I agree with lurker. A couple of things I want to emphasize.

I vastly prefer photo sets where it is apparent that the model is enjoying the shoot. It is great when the model smiles. I suppose that is difficult when the model is gagged, but her expression can show pleasure.

I prefer modern cuffs for what that is worth, although RE rope work is done very well.

With regard to story lines, well, there isn’t much need for them if the model is restrained elegantly. A set in which the model is slowly stripped, having started wearing a skirt suit, blouse, bra, and knickers would be welcome. (Perhaps the model could be restrained by collar and chain until she is bare above the waist.)

Nudity is far from essential, although pleasant. Clinically detailed shots of the model’s crotch are not attractive, although teasing shots are nice.

RE is by far my favorite site.

One request not related to photos or videos (I will comment that I find most of your videos a little bit too long): I do enjoy the text chats with a live model. Of course, the time difference makes things difficult for residents of these United States of America.

Thank you for your wonderful work.

Hi,

Sorry for the late reply. I’ve had a hard time figuring out an answer to this question.

I appreciate most of the content, from love bondage and happy smiles to fairly hard material. A good mixture is very important, though it’s hard to do justice to CP in stills.
Generally speaking, even things you are less fond of often fill a function in that they build an expectation and make you appreciate your favourites more when they do show up. If you always get what you want it may soon lose its attraction. It’s also worth considering that you may develop a taste for things you previously didn’t care for, and come to realise that they weren’t so bad after all.
So, all in all I think you should keep a good mixture.

I’ve come to realise that the lighting plays a major roll in how I judge the sets (more on this further down).
I like a lighting that emphasizes the model’s face, body and character, preferably with a slightly dramatic touch. Not too large contrast but enough to let the shadows bring depth to the picture. The common kind of lighting with bright light against a white background is very well done and picks out even small details but I wouldn’t exactly call it exciting.
Low key, a dark background and saturated colours give a certain weight to to the picture and is more to my liking. This also gives a more intimate feeling than a brightly lit scene would.
I also like B/W shots, provided they contain a fair amount of grey tones.

Since I like a wide variety I had a hard time coming up with a list of things and styles I’d like to see more of. I finally had to resort to statistics to get some kind of grip on what I’ve been looking at for the past four months. Unfortunately the following numbers don’t say very much since
1. I can’t pinpoint what characteristics best describe the sets I like or dislike, respectively.
2. I don’t know the distribution of these characteristics in the total material available during these four months.
Anyway, here are some numbers to toy with:

I only download sets I grade 4 or 5. Of these maybe two or three have received a 5; perfection is rare. Likewise, very few get ranked 1 or 2. The big majority gets a 3; they aren’t bad but they don’t trigger the Must have! reflex.
Thus far I’ve downloaded and gone through 115 sets and have saved 3377 shots, ranging from 8 to 89 shots per set, with a mean of approximately 29.

Of these sets 46 contain at least one shot with nudity and 14 contain at least one topless shot. Nudity is clearly not a must. (Note that this is out of the saved shots. Of the complete sets more may contain these kinds of shots.)

64 sets are shot in the studio with hardly any furniture at all (clearly studio).
28 are shot indoors but not in the studio (a few cases probably in the studio but with a more elaborate interior, e.g. bed, night table and more).
26 are shot outdoors.
This totals 118 because some sets contain more than one setting.

Of the 115 sets 17 are high key or at least shot against a white background. 5 of these are part of the Lexicon.
33 are low key or at least shot against a dark background.
65 are shot in daylight or under normal, daylight-like conditions.
4 are black and white
Total 119

I find it hard to be more precise than this. Since I like most styles and most content, even if I don’t like a specific set enough to download it, it’s hard to point to something I would like to see more of. On the other hand I have seen a pattern in what makes me hit the Delete key.
From reading the following list you may get the impression that I don’t really appreciate the photo sets. That is not the case! I just feel that, with this many sets and shots to chose from, I can allow myself to be picky. It is also the way I am: If I don’t need a particular thing or don’t like it enough, I get rid of it or, even better, don’t acquire it in the first place. This goes for physical possessions and it most certainly goes for files on my hard disks. Besides, a large collection is not a goal in itself. If I were to download and save every available shot I would soon lose track of them and would never find the time to look at them all again.

The following is a more or less complete list of features that usually make me hit Delete. Most are due to personal taste but some I see as actual flaws.

1. The model is obviously the most important part of each shot. While I have yet to come across a less than beautiful model on RE, I do find some more beautiful than others. That’s just the way things are of course. We all have our own preferences.
This is all I’m going to say in this matter. Paris learned the hard way that you should never tell a woman that you find her less attractive than someone else. I won’t repeat his mistake.
(Do I see the outline of a request here? I think I do. The two losing goddesses take it out, not on Paris but on the unlucky winner of the contest.)

2. Models who look as though they don’t really care about the result of the shoot.

3. Feet. Sorry Hywel. Shots in which feet are the sole focus of interest leave me cold. I tend to concentrate more on the other end. I agree that barefoot women can look more feminine and attractive, and possibly more vulnerable, but it depends much on the situation and her body language. I have nothing against beautiful shoes and high heels.

4. Exaggeratedly ”sexy” or enticing poses. What I’m referring to is the pouting-lips-and-melting-eyes cliché. These poses have never worked for me (as the intended audience, I mean 😀 ). The more obviously inviting the pose or expression, the less I like it. It just isn’t convincing and makes the model look like a desperate prostitute.

5. For a face to be interesting to look at its features must be discernible, and for that a certain amount of shadows and hues are required. Otherwise it looks flat and washed out. For this reason I often delete high key photos where features disappear or the skin takes on a milky-white tone. (Is this caused by the exposure only or by some step during post processing?)
Examples: re2IMG_4238d of Black Dress and Steel Shackles (part two), several of the Lexicon shots against a white background

6. Overexposed shots. There aren’t many of these but one example is re6IMG_2152d of Daydreams in the bath (part two). Another one is Playing Chess for Her Virginity, in which some shots are at least bordering on over exposure with the skin tones blown out.
(My monitor is fairly good, though not calibrated. On this page the pattern is clearly distinguishable up to and including 252, while it can only just be seen at 253 and not at all at 254.)

7. The opposite problem: Faces, and especially eyes, in deep shadow. These shots can sometimes be improved and the details rescued, but jpegs are hard to work with.
(Again, my monitor should be good enough. On this page even square 1 is visible and on this all bars except the darkest blue one are visible.)
Example: Many of the shots in Black and White Bonus. I still liked this set much more than the colour version. I liked the dramatic shadows and the fact that b/w made the rather bland wall, as well as the difference in tone between floor and wall, less distracting.
By the way, it’s hard to know how to refer to the sets since they have one name on the web page and in the archive but another file name, in this case ”Black and White Bonus” and ”arielbrickwallbw” respectively. Which one do you use yourselves?

8. Props blocking the eyes or a major part of the face.
Example: re6IMG_6589d of Caged Princess

9. Leaning horizontal and vertical lines, like windows, the joint between floor and wall, or the horizon. There are times when this doesn’t matter, like in shots taken downwards from a ladder, but in most cases I find it distracting.
Examples: some shots in the Caged Princess and Cockle-Pickling Tourist sets (Landslides do occur now and then in Norway but nothing this bad.)

10. Finally, if several shots in a set look too much alike, I save the one I like the most and delete the rest. As I said, with this wealth of sets and shots to choose from I see no reason to save them all.

@hywel wrote:

Which sets tempted you to join the site?

In my case the answer to this question doesn’t really belong in this thread but since the question is asked here, I’ll answer it.

For some years now I have occasionally visited a handful of bondage and other BDSM sites but without becoming a paying customer with any of them. They have ranged from the generally lighter sites linked to from Red’s Realm (including RE, which I must have visited briefly some time) to the sweaty and explicit Kink. None of them stirred any deeper feelings. The fact is I never considered paying for this kind of content. It simply wasn’t important enough to me.
So why did I finally decide to become a member with RE? It wasn’t planned. If I remember correctly it wasn’t because of the RE tour, a specific photoset or a video. It was Hywel’s blog, especially something he had written in “People are complicated”. It wasn’t in any way related to BDSM but happened to mean a lot to me personally. Then, and only then, did I take a closer look at the actual RE site. I liked what I saw and that was the moment I made up my mind to become a member.

The harder content (Nights) was a bonus that I found later on. The lighter material and Hywel’s blog was what made me reach for the credit card but Nights is what has made the deepest impression BDSM-wise.

Since then I have come to appreciate the forum (low traffic but with the occasional nugget) and the relaxed feeling of the site. This is one of those rare sites that give the impression that the people running it (including the regular models) actually enjoy their work.
Last but not least Hywel’s and Ariel’s efforts to answer questions from clueless newcomers are very much appreciated and go way beyond what should be expected.

Martes

Hi!! I would just like to say that both plot lines work. I love the kidnapping plot as much as I like the girl washing the dishes plot.

I’d just ask for more challenges, like the misty escape attempt, or ask a model of she can hop from point A to B or tryto achieve something

Everyday sexy clothes are something to focus on

And pleaseeeeeee high heel sandals

Thanks

J