The following is the first of a series of interviews launched for Fetish Portraiture photography week in Project Educate 2008.

~MykalBinds is a talented rope artist and photographer whose images are fiercely sexual and creative. His gallery has endless examples of fine art fetish that range from sweetly sensual to outright sexy, not to mention documentation of complicated and sometimes risky ropework, an artform in itself.

Basics and Background

Name and location?
Mykal Binds. Southern CA.

How long have you been practicing photography?
I’ve played with a camera for about 4 years now. Oddly enough, until a friend asked me to shoot photos for her in 2003, I wanted nothing to do with a camera. The thought of holding one made me feel like a fool. I got my first real instruction in 2006, and now practice every chance I get.

Do you have any formal training in the arts?
Not for photography. I attended a workshop in 2006. It was there that I asked all the questions I could. I had no clue about depth of field, exposure, f-stops, shutter speeds, composition, etc. I was there for the bondage! I was lucky enough to have Perry Gallagher take me aside and take my camera off auto. That opened a whole new world for me. Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the best photographers and models in this genre. I would love to have the time for formal training. Until then, I’ll learn all I can when I can.

What cameras are your personal must-haves on a shoot?
I’ve only ever really shot with a Canon Rebel. I’ve been told I should upgrade. I just don’t think I’ve outgrown it yet. When I know enough to know what I’m missing out on, I’ll go shopping.

How did you come to embrace the genres you prefer to work in?

I’ve been practicing rope bondage for about 10-11 years now. It’s what I do. I had seen my work through the eyes of others, but once I got hold of a camera, I realized I could now showcase my work in such a way that I would like it to be seen. I simply like photographing what I think is sexy.

Art and sexuality

What initially drew you to fetish-related subject in art?
As far as I can remember, I’ve been attracted to fetish, and fetish art. It’s what I like. Before photography, I did bondage and fetish shows to share my fantasies and ideas. Different medium, but it’s the kink that’s the attraction.

How do you personally define fetish fine art versus pornographic imagery? How do you feel about the controversy overlaid on this style of photography?
I think real fetish art is not for everyone. Most people can relate to porn. Whether they admit it or not they can see/ understand the attraction. It’s just sex, and it doesn’t take much to turn sex into porn. Not everyone can understand certain kinks though. Boots, uniforms, leather, rope, latex, steel, alone these items aren’t sexy to the average person. Good fetish art makes it so. When people who aren’t normally drawn to such fetishes find themselves attracted to this kind of art, it can seem deviant and sometimes disgusting for them. It’s these mixed feelings and lack of understanding that make it very controversial. I think more people should learn to entertain ideas without believing they have to accept them.

Do you find influence from other mediums?
My influence comes from the images in my head. Most of the time I know what I’d like to see, but can’t remember why. I also need to start writing things down. I’ll think of a great idea for a shoot, but by morning, it’s gone. I should work on that….

What kind of in-camera manipulations do you perform to glam up your portraits?
I’m still learning these. I guess the only one so far is custom white balance. I’m also trying to get used to using a tripod so I can start working with longer exposures.

What suggestions would you give other photographers about harnessing light to create a desired mood in their imagery?
Practice. I wish I had more time to shoot. If I could, I’d do it all day. There’s so much to learn and experiment with.

Words of wisdom

What advice do you have for beginning photographers?
Something I‘m still learning to do: envision your shot, and make adjustments accordingly. Don’t shoot your subject because it’s there. Take the time to see what you want to shoot.

What advice would you give to professional photographers in a rut?
Though I don’t feel I have the wisdom to get a seasoned photographer out of a rut, the best advice I can offer is what I do in any other situation. Change perspective.

What advice would you, at present, give yourself 5 years ago if you could reach back in time?
“Go ahead, pick the damn thing up, it’s not gonna bite you!”

What do you hope people find in your art? Or, what do you hope they definitely don't find in it?
Find: lust
Don’t find: lifelessness

What inspires you most? How do you translate that to your fetish (or nude, or expressive, or other types of glamorous portrait) photography?
Most of the time, I find inspiration in my models. I’ll start out with an idea of what I want to shoot, but once I have them in front of my camera, I’ll find something sexy and alluring about the way they look, the positions they hold, the faces they make, the glances they sneak, the shadows they create. I like to show the little things that made the magic happen.

Ego

Who is your favorite deviantART photographer and why?
I can’t say. There is so much great talent out there. I’ve spent hours flipping through some amazing images on deviantART.

What is your favorite image of your own, so far? Why?
I haven’t shot it yet. It’s still in my head, but I have to find the right model. There’s a high element of risk involved in it!

Is fetish a lifestyle for you or an expressive art form? Why?
It’s a lifestyle. It’s part of me. Shooting it just allows me to share my ideas, memories, experiences, and trysts. Even if I didn’t shoot it, I’d be involved with it.

Favorite ice cream flavor?
Coconut

If you could be any other person, who would it be and why?
I can’t imagine being anyone else. I like me; being someone else means having their problems as well.

Do you have your own fetish or infatuation, and if so does it influence your concept brainstorming?
I do have my own. It may peek out in my photos every once in a while, but most of the requests I get is for rope bondage. It’s usually a starting point, but if the connection is there, the end result can be really hot.

Anything else you'd like to say?
Thanks for watching….More to come soon.



#thevaginamafia is the dAmn headquarters for fetish portraiture. Be sure to drop by this week to meet the artists interviewed in this series, myself, and many other photographers of varied types here on deviantART!