A Little while ago we met a wonderful gentleman at LAMChester, who after watching our rope scene introduced himself, had a chat and exchanged details. He informed us he was a photographer and was interested in shooting more fet/boudoir style content and had always been interested in rope.
When we got home I took some time to look up his IG profile and his work, to see what kind of stuff he did and whether or not it would be something we were interested in. Oh Me Oh My, what a wonderful eye.
@Pree_Views website was full of amazing photos, but I was drawn the most to some of the life drawing classes he had photographed, and a particular insightful way in which he captured the scenes. Its hard to describe quite what it is, other than this own perspective and creativity, so ill link a few photos below.
Something about the way in which these images capture the emotion, the connection and the creativity of the scenes just resonated with us. It would be easy to just focus on the model, taking still life photos and in milliseconds capturing what the artists were taking many minutes/hours to draw. However, instead the direction @Pree_Views took was to be more imaginative and bring together some really compelling photos that capture more than just the subject.
We knew that this creative direction was something that could really capture our rope in a new way, something we weren’t able to do alone and to trust in someone’s vision to capture the connection between us in rope. After some brief discussion we arranged a time and studio to shoot at, with a very loose idea of what the whole day would entail. We agreed that Pree wanted to try and capture the scene in a raw and organic way, with little “posed” or staged shots.
When we arrived at the studio we hauled our rope bag, suspension rig, equipment and selves up a few flights or stairs and setup in the studio. As Pixie got changed Pree and I setup the rig and did a few test shots for lighting, while having a more in depth chat about our background, experiences, events on the kink scene we had attended and generally set a friendly and collaborative mood.
Once Pixie was dressed in suitable attire, and after some comical wrangling with a bluetooth speaker that refused to play ball (or music for that matter) for a good 15 minutes, we managed to play our usual rope scene playlist and begin our scene.
What follows is a photographic and caption based journey though our scene.
Rope is more than just pretty patterns, knots and suspension, and it certainly isn’t just about achieving a specific look or position for a photo. When it sings, our favourite rope elicits a strong and deep connection, intimate and vulnerable. Whatever your style of rope, sadistic semenawa style, predicament play, wrestling floor rope, or silly fun rope with lots of giggles…. emotion brings about the memorable experience. This beautiful shot by @cosmobob, part of a larger set we will be posting, shows the softer closeness as we begin a scene, connecting with each others souls, readying our minds and bodies to experience a journey together. @PixieSeraphina held closely in my arms, aware of what is ahead, the dance we will create, exposing each others hearts, souls and desires….
An extension of myself, rope helps me to express the beauty I see within her. Not only to bind, but also to release, release the inner emotions, release expression and desire. With each band, every fibre of rope, body and soul connects and caresses one another. Its only one rope, for now, but it signifies that moment where trust is exchanged, where we enter into an agreement to free each other. While one is bound, freed from the constraints of life, the other is free, but constrained by the responsibility of the scene. Its perfectly balanced. A firm hand reassures, yet takes away liberty and agency, replacing its transient restriction with a enduring permanence of fibre pressed against the skin. Now she knows, that it is time to allow her and I to become one, where limbs become fluid, paint to be placed on a canvas according to my whim, for us to become the art we feel.
An extension of myself, rope helps me to express the beauty I see within her. Not only to bind, but also to release, release the inner emotions, release expression and desire. With each band, every fibre of rope, body and soul connects and caresses one another. Its only one rope, for now, but it signifies that moment where trust is exchanged, where we enter into an agreement to free each other. While one is bound, freed from the constraints of life, the other is free, but constrained by the responsibility of the scene. Its perfectly balanced. A firm hand reassures, yet takes away liberty and agency, replacing its transient restriction with a enduring permanence of fibre pressed against the skin. Now she knows, that it is time to allow her and I to become one, where limbs become fluid, paint to be placed on a canvas according to my whim, for us to become the art we feel.
Anticipation… Excitement… as the rope builds so does the tension, both internally and externally. Knowing what is to come, eagerly expectant, adds to the moment. We needn’t rush, as each step is made with purpose. We can savour ourselves and each other, this is about the journey not the destination.
Between moments of connection, comes distance. In the choreographed dance of rope, closeness and separation creates an ebb and flow, just as silence builds the anticipation of music distance is a necessary contrast. Attention is variable in the creation process, between each other, the rope and into ourselves. Balance in all things, these moments offer reprieve and distinction, one focussed on surroundings, the other enjoying silent reflection. We are together, yet distinct….
Perspective…. as we move through the scene, our perspective is in constant flux, allowing us to take in different ideas, emotions and experience. We create art, and evocative perspectives run through our veins, considering our world and our place within it through a different lens. It transcends the material of knots and fibre, casts away any sense of self to become its own entity
Perspective…. as we move through the scene, our perspective is in constant flux, allowing us to take in different ideas, emotions and experience. We create art, and evocative perspectives run through our veins, considering our world and our place within it through a different lens. It transcends the material of knots and fibre, casts away any sense of self to become its own entity
Support – what to some appears to be suffering, the absence of kindness, is gentle and supportive, alleviating and liberating from imperceptible challenges… the contemplation that leads to evolution
Absolutism…. for that which we perceive is not all that there is, in the boundless capacity of the human experience, we are limited in our perspective, capturing only moments, perceptions, anchored in time to our personal reality.
Adjustment…. The accommodation of our selves and each other, to adjust in minutiae, for precision, to take the time and patience to appreciate and build certainty, the depth of trust and emotion to explore our deepest desires
Satisfaction…. fulfilling the desire to create, to mould, and adapt, not just bodies but minds, souls, our visions to achieve our desires, both together and independently. This is the formation of our connectionTransition…. the epoch between lift and return, stillness turns to motion and potential to kinetic, the journey continues…
Inversion …. to experience the world from a new perspective, with a change, which always changes, always reflecting back on us our growth and evolution.
Descent…. in returning to earth, re-joining reality and bringing home our new experiences, time stands motionless.
Pride….. a reprieve, between intensity and relief, a. juxtaposition…. but pride, pride in ourselves and each other
Reprieve in momentary relief of the shared journey we have taken, but aware that it will before long be over. It is transience, impermeant and cannot last, it is reflective.
Pride… in that which we have created, that which we have shared. The parts of our souls and vulnerability that we have exposed to each other, nurtured and compassionately received, never taken for granted and always reciprocated. This is more than art, its is more than eroticism or performance, it lies within an esoteric world, an aether of experience known only to us.
Intimacy…. without which all is lost, hopeless and without reason. As the final ropes are removed, their tension and restraint replaced with the warmth of flesh, the embrace of arms, mind body and soul conjoined, hearts beating in unison. We are no longer dancing with our souls, but at rest once more, in the splendid glow of ourselves and each other, where we can be most alive, yet content that death yields no power or fear over us, for what we have extends beyond all that is worldly.
These select images capture in image and word the connection we felt in the moments we experienced together. Captured exquisitely by our wonderful photographer. Yet there were more moments of absolute art and beauty, that do not tell a story, but merely encapsulate a moment of time, preserved perfectly. The below Gallery demonstrates some of our favourite photographs of all time.
To be able to see ourselves captured through someone else’s eyes was a completely new experience to us. Within a scene we are able to experience our emotions, both independently and together, but having done some more rope recently in public, hearing peoples reactions and reponses we because curious how this is perceived. By sympathetically preserving these moment on film, Pree_Views was able to give us insight into how others are sharing in that experience. How our art and passion is received and impresses upon an audience. As strange as it is to see yourself in these moments, it is also humbling to experience that emotion as a spectator rather than a participant. This scene was remarkable in the freedom with which we were able to express ourselves. Not a moment was staged or retook.
With deft grace and effortless motion Pree_Views worked around us, never interfering with our scene, merely documenting how he was experiencing it to share with us. This passive nature, made for some absolutely outstanding art, a genuine collaboration between rope top, rope bottom and photographer to bring alive something that we all shared together. The full photo set from this session will be uploaded to our Gallery soon.
Once our initial aftercare cuddled and rehydration was concluded, we took a break for lunch. Realising that we still had a good 90 minutes left of studio time, Pixie came up with an idea to try something a little different. A less immersive scene but a more explorative dive into our rope, using some techniques we had been working on, to create some interesting and appealing shapes to play around with.
Rather than continue here, Ive taken the liberty to post it in a Part 2, showing a different side to our rope work and expression.
Shibari Sanctum 