I met Charles nearly 20 years ago while in college and covering the Folsom Street Fair for a school assignment. He noticed me stalking people with my eyes and could tell I was a photographer. He showed me some of his photos that were on display, and at the time I was rather shocked by the content. Although he offered me the opportunity to work with him, at that point I was in no way ready to work with an erotic photographer; attending the Folsom Street Fair was already stepping outside my comfort zone and putting me in an environment that was shocking to me! Over the years I remembered his name. Every once in a while I would look him up, see his erotic books and make sure he was still around.

Fast forward to the present. I became Mistress J and one night, while poking around on the Internet, I decided to send an email to the great man himself. I was extremely excited he answered me the next day! Charles is a sweet man who has led a very interesting life. He is very open to sharing his experiences, and is always looking for more adventures.

After emailing back and forth and meeting in person, I made it up to Charles’ beautiful apartment with a fabulous view of the bay. He lives on the 3rd floor, and when you enter you see three huge canvases of his iconic black and white images, including a few of rock legends Bob Dylan (one of my favorites – it was thrilling to hear his story of photographing him in the early days!) and Rod Stewart, in addition to those of a more graphic nature. Charles Gatewood’s collection of work is a timeline of our culture.

After a long chat, we did my photo session. Charles loves natural light; he has a large sliding glass door he uses in addition to a white backdrop and a cream colored chair, which really made my red outfit pop. It reminded me again that I love being in front of the camera as much as I like being behind it.

It was a lot of fun being photographed by a famous photographer. I recognize the gift I was given and will always remember the experience. A big thank you to Charles for taking the time to share your stories and talent with me!

2012 is all about being who you are!

Mistress J understands that while often simple, men can be complex. That is why she started her business in the first place, to capture life’s complexities.

Miss J is a very understanding Domme, and realizes there are many men in this valley who desire domination by a woman. These men are not weak, but actually rather strong. They know what they want and need and try to seek it out.

That is why Mistress J has teamed up with Miss Tanya Love from A Place for Chainge and wants to encourage men and women to express themselves and be who they want to be.

In the D/s culture many straight men have the desire to cross dress or be a sissy boy. That desire might stem from the admiration of Female Dominance. Maybe something else, but Mistress J and Miss Tanya strive to serve the community by having you boys serve us for a night!

Come celebrate your inner girl at Queen for a Day! Queen for a Day is a fun, swanky night for sissy boys and cross dressers. You won’t want to miss it!

Join Miss J and Miss Tanya at their first annual Queen for a Day party! Named after the popular hit TV show from the ‘50s, Mistresses Tanya and J invite all of the boys to come and flaunt their feminine side.

This evening will give you the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and move past the confines of your home. Mingle in a safe public place with other like-minded people!

Pull out that outfit from the back of your closet and have some fun. There will also be a fashion show and awards given to the top 3 beauties.

The Mistresses want to meet and socialize with other dominants, so please feel free to attend if you don’t have a special sub. You might find one here!

The Dommes will offer appropriate amounts of humiliation and beatings. There will be opportunity to shop for jewelry and makeup and have your photo taken with Mistresses J and Tanya or your Domme. We will have food and drinks available, but NO alcohol.

Find out more and register at Ticketleap.

1. Show off the things that make her body different from a man’s – namely curves. Think of the classic hourglass shape. Create dynamic poses by having the model twist her shoulders off-axis from her hips to highlight these curves. This is a more dramatic version of the classical contrapposto pose used by artists for over 2000 years.

2. If you’re after a provocative pose, ask the model to keep her back straight pull her shoulder blades together a little. This will accentuate her breasts and bottom.

3. The number of ways to light the female nude is without limit, but in general you want to use very soft light to accent the softness of her curves. You can light high-key, where everything is evenly lit, or you can light low-key, where the light comes from one side and is more dramatic. If you want to be very dramatic, use the backlight as the only light source.

As with all photography, female boudoir photography is an art form; there are no fixed rules or boundaries. Curious what your boudoir photos might look like? Contact me to schedule a session!

What brought Frank to Mistress J? Growing up, Frank never felt very sexy. He had recently lost a lot of weight and wanted to shed his vanilla engineer exterior to release his inner Fabio.

Why Mistress J? Unlike other photographers that do male nude photography, the Mistress J studio was tastefully lit with attention to set design, lighting, colors and ambiance. In this most recent session, Frank was lean and fit. He wanted photos that would show off his toned arms and torso, so we did a lot of nudes and semi-nudes. The tasteful lighting of the Mistress J studio really helped emphasize the body parts he wanted to highlight.

I handle every single photo shoot the same way. We start with an in-depth discussion about the types of photos the client wants, what they’re planning to wear (or not wear), and the furniture and props they want to use. We also discuss perceived trouble spots, what they want to hide and areas they want to play up.

Are men and women really that different? There are a few major differences I tend to see between men and women boudoir shoots:

• Men crave interaction more than women. Many men want Mistress J to be part of the scene. Although this is extra, having her in the scene means more talking, directing, obeying commands, posing, touching and encouragement.
• Men and women have different lighting preferences. In every session I’ve had with a male subject, they want the lights on. Women, on the other hand, generally want the lights off, with the exception of the studio lights. They want that intimate space – a shell or bubble where they can slowly unwind and, like an onion, peel the layers off and expose their beauty.

No matter who the subject is, during each session, I start to notice things. I see the beauty of the hair, a curve in the body, or the way the light falls across the torso or defines the arms. When I see their beauty, I tell them. It helps them feel more comfortable and confident, so they can leave feeling good about themselves.

Although the execution may be slightly different, the final goal is the same: To leave each client feeling sexy and special, and to get some kick ass photos.

Corsets were developed thousands of years ago to shape a woman’s torso. These close-fitted boned undergarments can extend from above or below the bust to the hips, and give a binding effect to flatten the waistline. A corset that covers the chest is designated as “over-bust.”

Bustiers are sleeveless tops that start at the bust and go down to the waist. Form-fitting and fashionable, bustiers can be worn as lingerie or outer clothing. Some bustiers have garters attached, and the modern designs have thin, lacy straps.

Despite their similarities, the main difference between corsets and bustiers is that the corset doesn’t always cover a woman’s breasts. It all really comes down to personal preference. Personally, I like steel-boned corsets for the restriction, compression and posture & figure enhancing.

Want to invest in a corset or bustier of your own? Here are a couple of local shops to check out:

• Dark Garden
• Wella Lingerie

In addition the incredible sex positive culture, the fair included a lot of fun shopping. One booth Miss J particularly enjoyed was the Corsets by Timeless Trends. In addition to this fun shirt (pictured below right), the booth included countless corsets in various styles, colors, sizes, etc.

Folsom Street Events is a nonprofit organization serving the adult San Francisco alternative communities. Through the production of street fairs, Folsom Street Events promotes diversity within the leather/alternative lifestyle, highlighting entertainment, service and vendors. Proceeds from the production of the fairs are distributed to organizations, which promote a sense of community, diversity, cooperation, health and human services.

Find out more and learn about next year’s event at folsomstreetfair.org.

Sometimes called “beefcake” or “dudoir” this is a specialty area of photography, where men can get the same rewarding, self-expressed experience that women have enjoyed for quite awhile. Here are tips to prepare men for a boudoir photo shoot, and what you should expect at Mistress J’s Boudoir Photography Studio.

First, identify your target audience. Is this a gift for a lover, wife, or partner? What do you want your picture to express? Do you want to capture a moment just for yourself? Need a sexy shot for a modeling portfolio?

Next, identify your best features. Admit you have fabulous biceps or an outrageously firm butt; this is the time to celebrate it! Is it your glorious eyes smoldering over powerful shoulders? Decide what parts of yourself you are willing to share with the camera, and we’ll build from there. Boudoir photography is not only for “beautiful people.” A great boudoir photographer can make men look powerful, sexy and hot, whether they think they are or not.

Are you into the outdoors? Are you an athlete? Do you love leather? We can build a shoot around your hobbies or fetishes. Feel free to bring special props that add to the uniqueness of your shoot. Another thing people don’t think about regarding this specialized photography is that very sexy results can be achieved with varying amounts of clothing or coverings. Boudoir photography is NOT pornography, although many boudoir photographers foray into tasteful (and edgier) nudes. You choose your “dress scale.”

Mistress J provides a relaxed atmosphere where your self-expression flourishes with guidance, not judgment. We recommend at least one phone conversation prior to your shoot to review your objectives and discuss studio set up. Your scheduled in-studio shoot includes plenty of time to ease you into the groove, and allow yourself to become immersed in this very personal experience.

• The pictures make great gifts! They are a perfect way to commemorate your upcoming anniversary, celebrate your engagement/wedding or say “happy birthday!” or “happy holidays!” to that special someone.
• Boudoir photos can make time stand still. Do you want this moment in your life to last a lifetime? Commemorate your new relationship with individual or couples photos that express your love and attraction towards each other.
• They can help you empower yourself. Whether you’re single or in a relationship, boudoir photos can be a fantastic affirmation of how sexy and beautiful you really are.

What are other reasons you recommend investing in a boudoir photo shoot? I’d love to hear what inspired you!

To make your boudoir session as successful as possible, look through magazines and websites to find expressions you like. When you find a few you like, go to a mirror and practice mimicking what you see. Pay attention to how it feels to make the expression, so you aren’t dependent on looking at yourself during your boudoir photo shoot.

Once you get to your session, don’t be afraid to try your practiced expressions, or even try something totally different. That expression that feels a little bit silly might end up looking erotic or suggestive to the camera.

Remember not to worry about how your expression looks to the photographer – I promise I will never laugh! Instead, I’ll offer suggestions to help you take your expression from cute and pretty to sultry and seductive.

So how does boudoir photography differ between men and women?

 
I would say men want to convey confidence and sexual prowess, although this comes across in many different ways depending on the man. Men generally focus on the overall appearance of being desirable as opposed to the smaller like hair and nails.

Women, on the other hand, usually want to look picture perfect, like we see in magazines. They generally want to be glamorous and sexy – the way they wish they could look every day if it weren’t for taking care of everything from errands and housework to kids, pets and work.

As a boudoir photographer, I work with each client to establish their goals of the session and make sure their pictures turn out the way they had in mind. Of course, a few basic tips before the session always help, too! How can I show you off at your sexiest? Contact Jeanine Brown Photography today for a complimentary consultation!