, 2022Angel, photography, boudoir, boudoirphotography, nude, Intimate PortraitsComment

Svetlana - Shibari and Autumn Flowers

Svetlana - Shibari and Autumn Flowers

New shibari work with Svetlana. We had an interesting discussion about sensuality and how it is perceived, which got me thinking about who the intended audience is for a given artwork, as opposed to simply a viewer.

PhotographyShane KingDecember 29, 2021shibari, boudoir, flowersComment

Nathalie's Virtual Boudoir Session

Nathalie's Virtual Boudoir Session

Nathalie and I decided to do another virtual session, since travel is still limited and she’s currently living in Europe. I woke up early in the morning here in Los Angeles to catch the late afternoon in her time zone (nobody said being a photographer was easy). As the shoot went on, Nathalie became more confident in herself and got into her groove, barely needing any direction from me.

PhotographyShane KingNovember 10, 2021black and white, boudoir, boudoirphotography, virtual session, virtualboudoir, virtual, NathalieComment

Black and White Portraits with Vivian

Black and White Portraits with Vivian

I recently did a classic studio style black and white portrait session with Vivian Lee. I enjoyed highlighting the velvet texture of her dress, as well as the structure of her jewelry.

Shane KingNovember 2, 2021Comment

Shibari with Mel

Shibari with Mel

Mel and I had a casual shibari session recently, and with her blessing I am happy to share the work we made. Each person I’ve worked with has a different attitude and spirit that comes through both in the tying and in the photographs, and with Mel it was a playful yet elegant vibe.

Shane KingOctober 27, 2021Comment

Nathalie in Japan

Nathalie in Japan

Nathalie and I met when I was living in Tokyo in 2017. We only had a brief window of opportunity to work together, so, I did what I always do: I improvised.

PhotographyShane KingSeptember 29, 2021photography, boudoir, boudoirphotography, Japan, Nathalie, colorComment

Summer Flowers And Shibari

Summer Flowers And Shibari

Like any art, shibari is a way to express one’s self with another, and for me it is a gentle art that is primarily about communion. It demands deep trust and a high degree of communication from both the one casting rope and the one being bound, and it can reward a powerful experience. This work is an exploration of that and an attempt to convey what that bond feels like in that moment.

So, that being said, I’d like to present to you what happens when you bring together two people with soft rope, fresh flowers, a camera, and some of that beautiful Los Angeles sunshine.

PhotographyShane KingJune 28, 2021shibari, boudoir, color, flowers, rope, erotic, boudoirphotographyComment

Jasmine in the Canyons

Jasmine in the Canyons

Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,

A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse - and Thou

Beside me singing in the Wilderness -

And Wilderness is Paradise enow.”

― Omar Khayyám, Rubaiyat

Shane KingJune 23, 2021Comment

Shibari with E

Shibari with E

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.

PhotographyShane KingApril 27, 2021shibari, black and whiteComment

Virtual Boudoir Session with Genesis

Virtual Boudoir Session with Genesis

New work from my recent virtual boudoir session with Genesis. With this session, I felt inspired by the quickly fading winter light.

PhotographyShane KingJanuary 7, 2021virtualboudoir, virtual session, virtualsession, virtual, boudoir, nude, black and whiteComment

Lena in Prague : Virtual Boudoir Session

Lena in Prague : Virtual Boudoir Session

Lena and I have known each other since college, and though we’ve gone our separate paths, we reconnected last winter. Of course, with the pandemic we’re all cooped up, with nothing to do but read books, tend to our plants, and drink coffee. Well, almost…

PhotographyShane KingNovember 10, 2020virtualboudoir, virtual session, virtual, boudoir, nude, PragueComment

Virtual Boudoir Session with Marléna

Virtual Boudoir Session with Marléna

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of a virtual photo session with Marlena. For this session we decided to go with an intimate feeling, and in this set we made use of her lovely vanity for a through the looking-glass effect.

PhotographyShane KingJuly 14, 2020black and white, boudoir, nude, webcamera, webcam, virtual session, virtual, virtualsession, virtualboudoirComment

Virtual Boudoir Photo Sessions

Virtual Boudoir Photo Sessions

Due to the Covid quarantine, I and others have found that it is possible to do beautiful boudoir photo sessions virtually, by means of video calls. For me, creating art through these sessions is a joy, like flying after being let out of a cage. It’s still quite a ways away from the experience of actually having a proper boudoir photo shoot in person, but it is also rewarding in its own unique way, with constraints and opportunities.

Essays, Photography, ProjectsShane KingMay 22, 2020essay, photography, virtual session, boudoir, nude, black and white Comment

Guide to Buying Your First Camera

Guide to Buying Your First Camera

Recently several of my friends have asked me for advice on buying a new camera, with some asking specifically about film cameras. I’ll explain the most important thing to understand when buying cameras, some considerations for choosing between film and digital, as well as the different types of cameras and lenses available, and my recommendation for what to buy and how to find it.

Long Form, EssaysShane KingMay 11, 2020guide, how to, buying, camera, how to buy a camera, essay Comments

The Photograph Isn't Finished Until It's a Print

The Photograph Isn't Finished Until It's a Print

We are so used to only experiencing photography on our computers and phones that it can be easy to assume that's the final product-- and for some purposes that may be the case. However, Digital images are easily lost, whether it be to accidental deletion, devices breaking, going obsolete, or being upgraded.
In contrast, physical works such as prints or books are real, tangible objects that you can proudly display in your home, or keep private to enjoy for years or decades in the future. In this way, artwork you make can become treasured mementos that only become more valuable as time passes.

EssaysShane KingJanuary 30, 2020essay, prints, photography Comments