Bondage Photo Shoot - Expenses Incurred

Alrighty then, just what the heck does one of your photo shoots set you back M?  Let me make one thing clear here, this journal entry is not a bitch or a whine.  Please understand that every single piece of work uploaded onto dA, irregardless of the quality, cost somebody something.  This stuff does not magically appear out of thin air.  Listed below are items and services that Uncle M Productions foots the bill for at each and every shoot:

1) Photographer.  My photographer has been in the business for over 25 years and knows his stuff let me tell you.  The equipment he uses at each and every shoot is valued in the tens of thousands of dollars.  Compare the images his camera and lens produces next to a very good digital SLR that you would pay say $1,500 for and you won't go back.  After the shoot each and every photograph is cleaned up and my logo inserted by my photographer.  This is done on an expensive computer running expensive software.  Between the shoot and processing my photographer invests two full days of his time and considerable talent in the project.  Does he get compensated in monetary terms?  You betcha.  

2) Studio space.  Ever wonder where we shoot?  In a room in a building is where.  Heat?  Light?  Maintenance?  Taxes?  Alas, we are not a part of the occupy Wall Street movement and consider it poor form to demand free shoot space as a constitutional right.  Don't get me started on those brainless, you owe me man... fuckers.  Opps.  Did I use a swear word in a politically incorrect statement?

3) Props.  Where did that chair, table, stool, swing, rope ladder, plate, cupcakes (insert object here) come from?  I either go out and purchase the props (Safeway gets a lot of my money.  "Honey?  I see we have more Safeway points.  What did you buy?"  ) or I make them with my own hands with my own tools and materials I purchased with money I earned.  We don't steal our stuff.  

4) Speaking of Safeway, I feed the entire crew lunch, beverages and snacks at each and every shoot.  On me baby.

5) Custom clothing.  You think Sisi goes out and purchases material then designs and builds all those clothes and accessories for free?  "Here Uncle M, please use all my custom clothes I create in order to make a living, pay my bills, have a life and not sit on my lazy ass in a tent on public property and demand the fat cat capitalist swine take care of my every needs."  Damn, there I go again.  Like my photographer, Sisi gets compensated in real terms and fairly I might add.  

6) Make up artist.  "Ummmm....I actually purchase my kit supplies Uncle M and I would like to be reimbursed for them if you please."

7) Stockings.  I love stockings.  Stockings are mandatory at a shoot.  My cookie folks.  I purchase them.  All of them.  Stockings can and do run, though I am very, very good around them and rarely get runs in them.  

8) Shoes.  Yup, I participate in the costs of shoes.  Not all of the time mind you, but if Sisi has her eye on a specific pair for a shoot we make it happen.  $$

9) Rope.  Most important part.  I spend $100's in rope each year.  Rope gets dirty and the rope I use does not wash all that well.  My girls get fresh rope.

10) Web site.  Owning a web site is akin to owning a boat.  A boat is a hole in the water in which to pour money.  A web site is a hole in cyber in which to pour even more money.  If you think for one instant that us guys and gals that own and operate a pay web site are raking in the dough...think again.  Mine was attacked late last winter and was irreparably damaged.  I came within a whisker of taking the thing down and walking away never to venture into the world of cyber again.  Turns out like any business these days, one needs a web site to showcase yourself.  I have something now that is clean, simple and actually setup to display galleries properly.  Dumped more than enough of my resources into fixing and upgrading the site and what you see is what you get.  I still have many hours of fixing broken links in the behind the scene section ahead of me.  

11)  Pre shoot breakfast/lunch meetings.  It is our custom and practice to sit down over a meal and discuss and plan shoots as well as critique past shoots.  Our shoots run like a well oiled machine for a reason and that reason is pre-planning.  Plan you work and work you plan as they say.  I have these meetings with my models at least twice a month and more if need be.  The tab is on me and we don't do the fast food thing.  

12) Uncle M's time.  Uncle M is the creative pervert behind the pinup bondage of Uncle M Productions.  The art is his vision. Uncle M works for free.

Bondage Shoot-Providing Deniability

Not revealing the identity of a model at my photo shoots is a topic that comes up more often than not these days when in negotiation with a potential model.  In the very beginning of this venture, we took great pains to protect the identity of all our models and even went so far as to block out the models eyes by photo shopping in a silly black bar.  Anna was our first model to announce at a shoot she had no problem being recognized and the flood gates opened from there.  

One of the drawbacks of only using unpaid models as opposed to models that get compensated in monetary terms, is the issue of having images of themselves plastered all over the internet in bondage no matter how classy the work is.  Many very attractive and very willing women have come to me and expressed a keen interest in doing a bondage shoot but were extremely hesitant to do so because of career or personal reasons.  Elementary school teachers, bankers, lawyers, sales professionals, office workers, managers and even doctors have shied away from shooting because photos of this nature could be potentially damaging in more ways than one.  Of course and quite apparently, there are more than enough attractive women that have no such issues and get more than a little pleasure in seeing photos of themselves on display for the world to see.

I could go into some detail why a paid model would be no more expensive for me or in some cases even less costly than photographing a model that is unpaid.  As you can read, I am taking great pains not to use the terms "professional" and "amateur" because as far as I am concerned the woman I shoot are as professional as they come.  They just don't model for a living is all.  They model for me because they enjoy doing pinup style bondage which is the whole point.  Is the model being PAID to look happy and excited or is she ACTUALLY happy and excited in the photograph?  Cost is not the issue here folks.  Realism is.  

Yes of course we will work hard to ensure model confidentiality.  There are lots of very clever and classy ways to hide the identity of a model during the shoot.  Photos, while owned by Uncle M Productions, do not necessarily have to be posted on my website or even on the internet if agreed upon prior to the shoot.  Your role in the shoot may be limited, but damn it if we like each other details can and will be ironed out.

Cheers!

Live bondage Art ~ Our Next Step

When I started out on this bondage photography art venture almost four years ago, it was my declared intention to one day stage a live bondage art exhibit.  For those of you that do not know, my bondage art is a passion of mine and not how I make a living.  I have a business degree and spent my entire career in the sales field.  "You're a salesman Uncle M?  Shocker."  No formal education in arts or theater, photography, fashion, web design or any of the skills one would think are needed to pull off high end bondage photography art and then market it by what ever means possible.

What I do have is a passion for bondage as an art form, a clear vision of where I want to go with my passion, a game plan and the ability to attract and surround myself with people that share my vision and are willing to work with me.  Please note the "willing to WORK with me."  There are plenty of people that want to come along for the ride for personal and even selfish reasons.  Free photos, the opportunity to tie up a pretty young thing, free whack-off material, etc., etc., etc.  I've weeded those people out and have a very tight, highly skilled (look at what Sisi does for us in the outfit department as one example) little group or posse as we like to call ourselves, working towards the same vision.

The pieces are now in place for our next step.  I now have a great deal of confidence in myself as a rigger and visionary of high class bondage art.  Stand my ground and take on all comers kind of confidence.  Kick ass clothing designer and first class make up artists on board.  World class photographer.  Stunning and motivated models that are thrilled at the prospect of being bound and displayed like a trophy Uncle M style.  A solid reputation in the community of being highly professional in all our dealings.  Last but certainly not least, friends that can help facilitate the event and make it a success.

More on this as it develops.

You're going to display me like this?  At an art gallery?  In front of people!?

You Still There Uncle M?

Yikes!  It's been far too long since I posted...oh dear.  Please forgive.  Late January and early February I was busy as hell with a massive 4 model photo shoot and sorting out bondage sets to be uploaded onto Pinup Bondage for the weeks I was to be away out of the country on holidays.  Had all my duckies in a row I did.

Holidays were grand and I came back fully refreshed and confident business had been taken care of in my absence.  Not.  Due to some serious technical issues at my webmasters end Pinup bondage was two weeks behind on updates.  WTF?  Just as we got that all sorted out Pinup was the victim of a massive attack that repeatedly brought it down.  Long story short, some peep somewhere discovered a weakness, exploited it and from the looks of things posted his/her find on a board somewhere.  We were getting hit from all over the world folks.

As a result of this attack, Pinup Bondage has been damaged quite badly.  The casual observer will not notice anything amiss but my webmaster tells me there are server errors galore now.  Who would of thought little old Uncle M and his merry band of bondage models would be so popular eh?  :)   This attack has forced us to make some changes that we hope are for the better.  More security and other options to be presented that do not require a membership to obtain bondage set downloads.

Thanks for your understanding!

Cheers!

Uncle M

Bondage Shoot w Sisi and Annette

Yesterday was a shoot with veteran model Sisi  and new comer  I have done over 50 shoots with 34 different models,  being the 34th, and this shoot was unarguably one of our best ever. Ranks right up there with the best we have ever done.

I arrived at our pickup point 10 minutes early and there waiting for me was  Not only was she early, which impressed the hell out of me, Annette had her make up on and was all set to go. Folks, this is huge in my books. Now, I am many, many years Annette's senior which no doubt was a major factor in Annette being so quiet during the ride to our little studio space. The ride started at 7:50 in the morning and after a short pit stop at Safeway and swinging by Sisi's place to pick her up, we didn't arrive at the studio until 9:45. Poor girl was cooped up with the old man for almost 2 hours. 

Sisi immediately took Annette under her wing and was acting like a mother hen. This is good. I could sense Annette's nervousness melt away once Sisi was in the picture and I can't thank her enough for making Annette feel at home with our little crew. As for costuming, Sisi took full control and man oh man......  That is all I am going to say on that matter until some of the photos are posted. 

Folks, we had a blast. The shoot was productive, calm and relaxing all at the same time. Yes this was the first time  had been tied up and yes she enjoyed the experience. In fact Annette was so comfortable posing while bound that our photographer was more than a little surprised that this was her first time in bondage. It was good bondage too. 

I have to add that Sisi absolutely rocked during this shoot on so many levels. Sisi picked up on the fact that Annette is vegan and prepared a special lunch, at her expense, for both her and Annette. Class. 

Oh, one other thing. Don't be going and asking  for any of the bondage photos. I own them. The non bondage photos knock yourself out, Annette has my blessings to post away. Bondage you get from me so please leave her alone in that regard. Swoon all over her once you see some of them however. That is encouraged. 

Cheers!

Bondage ~ Kink or Fetish?

Bondage kink or fetish? Is there a difference? In my mind yes. I have to admit that up until recently I did not see much of a difference between the kink and fetish communities. It was some of the comments and feedback I received after my bondage workshop that brought to light the very real differences in the two. The workshop was focused on how to tie up your partner in a safe and oh so very secure manner with inexpensive rope. Also emphasized was bondage as a visual.

My rules were simple...no sex and keep your clothes on. No topless women OR men thank you very much. Keep your titties and hairy chest to yourself. Check your bag of sex toys at the door too. 

What I did, and this is in the eyes of those involved in the kink/BDSM community, is divorce the event from kink and put it squarely into fetish. That would make me a fetishist and not necessarily a kinkster. The past 4 years or so I have had a look at the kink/BDSM community and to tell the truth, have found it chock full of drama. One could write a book on it and I certainly cannot begin to give it justice in this journal entry. Suffice to say, I want little or anything to do with it. 

Look up the meaning of the word fetish and where it originated from. An object of mystical powers. A good looking woman, beautifully attired in tight artistic bondage has a power over you M? Oh yah. 

A New Model

We never stand still at Uncle M Productions and strive to improve the quality of our unique style of bondage art each and every time we shoot.  Our next shoot will feature a new model to us, Annette who will be teaming up with one of our veterans, Sisi.  Annette has never done any pinup style modeling before let alone bondage pinup.  This is a first for this young lass and we have something special in mind.

Sisi, the creative sole that she is, assures me that the costuming for this shoot will be something to behold.  Think Jessica Rabbit.  Hoboy!