DeLano Bound - Hanging In The Balance

Hanging In The Balance

April, 2010

Once again, I’ve nominated myself for The Bondage Awards. I don’t have a hope in heaven of winning anything but, to paraphrase, “It’s an honor just to be (self-) nominated!” You can go here to vote for me in the “Best Model” and “Best Free Web site” categories and for Michele in the “Best Photographer” category. I also highly recommend voting for rohanna12000 for “Best Writer” and Zymurgea for “Best Artist”. We’re all long shots and that puts me in great company.

Now that the administrative portion of our program is out of the way, I’d really like to talk about the site itself. I’ve done a basic redesign that I’m happy with, for the moment, but I find myself at another crossroads. I have three more shoots to post, two for this update and one more for the next one, and then I’m done with new material. We’ve been too busy preparing to move/moving/settling in over the last almost six months and our creative output, with regards to this site, has waned. Not only that but, as usual, I find that my pool of people with whom we’re comfortable sharing this kind of connective play/photographic exploration is incredibly small. I’m neither inclined nor available to shoot with “the Fetish Model of the Moment”, as most do most of the sites against which I’m competing in the above-mentioned Bondage Awards. DeLano Bound is the queerest of ducks in this rarified world: it has a Black male central figure who both bottoms and tops with rope, posts shoots with both women and men (straight and gay/lesbian), doesn’t have nudity or sex and seeks to explore beyond just the physical elements of bondage. Is there any wonder I couldn’t make any money with this site when I had a pay option attached to it? Is there any wonder my audience is so small comparatively? LOL!

I know I don’t update very often as it is but I’m wondering if I need to take a more formal hiatus from DeLano Bound. I’m not talking about removing the site or leaving the scene. I do have my S/M teaching opportunities after all (see the sidebar). I’m just trying to figure out if this site and what I do/explore/illustrate/highlight has run its course. Do I have enough resources/connections to people who travel down the same road to sustain even the modest content requirements I have? What other elements can I bring to the site? Something academic with a willing professional? More insights from my partners in crime (which was always something I’d planned on doing but lacked the ability to corral them into it). Video? Pod casts? I have a lot to think about. As always, I welcome any suggestions and comments from you (keeping in mind that I pay for all of this out of my own pocket).

In other news, we’re going to be in Seattle for SEAF (Seattle Erotic Art Festival). Unfortunately, my very slap-dash short story wasn’t accepted but Michele does have four pictures in the show, three of which are of me. I’ve never been in the show before! I’m excited!

In honor of SEAF, I’m posting two galleries that we shot last year: one with me bottoming to the rope of our friend Max (an amazing rope top and bondage instructor – and a wonderful man – his educational site is on my Links page) and one with me topping our friend Sophia (who is a fabulous performance artist in her own right). Enjoy!

Namaste,

DeLano Signature

The Shape Of Things To Come