QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Jerome Duplessis
by some fans
from my Discord server

One private space has been created in 2023 to share my oldest pics & vids … because this project required too much time & energy, I decided to pause my Discord server and repost some questions & answers on the blog.

Was Captive Culture your first project as photographer ?

Let’s answer with one picture captured in 1992 … it was my first time shooting a naked woman and, even if photography was nothing more than a passion for me when I was 20 years old, those sweet memories probably increased my desire to explore this way later.

I had no real experience before my shooting for Captive Culture … when I was a teenager, I started making pictures of my cats or holidays. Later, I got the bad idea to fall in love of a girl that knew me for several years : It has been a complicated period for us because we tried to break the friend zone but it couldn’t work so easily. Of course, I took a lot of pictures about this girl encouraging her her to do some sensual sessions. The image shared above is the hottest that I caught and it was a nice capture. I loved to do some portrait photography but it only happened with my friends before to start my website. So, I was really a noob when Greta and some others went in front of my camera … Captive Culture has been a real esperience on different levels !

How did you convince the girls to do some nude pictures when you didn’t have much experience ? Was it easier because times were different before the raise of social media ?

Times were really different, that’s an evidence. Can you imagine one world without any social network, we had only some search engines which were not stalking everyone. The only way to spread some pictures on the world wide web was to host one website or personal page (excluding the newsgroup which were underground) … it was making a real difference, for sure. When I started to make my own pictures, I was used to explain them only few pictures would be on the public pages of my website, most of the content was inside a member’s area. We were not to share our pics because there were a lot of small websites linking each others through reciprocal exchange. That’s how a lot of us built our traffic which brought more visitors than any social network or search engine today. So, I would say these women were more comfortable with the risk of being exposed … one friend or family member wasn’t supposed to browse on a BDSM website except when you are 18 YO and watch your own pictures at home (Greta didn’t clear the history and his father discovered my website like this) … everyone wasn’t able to take pictures, there were only few photographers and some girls wanted to try this experience, modeling is an intense exploration or one way to earn some money. There were some amateur models searching for amateur photographers but I have been introduced to my first models without using any photo websites. After this, they recommended me to their friends and it has been easier than expected. So, yes, the times were different, we didn’t know the internet would become a monster and I had a professional approach due to my previous jobs, I think it also helped to make them more comfortable with me even if I had no experience as photographer.

How long did it take you to learn rope tying for your sessions ?

That’s not easy to answer shortly. When I started Captive Culture in 2000, I had no experience with rope bondage. So, I tried to understand how to bind watching some images or videos but my brain was unable to make it work in real world. At this period, there were no tutorials except some drawings on the web which didn’t help me : no youtube, no rope teachers, then, I trained myself and lost a lot of time with some mistakes. Like bad ropes bought locally in France, short length because I didn’t know to manage longer ties. My first binds have not been good at all … in the beginning, rope bondage wasn’t my obsession, I liked it, but it was one thing around some others. After a while, I understood there was something wrong using these ropes which were a big shit sold by the main french BDSM shop. In 2002, I ordered some nylon ropes in the US at JT’s Stockroom and it allowed me to get a better result. That’s also the period when Dana joined me : we did a lot of ropes together and I trained myself with she … I was on my way to be a good rigger. After the BondCon 2004, I focused my efforts on these ropes skills. I found another rope dealer and because I was beginning to know how to do what I had in mind, I started to increase the difficulty still working with nylon ropes. In 2005, working with Rachel Paine & Michael Viking, I discovered the efficiency of natural ropes, it has been a revolution for me because I became able to do some complicated ropeworks with less efforts than using my nylon ropes. It opened the doors of an unknown world, leaving the western bondage philosophy for more sessions focused on japanese bondage. So, I would say it took me 4 years before to be satisfied about my ties but learning ropes never stop. I continued my own exploration and explored some others ways binding arms, fingers, toes … the difference with the beginning was I didn’t have to think about my ropes, I knew what to do like Neo in the Matrix.

Did you buy custom latex outfits for specific models ?

Yes, it happened … when we went to London with Greta on 2001, we visited the showroom of House of Harlot which was a small corner in their office. Robin, the founder and designer, made my first nurse outfit during that day and bring it to us at our hotel. That’s how I started to buy my latex outfits in the UK … later, when I got the desire to create Latex Culture, I ordered more clothes taking the measurements of some girls like Kat who was more buxom than my usual models. I went back to London in 2003 with Dana : who tried a lot of clothes from several designers. She was easy to dress even if her breast has always been a bit too small for the XS size. I wanted to verify this fact in my archives but that’s complicated … maybe I used the House of Harlot measurement’s chart for Dana but one sure thing is I started to order custom sizes with Anaïs in 2005. She was taller and thinner than Dana and I bought a lot of clothes during our two years of collaboration. I was shooting every week for several years but the rythm of production has been increased by Anaïs and Mina who became my main source of inspiration. I always bought the latex clothes for my muses thinking they would use it first before to shoot it later on others girls. Because the french girls were globally similar, also because my own selection was exluding some types of body, I was able to rotate these outfits between my models. For some outfits like corsets and catsuits, it was important to take the measurements. So, I probably provided all the details needed about Mina, Amélie, Diva, the girls who did a lot of sessions for my websites. Several years after, when Suzy contacted me and started to shoot regularly, I did one custom order with her measurements to get a smaller maid uniform because she was a tiny woman. To conclude, I mainly worked with House of Harlot which was my favorite latex designer. Robin Archer did the latex straitjacket catsuit on request for me following my idea to mix these two items. He made my bodybags do and even a strict leather corset that Mina loved to wear during a duo session with Anaïs. I was also used to try different colors and ask to use some semi-transparent latex when I had the feeling it would be better for one outfit.

Do you still communicate with some models now or did the contact stop after making content ?

it depends about the girls … I got some favorites who inspired me and that’s easy to know which ones watching my archives. I did a lot of sessions with only several models and there was a special link between us. But, like in real life, that’s sometimes complicated ! I always tried to keep one distance with the girls to avoid any misunderstood. Being bound & naked in front of another man than your lover isn’t so easy. If they wanted to talk, I was happy to do it, listening about what they wanted to share and sharing the things that I could express about myself. It was also a real pleasure to share one part of their life for a while, short or long, but my role had to be clear … even if it was sometimes blurry for the girls and me ! It depends about the end of our collaboration too : it happened that I broke the contact because it wasn’t necessary to say something more. I also vanished from some girls when they turned the page of their experience as model. Nowadays, I am still in touch with Anaïs, Mina & Emrod through the social networks but we don’t exchange a lot. Like before, I am there when needed but it would looking weird to be active in our relationship which is very old now. As example, Anaïs left France one year after my wife went at home to live with me in 2012. I have been connected to some others girls after they stopped modeling too but, like for friends in real life, time & distance are slowly putting you on different paths.

How did you decide whether to do video as well as photos ?

As viewer of Shortfuse / Cory Thompson, I was totally fan about the short video which was usually posted with a photo series. It was like a cherry on the cake for me because it was revealing some informations that I couldn’t get watching the pictures. So, naturally, when I decided to do my own pics, I thought about doing the same for vids. Even my first digital camera had an option to record short video clips then I captured some moments since the beginning of Captive Culture. Unfortunately, the quality was bad and I quickly bought one camcorder to do more video … including longer ones, the first movie has been shot with Greta in 2001, only nine months after my first session ever.

What was it like working with guest models like Rachel Paine ?

That’s a good question … before to work with some foreign models, that was one of my goal because I had the feeling it would bring something to me. In 2005, I welcomed several guests in my house for shooting and the result has been interesting. It teached me that the french girls were better than I thought … of course, they were not skilled as model but it wasn’t a problem because I liked to make them discover this experience. I also discovered that some international models were not the magical key to do better pics or vids ! I could do a longer answer for every foreign model that has been shot by me … my commentary would be different for any of them but the main idea would be the same. After several tries, I stopped to run after these international models and even answered “no” to some supermodels that I met around the BondCon or Rubberball events. In France, I was used to choose the girls on several criterias and the human side has always been very important for me. I didn’t find this criteria working with some guests except with Rachel Paine … when she came in Paris to shoot with Dana and I, we spent a very cool week working together but also having a lot of fun. I learned several things during these days and this experience has been pretty unique. I explained on the blog how Dana has been challenged by Rachel and it helped me to see how my own universe was different from the US productions. I did some changes later and it helped to do some better content with Mina & Anaïs leaving Dana and some others behind me. On the other side, some collaboration with foreign models have been almost useless … if you want to know, Kumi Monster is probably the worst experience because we did everything for she during her trip to Paris. I did my job and even more but when she went back in the US, I understood that working with a girl that you don’t feel is always a bad idea … Katarina Noire went for a day and she was cool, Anaïs got a nice challenge like Dana being dominated by Rachel. I also appreciated to shoot Vivian Ireene Pierce the first time, her second trip has been more complicated. There are some others girls including Julie Simone, Stella Van Gent, Kittie Klaw … the pictures we made together are less interesting than some moments we lived beyond the lights. I also did some good pics with Magena Yama, an italian model and Alex, one british girl but that’s another story. If you want to know more, feel free to ask !

Did you always have an idea of what your sessions would turn out as or did you and your model(s) talk about it before the scheduled day ?

It depends about the period : during the early years, I didn’t have a lot of fetish outfits so, before a session, I knew what would be used because it was often something new. I had also a storyline in my head that we were trying to tell through our pictures. At this period, I wasn’t shooting every week then I had all the time to think about the next session. About the models, usually, we were talking before to start our shooting. Basically, when I got my photo studio, we were used to start the day at 11 AM talking / drinking / eating / dressing / laughing to be ready at 01 PM except for shorter sessions that could modify this timing. Of course, I had to give more details & check everything was all right before Dana became my assistant. After this, she was there to guide the model … it was an excellent idea to organize my work like this because Dana was able to replace one missing girl or join the session as model for one photo set if needed. So, Dana (and Anaïs later) have been essential to take care about my models and make them more comfortable with any situation … but they were also the girls that knew what I really had in mind : there are many sessions that we planned together without giving all the keys to my models. We had our secrets and sometimes my assistant was also there to unleash these girls that were not used to live this kind of experience. As I always said, being bound or naked in front of a camera isn’t a natural act : that’s important to use the good words & find the appropriate balance if you want the girl gives more. That’s why we had often several options during a session and I was choosing what to do (and what to avoid) depending about the situation. Sometimes, your model surprises you (it happened several times that one girl decided to break one limit while we were shooting) and, some others days, that’s better to slow down because you feel that she’s too tired or not in the mood. If you bring a ball-gag and you notice that your model is relunctant about it, that’s better to forget this idea for now. I increased my ability to understand what the girl feels & wants increased through all these years (even if one mistake is always possible) … that’s probably why my way to work changed after a while, I discovered that wasn’t necessary to talk too much about the session with my model before to live it. I still had in mind her experience, her limits and her potential evolution which was different for each girl. My role was to be the man who was taking care about she and the rigger who was binding her … all about this is trust. More sessions you do with the same girl, less you need to speak except if there is something new for she. At this moment, that’s important to verify her desire to try it. I spent more than one full year shooting over a decade : I didn’t always have an idea about how the session would evolve. When I planned everything, there was always something that had to be changed or didn’t happen for different reasons. So, during my last years shooting without any assistant, I was simply following my experience and the feeling of my model … we lived several times an intense situation that could be one consequence of some words exchanged or simply the result of this special link between us. When one woman is tied by a man that she met only two hours before, she’s offering you a beautiful gift … she went to your house for a shibari session, her trust is precious, even more when during the first talk she told you are free to bind her body without any restriction. You can also guess that every model wasn’t so active or open-minded … I exchanged a lot with some of them while my speech was minimal when a girl doesn’t want to talk. When the communication was easy, I liked to do some photo series on request : in this case, I was following the desire of my model, partially or totally. It could be wearing one outfit of her choice or being bound in a specific position … I already explained on the blog that Anaïs brought a lot of her ideas to the sessions that we did together in 2006 & 2007. We explored her fantasies which were often similar to my own ideas : because we were used to chat online during the week, she was able to know what would be the next session and contribute to it’s evolution. That’s how I organized the first duo with Mina, because she had never kiss another girl and she was curious about it. You probably know the story ! If there was no strict plan, we had some goals and guidelines in mind. After the session, Anaïs was sharing her thoughts and this feedback helped a lot to prepare the following sessions. I didn’t get a closer connection with another model, except maybe with Greta. The first year shooting Anaïs allowed to introduce some activities which didn’t exist in my production before like orgasm control or breathplay … later, I also planned some sessions for Suzy following her own fantasies but there was nothing new on my side. She wanted to explore her submissive side and we talked a lot about it. I would have more to write about all this but my answer is already too long !

What photography gear have you been using all these years ?

First, I was using some permanent lighting for my sessions because it was allowing me to shoot video if needed. Because I had no knowledge about how to use my light properly, these tungsten spotlights were used basically. After, I bought some bigger Hedler units compatible with softboxes … it helped to get the atmosphere that I seeked for a long time. It happened that I worked differently for some sessions called “beyond the lights” using the light available in a room + two small flash units made by Nikon … it was cool to play with some girls and shoot without the heavy configuration. Second, for the camera, I did my first session with a Canon T90 (film) and one Olympus C3030z (digital), a brigde camera. My preference was for the Canon but it was too much work for a website. That’s why I followed the digital way : I used several bridge cameras between 2000 & 2004 … Nikon 5700 replaced the Olympus. I didn’t like to use it because it was too slow. When Canon & Nikon released the first DSLR which were affordable, I bought a Canon 300D with a standard lens. But, after one session or two, I decided to buy a Nikon D70 which had a better balance under tungsten lights. It drastically helped me to enhance the quality of my pictures in the end of year 2004. 2005 has been focused on the photography : I changed my lights and my lens too. I stopped to use a standard zoom Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 AF-S D which was sold ith the camera and bought a Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8 … it has been the best move of my photographer’s life because I stopped to scratch my head while I was shooting. I could define my settings before to start and do my pictures without being disturbed by the difference between two shots. It also made my photoshop editing easier because everything was looking better. I kept this perfect lens on every DSL I got after the D70 : I bought my beloved D200 in 2006 & D300 in 2008. I stopped shooting in 2013 and continued to use this gear until my last photo session. To be complete, II was mainly using two Hedler C25 or H25 halogen light units, each one with a softbox also by Hedler model MaxiSoft, usually one 70×70 or 90×90 + 110x45cm.

I really like Suzy : she’s a beauty and feels so innocent …

Suzy is one of these young women who got a good education in the french middle class … she wasn’t living in Paris but in another french city which is known for its culture and eclectism. I think that’s one of the reasons why Suzy was a little bit different from some others girls that I shot. First, she contacting me talking about her need of pain after several years as dancer when she was younger. She wasn’t connected to any underground universe and didn’t like the metal or industrial music like Anaïs or Greta. No, Suzy was a normal woman who didn’t experience to live her adult life before being an adult. She was a student, loving litterature and some intellectual movies. That’s through these old movies that she has been attracted by some situations where the girl is under control or dominated by someone else; But, indeed, she was looking innocent, angelic, romantic … and her real nature is close from this reality. She had a lot of questions in mind and her body was burning about to know some situations. I helped her to gradually discover a lof of these fantasies and she was able to be in submission keeping her elegance and dignity. Maybe that’s why it was also interesting to play with she more with some others.

When and how did you meet Faustine ?

I met Faustine at one of the Shibari School friendly meetings organized at home in 2011 … she went as participant because bondage is one of her fantasies and it was an excellent way to meet some people. We got a nice first contact talking a lot together but Faustine has not been bound because she had to leave before the end of our meeting. After this, we exchanges some messages. Several weeks later, during the summer, I had to find a rope partner to teach some shibari tips to one of my friends, Diane. I contacted Faustine and she accepted to come for one day in Paris … we did the rope lesson on monday afternoon as scheduled, Faustine had a train the next morning. After my friend Diane left us, we started to talk more and more … all night long ! Finally, Faustine decided to stay with me for the week (she was on holidays) and we started to explore our common taste for the BDSM universe and so much more .. After she left, Faustine went back every week-end before to move from Lyon to Paris six months later … we live together in the same house since 2012 now, we experienced some amazing things but also a lot of problems with our parents and my health issues : it made our couple solid as a rock.

Do you still actively participate in your shared passion of BDSM ?

It could be complicated to answer shortly … our BDSM activity slowly decreased through the years but not only because of my health issues even if it changed my state of mind. There some others points that regularly slowed down our ability to play as we liked or wanted to do. We had to deal with some serious problems very soon in our relationship, each one with his / her mother … when your life is turning around the medical issues, you are unable to follow your D/s lifestyle like before. That’s the same thing with any professional activity : when Faustine has been free when she was looking for a new job, we have been able to play all the time.. Our kinky schedule has been modified by her own work planning : for several years, Faustine was away every afternoon and evening but that was allowing us some extra time in the morning. When she had to comply with a classical planning, Faustine started to struggle due to the lack of time. Like a lot of people, we had to focus our energy on week-end but there is a big difference between “do something because you want” and “do something because your time is limited” … add this fact to all the problems we had to face up for eleven years, and you start to understand why sharing your passion is more complicated than before. Let me talk about the beginning of a tunnel of problems to manage. In 2016, I closed my company before to generate some debts. Later the same year, I started to bleed daily and understood it would be a serious medical issue. While I was trying to find the appropriate hospital and surgeon after several wrong diagnotics, I had to close my websites because there keep it alive was too complicated. In 2017, we got the confirmation about my cancer. 15 days later, my surgeon removed the tumor which was there for a long time. Faustine and I lived half of that year in hell, dealing with my recovery and the consequences of this heavy surgery. In 2018, one year after the cancer, my mother went to the hospital … I tried everything but she died five months later due to these fucking doctors unable to work properly (yes, I hate most of them) : you can imagine how these 3 years have been complicated but we continued to live our passion when it was possible, dealing between my health issues and her professional activity. For us, 2020 has been the best year because the COVID allowed us to be together 24/7 again … but this break stopped in 2021 : I started to have an abscess on my midline scar which ruined another year of our life. Before this summer, we found the reason and I wrote one tweet about it : thanks again to the surgeon or nurses who forgot one piece of suture inside me ! So, to conclude, that’s not easy to find the energy and desire to explore the D/s relationship when there are so many problems to manage. We would like being able to do it like before but everything is different now, even my vision of Faustine, she has been my slave, my love before to be my nurse, my wife. Recently, we wanted to enjoy her annual holidays … we finally got the COVID for 3 weeks. As you know, life is a bitch and I verify it regularly !

How did you start with BDSM ?

That’s a long story like for everyone I think. When I was a child, I noticed some situations that were exciting me. Later, I discovered the world of BDSM though an online french system called Minitel which was allowing us to chat. I was 15 years old and started to exchange with some adults. I met one lady that was a dominant woman. I started to buy some BDSM magazines and I was really interested about all this. But I didn’t have any girlfriend to play with. I met my first sexual partner who was a 43 years old woman, a teacher who wanted to fuck a young boy like me. Later, I tried to take my distance with this universe which was always a fantasy … and I went back later, when I started to do some free websites on the internet. I shortly immobilized one of my girlfriends but nothing serious. When I started Captive Culture, I went to several events and got the cance to meet some nice people to discover the french scene … I discovered some games that were totally new for me but I was more a spectator. So, to be honest, my first steps in the BDSM universe as an active participant are the ones you can see browsing my archives. If my models had no experience, I was like them : there were some ideas in our mind, I tried to make it real and my exploration about the bdsm & fetish universe has been like their own evolution as the captive girls ! That’s why I often say that our sessions has been a human adventure for me too.

Mina and Anaïs are the dream team : your sessions with them are my favorites. Even though there are no words and sounds, the pictures tell you all you need to know about their great chemistry. Both loving and playful … I always wondered if they had this feeling since the first shoot or it evolved through the time. Was it their idea to shoot together or yours ?

Because I am a little bit crazy, I verified before to answer checking my archives. So, yes, Anaïs & Mina got this chemistry since their first time together. Reading your question, I thought “good question, did we shot something else before their first duo session ?” and no, the story between Anaïs & Mina started on 2005, September 18 shooting a lot of pics & vids for Latex Culture / session 217-01. Anaïs discovered my universe on June 30 and did 4 shooting days before to meet Mina. 11 days before, she did her first photo set with another model (Diva) : because we were used to talk a lot, Anaïs explained me that she wanted to make real one of her fantasies. She had never kiss a girl before and that’s how I organized this session with Mina to satisfy her request … I already shot some soft kisses in the past but it was clear that Anaïs was expecting something more intense. I guessed that Mina would accept to do some french kisses but it wasn’t sure and my goal wasn’t to give any instruction. I let the girls follow their feeling in front of the lens : I knew Anaïs wanted to kiss Mina and I thought Mina was kinky enough to do it. So, I decided to record the session on video because the situation was very interesting even if it wouldn’t work. We shot the day before with Mina and she was in the right mood on Sunday. Anaïs & Mina met each other in the morning and we started shooting in the afternoon … I took all the time needed to let them turning around, it was pretty magic to watch & capture the situation. When they kissed each other for the first time, I was happy for Anaïs but I didn’t know that it would be the beginning of several memorable sessions with these two girls. Of course, this experience probably created one special link between Anaïs & Mina. I think this chemistry slowly evolved but it was strong since the beginning !

Did you usually let the models take the lead on shooting ?

On this specific session, I let the girls live the instant … everything was ready when we started, the furniture and clothes, of course, I was giving some advices to maximize the beauty of a posture but it wasn’t really needed with Anaïs & Mina. For some others sessions, I was used to take the lead except if my models had something to propose … usually, with a low budget production in a small & empty space to shoot, one model feels herself a little bit lost in front of a white wall with nothing special to do. If she’s not very experienced, she prefers to let me guide her to get the pictures we want to do. All this wasn’t strict and defined : we were often following our mood and I prefer to choose on last minute. Sometimes, I had one bondage position in mind but because my model was too tired, it was better to change our plans and do something else.

Did you plan to film some sessions or was it decided on last minute ?

Long time ago, I tried to film the climax of my sessions to do a short video but, after a while, I noticed it was more interesting to record more scenes. It was manly during the early years, everything was focused on the photography and I installed my camcorder in the end. Later, we started to film more about the sessions which were looking promising : for example, when Dana & Ambre played together with some face sitting, it was clear than I had to record this on video. We tried several ways : cutting the session by sequences, doing one scene for the pics and do it again for the vids but it was annoying for all of us. I have never been a good film maker and my video quality wasn’t enough pro to work like this. So, we finally decided to record the session live while we were taking some pics with the camera. It also happened that we did some video only or gave the priority to video doing less pictures. So, I wouldn’t say all this was decided during the session … usually, I knew if we would have something interesting to record before to start the session. Okay, sometimes, I was wrong and the action was boring as hell and the video too ! In one word & to conclude, every long video was planned to be filmed, some shorter videos have been captured during the session but I had in mind to capture one scene. Last but not least, that’s always better to prepare it before, technically and also personnally : my models were not used to be filmed on video and I didn’t want to surprise them deciding to record during the session. Of course, more you know your partners, more freedom is possible. There are several videos with Dana & Mina or Anaïs which have been decided on the last minute, after several photo sets. Sometimes, I was proposing to complete our shooting day with something faster to do like a spanking video. Then, the setup was quick and we were able to record few minutes later !

What do you do to help the model unwind and calm after a shoot ?

The first thing to do is trying to make her session enjoyable … I was used to take care about my models since their arrival at home from the time to leave. talking is essential, smiling & joking also helps to relax in such situation : every model is different, there are some good & bad days. I tried to feel the mood & do the right choice if something seems to be more complicated than it should. But, basically, the only thing I could do with a model after the shooting was talking, eating (it happened that we went to the restaurant with the team) … some basic things to help my model when she’s tired after a long day in front of my lens. She could use my bathroom if needed, sometimes I was driving them back to Paris when we finished in the evening. But there are some others things that I couldn’t do as the photographer. We are not talking about a sexual partner : my attitude is different in private life which allows more options for the aftercare. So, that’s true, my models were coming back at home with the tension & exhaustion related to our session. It was probably a little bit weird for them after some special activities like being vibed or spanked, even more when they were not used to do it. That’s why I always tried to keep one positive philosophy about all these kinky games, it had to stay a playful moment without too much consequences for them. I rarely got a problem after the session but if there was something, I was used to ask some questions and exchange with my model. That’s really important to talk, watch & listen … everything else is just the human nature and how to respect it.

How did you find your models? You had a lot of amazing women who shot with you !

I probably had a lucky star because the path that led me to the first ones took place without difficulty and with a good dose of success… an acquaintance introduced me to Greta who introduced me to Kat during a happening at the D. boutique and the latter allowed me to meet many of her “charming model” friends… not all of them were attracted by what I was offering, BDSM did not have good press and I was not than a beginner who published his photos on the internet, a model still in his infancy in France. However, many of them supported my way of presenting things; my speech was very neutral and reassuring, which helped convince the most reluctant. During these early days, I only experienced one refusal (or unsuccessful meeting), that of a busty girl who had made a sexy DIY comedy video for Canal Plus and the duo Chabat / Farrugia. Then, I made a name for myself, I built my network and I exploited it… there were also some nice surprises with those who contacted me because they had been told about me and they were more numerous than these models which made it possible to launch the machine.

What’s the ratio of time spent shooting / time spent editing ?

I was working alone and we’re talking about another era for image editing (computers were not so powerful than nowadays) so, basically, here is a typical week when my websites were still online and very active. I was shooting every saturday (except on holidays) + sunday (less often). Captive Culture was used to a weekly update then I was editing on monday, tuesday & wednesday. My time spent on each photo set could depend about the number of shots and my camera settings … I needed from 6 to 18 hours to select / edit / prepare the pictures related to one photo series. So, the ratio was something like 1 hour shooting one small set = 6 hours working on post-production. I was starting to prepare my update on thursday afternoon to be ready on friday which was also the moment for house cleaning, before another photo session the next day. I didn’t mention the video but that’s something I know too … beside the image editing, I also had to prepare my video before publishing. First, it was necessary to acquire the DV tape : 60 minutes if it was full. After this, you can double this time to watch the footage & cut each moment which shouldn’t be there (use of real first name of a model, instructions time, bad use of the camcorder) … and, after all this, the slow computer had to render another video file. No need to say that I had another Mac G4 working on the video rendering while I was busy on my main computer for the image editing or webmaster’s activity. When the footage has been rendered, I had to quickly check if everything was okay before to save it on another DV tape as back-up. It was also necessary to encode the video files for web publishing in one or two different formats then, again, the computer had to work for hours. Oh, it was probably the most exciting part of my job !

Do you plan on restarting your photo session or is it over ?

I don’t have any plan … my life went into chaos in 2017 and my health issues are still serious enough to live with some restriction which make my daily routine a bit complicated. I could probably do some photography and my passion is still there but I would need to collaborate with some nice & cool people to enjoy about this moment. Long time ago, I tried to organize some sessions with others photographers and that would be probably a possible way … but, for now, that’s nothing more than an idea. If someone would propose me,something like this, I would be happy to think about it. When I started Captive Culture in 2000, I was used to meet some people who became some friends and they did some sessions with me as my assistant. Now, things would be different, I am not a beginner anymore, I could bring my experience and create with someone who would like to start his own adventure or add a bit of my universe in his own productions. It would allow me to express my passion again without starting my own project which could be affected by my health issues.

How many shooting have you done during the time you were active ?

There are officially 380 sessions in my archives … one for each shooting day + some extra ones which are not in the list.

Why is there less content in Latex Culture than in Captive Culture ?

There are several reasons … first, Latex Culture has been launched two years after Captive Culture which was focused on the BDSM & FETISH universes including latex but not only this kind of clothes. second, my production was also the result of an equation : when I was selling for 10.000 USD globally, the Latex Culture memberships were equal to 2.5000 USD. Captive Culture had more members and it was normal to propose more content to these people who were supporting my work since the beginning. I was myself a big fan of latex but these sessions were complicated to do : no need to mention each outfit was expensive but the real limitation has been the dynamic of my photo series. Because I was shooting at home, each set was mainly based on these latex clothes and the model. We did several sessions which were too static or simply boring because there is not a lot of things to do for someone dressed in latex when your shooting area is almost empty. Even more if the girl is a beginner and she’s a bit lost and have no idea about how to model. So, during the early years of Latex Culture, the best way to do something nice was to shoot two girls together but it wasn’t possible every week. After a while, I decided to bring back some BDSM on Latex Culture which has been created for the people who were interested only by the fetish universe but who didn’t like any bondage activity. After several years, the audience wanted more than girls in latex and I got the idea to buy less fashion outfits for some specific items like straitjacket catsuit and latex bodybag. It became easier to shoot some sessions which were dynamic & more interesting to watch for you, and to do for us. That’s globally why I did more than 450 photo series for Captive Culture and 100 for Latex Culture.

What is Mina doing now … is she still active in the scene ?

Mina ended her career as fetish model shooting with me in 2010 … she continued to do some events anonymously for a while but Mina turned this page of her life ten years ago. She went back to a normal job and is happy her life, maybe more than before.

Did you do anything in particular to put your models at ease during your sessions ? Because they’re naked and/or very vulnerable in bondage and a lot of them were probably pretty new to this, so I can imagine it might have been difficult for a lot of them. But that never shows in any of your pictures, they always look like they’re enjoying themselves.

Most of them were not used to live this kind of experience. They could feel vulnerable in bondage and, except some rare exceptions, I knew how to make them more comfortable. There is no secret, even if the BDSM universe could be impressive, I had one behaviour which was trying to do like if everything was normal, playful & neutral. First, I was talking about everything and the girls knew that I was listening them. Second, they didn’t see me like a predator : even if the human side was important for me, my shooting session were professional. My production unit & style was small and home-made but my past as manager in serious companies helped me to find the right distance & attitude with my models. I mentioned some points in a previous question here : ⁠question⁠ … that’s mainly one question of timing : you have to be serious when needed, take it easy if you feel some stress & avoid being an asshole. For example, when one model had to get naked in my office, I was turning my office chair. Of course, more the girl knows you, less you need to control yourself but there are many details that make the difference. If you think about her comfort (or potential discomfort) one model will feel more relax. That’s not more complicated than a business negociation with a customer but your model is far more vulnerable. If something is wrong, you can’t say to the girl “you did it bad” just because she was bound & naked five minutes before in front of you. She would take it like a lack of respect. I was always trying to avoid any humiliation even if the girl was exploring submission : before, during & after, she was always the same for me and there was no change in my words or attitude. Being respectful is essential & I was trying to keep the girl in a playful mood in any situation. That’s why I was joking a lot : I always thought & noticed the risk exists when your models think too much … if she begins to analyze the situation too much, she’s less relax & everything becomes more complicated. That’s why my philosophy was focused on the positive side of these games : the girls knew that I wasn’t trying to abuse her or do something that would be humiliating … it probably helped to keep them enjoying themselves in many sessions. Of course, it didn’t work all the time but, globally, our sessions were running smoothly. I got the good idea to have one of my models as assistant and it helped to coach the girl & make them more relax too. One woman is feeling herself less vulnerable if she’s not alone with one or two men : when my female assistant was there, the balance was better et safer for the bound girl. I could probably write more about “how to make them relax” taking some examples but I think you begin to have the idea behind my way to manage my models. Here is an example recorded on video from my first session with Dana … I try to guide my model & take care about herself talking, smiling & explaining. I think you could see this kind of exchange in any movie between a director and the actress. There is nothing exceptional here but the nature of Dana who was full of positive energy got an echo with my considerate attitude. Any session will be a failure if you are unable to communicate with a model.

Did you get to cooperate with any of the other attendees at the BondCon 2004 ?

Dana got several contacts including with Sgt Major who was very interested by the french woman but her own limits has been a problem. There are several things that she was accepting to do with me but Dana wasn’t ready to do with someone else. But we didn’t go to Vegas for an instant collaboration, my goal was to create more human links with the US producers & models and think about some future projects. In one way, that’s how Rachel Paine decided to visit Paris in 2005 : she got a crush for Dana and there was a nice feeling between the two girls during the BondCon. It probably didn’t happen without this meeting IRL … as I explained above, almost everyone were using hotel’s bedroom as shooting location but we didn’t except they prepared their own schedule before the convention. That’s also the reason why everyone was running out of a time because a lot of models or producers were very busy in & out the con !

This would have been working with Kink right ? I imagine the intensity of that environment is a whole lot different than what Dana was used to work with you.

I think none of the girls used to be in front of my lens would have been compatible with the Kink environment … because I talked with a lot of people in the industry, I see the difference between Kink & some independant producers like the ones who were at the BondCon. Kink is perfect for the AVN which was runned at the same period, even if we were shooting some erotic content sometimes, we were far away from the porn industry and that’s one limit that main of my models wouldn’t accept to cross. I got more than expected from many of these girls because my own way to picture them was one source of motivation but, even for money, someone like Dana wasn’t okay for some activities even if the environment of Kink is safe. Because we are talking about an industry, there are some rules including for the adult producers & the USA remains one land where being a pro really means something. There are only few girls who crossed this red line … Tosé who was already an adult dancer made some porn movies and stopped modeling. Loan who was an erotic model started to work for the porn industry, I stopped to shoot her and Graziella who started to be a porn actress without informing me : we stopped our collaboration. I didn’t think Graziella would do this because she was a young woman paying for a MUA school but she met the wrong guy. They are the exceptions among my models who, globally, didn’t want to be a kind of fuck meat … the porn never attracted me & I did my best to follow another way.

These are 2 complete different audiences with most models compatible with one of these and only some models enjoying both. The girls next door who have been pictured by you are not the girls i expect to see on kink or porn webites.

My own way to do my pics & vids is also linked to my background & lifestyle when I started Captive Culture … I was like a lot of people, looking for love but unable to find it, my daily routine was focused on a serious job and when I decided to create my own pictures, it was easier & more natural for me to meet some girls who were not too far from the normal life. So, yes, even if my life changed a bit through the years, I kept this preference for that style of woman often called “girl-next-door” who were more interesting to discover for me. For my business, it would have been better to shoot with some professionals & shoot more erotic content but it wasn’t my goal. Since the beginning, I was living this adventure and following my way focused on the discovery : I like to meet a woman, help her to discover something she doesn’t know and see how we can evolve together through the different sessions. It was all about the feeling & relation between she & I captured by a lens … I think you can feel this, a bit, watching my pictures, that’s one form of kink to guess the girl on your screen is exploring something different & important in her life.

How did you decide what outfit would go on each girl ?

Let’s forget about the beginning of Captive Culture : I didn’t have enough clothes, some were borrowed to a french shop and, at this period, I was mainly using the most recent outfit available for my models. I explained several things in some others questions or discussions featured in ⁠highlights but maybe not about the choice for each girl. After several years of shooting, I had enough clothes to dress my models but there was no strict rule to choose each outfit. Of course, it was easier when one model was discovering my collection : I could choose without any limitation except her size or the kind of session. We were used to avoid some kind of clothing for bondage. If one girl wanted to wear something that she loved, it was better for me because I liked to make my models happy. When she did several sessions with me, I was trying to choose something that she didn’t wear yet or, when it was possible, one outfit or some lingerie that I recently bought. It was a nice way to bring some eye candy to the viewer when he knew the girl. We were always trying these clothes before and if something wasn’t looking nice, we just had to change. I was listening my models at this step of our shooting, they often had a good idea to make this choice better … usually, my initial idea wasn’t bad : my models were looking similar & I was able to guess which outfit would match with one body & the style of each girl. It happened that every outfit was my decision & sometimes my model had a preference or request. We just had to think about the limitation for each outfit & the things we wanted to do later.

We exchanged more on this Discord server for six months … the questions & answers shared on this page deserved to be shared with more people. It took me only few weeks to understand this experience would be more complicated than expected : my initial goal was to propose something more to my fans but, in fact, this idea wasn’t a good one. I thought it would help to bring a stronger link with them but the time spent on Discord drained my energy and created some tension that should never happen. As often, the human nature ruined something which could have been better with more efforts. I got the message loud & clear : priority to my blog now.

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