Some of the best of LA

TimeOut guide for Los Angeles recently published an article listing its suggestions for the best professional dominatrices in LA. I like the fact that mainstream publications are covering BDSM in a mature way, rather than using it as a excuse to snigger at the freaks, but it’s also a bit odd. How do they know who the best pro-dommes are? How does anyone know? It’s not like going to a restaurant or a theater performance, where all customers might get a similar repeatable experience. I’m not saying you can’t divide the talented from untalented. I just don’t think you can divide the talented into the best and the rest.

I was happy to see Mistress Lucy Khan on the list. I’ve played with her on several occasions and always had a wonderful time. I was disappointed to see that Cynthia Stone, Inga Larsson and Mistress Lexine weren’t listed. They certainly deserve to be there based on my experiences, which just shows how silly it is to call these lists ‘the best’.

One name that did make it was Isabella Sinclaire. She has been a very well respected name and face in the pro-domme and fetish world for a long time, and somebody I’ve always wanted to play with. Here she posing in front of a particularly spectacular piece of dungeon equipment.

Isabella Sinclaire

Don’t try this in your derelict barn

A suitable image to follow-up yesterday’s post. This is another elaborate rope suspension with a high difficulty/risk factor. It looks very cool for a photograph, but I can’t imagine it being sustainable for any kind of extended play.

BarnSuspensionI’m afraid I’ve no idea of the original source for this. Happy to credit appropriately if someone can help with an attribution.

Don’t try this at home*

A rope suspension alone is challenging. Adding wax play into it ups the intensity somewhat. Having the domme sit on the back of the suspended submissive? Definitely into expert territory.

DommeSuspensionThe image is from this gallery.

* Of course if your home happens to contain an expert on rope suspension, along with relevant equipment and hard points, then maybe you can try this at home. Just be doubly sure all those elements are present first!

Too many questions

A small fraction of femdom images on tumblr are really great. Most are ‘meh’. A few are WTF! This would be one in the latter category.

Firstly, what’s with the pink theme? She has pink shoes, a pink dress and a pink whip. Even the band-aid on her knee looks pink. Color coordination is one thing, but color coordinating your medicine cabinet is a bit much. Also what’s with the weird beanbag type chair in the corner? And why is there a big pink dildo next to the television? Who thought that fireplace was a good idea? What kind of drugs was the interior designer on? And how did that money end up on the floor?

The lady in question is clearly a very attractive one. Judging by the whip marks she can also hand out a good beating. I’m just puzzled at everything else that’s going on in this Men Are Slaves shot.

StrangeImage

Four expressions

In a genre dominated by sexy bodies, fetishistic outfits and kinky activities, I find myself picking up on and blogging about facial expressions more frequently than almost anything else. Yesterday’s post was one recent instance, and today’s features another. With the internet providing an endless stream of bodies in an infinite variety of sexual configurations, I find facial expressions are the most common way I can connect with a shot. Without them the imagery becomes almost abstract.

This example from Divine Bitches is a bit porn-y, but I do like to see people having fun. Or at least 75% of the people having fun.

FourExpressions

Tie abuse

Despite the abuse of what looks like a very nice tie, I like this image. I know it is a posed fashion shot, but his expression captures an element of what makes a great scene. It’s that sense of abandonment and giving oneself to the moment. That point where everything goes slack and you just relax into the dynamic. I don’t believe that’s what’s actually happening here, but it still makes me want to play again.

2.cin-cin-1This was shot by the Polish Photographer Andrzej Tyszko.

Shibari Suspension

This lovely suspension scene is from woodenpunk, rigged by EbiMcKnotty and photographed by Bendy_Dude. It’s probably an odd thing to pick up on, but I also like the color of their rope. I’ve no idea where they sourced this particular one from, but for anyone interested in well made and nicely colored rope, I suggest checking out Twisted Monk. I’m a long way from a rope expert, but I know a lot of dommes use and like his product. I’ve certainly been tied up in plenty of it over the years.

Suspension

Normality

Anyone who thinks being kinky makes them special should probably think again. According to The Journal of Sex Research, interpreted via this article in Maxim magazine, almost 50% of adults have unconventional sexual desires. Which kind of raises the question: At what point does unconventional become conventional? If kinky people make it to 51% of the population do we have to start describing non-kinky people as the unconventional ones?

Of course sometimes sexual desires can be complicated to pigeonhole in a simple classification system. Is this scene exhibitionism, public humiliation, shoe fetishism or simple D/s? Whatever it is, I think it puts the pair of them into the ‘unconventional’ half of the population.

Public Display

Tabletop

A couple of weeks ago I featured a scene with someone’s head buried into a table. This hairy gentleman is in pretty much the reverse position to that, with just the head sticking out. It looks relatively comfortable for him but less so for her, which seems like the reverse of how it should be. I can’t imagine balancing like that on a hard wooden table would be all that conducive to orgasmic bliss.

TabletopI’m afraid I have no idea who the original artist for this was. If you can help me attribute it then please leave a comment.