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Hi All;
It is rare these days that I am compelled to write about a days set/update. Not that I am not continuing to enjoy the output of the site – GOD NO! – it’s just that the bar for the site is set so high these days that all of the sets are awesome and I would be on here every evening lavishing praise upon Hywel and the models (this would no doubt become boring for all to read, might inflate the heads of those involved and would certainly induce some repetitive strain injury on the old typing finger – I am at best a two fingered typist, it’s a wonder I ever got through a PhD thesis!). So why tonight? Well a couple of reasons. Yesterdays set (arielsabrinadorm1) was in my opinion one of the best sets I have seen on the site. The two models, of course, looked fantastic but that is kind of taken as read these days. What really stood out for me was the sense of fun that appeared, at least from the photos, to run through the set – certainly a few of them had a real candid, unposed sort of look that proved really effective (listen to me getting all art critic!). Yea so the bondage wasn’t all that stringent but it was entirely appropriate to the scene. Well done to all involved (particularly the excellent photography by Kate – but more of that in a moment)
Today saw the first installment of Ariels diary with the ‘story’ of that very shoot (CD got broadband at long last – phew!!) and I was thrilled to see that the shoot really did appear to be full of the fun that came so well across in the photos. I know we have had a behind the scenes look at RE shoots before but these have most commonly been centered around Chantas rigging and the banter between her and the model (I very much enjoyed this by the way), but this candid camera approach to filming a set is new to RE and it was fascinating to watch – more please! An idea I did have whilst watching is that we have had a very occasional series on how to be a bondage photographer I wonder if there is any mileage in doing a rigging tutorial with close-ups on the knotwork and safely tying somebody up (it wouldn’t do Ariel any harm to watch either!).
However, the absolute highlight of the set was the return of Kate to the correct side of the camera. It is funny, Kate has been present in the forum for a while now and when reading her posts I still have in mind the sets that were up on the site when I first joined (and used as her avatar). I am so pleased to see that she is every bit as good looking today as she was then (distinct change in the hair colour department – I think RE must have done a deal with some hair dye company, Jasmine Sinclair started it then Hannah now Kate!). It really is great to see you (literally) again, and a I said above I am really enjoying your work behind the camera. Who knows, maybe you’ll get a flavour for being the right side of the camera and….. Enough!
As I said above – great work to all involved in the last two days updates – they really have been classic RE.
CD
PS; Hywels work is of course still up to its usual high standards and is appreciated – I wouldn’t want him feeling like I was heaping all the praise on those females present
Hey CD! Nice to hear from you… especially when you say nice things 🙂 And about TIME you got broadband! Welcome to the modern world!!
I was a bit concerned about the Video Diary, especially this first episode which is a bit long and shows just one set being shot in toto. I’m glad someone liked it- the ratings so far have been dismal and I was wondering if we’d goofed. It was GREAT fun to shoot (even more so for some of the later bits).
We only entrusted Ariel with camera for one day (she nearly dropped it at least once…) in France. We got some more fun behind-the-scenes stuff although we didn’t follow most of the other sets all the way through from start to finish. Parts two and three are on their way later this month. We thought the real candid camera video diary was a fun idea. I hope a few more people like it, because we were hoping to do it a bit more often especially on the big location trips.
It does go to show that for the most part what you see is actually what you get on Restrained Elegance. We ARE having fun on the shoot and Ariel IS a mad bouncing bondage bunny (as you’ll see especially in part three, where even Kate gets mildly exasperated by Ariel’s non-stop enthusiasm to be tied up even though it was 9 pm and we’d been on the go for nearly 12 hours…)
Oh and I’m sure the ladies will appreciate the flattery, even if you forgot me until the post-script! :p :p :p :;): 🙂
On a separate point, I’m not quite sure where to go with the tutorial stuff. It feels like to do a proper job really requires me to sit down and plan a series of “lecture” videos to demonstrate some camerawork, lighting and ropework techniques. Thus far the series has been pretty ad hoc, following what we do on a shoot in a rather haphazard fashion either watching Chanta to do a complex rig or maybe watching me shoot a few things.
I’m quite willing to devote some time (and money- I’ll have to hire the models to do the shoots) to more of this if people are interested, although it could be a lot of work as I’d be essentially writing a lecture course. Could be fun, and I could also use it at the basis of running some more real-life bondage photo tutorials at the studio, which is also on the cards for interested people. These real-life tutorials should maybe be organised into a fairly standard “beginner’s day” or “beginner’s weekend” to introduce the basics of camera work, studio lighting and simple rigging, plus a more freeform format similar to the first one we ran for more advanced photographers who already have a bit of an idea of what they are doing and want tips on more specific topics.
Would be people be interested in any or all of these things?
Cheers,
Hywel.
Never a truer statement said CD! The last few sets / videos have been outstanding (loved the black and white set with Missey, the video with Michelle, Sammie & Sophie was really cool and Ariel’s self bondage was very stylish). .
Kate, it’s fantastic to see you in action in Ariel’s video diary – especially as you make a big contribution to the site and I really liked this set with Ariel and Sabrina “lesingâ€
Interesting stuff, nice to have such a fun sideline to the existing output. Can’t really add much to the comments of CD and Steve other than to agree 🙂
I’m always blown away by the obvious extent of Ariels seemingly boundless enthusiasm, its endearing to the extent you’ve got to love her for it but I can’t help but wonder how long it would take to get a bit, err, irritating – in the nicest possible way of course.. Think you may have said similar in the past Hywel but how do the other models deal with it? is there any competition? 🙂 Got me thinking – maybe I’ve been looking at the whole France trip wrong.. Previously I’ve thought along the lines of “hmm, so Hywel has a week in france with a load of bondage models, luxury farmhouse and a van full of rope – bastard!” 😀 :p 😀 But now I’m not so sure.. a couple of thousand miles of driving in a van (with navigator? – probably not lol), about 40 hours of gossip about celebrities, shoes and media, then a week in a house waist deep in clothes, makeup, magazines and empty wine bottles with no chance of getting in the bathroom PLUS having to entertain the original “atomic powered bondage bunny” for a week.. this is starting to sound like hard work.. :surprised
Well done Hywel, we appreciate your sacrifices in the name of restrainelegance! Its a tough job but somebody has to do it! Thanks!
Cheers
M
P.S. did anyone else ever write something while thinking “even I’m not buying this..” or is it just me? 😀
Golly, the diary seems to have divided the voting audience, all bar two votes are either 1* or 5* (no 3*!). I’m decidedly a 5*, the diary is great fun, the opening titles are brilliant and if I may say the whole thing is pretty well produced, puts some mainstream video diaries to shame, due in no small part to the boundless enthusiasm, and ability to string a sentence or two, or three, or four, together of your star, although “bound-less” is not a word I’d like to see applied to her too literally :laugh: :laugh:
Hywel, having done Portsmouth-Caen numerous times (Le Mans), and having made the mistake (once and only once) of foregoing a cabin, albeit not followed by a trip halfway and then some across France, I think Merlin is underestimating your stoicism, especially as you imply in your editorial that despite EDF’s best efforts you were forced to watch Big Brother.
As Merlin said it’s a tough job but somebodies got to do it, thanks. :).
Looking forward to parts 2 & 3
Frank
PS I’m with Steve on the more tutorials front maybe start out with a few stills shot to show the detail of the bondage together with some notes (both from you and the model, I’m certain at least one of them will be willing to write something :)). Then some more shots with a diagram/description/discussion of the lighting, maybe a shot showing how each light contributes and the whole set up. Finally a few words on any post-processing.
Yes, it does seem to have sharply divided opinion. I’m just glad there are some 5*’s in there because I enjoyed it… I don’t mind putting stuff on the site that I know some people hate so long as some people love it too! :heybabe :faceheart It is a very small sample who vote of course but it is always a bit disheartening to see everyone voting low for something.
Merlin, your portrait of the trip is uncannily accurate. Both of them!!! I guess it is up to you as to whether that makes me a lucky bastard or a long-suffering hard-working photographer. The real answer is both I guess!
These week-long foreign trips are work, and I came back exhasuted. But with the right group of people they can be very good fun and very productive at the same time. With the wrong group of people I ended up feeling like a schoolteacher trying to supervise a bunch of drunken sixth-formers on their first trip away from home. Shudder. Naming no names.
The long drive down through France (especially on the way down after sod all sleep and in the pouring rain) could not be described as anything other than unpleasant, no matter how good the company. Ariel and I shared the driving and shouted at nice Ms. Sat-Nav lady when she told us to go down a motorway that was absolutely definitively closed. (Actually I think I shouted, Ariel started off by politely feeling sorry and apologising to the nice lady for not doing what she said. I think she was worried about not hurting the nice lady’s feelings or something. Bloody submissives. After a bit she changed tone and put on her “rebellious schoolgirl” truculant voice and said “well I won’t!” sulkily instead… )
There was a LOT of celeb gossip (HEAT magazine did seem to play an unholy large part in conversation sometimes…) and I won’t claim to be a convert to Big Brother, the ordeal of watching it was only mildly like having one’s toenails pulled out with pliers. I was converted to the merits of The Apprentice (actually watched it independently and learned a few interesting lessons from Alan Sugar’s ability to cut to the core of the issue when looking at what they did). But Big Brother? Still feels like locking a few rather sad and vulnerable people up and poking them with a stick over and over and over and over and over again until they crack up. I don’t see why it is meant to be entertaining or amusing, it just feels cruel and voyeuristic to me, in the way of bear-baiting or cock-fighting and not in a nice sexy way either: a blood sport but with emotional instead of physical damage to the contestants.
I must set the record straight. We may tease her a lot, but Ariel is delightful. She is an atomic powered bondage bunny- I definitely run out of steam on tying her up in interesting ways before she runs out of steam wanting to BE tied up! :smooch But that’s really not a bad thing. It is so rare to find someone with such enthusiasm and passion and she’s a total delight to work with and to take on these trips because if my inspiration starts to flag, hers is still fresh and new.
Wouldn’t change her for the world :smooch :smooch.
And Hannah, Sabrina and Kate also go far beyond the strict call of duty in putting in ideas, finding places to shoot, interesting twists on stories, and making sure we met our daily target for the number of sets so the trip worked out as reasonably cost effective. They would have been quite within their rights as professionals to just do what they were asked… but they all did much more. I really appreciate it.
The thing that really sticks in my mind the most is the evening ritual- communal cooking so we all sit down to a meal someone has cooked for everyone, glass of wine or two for those who partake, then look through the day’s photos on the laptop together. That’s just pure pleasure, good company, good food and the work was done looking back and having our “WOW! We took these!” moments, especially so when we got to catch up with some of the things the others had shot to see for the first time.
Hmmm. Sounds like an Oscars acceptance speech. I’d better shut up!
Cheers, Hywel.
Edited By Hywel on 1183624725
Put me in the camp that enjoyed the video. It was a nice change of pace to see your team acting naturally rather than playing a role.
enjoyed it as well – even though i found the pruduct (the bedroom bondage scene) less interesting.
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