Staying Safe In Fetish Photography
“The only thing a photographer should be touching is the camera.”
Spending time on kink-related social media will present you with countless images of tasteful - and sometimes tasteless - scenes.
Shibari, suspensions, pet play, needle play, submission… The subjects of kink photography are as limitless as the imagination, although the talent of some photographers may be greater than their peers. It’s understandable why so many kinksters want to be part of these striking shoots, but not all photographers will have your best interests at heart.
How Can I Stay Safe in Kink & Fetish Photography?
Research photographers who specialise in your kink(s)
Whilst some kinks and fetishes can be difficult to find, many photographers will have encountered your kink at some point or other, and if they haven’t, they’ll be excited at the chance to capture a kink in a new creative way. Most photographers are creative visionaries, so if you like a style, but haven’t seen your kink captured, try reaching out to them to see if they’d be interested in doing a collaboration.
Vet the photographer as you would a play partner
Just because you’ve seen hundreds of photographs in their portfolio, you can’t guarantee the photographer will have honest intentions. If their portfolio contains no model credits, ask yourself if they had consent to share those images. If they do credit models, politely reach out to the model to request a reference on the photographer. Ask how they found the experience of working with the photographer; they’re your closest thing to experiencing it yourself. Whilst there will likely be at least one negative review in the mix, a more negative reputation on the whole suggests the photographer may not be a safe bet. If you’re planning to pay for their time, you’re more likely to get a professional, but there are no guarantees.
Negotiate what you will and won’t do
As you would a play scene, be sure that you and your photographer are on the same page about what you want to achieve from the photoshoot. Your photographer may have thousands of followers for their work, but if getting the perfect shot means going beyond the limits of what you’re comfortable with, don’t be afraid to say no. Similarly, if you’re attracted to the photographer, don’t abuse the situation by trying to go outside what they’ve agreed to.
Agree to copyright, credit, and use beforehand
Where your photograph ends up is beyond anyone’s control to an extent, but many photographers will watermark their work to prevent uncredited use. It’s important that you’re credited, too, if you wish to be. If you’re looking to build a portfolio of professional shots of your kinky skillset, you may want to ask the photographer to include your name in the watermark, or agree to add your own watermark and credit them in your distribution.
If you’re paying the photographer and they’re intending to use the images for financial gain, you may seek to negotiate the price.
Take a chaperone with you, if you need one
Depending on the content of the scene, you may wish to take a chaperone with you, for your comfort and/or peace of mind. Particularly for scenes involving the photographer as the Top, you may want to take a partner or friend with you who will monitor the activity and ensure that limits and safety measures are observed.
Most photographers will agree to this, but the red flag would be if they’re dead set against it.
Bear in mind that they, too, may ask to bring an independent and uninvolved third party for their own security - a photographer’s career can be ruined by accusations they can’t defend.
Don’t feel forced into anything you don’t want to do
Whilst a photographer will often have a good eye for the next great shot, you aren’t just a prop for them to position. If they ask you to do something you’re not comfortable with, speak up. You have an input into the shoot, too. If they push too much, don’t be afraid to end the shoot, just as you would a scene. An honest photographer will want you to be happy with what they produce.
Consent violations include more than unwanted touching.
None of these considerations will help in the event that you find yourself subjected to a consent violation, and it’s important to remember that violations occur in a number of ways, ranging from being pushed too far against your limits, to selling or sharing your image publicly.
If your image has been used somewhere against your wishes, contact the photographer and ask that they withdraw it. If they don’t remove it, or they’re not the ones distributing it, report it.
This may be to the host site, or to the authorities. If the sharing in question is a form of revenge porn, there are laws in some countries against it.
If you had a negative experience that you weren’t able to resolve with the photographer, don’t be afraid to share your experience openly and in an appropriate way to protect others. Many reputable photographers will feel terrible if you voice that you feel they’ve done you a disservice, but in the event that they’ve truly abused their position of power, be one of the people willing to share that experience if someone else asks you for a reference on the photographer.
Keep in mind that you have a responsibility to be fair to their reputation; destroying someone’s livelihood just because you didn’t like the way you looked in their photographs is not a fair review.
