Interview with Melissa Balmer of Languid Kiss Jan. 21, 2002:

LK: What comes across again and again is that you must be fantastically easy to be around in front of the camera and intimate moments. Your subjects have such a sense of ease and tenderness. If you can, tell me a bit about your approach to photograpy, how you talk to your couples, how you gain their trust, how you find the right subjects to work with...

AW: I started with friends and lovers, who were mostly comfortable with me to begin with. There was always alot of kidding around and laughing, and we'd get take out and generally have a good time. Even with clients who are strangers, I try to maintain that friendly casual atmosphere, and many of the clients end up becoming friends afterwards, which is always nice. I encourage models (especially girls) to bring a friend or partner with them to feel comfortable and to talk to during the shoot. I try to get everyone involved in the process by showing them what im seeing in the viewfinder or on the LCD and welcoming their input and ideas.

LK: How long does a session take? Do you talk it through beforehand?

AW: A shoot can take anywhere from an hour to seven hours, depending on how much costuming and makeup is involved. Typically they run about 1-3 hours altogether, with roughly 2-3 setting changes. I discuss ideas and let the model know what to expect as much as possible beforehand; I also send them a FAQ sheet after they book a shoot.
I usually have a notebook I take everywhere where I jot down ideas for artwork or shoots, and I'll suggest things to the models to see if the idea appeals to them. Oftentimes, we find the shoot ends up going very differently then what we planned, when something cool catches my eye and we might go with something completely unexpected.

LK: Can you give me a little caption on your thoughts of each session?

AW: Before every shoot-particularly if it is something scheduled that I have less control over-I find it essential to get in the right frame of mind to think creatively and see the finished product in my mind as I shoot. I try to see with my inner vision when I look through the lens, and translate it onto the film. Instinct more or less tells me when to snap the frame, and I tend to see the composition far more then the actual elements themselves.

LK: And let me go back to the whole fetish/goth thing which is very new for me and fascinating. I love the sense of ritual people have for their romance/sex lives in these realms. I love that people involved in these realms have a separate life aside and can turn off the everyday world. I want to invite my readers to take from this what they can to make their own love lives more fun, exciting etc...but I'm totally a novice about this realm so help me out here, let me and my readers understand it a bit better if you will...let me know how you got fascinated by this whole world of fantasy/dark side etc...though I have to say your darkness has incredible tenderness again, at least that's what speaks to me, that you are about artistry, finesse, beauty, creation...and of course creating things that are sexy as, well, hell!

AW: As far as the actual fetish scene is concerned, I'm relatively conservative in my tastes, but thats part of the beauty of it! Fetish has been referred to as "cafeteria-style" sex, in that you are free to experiment with different experiences or not as you see fit, with no real boundaries other then a consenting partner. It's often referred to as "play" because it involves experimentation with sensation, social interaction, and personal/gender boundaries, and can be psychologically therapeutic if done correctly. It is an elaborate "game" with agreed-upon rules most ppl follow for health and safety reasons. Fetish may or may not have a sexual component to it, and is occasionally played with non-intimate partners. In a love relationship, it can be a private game or ritual that bonds them even closer. Many books have been written on the spiritual aspects of BDSM; many of its enthusiasts are pagans or other alternative ppl.

As far as fetish art goes, I'm more interested in the underlying dynamics of sexuality in general then in the trappings most fetish photographers focus on. The psychology of sex is fascinating because it is the place where our animal instincts are stronger then our rational mind. Sex, death, and the nature of human consciousness are the great mysteries of life from which we receive everything we know of science, spirituality, psychology, history, and fantasy.
Regardless of what we personally believe, we are all stuck in our own headspace. Our realities are like snowflakes, unique but similar, and we share a common human history with every race throughout every age since time began. All attempts at seeing beyond our own experience are what we refer to as enlightenment, or wisdom, and bring peace. My art is basically interpretive enlightened mindspace, using beauty as a medium and an inspiration. I make stuff that's attractive to me, with subject matter that appeals to me, or says something to me, but at the same time try to channel something universal that will speak to others too. I'm very honored to discover that it has.

BACK