Movers & Shakers > The Photography Of JL Joseph Beaulieu

The Photography Of JL Joseph Beaulieu

by Cary

What inspired you to pick up a camera?

I've always done photos from snap shot photography as a little kid to landscape stuff and finally took and developed my first photo at summer camp when I was 10 years old. I have done band photography for over 15 years and just started with my first digital slr in august of last year. I started shooting models and bondage/fetish stuff in the last 7 months. I have always had an affinity toward darker styles but this really lends itself to my eye.

What particular challenges do you face with erotic photography as opposed to other genres?

People thinking I am not just some god damn creep. It's hard to initiate the conversation with some people to tell them you really want them to look scared or in the moment. I do a lot of natural shooting, I hate when a "model" poses for something and it doesn't look real. I love being locked in a moment and capturing the real. Whether it be having my model wrap a tie around her throat to have a bit of breathplay look as real as possible, to finding a girl who is into what I want to capture so she's okay with taking it as far as need be.

Do you prefer to shoot with film or digital?

Honestly I prefer film for a finalized product to sell artistically and to print. I love the darkroom so much. I, however; cannot contend with how the digital age has caught up with it and it's far more affordable and the instantaneous nature of the photo is very appealing to me now.

How did you become interested in fetish/BDSM?

That has been a personal interest of mind ever since I saw my first images by Robert Mapplethorpe, I realized that it wasn't "normal" as far as society was concerned that I was attracted or interested in them. I think I was probably around 12 years old. And my first erection I can recall was from seeing Pinhead in Hellraiser so that explains a lot.

Do you enjoy fetishism/BDSM play in your personal life, and if so what are you into?

I am pretty dom oriented, I like being a master or commander of sorts. I just barely learned and have been practicing with a lot of rope bondage/shibari stuff.