Shibari Rope Bondage
Shibari, as it is named in the fetish community, is the Japanese art of rope bondage. In Japan, it would, more correctly, be called Kinbaku (緊縛) which means "tight binding,".
The art has something with a long history, dating to the Edo period in the 17th Century. This was the first studio shoot I had ever done, and it was throwing myself into the deep end as it was a partially nude shoot (not all Shibari is done nude).
Clover
The most valuable thing I got from this shoot was a sense of professionalism. Working with a naked woman, taking her photograph requires a detachment and professional approach.
There is an image of this sort of work being the province of "Guy With Camera" a creepy man in a trench-coat using his camera as an excuse for voyeuristic thrills. Ensuring you do not project this, even slightly is extremely important.
Artistically, I like how this image is very stark in its contrasts, it gives a sense of loneliness and hopelessness, which the ropes amplify. It is a dark, somewhat creepy image, particularly emphasized by the pale skin of Clover, shining in the studio lights.
The shoot itself was about five photographers, one setup with two models working through several outfits with a professional rigger binding them. It was professionally done and the models were extremely cooperative and efficient.
Dynamo
The other image is of a latex clad woman called Dynamo who was in latex and rope for this shoot.
This was iconic and obvious as a choice for a shot, I think all the photographers took something similar to this, but this came out well. One of the things I have learned from this experience was to be more creative, even if a shot is going to work, like this one, it is worth trying something different to separate the work I am doing from the work done by others.
If you’d like to know more, head over to Clover at The Rope Bottom Guide