"Haters"

Posted this as a blog entry at another site...thought you all might like it. Please comment with your thoughts...

"Do You Have 'Haters' ?"

This got posed as a topic at the MM Forums, and tho I didn't respond, it did get me to thinking, so I thought I'd expand on it here, and maybe get myself to stop thinking about it, as I have a shoot today, and I need to stay focused (lol).

Do I have 'haters'? Oh, yah...most definitely. Why? Well, let's pick this apart a bit and see if we can get to the root of it all. First, let me put a name to what I do and then we'll break it apart from there...

I'm an Amateur "DiD" Bondage Photographer.

First: Amateur. This alone causes me grief...many is a day over at MM that some fool is calling for the eradication of amateurs from the site in a Forum topic..."ModelMayhem should only be for Professionals"...stuff like that. The ironic part for me is that most of the people who put up topics like that are usually amateurs themselves...just makes me wonder how they can be so intolerant. Everybody has to start somewhere...and we all should be willing to help each other start. My opinion. Sites like these should be open to all skill levels.

Next: "DiD". "Damsel In Distress" photography...shot to make the model look like the captive of some unknown baddie who's taken the heroine away for an unknown reason. The "unknowns", the fan of the material fills with his or her (yes, there are female fans of this type of material...I have the fanbase to prove it) own fantasy. This has caused some hating...the amateur nature of the photography lends itself to people placing their own level of thought on the pictures, depending on whether you love it or hate it. Comments tend to run from, "Great ropework!" to "Should we call the Police?" Like I always say, "It is what it is. You either love it or hate it."

Next: Bondage. Oh, BOY, does that one attract haters...lol. MM seems to have a "secret society" of members that despise bondage of any shape or form, artistic or DiD, and are very vocal in sharing said thought. According to them, I'm a dysfunctional human being with severe mental problems because of my love for the material. There's many an armchair psychologist on MM that's willing to give their opinion about it and tell us bondage folks that we're all sick puppies. Viva la sickness, then...I'd rather be sick than intolerant and so stuck to my own way of thinking that I can't expand and grow with new thoughts and ideas.

"Photographer". This one surprises me...but I do get some haters because I dare to call myself a "photographer". I guess my amateur status precludes me from being a "photographer", and I should call myself a "pitcher-taker", or some fool thing like that...

We're all gonna have "haters". Some people just need to be that way in order to exsist...the trick to it is to not let them take over your life and live it for them, or change what you are to be "better" for their sake alone. I'm an Amateur "DiD" Bondage Photographer, and damn proud of it. If you've got a problem with that, take it up with someone who actually gives a damn.

Geez, was that a blog or a rant? ;-) In any case, thanks for listening...catch ya next entry!

"Tolstoy" Tony, TucsonTied

Post from my Yahoo Group...

This post I made at my Yahoo Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TucsonTied/) seems relevant for here too...

(This is the new Group Pic I mention in the post...)



Kind of a period of inactivity for me, gang...apologies. Kind of a mix of "behind the scenes" stuff happening, and "day job" drama happening...

"Behind the scenes": LOTTA shoot activity happening...but it's not all mine. I, as you know, shot with Pantera recently (and am planning to do so again very soon...have to call her before the night's out...lol); I hosted a couple of another producer's shoots with her (Chuck, The "Monk of Mayhem"...if you have aFetLife profile, he's uploaded a few shots of both shoots there...GREAT work!!), and Kimberly Marvel's in town! YAY!!!!! She'll be shooting with Chuck tomorrow night at my place (not me this trip out; I'll catch her next trip to Tucson). It's fun to host a shoot...just sit back and watch the magic happen...;-) Top it off; Dave is bringing in a new gal this Sunday and I'm assisting on that one. BUSY time to be a producer!

"Day Job": Well, good and bad. We've been given an updated dress code...no more F#$%KIN' NECKTIE!!! Woooooooooo-Hooooooooo!!! The downside, however, is that company-wide we all took a 5% pay cut because of the f-kin' economy. Dammit. I know...don't bitch, Tony...you HAVE a job...be thankful. I am...but it still hurts. I hope it doesn't make me any less of a person for waa-waaaaaa'ing aboutit....

New pic from my recent shoot with Pantera is up...that one's my current desktop wallpaper.

Got a question for you all...if I was to somehow offer up my pics on products(calendar, poster, etc) for some kind of a fee, would you be interested? Just curious...

5% poorer, but still wordy as hell (lol),
"Tolstoy" Tony

Pantera

Geez...had a shoot with Pantera and didn't tell you guys about it...BAD photographer...lol. Sorry, gang...what can I say? Life catches up with ya sometimes...

Well, anyway. Pantera and I shot very recently...and the results are stunning. I'm really starting to get a handle on the settings of my camera and starting to get some really great looking shots. Not to mention the lovliness that is Pantera making my job all the easier...if she even just shows up, I'm on my "A" game...the girl totally brings it out of me. We started out with a "sexy secretary" look...

Hot, huh? Like I said, that girl just brings the best outta me...it's amazing. =) Don't know what it is...but she does it well!

Next, we moved to some white rope bondage...I loved this outfit!! Once again, she provides some kick-ass waredrobe...

This shot says it all...those closed eyes just have "Oh, man...he really got it right this time..." written all over it, huh? Either that or, "Mmmmmmm...I'm so comfy I could nap right now..." (lol) One of my better bondages...I LOVE that shot! She makes working with her so damn easy...;-)

We finished off with a chair tie...sometimes I like to do a shot of the model freeing herself just for fun...check this one out:

Cute without being pretentious, no? You'll be seeing more of her soon...I've got a limited time-window where she's concerned. She's moving out East at the end of this month...have to get in as many shoots with her as I possibly can, so definitely look to see more Pantera here...=)

TW