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***
Entrevista con Hywel Phillips - RestrainedElegance, de Christie
Biel ***
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Christie
Biel |
| x |
| Hoy
he hecho la entrevista a Hywel Phillips, director, creador y propietario
del famoso portal RestrainedElegance.com. Es una página
web muy famosa, porque tiene un diseño elegante,
único, y también tiene unas fotografías
excelentes y muy eróticas. Son fotografías
con mucha sensualidad, muy bien trabajadas, y muchas de
sus modelos están consideradas de las mejores modelos
del mundo en bondage.
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| La
entrevista es extraordinaria y maravillosa, y es una entrevista
muy buena para aprender muchas cosas. Hywel Phillips es una persona
con mucha experiencia en bondage, y habla de la seguridad
del bondage, da consejos muy buenos, explica anécdotas,
y comentarios de bondage que hacen para mí es un
honor poder hacer esta entrevista con Hywel Phillips. |
| Esta
es la entrevista concedida con su texto real original.
Si queréis verla en español, clickear sobre
la bandera española, al lado del texto de traducción
en español. |
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***
Entrevista
con Hywel Phillips - RestrainedElegance
***
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Traducción
español
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|
Original
Interview
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X
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Christie
Biel |
| When
did you start your website?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| We
opened the doors to paying customers on 1st April 2001.
I had a portfolio of artwork up for maybe a year before
that. |
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Christie
Biel |
| How
did you get the idea of your website? Why did you decide
the name of "RestrainedElegance"?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Bizarrely
enough, the name came from a cake shop! There was a shop
which made big cakes for weddings etc. called Whipped
Elegance. The images that brought to my mind were quite
different from the wedding cakes. And that's where the
name came from- it was a short step to Restrained Elegance
for general bondage, rather than just whipping! |
| I've
always been attracted by the idea of really elegant, beautiful,
perfect women in bondage. In my fantasies I was always
thinking about kidnapping princesses or heiresses or the
leading lady in a Hollywood movie, rather than the girl
next door. So the basic idea of the site comes from that-
from capturing and taking the most aspirational, gorgeous,
unattainable girls. It's all very romantic, I guess!. |
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Christie
Biel |
| How
many people are RestrainedElegance?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Full
time, just me. |
| Part
time, quite a few people help out with the odd day here
and there. Ariel Anderssen is our resident slavegirl (for
real, these days- she's my girlfriend and we live in the
"Restrained Elegance House/Studio" together) and she helps
out a lot on the bondage side of things, and also with
shoot storylines and directing. I hate publicity, so Kate
works part time doing most of the site publicity and marketing
for me. She also helps with the photography and bondage
rigging (and still steps in front of the camera as Temptress
Kate occasionally, too). |
| We
also have a lot of help from some members-turned-photographers
who have attended some of our bondage photography tutorials
( http://www.restrainedelegance.com/tutorialinfo.php
) and who now shoot for the site. Steve is local, so he
does a lot of shoots, but there's also Merlin and Svampen
who shoot with us too. There's a few photographers who
shoot independently for the site too. |
| My
friend Ian has developed the software scripts for the
site in his spare time, and there's a few other people
who help out at a small level... plus of course there's
all the models without whom we couldn't run the site at
all!. |
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Christie
Biel |
| How
would you define bondage?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Wikipedia
defines it as "Bondage is the use of restraints for the
sexual pleasure of the parties involved" which seems like
as good a definition as any. I don't think the definition
really matters so long as you both enjoy what you are
doing. |
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Christie
Biel |
| Why
did you decide to dedicate professionally to bondage?.
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Something
of an accident, really. I started bondage photography
purely as a hobby, with the intention of maybe making
enough money to cover the costs of shoots and camera equipment.
I really enjoyed bondage photography but it has quite
high costs so I just thought if I launched a modest website
I could maybe do more photography. |
| The
site took off beyond any reasonable expectation, but also
started eating more and more of my time. It was making
more money than my day job (I used to be a University
Lecturer in Particle Physics) and I was a bit fed up with
all the conflicting demands of that job, so I decided
to go full time a couple of years later and haven't really
looked back since. |
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Christie
Biel |
| How
to search your models and what requirements must your
models? Is it difficult to find good models? Are there
many girls interested?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Most
of the models find me, these days. The ones I contact
myself I find online from portfolio sites like Purestorm
or OneModelPlace. |
| I
probably turn down three models for every one I work with,
so there are more girls interested than we could ever
have time or budget to shoot with. |
| So
no, it isn't difficult to find models. It is harder to
find good ones, and you only really know if someone is
good when you've worked with them and had chance to go
through all the photos afterwards. There's just something
about the camera "loving" some people that's impossible
to assess until you see the final shots in their full
glory on a big screen. |
| It
is even harder to find GREAT models. For me a great model
is one who the camera really loves, who looks like a million
dollars, but who also has a really professional attitude,
on time, has ideas, works collaboratively to bring ideas
to life, and most of all has that indefinable spark of
charisma and individuality that means you absolutely cannot
mistake any shot of her for someone else. It also helps
a lot if she's not got too many limits, but I'll take
someone who delivers stellar blow-me-away images within
fairly restrictive limits over a girl who you can do anything
to but who will deliver lacklustre results whatever you
do. |
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Christie
Biel |
| Do
you have some favorite models to work?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Of
course!. |
| My
very favourite, of course, is my own lovely girlfriend
Ariel Anderssen.(We met and got together through working
together for the site, by the way). |
| If
I say more, I'll get in to trouble because unless I mention
all 150+ models I've worked with, someone is going to
think I hate them. |
| But
the models I've probably had the most fun with, and whose
pictures I think are the most memorable, are probably
Ariel (obviously), Andrea Neal (I was lucky enough to
shoot with her just once, a few weeks before she retired,
right at the start of my career), Chanta Rose, Charisma
Cole, Christina Carter, Hannah, Jasmine Sinclair, Paige
Robbins, Sammie B, Sophia Smith, Temptress Kate and Zoe.
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| I
just realised a fair few of those have retired now...
there's a lot of other models I'm still working with who
I'm sure will make the list too but who I maybe feel I
haven't quite done justice to yet. |
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Christie
Biel |
| What
do you think is necessary to be a good professional model?.
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Have
the same attitude any other professional would have to
their job. |
| Good
communication, show up on time, as well presented as as
well groomed as possible, with the stuff you said you'd
bring, do the job you said you'd do :-) . |
| In
addition, I'd say care about the product, care whether
or not the photographer gets great shots, and work with
them to make sure you get the best shots out of the day
that you possibly can. The models who do that are the
models who get rebooked. Remember, a crap shot of you
reflects badly on you as well as on the photographer who
took it :-) |
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Christie
Biel |
| What
advice would you give for the girls interested in working
as models of bondage?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Communication
is key. Before the shoot so you know exactly what you
will be doing, what is expected of you and what you will
and won't do. During the shoot because no-one is psychic
and everyone responds differently to bondage. A position
that is no problem for one person might be really hard
for someone else, so say if something goes numb or hurts,
and do so in good time. |
| Do
your research- look at someone's site before emailing
them about a job. If their site is all hard boy-girl sex
and bondage, and you only do lingerie modelling, you're
going to look a bit silly. |
| Send
photographers up-to-date, accurate photos of yourself
which have not been photoshopped (or at least have only
been very lightly photoshopped). |
| Be
honest- misleading the photographer might get you one
shoot, but it will also get you a bad reputation. |
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| X |
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Christie
Biel |
| How
many models have worked with you in all these years?.
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| About
150 I think. |
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Christie
Biel |
| When
and how was your first experience?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| With
bondage- some not especially succesful experiments with
an early girlfriend. |
| With
bondage photography - I had been drawing pencil and paper
bondage portraits and that got me in touch with a couple
producing a small bondage website in the UK. |
| I
helped them out by doing the photography at one of their
shoots. Shortly afterwards I booked my first studio session
with a model (Nikki). I took along some leather cuffs
and ballgags I'd made myself (no internet shops back then!)
and a whole head full of ideas! That would have been in
2000 I think. |
| In
my head- for as long as I can remember. Some of my very
earliest memories are bondage related, like a Lone Ranger
comic where the heroine was tied up in a mine next to
some sticks of dynamite! |
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Christie
Biel |
| What
advice would you give to those who want to practice bondage?.
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Be
safe, take it slow, communicate with your partner, and
read up about bondage safety before you do it. |
| We've
got a bit of advice on the site at: http://www.restrainedelegance.com/bondagesafety.php
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| But
I'd really urge anyone interested to read Chanta Rose's
excellent book, Bondage For Sex. |
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Christie
Biel |
| What
has been your most exciting meeting to consider?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| I
think probably it was my shoot with Andrea Neal. I was
VERY new (it was maybe my seventh shoot, tops). At the
time, the vast majority of the bondage images in the world
were made in the San Fernando valley, and all the big
name models were based there. So I thought maybe I'd go
over there to shoot in a year or two when I'd got the
hang of it. Then I found out that Andrea Neal was going
to be retiring in a couple of months. I was a BIG BIG
fan of hers, and I really wanted the chance to shoot with
her. |
| So
with the very gracious help of Lorelei from Bedroom Bondage,
I managed to arrange everything and fly out a month later
to shoot! On the same trip I worked with Emily Marilyn
(who I'd met a year before on a business trip, and done
some quick portrait photos to draw from), Stacy Burke,
Rachel Paine and Jewel Evans, met Lorelei, and met Jim
Weathers... can you say intimidating? Doing like your
eighth bondage shoot with Jim sitting in the corner watching?
And I'm glad he was, because I made a classic newbie stupid
error. I'd planned to drip sealing wax on Jewel's behind
to get her delivering a message, and Jim tested the wax
on his hand first. Bloody good job he did, because it
burned far too hot (I gather he still has the scar. Sorry,
Jim.) |
| But
at least that was a VERY salutary lesson learned early-
and I'd like to think that really pulled me up short and
made me consider the safety implications of everything
much more carefully thereafter. |
| How
exciting a trip was that, though? For someone literally
just starting off to work with some of the very top names
in the business before the site had even opened to paying
customers? I still treasure the shots I took of Andrea
Neal very much. |
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Christie
Biel |
| What
do you consider essential in bondage?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| I'm
not a switch, and I'm purely heterosexual, so for me,
it has to be the girl tied up. |
| I've
always thought she mustn't be able to get away and she
mustn't be able to kick me in the nuts... beyond that,
it's all good :-) |
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Christie
Biel |
| To
what would you say always "not" in bondage?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Anything
that isn't safe, sane, sober and consensual. Specifically,
breath play. One way ticket to the morgue. Medic friends
report that about the only time they see sex-play-related
fatalities, it was breathplay or pressure on the neck. |
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Christie
Biel |
| Have
you had a bad experience?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Well,
the burning wax on Jim Weather's hand was certainly one!
I was a clueless newbie, but at least I learned the lesson.
|
| We've
had one model faint in bondage, which scared the life
out of us, although she was fine. I was very, very glad
I had rigged it safely. |
| I
had one model fall quite heavily when she was going to
lie down in bondage, I was ready to support her weight
but she tipped before I'd got in position and she hit
the ground quite hard. No harm done, but a bit of a scary
moment. |
| I
had a mounting point pull out of the wall when it wasn't
securely fastened, but again it had been rigged safely
and the model's weight was taken by a second point. A
few moments of panic, but no harm done. |
| We
also had a nasty moment last year shooting in a swimming
pool in Spain, where Ariel lost her footing in the pool
and nearly slipped under the water. However, there were
two of us with water safety training there and we were
there within seconds. |
| And
I dare say a few other trips and bumps and scrapes, but
those are the ones that stick in my mind. |
| Given
that we've shot over 3000 sets - probably 300,000 photos-
over the last nine years, that's a pretty damn good safety
record. You'd expect at least that many mishaps if we
were all working in an office. |
| I've
had some bad experiences with models, especially the ones
who no-show. (Really- I don't care if you are hung over,
or just can't be arsed to get out of bed, it is RUDE not
to even call or text to let me know). And been burned
a few times by making business agreements with people
which they've tried to take advantage of or hacen't delivered
their side of the bargain on, so I'm much warier about
that sort of thing now. |
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Christie
Biel |
| You
have friends? And any enemy?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Of
course I have friends!! :-) The UK BDSM producers and
models are a pretty nice bunch. |
| Enemies?
I hope not. I certainly don't have anyone I consider to
be my enemy, and I would hope that there isn't anyone
out there who hates me! |
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Christie
Biel |
| What
is your best virtue?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Anything
I say will probably sound like boasting! I think I have
a good eye for a picture, a vivid imagination, I learn
and understand stuff pretty quickly, and work hard so
long as I care about what I'm doing. |
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Christie
Biel |
| What
is your biggest weakness?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| I
am not a people person!!! I'm introverted as hell and
find making small talk very hard work. |
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Christie
Biel |
| What
are your hobbies?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Reading
(all sorts of things, but mainly science, technology,
science fiction, fantasy and history). Roleplaying games
(I've been running a weekly session for my friends from
college for the last twenty years). Hill-walking and mountaineering,
I used to do rock climbing as well but haven't done any
in ages. SCUBA diving. Watching films, too (and a little
TV, but only the very nerdiest of programs like Mythbusters!)
I've recently started doing landscape photography again
as a hobby too, having not done any in years because it
was too like the day job. |
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Christie
Biel |
| How
do you define yourself as a person?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| First
and foremost I still think of myself as a scientist, I
guess. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09XQLmBNrCo
I know what the equations in the background actually are...
how sad is that? (It's the time independent Schrodinger
Equation, in case you are wondering, and I believe there's
a mistake in it...) |
| In
BDSM terms, I'm first and foremost a dominant. I like
tying gorgeous girls up, and I certainly have a sadistic
streak, but the main thing in my fantasies is probably
the power exchange... there's never any doubt that I'm
the one in charge! |
| For
personality type, I'm an INTJ all the way :-) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INTJ
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Christie
Biel |
| What
do you value in a person?.
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| Honesty.
Integrity. Creativity. Imagination. Intelligence (and
more particularly the sort of intelligence that thinks
things through and makes up their own minds). Truthfulness.
(I know, that's basically three ways of saying "doesn't
lie". It's important!) Patience and tolerance. Open-mindedness. |
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Christie
Biel |
| Do
you have a secret you can not confess?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| No.
And if I did I wouldn't tell you! ;-) . |
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Christie
Biel |
| And
any secret that it can confess?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| I
don't think so... I tend to be pretty open about everything
I do. |
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Christie
Biel |
| What
still surprises you?.
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| That
people like my photography enough that I can make a living
at it. |
| Conversely,
that people have so little understanding of how much time,
energy and work goes into making the photographs that
they think they can pirate our stuff for free and that
it somehow isn't stealing or that we are a big company
who will not notice the drain. Like everyone else, we're
gradually getting sucked dry by people posting our work
for free. I wish they'd realise that the $30 membership
fee wouldn't even pay for a single day's update... the
costs of shooting each set are vastly more than that.
It is only thanks to the generosity of lots of people
each paying a relatively small amount that there is so
much good bondage on the web. If you had to pay the full
costs of creating the material for the site, monthly membership
would be thousands of dollars. |
| So
don't steal it and don't give our work away for free,
or we won't be able to carry on. |
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Christie
Biel |
| What
would you consider a place to live, a book to read, and
a dish to eat?. |
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Hywel Phillips
.......... - RestrainedElegance |
| To
live - a city with the mountains on one side and the sea
on the other would be the best thing in the world for
me. |
| To
read - a really good book explaining something new to
me so I can learn something I had no idea about before.
|
| To
eat - sushi, please. |
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