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I enjoyed your video on booking a model very much. Its one of the things I like best about the site, that we get a sense of how things work, and particularly how bondage photography is seen and experienced by models. I have photographed a few bondage shoots (including one many years ago with Chanta Rose, at Fetishcon in New York) and seeing your video inspires me to do more.
Much of Ariel’s advice is stuff I’ve already figured out independently and/or blundered through in a non-standard way. I got my start at Fetishcon, contacting models who had advertised an interest in doing photoshoots, and then shooting in my hotel room. What broke the ice for me for doing shoots in my living room was a couple of traveling models who contacted me.
The first shoot in my living room was after I had a decent photo portfolio posted on the Internet. Before I had a photo portfolio, I think what helped is that I had a portfolio of drawings on-line where I had used other people’s photos as artistic reference. The drawings were evidence that I was interested in creating images, rather than wanting to book a shoot merely for the chance to tie the model up.
I’ve never booked a ‘proper’ studio, and I’d feel newbie-uncertainty about doing so. It also strikes me as a counsel of luxury. Ariel describes them as “inexpensive” but that was not my impression when I looked into the possibility. On the other hand, studio rental includes lighting, which would make it a better deal if you don’t have your own lights already. And on the gripping hand, I suppose “shoot in my hotel room at Fetishcon” counts as a non-standard form of booking a studio.
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This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by
Sablesword.
Wrapturist, we’re very glad you liked Ariel’s video! We really do hope it inspires you to try some more photography!
I think the studio as an counsel of luxury is an interesting point- it probably depends where you are in the world. In most of the UK you’re never too far away from a local studio, and the studio’s rates are likely to be very reasonable given that they’ll usually have lights and other equipment for hire. The studio owners are usually very happy to help newbies set up the lights too.
We’re not talking here about huge photostudios for commercial advertising shoots which cost hundreds of dollars per hour and who have sound stages and vast infinity coves for shooting the latest formula one car. In the UK at least many local studios are friendly little set-ups in an outbuilding in the photographer’s garden or a little industrial unit, and the cost is commensurately lower.
They often run group days to share the cost of booking a model which is a very cost-effective way to dip your toe in and see if model photography is for you, too.
Obviously it adds to the newbie stress by having to deal with two new professional people instead of one, but from the model’s point of view knowing that she’s going to a studio rather than a first-time photographer’s house is very reassuring I think!
Cheers, Hywel
I just watched ariels video on how to book a fetish model, which got me thinking into how i got started shooting even normal model photos and then onto fetishy stuff. The whole world of model photography seemed very daunting to me from the outset , how does a novice photographer even contact a model in the first place without her laughing at me …..or so i thought so i ummmmmed and arrrrrrd about it for years until something my dad said when he was very poorly which basically said have no regrets if you want to try something try it and don’t leave it till its too late ….
Two weeks later i was in a studio having a few lighting lessons , and a few weeks after that I had my first proper camera. I shot with the same model for the first 6 or so shots , the lovely Kacie James on here , and my confidence grew and as Ariel said i now had evidence of my work and references.
Soon after that i started to find my own style and worked with other Restrained Elegance models shooting with Tillie, Katie Cee, Rachelle Summers , Roxy Mendez, Natalia Forrest and Natalia K.
I consider myself really lucky in that I’m quite good friends with a lot of the models I work with so it was in conversation with Tillie after she done he first shoot here , that i had seen it cos I was a member and liked bondage stuff but hadn’t ever shot any ……so thats how basically Tillie bullied me into tying her up haha and I’ve not looked back , its nothing to be scared by , if its something you like then be open about it, If i have an idea for a shoot ill discuss it before and as its a team sport a good model will probably add to your ideas as well so you get more out of the shoot.Hi Jimmylad, ah, that is lovely; I’m so glad that you’ve ended up being part of the UK model/photographer community – there are some super people involved and isn’t it great how you end up being friends with some of them in the end. It’s so much more than just an ‘industry’ I think. And it’s always a relief when the models are nice, isn’t it?!
yeah exactly , i treat my friends well, so with models and studio owners i treat them with the same respect and care, its not hard to do. I suppose with models becoming friends with photographers its because we have a lot in common most of the time , shared interests and stuff like that.
Greetings from New Jersey,
I recently had my first chance to shoot with Ariel. Hopefully it will not be the last. Ariel mentioned in the “Booking a Fetish Model Video” that she had recently worked with a long term RE member. I know she shot with a number of other people on her recent USA trip so not sure if I was the person she was referring to in the video or not. If I was then I certainly appreciate the thought behind the video.
I had previously done a couple of shootings with a former American bondage model at a professional dungeon in Los Angeles. Those were done with a small digital camera so the results tended to be a bit dark at times but I was reasonably pleased with the results. Of course given that I’m on the other side of the US tended to restrict the number of shootings and then the model in question retired so it had been nearly 10 years since I’d done a session like this.
I know very little about photography and I’m the first to admit it. Get a 1910 car or motorcycle going again I can do. Navigate a sailboat from Nova Scotia to Antigua I can do. Explain shutter speeds and F stops…… yeah not so much. I’m not sure if I have the desire to start consistently doing shoots and putting the results on line. There are a number of legal procedures to go through that I’m not sure I want the hassle of. There is also the expense of getting proper equipment, getting the time to get the proper training as well as the cost of studio and model sessions. Clearly consistently going to one of the annual bondage conventions (FetishCon here in the US for example) will help to get you better known amongst the models. It has been something I’d like to do but I’m also heavily involved with an annual function in my area and it always seems to run at the same time as FetishCon. We shall see but it certainly would be interesting to have a chance to work with some other well known models along with working with Ariel again.
I did a little looking on line but so far have not really seen any ads for studio rentals in my area to begin with, let alone ones that might allow fetish work. Of course I doubt most that do would actually advertise that fact. Guessing it would be something you would have to inquire about. I’m sure there are such rental studios in New York City or Philadelphia (the two closets big cities to me) but not sure about finding them out here in suburbia. I will be following up on that score however.
Anyway, it was a great experience and one that I would certainly do again. When Hywel recently asked for input from the RE community I was more than happy to contribute several of the photos from the shoot for RE’s use as a guest gallery which was posted just a couple of days ago. So far it seems that the people that have rated the set have liked it (all 3 stars or higher) so I certainly appreciate the feedback. Hopefully we’ll see some other members contribute some guest galleries so we can get the whole RE community going full strength again.
Happy New Year to all and Cheers,
Jeff
I am jealous – what a great opportunity! I did like the shots you contributed. I used to be a fairly active amateur photographer, but real life got in the way of pursuing that for a while. I have recently started to look at getting back into photography and to learn to work with models (I did mostly landscapes and macro photography). I was surprised to find a decent number of potential resources not to far from where I live in Ohio, we’ll see how far I can take this idea with what is out there. Booking a shoot with Ariel would be wonderful, but sadly not something that is likely in the foreseeable future :(.
great video !!
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This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by
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