One of the common problems of femdom porn is the use of silly hoods for submissives. When used appropriately hoods can be super hot thanks to their objectifying nature. However, they’re often just simple balaclavas or loose gimp masks being used to hide the identity of the amateur/volunteer submissive. See my past two posts for some thoughts on that topic.
Here’s a good example of how hotness can be preserved while still masking identity. I’ve actually no idea if that was part of the goal here, or if this setup was purely about the look and sensory experience. Either way, it’s a very sexy shot that shows faceless submissive aren’t mutually exclusive with sensual imagery. The heavy knot where his mouth is makes for a particularly nice touch.
This was created by the professional rigger and domme Mari Cherry, based out of San Francisco. I sourced it from this tweet. You can find her primary site for booking sessions here.
I really dislike masks and can only think of one occasion when I’ve worn one and that was purely for the purpose of taking a picture for Twitter. I don’t find them attractive either from the inside or to look at. That said my Mistress did like to put blindfolds on me so I couldn’t see what see what she was doing or going to do. That sensation I did quite enjoy.
I think hoods/masks/blindfolds/etc are deceptively hard to get right in a session. They look simple but change the dynamic drastically. As you say, that not knowing element can be fun and add an extra element of anticipation. However, I think they can be easily misused. I’ve had dommes use them in their first session with me, which doesn’t work at all IMO. I’ve no sense of them, so I can’t anticipate anything. If you don’t know what you’re missing, then it’s hard to miss it 🙂
Personally, I like the idea of the heavy sensory deprivation hoods, but in reality they’re too claustrophobic for me and tend to freak me out.
-paltego