Tag: Photograph

Making Plans

I’m planning a trip for later this year. That can mean only one thing: Endlessly scrolling though my social media feeds to remember/locate the pro-dommes I wanted to see in that city. If there was a definitive pro-domme directory then this wouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately there isn’t and I’m stuck clicking through Twitter bio’s trying to figure out who is based where.

One other thing I’ve noticed about my planning process these days – I’m a lot more selective. Not that I did sessions with just anyone in the past. As I’ve written previously, I think my hit rate (ahem) in sessions with new domme’s is pretty good. But now I finding myself eliminating possibilities based on wacky capitalization or how high protocol someone seems to be. Makes me wonder if I’m increasing my chance of session success at the risk of missing interesting new experiences.

The image is Contessa Klaudia Keys, a pro-domme based in Montreal. Sadly, that’s nowhere near where I’m going. I think she’d be a fabulous person to play with.

Image was sourced via Contessa Keys Twitter feed.

A Murder of Dommes

I thought I was done with art themed posts for the moment, but then this popped up on my twitter feed and I couldn’t resist. Technically, it’s not a painting and it’s not hanging in a gallery, but it really should be. It has a lovely rich baroque feel to it.

You may recognize some of the domme’s involved. Based on the twitter comments I believe the primary instigator was Dia Dynasty, who stands center left. Other famous domme faces include Domina Yuki, Lucy Sweetkill, Neena De Ville, Goddess Aviva, Mistress Shayla Lange, Mistress Amalia Valentine, Mistress Victoria Robinson and Julia Flowerbomb.

I stole the post title from Domina Yuki’s retweet of the image. Although she also added that it include ‘one little goblin’, which I assume refers to Pain Puppy. Photograph was taken by Adrian Buckmaster.

Potent Female

One final post on the theme of British museums and collections. This time it’s from the Tate Modern that’s running an exhibition entitled Women in Revolt! It covers Art and Activism from 1970 to 1990 and based on the reviews, seems well worth a visit.

Unfortunately, the part most relevant for this blog has already been and gone. Earlier this month they ran a panel titled ‘Let’s talk about the Erotic Self‘, covering topics like ‘power dynamics, authorship, and the commodification of pleasure.’

The image was the cover image for the panel. It’s by Jill Westwood and titled ‘Potent Female.’ According to this Guardian article it was based on the famous painting by Whistler of his mother.

Westwood had first started making wearable latex sculptures as an art student and later explored the transgressive power of “dom” personas and London’s rubber fetish scene. This photo mimics the pose of James McNeill Whistler’s painting Whistler’s Mother, and was staged at home, which was “a shared short-life housing co-op with other artists”, she explains.

More from the Fetish Archive

Technically I’ve no idea if this particular image is actually in the UK’s Leather and Fetish Archive. It’s by the photographer Natasha Gornik, who has contributed an archived collection to them. If it’s not part of that collection then they’re missing out, as it’s a lovely image. It really captures the mood of playful afternoon session.

I believe the domme is NYC’s Mistress Blunt. If you’d like to see more of Natasha Gornik’s fabulous photographs – with lots of the NYC kink scene – they’re available at her site. In particularly check out Good Soup and Community. It’s fun spotting a lot of well known NYC faces (or hands in some cases), a good number of whom have now retired.

Home of Heroes

If you live in Massachusetts and have a thing for female superheroes then I’ve got just the house for you. As featured in this Zillow Gone Wild thread, it features over 3,000 square foot of space, 4 beds, 4 baths and a quite astonishing number of life size superhero figures. There’s a couple of Catwoman, a Batwoman, a Wonder Woman, a Super Woman, a striking (if not exactly heroic) Maleficent and many more.

Oddly the rest of the house seems strangely conventional, without any pop culture or comic themes. Either the owner had a very specific kink or it’s a successful attempt to get some viral clicks for the original  listing. Personally I hope it’s the former, as it’s the kind of single minded kinky strangeness that I really appreciate.

Here’s a sample shot from the listing, with Wonder Woman and Catwoman standing guard over the hallway sideboard.

Epididymal Hypertension

You might not recognize the post title but, if you’re a male sub, you’ve probably suffered from it at some time. The colloquial name for the condition is ‘blue balls‘. I’d always assumed it was more of a mental state than a physical one, but amazingly there are actual medical articles on it. For example, here and here. Intriguingly the latter of those references an equivalent ‘blue vulva’  or ‘blue bean’ condition for women.

Happily it’s a condition that can’t cause you any harm. No matter how frustrated you might be. The recommended treatment is masturbation or, if circumstances preclude that, then cold showers and good clean thoughts. How very Victorian. If all that fails and you’re still feeling a little tense, then maybe a stern mature lady to beat the impure thoughts out of you?

I’m afraid I don’t have an attribution for this image. If you can help with that, then please leave a comment.

Updated: Thanks to the ever resourceful Bacchus over at Eros Blog I can now attribute this to the Perfect Villainess site and their model Marlene.

Album Covers

I’ve been enjoying a recent Twitter thread on pictures that could be album covers. A number of dommes have responded with some excellent suggestions. For example, this from Thea X, this from Mx Tomie and this from Violeta Felix.

I’ve picked out two of my personal favorites to feature here. The first is from Lily Kasai, a NYC based pro-domme. The second is from Muse Naadia, an LA based pro-domme. Eat your heart out Roxy Music. These are much cooler and sexier than even your best efforts.

Courtly Love

I’m continuing the medieval theme with a post on the topic of Courtly Love. This doesn’t refer to the lead singer of Hole, but the literary concept that became big in the 12th century, particularly in the castles and courts of France. It referred to love that was passionate, secret and adulterous. The relevance for this blog is that it often put the woman in a position of power over her admirer. As Britannica puts it…

The courtly lover existed to serve his lady. His love was invariably adulterous, marriage at that time being usually the result of business interest or the seal of a power alliance. Ultimately, the lover saw himself as serving the all-powerful god of love and worshipping his lady-saint. Faithlessness was the mortal sin.

It’s perhaps unsurprising that some of the most important literary patrons of the time were wealthy women like Marie of France. With marriages treated as business arrangements and a woman’s primary role seen as the production of healthy male heir, the idea of a worshipful and faithful lover must have been an enticing one. Tease, denial, worship and cuckolding all rolled into one.

The most famous example of courtly love is Sir Lancelot and Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur. The original Arthur, if there is ever was one, was a 5th century British warrior and chief. In the 12th century the French poet Chrétien de Troyes came his stories a refresh and added the brave Sir Lancelot and his forbidden love for his master’s wife.

This is the great Helen Mirren in a publicity shot from the film Excalibur. It’s a highly entertaining version of the legend of Arthur, with Dame Helen in the role of Morgana. Absolutely zero historical accuracy but well worth watching.

Dom Speak

I mentioned the disappearance of Max Fisch a few weeks ago. It’s still AWOL, so I guess we can finally say it’s gone for good.

Lady Cheyenne has established a new forum site, with a very similar look and feel to Max – Dom Speak. If you’re a fan of femdom and classic web forum then check it out. I just created an account there and it took just a few seconds. Not a huge number of posts there right now but that’s inevitable in something this new. Given the fiasco that is Twitter, it’s good to have other options out there.

I’ll leave you with a shot of the control center from Dom Speak. Moderators and site admins all hard at work under the right kind of leadership.

This is actually by Helmut Newton from American Vogue back in 2002.

Chamber Pot

Here’s an unusual image for its time. Whipping and other forms of corporal punishment is pretty common in vintage shots. Bondage occasionally pops up, as do feet and boot fetishes. But I can’t remember seeing a watersport or toilet play vintage shot before. It must have been a particularly shocking image for its time. It still packs a punch even now.

I’m guessing it was taken in Europe in the early 1930’s, but I don’t have a specific attribution. I sourced it via Madam Is All.