Although I've known both Clover & Dave for many years, I didn't realise how long it had been since we last shot together (around 2012) - both photosets can be seen on their website Rope-Topia.com:
When Clover got in touch about the possibility of another rope bondage shoot I was really excited to work with both her and Dave again. Unfortunately it took a bit of re-arranging but it was certainly worth the wait! Clover booked The Pit studio and I don't think we could have found a more perfect place to shoot these images! We were lucky to get some natural light for a few of the shots but it made me realise just how difficult natural light can be to work with as it changes so frequently, especially when the actual shooting time is very limited due to the sustainability of each pose/suspension!
Clover really has a wonderful eye for capturing a beautiful mood and emotion in her photographs. I don't think I've ever worked with someone who is so precise with what she captures (and when) and her great communication skills really help with this!
For the first part of the shoot we started in one of the downstairs rooms. Being suspended from a pole is a very different experience to being suspended from a ring/hard point and I really enjoyed (and was impressed by) the variety of poses we managed to work through based on the pole.
The first suspension was quite a lot more difficult than I expected (and than I think it looks) - For me, this was a combination of the arm binder position at the back os the pole (which I always find difficult anyway) but as also, as soon as the legs were lifted a lot of pressure was put onto the chest which restricted breathing a lot, making it difficult to relax into the tie. The Other position we did downstairs was the split/backbend against the pole. There was no chance of this ever being an easy position but in these situations I really enjoy pushing my body and working to mould myself into beautiful shapes - this is certainly one of them (from my perspective). Although I can just about manage full splits on the floor (after a good warm up), I realised gravity really helps get and hold the position. Whereas when against a pole and suspended its really difficult to control exactly where the legs are and put enough pressure on to achieve the same shape as on the floor. I remember at the time feeling quite disappointed in myself that it just didn't seem to be possible to create the same shape but when I saw the images I realised how arched my back was and that the curve of my lower leg flowed really nicely following the curve of my back.
For the second part of the shoot we moved upstairs to make use of the beams. Dave rigged up a suspension ring which made this next set not only look very different but also feel completely different as the model.
Something very important that made this shoot so much fun was my confidence in Dave as a rigger. Whilst I would love to so a lot more bondage/suspension shoots they aren't practical (I mark very easily which means I have to take time off from other shoots), they are very tiring and strenuous and more importantly they are incredibly dangerous! I do not feel it beneficial to shoot with riggers that I do not know, haven't tied with before or that haven't been personally recommended to me as there are so many risks involved in this kind of shoot - especially when my body is my work.
Dave is by far one of the most safety-conscious riggers I have ever had the pleasure of working with. It is not only his rope skills that are incredible but also his sensibility over everyone's safety. He is very aware of what to look out for and how to check in with the model. He is also very sensible when it comes to the time spent in each suspension, in my experience he will always listen to my needs as a model over the requirements/requests of the photographer which leads me to put a lot of trust in him as a rigger.
As you can see below, we worked through a number of suspensions in the second part of the shoot, some involving multiple transitions. I really love being able to push my body to create wonderful shapes and feel really proud of the images we created during this shoot :D
The final part of the shoot involved me attempting to do some aerial hoop! I've tried a few poses sat in a hoop before but wanted to attempt something a little more creative in this shoot. Clover very helpfully brought along her book of hoop poses and also demonstrated several to me - I knew it was difficult but even these fairly simple moves required so much strength and left me covered in bruises and blisters haha! I'm really glad clover also brought a friend along to "spot" whilst I was in the hoop - this really helped and I was flattered when she asked to join for a duo hoop pose at the end!
Overall it was a fantastic shoot - well worth the several years wait and I couldn't be happier with the images! I know bondage isn't for everyone but I hope even if it's not "your thing" you can see the beauty in these images!
The full set can also be seen over on Rope-topia.com
Thank you!!
Scarlot x