What made you decide to become a bondage rigger and producer?

That’s a tough one, Rob, as there were many factors involved with my decision to become a bondage producer. I’ve been a rigger for a lot longer than I was a producer, but it wasn’t for any websites, it was during BDSM parties (and my own enjoyment with my love in our apartment) with the BDSM club in Birmingham, Alabama (and before that). But the two worlds kind of collided while I was living in Birmingham, Alabama, when one of our BDSM club members made the jump into being a bondage model. She went by the name of Sabrina Fox, and I’m not sure if she is still modeling (I never got a chance to shoot a session with her, so if you’re still modeling Sabrina, contact me!). I would say that was the catalyst for me to become a bondage producer. The producer idea truly jelled in my mind when I saw a bit of a niche that wasn’t being properly filled, at least to me, and the idea solidified when we moved back to my home, Tucson, AZ.

You’ve done a lot of bondage shoots in the desert. What kind of logistics goes into planning a shoot that takes place in a setting like that? Have people who aren’t part of the shoot ever come over to see what you were doing? And, if so, how do you explain to them what you’re doing?

That’s quite an interesting question! I’ve done a lot of hiking in the desert here over the years, and sort of have a “feel” for spots that could be useful. But when it comes to planning an outdoor shoot, I go out to the proposed location several different times (changing day of the week, time, etc.), just to see what kind of foot traffic is in the area, along with having a critical eye as to hazards to bare feet, snags, and the like. And I always scout out backup locations in case the primary location is too busy. Most of the locations aren’t on or near main hiking trails that a lot of people use, but they are off little – used trails. These locations usually have convenient mesquite trees, hills, or high wash walls around the location. Those are some of the criteria that have to be met in order for me to think of using a location as either a primary or backup location.

The only time I ever had people that weren’t part of the shoot stumble upon us were a couple – luckily, we were taking a break between scenes – and a rattlesnake startled them! To say they wanted to get out of there posthaste is an understatement. (I actually wound up taking a few pictures of that rattlesnake!) They actually thought that we were out there to enjoy the sun! Other than that, I have never had people wander over – you can see them in the distance, plus the remoteness of the locations kind of discourages them. That’s the primary reason why I go scouting locations beforehand. And a lot of these shoots happen during the week as well.

One very important part of desert location shoots that many people may not realize is that the temperatures in summer get too hot to shoot real quick. If you manage to get to a location at sunrise this time of year (summer), you may get two hours of shoot time if your lucky. Summer temps here in the desert routinely exceed 100^ Fahrenheit (38^ Celsius). There is a shooting season for outdoor shoots down here (mostly our winter months) and keeping hydrated can be a problem. I always bring a cooler full of water bottles in ice to these shoots, and always encourage the models who are not familiar with the desert to drink water, even if they don’t feel thirsty.

When I contact a model (or vice-versa) one of the first questions I always ask is what are their limits. There are usually a lot of emails going back-and-forth between the model and myself, ironing out limits, and sending a copy of the model release form for them to review. Nowadays I have a sort of check sheet that I email to the model at the same time as the model release form, and she indicates what she is willing to do, as part of the shoot planning.

And we repeat the check sheet at the shoot before any shots are taken. The model again checks what she is willing to do, and initials by each item. Even during the shoot, she can change her mind and say “I won’t do that”. There is a saying in the BDSM world: “Safe, Sane, and Consensual”. Plus, there is always a conversation between myself and the model all throughout the shoot, as I let her know what I am planning on doing next. That conversation also includes a lot of  “are you Okay” questions as well. Someday I ought to set up the video cam to catch a behind-the-scenes look at how I operate.

Cali Logan, one of the models on CoyoteBondage.com
 

Describe for us how you plan out and what goes into a typical photo and video shoot for CoyoteBondage.com.

The first email I send to the model is the one that contains my limits checklist for her to view. Once I get an idea of what the model is willing/not willing to do, I send her a proposed shoot schedule that includes a generalized plan for each section (or segment). At the same time, I send her a copy of the release form for her to review and comment on, and another limits sheet for her to review, check off what she is willing/not willing to do, and return the limits sheet to me. Communication prior to the shoot is key and very, very important to me. We’ve both got to be on the same page prior to any shoots.

The planning involved in a typical shoot starts with the model’s limits. Once I know what her limits are, ideas start going through my mind. One of the things that I begin to think of is “how would this look in a BDSM club setting?” and I let my mind wander from there. Sometimes the model’s limits give me ideas in and of themselves, but I never even go near those limits. It’s more of a “Well, she doesn’t do flogging, so why not do a set where she gets tightly tied to a post?” kind of thing that pops into my head regarding limits. I don’t come close to any model’s limits; in fact, I steer clear of them. Safe, sane and consensual is always my priority during shoots, and the safety and well being of the model always comes first.

Once I have done a rough idea of the shoot schedule, I send it to the model to see what she thinks of it. The shoots are always a collaboration between myself and the model – I absolutely will not do anything she’s not comfortable with.

And the shoot schedule isn’t set in stone, it’s more like water! During the shoot, we (the model and I) talk back and forth about the sets, and some of the best shots that I have taken have been at the model’s suggestion, and the same can be said for some of the rigging as well!

 
What producers/riggers do you admire? 

The first producer/rigger that I admired was PD from the old Insex website. Especially that big old barn he had! Nowadays, it would be the bunch over at HardTied and it’s related websites. I’ve always been fascinated in how they do their rigging. Heck, just to learn some of the stuff they do on a seemingly regular basis would be great.

Another producer I admire is Dave Gibson. While he does more of the glamour bondage, I find it interesting to see how he does his rigging and lighting.

Oh, and I’ve got to mention Tolstoy Tony of Tucson Tied. He’s a good friend of mine, and someday I’ll twist his arm enough so that he lets me in on a shoot to show me how he does what he does! I would mention what happened the first time we met as riggers, but that’s a long story to be told another day.

Samantha Grace 

Have any of the shoots you’ve done been so stringent that a model had to stop shooting? If so, describe the shoot (or shoots) that proved to be too much?

The only shoot that I had to stop because of a model was due to a combination of factors: 1) She had a medical condition that I was unaware of despite asking her; and 2) She had not eaten at all that morning. She fainted from that combination, and once we got her into a chair with blankets (looking for shock) over her, that’s when I found out about the two above. She wanted to go back to shooting, but I insisted that the shoot was over.

Another shoot that I should have called off (in hindsight now) was where the model brought along a friend who wanted to get started in BDSM modeling, and was willing to do this shoot with her friend for free. What I didn’t know at the time was that they were taking “smoke breaks” in between shoots – except those weren’t cigarettes they were smoking. Besides smoking those joints, I’m not sure what else they were doing at the time. Since I was busy setting up gear/moving gear, I never knew. Both of them are on my “do not want” and “unfavorable recommendation” lists, although I think they stopped modeling after that shoot. Being under the influence during a shoot (or at any BDSM event) is hazardous to all parties involved – she may decide that the pins and needle sensations aren’t that bad, or that this particular position is giving her pains in certain joints, but “it’s all good” is what she’s thinking.

There have been several other shoots that I’ve had to call a halt to, but it wasn’t the model or me – it was Mother Nature. Sometimes the heat kicks in down here early, and you definitely have to call the shoot, both because of sunburn potential and also keeping hydrated. Not to mention when thunderstorms roll in during our Monsoon season or the winter rains that start, but weren’t in the forecast!

What has been the most memorable moment for you out of all the shoots you’ve done?

Memorable moment? I have to pick just one from many? Any shoot with Candle Boxxx comes to mind – she’s just so much fun on and off set; working with Sinn Sage, someone who is truly versatile and also has a great mind for great ideas during a shoot; and Carissa Montgomery all jump to the forefront as some of the most memorable moments. Working with Stacie Snow was always a blast, and we joked around in between shots. She loves to make these crazy faces that I just couldn’t help but shoot. But there are many more...

I believe I got to shoot Ashley Graham at a photographer’s shoot meet here in Arizona. She went by LTSmash back then, and when I saw that she made the cover of Sports Illustrated...

What is the dream shoot you have not yet done that you’ve always wanted to do?

Well, there are actually two dream shoots that I have always wanted to do: one would be an all-day shoot with Ashley Renee, but I’m not sure if she would do stuff to fit in with my site, and the second would be to spend a day (or a week!) rigging and shooting at HardTied or one of their affiliate sites. Working for one of those sites would not only be a dream shoot, but a dream job as well.

How did you come up with the name for your site?

Coyote, in Native American lore, is called The Trickster. I live near a large Native American nation, and they have a number of legends about Coyote. When I joined my first chat group, I needed a nick that was unique, so I started using El Coyote. Years later, that same nick had gotten around the Internet (associated with me), and when I decided to start building a website, CoyoteBondage just seemed a natural choice. It was different, it was unique, and it is (I hope) easily recognizable in a list of websites.

Derek Synklaire

What is the hardest, toughest or most difficult aspect of being a producer of bondage content?

The hardest and most difficult aspect of being a producer of bondage content is finding models in the local area. There are a lot of models, yes, but very few who actually are willing to do bondage. Most of the models either travel through, or I happen to be going through where they are.

The toughest aspect of being a producer is getting members to your site, and also buying from your site. Money is always an issue when looking for/booking models. But that isn’t just me, it seems to be a problem with the majority of the small bondage sites.

What are your favorites:  gags, type of restraint, bondage position for the model?

Gags would have to be the “O ring” type of gag simply because it portrays a sense of impending oral sex;

Type of restraint: I would lean more towards leather restraints, as you can get them just a bit tighter, but truthfully both rope and leather are about equal to me, it mostly depends on my mood and what I’ve come up with for a shoot (and off-camera work with my Mrs); another favorite restraint is the arm sleeve, as it tends to push the breasts out in an exotic way once it’s all tightened down;

Bondage Position: I’m not sure exactly how to answer this one, as they’re all my favorites in one way or another, but if I would have to be specific, it would be any one where she’s tied, accessible, and ready for sex. After all, one wise old sage once told me, “BDSM is a method of foreplay”.

Along with favorite positions is using a Hitachi wand (or a vibrator dildo) to do a forced orgasm. I’ve got an evil Hitachi – it doesn’t just go on or switch between high or low, but is connected to a switch where I can vary the voltage and speed remotely. I’ve been told by more than one model what an evil thing it is!

What would be a deal-breaker for you when it comes to shooting with a model who balks at shooting the content you want for your site?

The biggest deal-breaker for me would be for the model to not communicate what she will or won’t do ahead of time, or hides some medical condition I need to be aware of. Or one who professes to be into or comfortable with shooting bondage, but who really isn’t. That’s why I ask those questions ahead of time – so that I’m not taken by surprise before/during the shoot. If it is something she doesn’t want to do, I can usually work around it. Medical conditions, however, are a deal breaker, especially ones where I find out (as I’m doing rigging) the “Oh, my left knee likes to pop out of place due to an old injury” kind of thing.

Another huge deal-breaker (and it is one that I hope most, if not all producers have) is the model showing up for a shoot high on whatever drug or drunk. Those are immediate shoot cancellations, and a good way for the model to not work with me again.

How would you describe your site in a few sentences to let people unfamiliar with your work know what they'll find at CoyoteBondage.com.

What you will find at Coyotebondage.com are images that are a step or so above glamour bondage, but below hardcore S&M websites. The site’s premise is based around what someone would actually see at a BDSM play party, so there are plenty of items to please a wide variety of folks. As I like to quote: “Bondage from mild to wild!”.

I strive to bring a BDSM party-like atmosphere to my site, the kind where you might open a door and peek in... to see what is going on inside. As for me, I’m just now getting back into the “game” after being away, after going through college to get my degrees.

Another interesting thing about me is that I spent 20 years in the Air Force, then five more years working as a C-130 Aircraft Mechanic. I was also once into a self-professed “BDSM Club” that mostly sat around and talked about things...

And I am always open to customs and special requests, as long as the model is in agreement to do any special requests. Just email me through the site (or through Rob here) and I’ll see what I can do.