Earlier this week I was invited by a friend to help her capture some photos of her art class. This quickly showed it wasn’t your average village hall group, drawing bowls of apples and bananas. This event, known as Kink Draw Play, was hosted in a dungeon in the south of England.
The aesthetic didn’t stop with the darkened surroundings, flaming torch lit entrances and caged-in black lined bed. The theme and nature of the event was brought into perfect focus with the arrival of the evenings models. A fairly tall guy dressed in pristine leather was followed in by his female Dominatrix, who immediately commanded presence as she entered this almost ritualistic feeling space.
The dynamic became immediately clear, as the submissive man positioned himself knelt at the feet of the flawlessly powerful Domme. Palms open, hands neatly folded behind his back and posture which deliberately signalled respect. It was obvious to anyone who was in charge in this situation, with control offered perfectly freely.
There was a playful energy between them but this wasn’t about to be a little slap and tickle, it was serious power exchange and one which would go on to captivate the artists who were drawing them. The event space soon filled, with a performance area encircled by chairs and clipboard holding creatives ready to put charcoal to paper. The subtle and subdued lighting bathed the models in a warm glow, casting perfect shadows and capturing the soft highlights reflecting from their leather clad poses.
From a technical perspective, this was my first experience of shooting in such a space. Low light which blissfully soaked the atmosphere was wonderful to look at. It however did not make it easy to photograph moving figures as they began their performance for the artists to muse. It was important that what the camera saw was more than cheap thrills erotica, with such a charged atmosphere in the room that deserved to find its place in the images.
The gentle pink and purple hues calmly illumined the stark and wildly beautiful creations on the pages of the onlookers as the at times chaotic black lines gave way to artistic form. These artists weren’t simply studying contrast and light, they were interpreting the immense chemistry between the D/s (Dominant & submissive) performers, who had ultimate control of the flow of the class. Some of the work was simply stunning and it felt like a privilege to be there to see it come to life.
The real gem of the event however was absolutely the energy emanating from the intense but controlled scenes set by the models. As I wandered around the space, looking over the shoulders of the artists, it was near impossible to not be enchanted into watching their dynamic unfold before us. The balance of sexy and artistic fell exactly in the right position to create an evening that tantalised while inviting so much creativity. It was a genuine pleasure to watch how the scene became the works of art and in doing so created a perfectly compelling story between the models and the audience.
A lot of the work I do in street photography and protest photography requires a level of alertness to the world around you. Spotting juxtaposed contrast down drab side streets or watching as intense debates come close to bubbling over. This was not that kind of work. This was calm, focused, centred and engaging from the moment the models entered the space. I never expected to be taking photos like this but I felt incredibly lucky to have been invited to enjoy the amazing event hosted by Kink Draw Play and would highly recommended anyone paying a visit to try their hand at some exciting life drawing.
You can find more about Kink Draw Play’s monthly events on their Instagram
What I See 
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