http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/34a083907507a9d50173961dc1e0f0a4/
Monday 31 January 2011
Friday 28 January 2011
Wednesday 26 January 2011
Monday 24 January 2011
Saturday 22 January 2011
Talking Porn: Help! How do I get me some new male models?
My New Year's Resolution (again) was to re-start my photography, that is to say me photographing fit guys in various states of undress rather than views out my window or my last shopping from Tesco.
There's slightly more impetus this time around though as I'm seriously weighing up the pros and cons of going for voluntary redundancy at work after 28 years. So, if I can finally get it sorted as something that pays for itself at least, rather than an occasional drain on resources, this year could be the opportunity (I should add I've also registered with Amazon Jobs, ahead of them opening up here).
Anyway, phase one of getting there is recruiting guys to do the modelling, for which I have 3 main strategies, all of them easier said than done.
Foremost for me is the most direct way - handing my business card to guys I see on the street, in bars, shops, stations etc. On the plus side you know largely what you'll be getting (especially if they have their shirts off, but that's rare here) if they go for it.
On the downside, there is some risk of unpleasantness but it's much less than you'd think. Since the mid-90s I've only had two bad experiences, even if one of them was this beating up back in June 2006 which put me off for nearly 3 years.
The main downside though is that there is such a minute pick-up, probably close to one guy for every 100 cards. Many smile politely at the compliment then chuck the card or completely forget about it which amounts for the majority of 'failures', but even if you get to the stage of having a sit-down chat and them filling out my profile questionnaire, that itself can scare them off.
At this point too, there is a limiting etiqette that I reluctantly adhere to most of the time, usually in bars. Obviously if you hand someone a card you must give the impression that they are specially picked for exceptional looks and you're not handing them out willy nilly, which IS the genuine truth. However, if you spend a couple of hours in a bar it's very likely you'll spot more than one contender, which means you have to choose one or somehow manage to do the second without the first noticing. You can get lucky when the first leaves the bar after you've 'carded' him, but then a third contender might walk in and you're back to square one. This might be me being over-cautious but think how you'd feel if you realised you weren't as special as you thought?
The last hurdle is them actually turning up to do the test-shoot on an agreed date and time. It's one of the reasons I don't like to plan for just one model sesh on any particular day, though once three different models were no-shows. And that was when I was hiring a studio in Leith for £30 an hour!
The second strategy is online, usually via dating sites like Fitlads or webcam exhibitionists on cam4. On the dating sites, this approach is not hugely popular and I'm sure it may have been the reason I was booted off Gaydar - basically that's not what they're set up for after all.
Though cam4 might reasonably seem to be a very appropriate place to recruit good-looking exhibitionists, I haven't had any luck there either. On the one hand you have a lot of fast-moving comments competing for the webcammer's attention, often trying to discredit you as a scam (which I think is rather desperate as a tactic). Plus, in almost all cases you only know the webcammer's country of origin - UK being the most specific I can target - unless they opt to give you more on their location.
And during 2010, cam4 set up a token system so that webcammers earn tokens from fans/viewers that can be redeemed for cash. They're worth about as much as store card points, so you have to get 1000s to make decent wads, but it can be done. Not everyone uses them, as they're there for the love of showing off, but there's a definite shift in the younger and/or straight lads to 'go pro' and tease punters that a certain target amount will get their shirt off etc etc. I have a feeling that they'd be less likely to any modelling now that they've had their heads turned by easy cash from the comfort of home. I shall keep trying though.
My third strategy is the one I do least often as it is the most outdated, awkward and least reliable - advertising in newsagent shop windows. You have to know what the passing custom in a particular area is - ones with high student populations being the best. Through experience I've found that it's people you wouldn't look twice at that apply, often knocking 5 or even 10 years off their age to qualify for my upper age limit of 40. Latterly I even reduced the upper age limit to try and counter such deluded attempts. Ideally I'd like to be able to advertise in gyms or colleges or barbers, but I think that would be generally frowned upon (if you know different please tell me!). Anyway I think I'll give it another go to see if I get more luck this time round.
With all the attempts though, I'd love to be able to better tailor my 'advances' to the psychology of the potential models. There's some guys who'd just never do it - some people don't like having their photo taken in any circumstances for a start - but for those that would I'd to find their 'hook' and 'reel them in' with it. I get the idea there may be two main types, among straight guys anyway.
First the ones who have the image of fashion models lodged in their head and want to look that cool and hip in a set of photos. These are the ones who are a bit anxious when I bring up getting all or most of their clothes off as it shatters their preconceptions, even though fashion models are often doing near naked stuff these days. In worst case scenarios they may think they've been duped and "how dare I think they'd do THAT"! Well they don't directly say that, but you can tell. They're often the phase 2 dropouts.
Secondly, and one that many of the more artless US pornographers appear to use with great success, is what I'd term the "Jackass" generation. I've never really tried to target this type and not sure how I'd go about it anyway. Basically these will be the guys who will do everything asked as if it's some sort of bizarre dare/frat prank they can even boast about among friends ("I had this guy jack me off" "Ah, but I had to put a dildo up my ass"), but will equally be there for the cash compensation. They probably only do it once though. This is all a guess on my part, but perhaps others can confirm or deny.
Of course, neither type is wholly suitable for my purposes. I'd prefer someone who was comfy with what they were doing and who was seeing it, pleased to show off and celebrate all of their body, and equally flattered to be asked back for further work.
Now, obviously if anyone reading this is up for being a model (fit 18-35s please) or can advise or help my endevours please get in touch. Comment below or get me as 'cobaltmale' on both Twitter DM or skype. Also go via my Model Mayhem page especially if you are a member there.
Obviously, you need to be either resident in central Scotland or visiting (any Six Nations fans coming up?)
I'm also looking for help with all sorts of costumes and locations. A driver would also be a help.
Friday 21 January 2011
Meat to Please You - Double Drago - ADULTS ONLY!
http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/2luj0ve749x0hf9yuys9miixr9jeqals
http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/dow75ztwj8nbxjh1dy04g9w7zvibbzgo
Monday 17 January 2011
Friday 14 January 2011
Talking Porn: Call Health & Safety!
The likes of the Daily Mail would have you believe that this country is in the grip of "health and safety gone mad" culture, but there are distinct pockets of the land where it seems not to apply at all. And most surprisingly they are very definitely workplaces. They are porn sets.
I once thought about arranging some rip'n'strip wrestling porn, and sought advice from the Digital Spy forums as I didn't feel expert enough on the subject. I only knew I'd need mats and trashable clothes. Only one guy engaged with me on the forums - he agreed my suspicion that I'd need to use guys who were experienced in wrestling (obstacle enough here in the UK where there is no school tradition) so that they knew what they were doing and looked convincing in a fight. But he went on to basically say "forget it" because of all the health and safety responsibilities I'd automatically take on as 'instigator'. I remember countering that, of course, I'd work some sort of waiver into the model contracts but he said that wouldn't hold up if it ever came to court.
I was never 100% convinced he wasn't just trying to put me off for his own reasons (it worked) but such concerns now always occur to me with certain types of websites.
Best example is one called "Straight Hell" which I'm sure some of you are familiar with. I have a very love/hate attitude to their antics, being simultaneously fascinated and disgusted. For the uninitiated, all the SH scenarios involve an ostensibly "straight" guy (they never specifically ask though which is a rather basic problem) being abducted and/or restrained against their will. From there they are stripped. verbally abused, gagged. beaten, spanked, pissed on, spunked on, made to suck cock/rim arse and also tortured with everything from candle wax to clothes pegs in all the 'wrong' places. In one particularly notorious scenario a guy is, quite literally, plumbed into a pub toilet, which gives a good idea of the overall tone of proceedings.
You could say the StraightHell site is the gay porn equivalent of the "Saw" franchise but there's an important difference. In all such gory films you know all the horrors are illusions, usually of prosthetics, and that no-one is really mutilated or murdered. However, one of the basics of porn is that the sex is all real and, by extension, all the SM punishment must also be real - much of it is hard to fake anyway.
Holding that thought, I must also present something that is probably the most notorious concoction by the spanking fetish masters, Sting Pictures. Here one of their models is seen to be spanked by nettles, with obvious results.
Ouch! you may indeed think as this invokes an avoidable hazard most of us developed a healthy fear of in childhood. And indeed it was a healthy fear as the rash that develops is basically an allergic reaction to a toxin, formic acid. On this one I immediately thought " did they give the model a medical before and after?" as there must be a natural risk of anaphylactic shock. What's possibly more shocking than using this as porny entertainment is that nettle spanking was apparently used in the real world from at least Roman times.
Anyway, I'm sure you get my point. What goes on to ensure the usual employer 'duty of care' in these circumstances? Not only are the employees being purposely hurt and injured but there's a fair amount that can go accidentally wrong as well.
Is there any sort of safety or medical consultation going on at any point or is it all down to waivers in the model contract? Do the models even necessarily know what they're agreeing to? It struck me that probably all the the 18-25 yo models on Sting Pictures have never been spanked in real life as they're just too young, so getting a caning may come as a shock even if it was agreed to. And what happens if a model DOES sue due to an injury that was inflicted on set? It all just seems a world away from the cotton wool of normal jobs.
Anyone have any answers/theories?
This is meant as the first of a semi-regular series where I pontificate/rant/ponder something in the current state of gay porn.
I once thought about arranging some rip'n'strip wrestling porn, and sought advice from the Digital Spy forums as I didn't feel expert enough on the subject. I only knew I'd need mats and trashable clothes. Only one guy engaged with me on the forums - he agreed my suspicion that I'd need to use guys who were experienced in wrestling (obstacle enough here in the UK where there is no school tradition) so that they knew what they were doing and looked convincing in a fight. But he went on to basically say "forget it" because of all the health and safety responsibilities I'd automatically take on as 'instigator'. I remember countering that, of course, I'd work some sort of waiver into the model contracts but he said that wouldn't hold up if it ever came to court.
I was never 100% convinced he wasn't just trying to put me off for his own reasons (it worked) but such concerns now always occur to me with certain types of websites.
Best example is one called "Straight Hell" which I'm sure some of you are familiar with. I have a very love/hate attitude to their antics, being simultaneously fascinated and disgusted. For the uninitiated, all the SH scenarios involve an ostensibly "straight" guy (they never specifically ask though which is a rather basic problem) being abducted and/or restrained against their will. From there they are stripped. verbally abused, gagged. beaten, spanked, pissed on, spunked on, made to suck cock/rim arse and also tortured with everything from candle wax to clothes pegs in all the 'wrong' places. In one particularly notorious scenario a guy is, quite literally, plumbed into a pub toilet, which gives a good idea of the overall tone of proceedings.
You could say the StraightHell site is the gay porn equivalent of the "Saw" franchise but there's an important difference. In all such gory films you know all the horrors are illusions, usually of prosthetics, and that no-one is really mutilated or murdered. However, one of the basics of porn is that the sex is all real and, by extension, all the SM punishment must also be real - much of it is hard to fake anyway.
Holding that thought, I must also present something that is probably the most notorious concoction by the spanking fetish masters, Sting Pictures. Here one of their models is seen to be spanked by nettles, with obvious results.
Ouch! you may indeed think as this invokes an avoidable hazard most of us developed a healthy fear of in childhood. And indeed it was a healthy fear as the rash that develops is basically an allergic reaction to a toxin, formic acid. On this one I immediately thought " did they give the model a medical before and after?" as there must be a natural risk of anaphylactic shock. What's possibly more shocking than using this as porny entertainment is that nettle spanking was apparently used in the real world from at least Roman times.
Anyway, I'm sure you get my point. What goes on to ensure the usual employer 'duty of care' in these circumstances? Not only are the employees being purposely hurt and injured but there's a fair amount that can go accidentally wrong as well.
Is there any sort of safety or medical consultation going on at any point or is it all down to waivers in the model contract? Do the models even necessarily know what they're agreeing to? It struck me that probably all the the 18-25 yo models on Sting Pictures have never been spanked in real life as they're just too young, so getting a caning may come as a shock even if it was agreed to. And what happens if a model DOES sue due to an injury that was inflicted on set? It all just seems a world away from the cotton wool of normal jobs.
Anyone have any answers/theories?
This is meant as the first of a semi-regular series where I pontificate/rant/ponder something in the current state of gay porn.
Wednesday 12 January 2011
Meat to Please You - Jason Torres - ADULTS ONLY!
Game of two halves this set - first all brightly lit and shiny, with the second having Jason bondaged up and wetted ...
http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/cqr38d3hlbtie6x9oihbvoy94lvq62nj
Monday 10 January 2011
New magazine covers: Attitude & DWM
Managed to get the latest cover shots of two of my fave periodicals today.
First we have the sultry Harry Judd covering "Attitude" and promising more McFly naked shots.
Then, in the first issue of another redesign, we have the first promo shot from the 2011 series on "Doctor Who Magazine"
Attitude also revamped last month, though the most obvious difference in both appears to be the cover font ...
Meat to Please You - Travis Wade - ADULTS ONLY!
This is one of my favourite sets of all time, apparently dating from July 2001, which never fails to give me the horn.
I've given you some of 'bluecollar Travis' here but he also strips from a US dress marine and cop uniforms.
Anyone know the photographer or other info?
http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/sawudroeygev2byknmz7206ohc1957rx/
Friday 7 January 2011
Meat to Please You - Ben - ADULTS ONLY!
A bit of Friday rough trade ... with link this time
http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/kl87219v84rta3yvw646q8btjw35feiz/
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