50 Shades of Grey has empowered millions of people to experiment in the bedroom.
Metro.co.uk
by Edith Hancock
But for some, kinky sex is still something only weirdos on the internet do.
One photographer is on a mission to normalise all kinds of sex, proving these people are not just a bunch of weirdos.
Joshua Gibbons, 28, has been documenting people with alternative sexual lifestyles for the past two years, trying to understand what makes them tick.
‘I don’t like to generalise but the joyless attitude towards sex that is drummed into the British from the moment we are born is something that I was not able to entirely avoid growing up,’ he said.
‘I felt it timely to make an honest and accurate series about a group of people that are the vanguard of a sexual awakening in Britain.’
All the participants involved in the series use social media dating, meet-up and sex sites to engage in a variety of sexual preferences, including swinging, BDSM, power play, cross-dressing, and dogging.
The photographer contacted the participants on social media sex sites and included messages he and participants received online during the project.
His photo series Sex Site debunks the stereotypes and preconceived ideas people might have about those who use social media looking for kinky encounters.
Gibbons said: ‘It was incredibly challenging seeking participants.
‘This involved an awful lot of time surfing these websites, sourcing individuals and couples that I felt were appropriate for the project, but also keen to get involved.’
Featuring people from around the UK aged between 18 and 35, the participants came from a variety of different backgrounds with many from professional backgrounds such as nurses, teachers and lawyers.
Whether they were a couple seeking a third partner, or a singleton looking to be dominated, Gibbons gained their trust and showed them in their own homes exactly as they are: people trying to muddle through this sh*tshow we call life.
Think everyday activities, like lounging around, having a bath, eating toast and watching T.V.
‘It pains me to admit but I would say that I was surprised by the extremely normal and average lives lead by all of my participants, they were just all very lovely and welcoming people. And why shouldn’t they be?’
‘This shock quickly passed as I met more and more of the participants, photographing them in their homes and I began my own process of breaking down existing stereotypes.’
Gibbons learnt that, underneath the gimp masks, we’re all the same. …