Shibari is a Japanese word that broadly means “binding” or “tying” in most contexts, but is used in BDSM to refer to a style of decorative bondage. I’m not into BDSM myself, but I admire the artistry that goes into the tie. It’s really quite beautiful. I wasn’t aware of the art until a few months ago, but saw it show up increasingly in photography. I was very curious and asked a very experienced Shibari artist to help me with a tie.
Destiny who I’ve worked with several times expressed an interest in a Shibari shoot and so she was my willing model. She had never been suspended before, so this was her first time as well.
I can assure you that it’s not comfortable being bound and hung, but she pulled it off with incredible grace. I didn’t want to complicate the shoot, so I kept the light super simple this first time around. You can click on any image to see a larger image and slideshow. Or click here to get a behind the scenes look at this photoshoot.
And here are a few unedited behind the scenes shots of Ahna Green tying Destiny. She is masterful at this art. The knots and weaving is just beautiful. In my next Shibari shoot, Ahna will be my model. We’ll bring in some tarantulas and snakes just for fun and do some closeup shots which showcase her artistry.
You can click here to get more of a behind the scenes look of this photoshoot.
