Thursday, February 28, 2013

How To Take Good Boudoir Photos of Yourself

This is a general suggestion for ways to take quality photos of yourself or your partner without getting into too many specifics. You can always look up some of the technical terms and find tutorials online, but I thought I would write this as an introduction to those who have considered it, but thought they couldn't do it themselves. Clit Vibrators or Clit Vibrator and clit stimulator are made from environmental friendly material and safe for your health.

    "I think all of us have buried in us a secret desire to see ourselves (and our loved ones) in an erotic and artistic light in photos."

    — Trysexual

Whether you have tried it already, have fantasized about it or just want to improve on what you have done, taking self-boudoir photos can be a lot of fun, even if you never publish the photos. Just the process of doing it is erotic and often times, you can come up with some excellent photos too. And one of the great things about digital photography is that if you don't like the results, you can delete them forever.

Not all of us have a partner to take photos for us or are brave enough to have someone else take them for us, so there are alternatives for those wanting something more than a hand held phone pic of themselves in lingerie, nude or in the act of self-love. While it is fun to be photographed in different states of undress by someone else or to be the one behind the camera, it is also fun to do this solo.

First off you need a camera. For the sake of this lesson, I am using a digital camera. You will want some kind of software to edit the photos after the shoot, if you do not already have some and a tripod, a reflector, and any props you want to add. If you do not have a tripod, you can improvise using a bean bag and a table or something similar. A DSLR is ideal, but a regular point and shoot can work too.

Lighting is everything in photography, so you will want something to set the mood right and captures as much or as little as you want to show. Natural light is usually the best, so that means you will want to shoot during the daytime, preferably near as large and bright a window(s), as you have available. If you are a more advanced user, you can use or add a flash too. But for now let’s just use the KISS method (Keep it Simple Stupid). If you live in a private more rural area, you can certainly do this outdoors too.

As a photographer, many of my best portraits were done using simple natural lighting from a window. This is often the best type of light you can have. It gives a soft and romantic feel, preserves some shadows, texture and allows hand held shutter speeds.

You can experiment using side lighting, back lighting, clam shell lighting, etc. If you want to fill in the shadows you can use a reflector. For those newbies out there, you can use one of those foldable foil car windshield shades, a big white foam-core board from a craft store or make your own putting foil or white reflective material on a piece of cardboard. If the light is too harsh, you can put a semi sheer curtain or sheet over the window to soften up the light. If you brainstorm, you can find all kinds of household items that can be used as light modifiers. Want light patterns on your body? Put a plant between the light and your body and see the shadows it creates. You can do the same with a fishbowl full of water, some sticks, honeycomb light covers, a cooling rack from the kitchen and the like. Window blinds do wonders to emphasize curves and set a mood. Also, mirrors can be very useful, not just as reflectors, but within the image showing two sides of the same person, a reflective image of a body part(s) or whatever else your mind can come up with.

Ok, I don't want to get too technical. Some of my cameras have an infrared remote control, so you can click the shutter, which is ideal, and they are pretty cheap to get if you camera is compatible. Otherwise, most cameras have a timer, so you can set it to go off after 2-12 seconds from pressing the shutter. The remote allows instant or delayed shutter response. This gives you a chance to frame the shot from a tripod, check the focus and exposure press the shutter and get your body in position for the photos. It is slightly more hit or miss. You will have to check that the focus is where you want it to be, because you are not in the shot at the time of setting the exposure. You can always put an object or stuffed animal in the intended spot, focus on it and swap it out with yourself after pressing the shutter (brilliant, I just thought of that, but never actually tried it). The focus will greatly depend on the focal length and type of lens you are using. A wider angle will keep you in focus at various distances, but a 50mm+ lens is going to have a shallower depth of field. You will have to try different poses and many different exposures to get the look you are hoping for, but it’s a fun process, when you get into it. The great thing about digital photography is that you can learn, so much faster having immediate results and you don't have to worry about taking risqué photos to some creepy photo-mat guy afterwards.

If you have never done this before, it is very much a trial and error process. You have to just experiment and see what poses look best, what light positions, focal lengths etc. and so on. If you are standing near a window you can place your reflector at the opposite side, from below or even above, depending on how you want to light your scene. A 45 degree angle from the facing direction is ideal, but not set in stone. A reflector isn't required either, but is just another option to enhance your photography.

From there you can upload your pictures to your software of choice and edit as needed. Delete the bad ones, rate the keepers 1-5 (keepers will only be 4-5 though) and edit exposure to taste, crop as needed and experiment with the various enhancements available to you. You can make them Black/white, soft focus, sepia and all kinds of limitless possibilities. If you don't have photo editing software, a great program to get started on is Picasa 3 and best of all, it is FREE and easy to upload to or email pictures, if you need to. There are more advanced programs like Lightroom from Adobe, but they are geared towards more advanced photographers and professionals. For the novice, Picasa 3 can do quite a bit and save a lot of time.

Most programs have a feature to soften the focus. This gives a romantic, glowing quality to photos and is similar to what Playboy does (now they airbrush, but I digress). It's a great way to cover up imperfections like freckles, stretch marks and blemishes or to blur distracting backgrounds. Alternatively, you can use a sheer stocking and stretch it over the lens to get a similar effect. Secure it with a rubber band. If you have a clear UV type filter over your lens you can smudge it with a thin layer of Vaseline, but this is not something I would do.

If you get brave enough and want to share your work, you can join another free photo sharing site like Flickr, which is kind of a social site for photographers. There are groups you can join to learn the basics of photography or even your brand specific model. There are many other sites you could use as well, if you chose to go that route.

Photography is a lot of fun and even more fun without any clothes on. The human body is beautiful and everyone is somewhat unique. You don't have to be a supermodel to look good or enjoy it either, but I think all of us have buried in us a secret desire to see ourselves (and our loved ones) in an erotic and artistic light in photos. If you don't like the results, you can always delete them and they are gone forever and at least you tried and had fun in the process. Personally, I find it very arousing taking self nude and erotic photos. I enjoy photographing others too, but I am often too wrapped up in the technical aspects, to really enjoy the moment as much as when I am shooting solo.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Doctors Need To Be On the Lookout For Reproductive Coercion

I often blog about issues surrounding sexual assault and reproductive rights; sometimes they go hand in hand (e.g., remember all the political turmoil prior to the 2012 elections in which new terminology such as “legitimate rape” was added to our discourse?). For example, we see the blurring of these two issues in the case of reproductive coercion. Recently the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published recommendations that doctors, especially OB-GYNs, be on the lookout for signs of “reproductive coercion.” As a sexuality researcher, this concept was not entirely new to me, but certainly not something I was all that familiar with. This concerned me because I wondered how many others would be familiar with reproductive coercion.

Whether you want discreet Male Masturbators you can hide around the house or a stoker that won't break your wallet, the Man masturbating toy is the perfect sex toys for you.

What is reproductive coercion?

According to an article published in 2010 in Contraception, reproductive coercion can be defined as threats or acts of violence against a person’s reproductive health or reproductive decision-making. The term is often used to describe a set of behaviors which infringe on women’s reproductive rights such as pressuring or coercing a woman to become pregnant or have an abortion, or birth control sabotage. The National Domestic Violence Hotline describes reproductive coercion as a form of domestic or intimate partner violence. Like other forms of domestic violence, women are more likely than men to experience reproductive coercion (i.e., approximately 86% of victims of reproductive coercion are women).

What motivates reproductive coercion?

Ultimately, much like other forms of sexual or Male Masturbators, reproductive coercion is about control. For example, according to Ann Moore and her research team at the Guttmacher Institute: “men coerced women to become pregnant and then denied paternity or men refused to use contraception and then demanded the woman have an abortion…It’s not necessarily about the outcome, but about the control.” The National Domestic Violence Hotline says that reproductive coercion occurs for many reasons. For example, a woman may be coerced or forced into pregnancy because her partner wants to ensure that she will be in his life forever. Additionally some men force or coerce their partner into pregnancy because they want to leave a legacy. Alternatively, some women may experience force or coercion to end a pregnancy. A man may use threats, physical force/abuse or deception to force or coerce a woman into a pregnancy or abortion. And if a woman does not comply with her partner’s demands, he may act out violently and/or verbally/emotionally abuse her. Another form of reproductive coercion is birth control sabotage. In cases of birth control sabotage, a woman’s birth control method is tampered with which reduces its effectiveness or could possibly render it completely ineffective. Again, the result is the same—a woman is forced or deceived into a situation she does not want.

Although an overwhelming majority of reproductive coercion victims are women, men can also be victims as well. For example, a woman may lie about or misrepresent her contraceptive usage or need. She may do this in order to maintain a relationship with her partner or ensure that he will be a part of her life in the future.

What are the outcomes associated with reproductive coercion?

Unfortunately, there is very little research examining reproductive coercion. However, reproductive coercion has been linked to unintended pregnancy which in turn is linked to a myriad of other negative health-related outcomes for both the woman and infant.  Reproductive coercion can (although it does not always) occur in conjunction with physical or sexual violence which again is linked to numerous sexual and reproductive health issues. Given the rates of unintended pregnancy in the United States, researchers should continue to examine reproductive coercion, especially in regard to other forms of violence, unintended pregnancy and other negative health outcomes.

What to do now?

At this point in time, it is important to be aware of reproductive coercion and inform others about it. It is also paramount that doctors, especially those who regularly see women patients about reproductive health issues, be aware of the recommendations from the ACOG and be on the lookout for reproductive coercion.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Your Vibrator Is Doing You Damage

Check the labeling of your vibrators, It could do you damage which will have you screaming for very different reasons

On a recent trip to Melbourne, Australia, a few of my friends found a nightclub vending machine selling sex toys. Interesting right? What is more interesting is that the toys were being advertised as hthalate free? What are Phthalates and why are dildos and vibrators being sold without them I hear you ask? Nastasia Campanella tells you why.

Recent research commissioned by Greenpeace found that seven out of eight sex toys contained traces of the harmful substance, Phthalate. Phthalates are known as endocrine disrupters because they mimic the bodies hormones and cause reproductive and neurological damage. The harmful chemical enters the body when objects containing the substance are used over long periods of time. The chemical gradually breaks down and leaks from the object into our bodies.

I don need to explain how the phthalates get from your vibrators and into your body [lets hope you understand that process]. However, don think this chemical is only found in pleasurable pieces of plastic. Phthalates are used as plastic softeners and are found in so many everyday products like shampoos, deodorants, home furniture, aftershave lotions, baby bottles, change mats and chew toys.

In many countries overseas like Germany, the use of Phthalates has been prohibited (no wonder German girls are so uptight at bars and nightclubs.) When you look at the outcomes of studies done on them, you see why. Research by the National Toxicology Program [NTP], found there were developmental problems in babies born to women who had large amounts of Phthalates in their bodies. The NTP also expressed concerns that male infants who substantially exceeded intake levels of the chemicals could suffer problems in their reproductive system including hormonal abnormalities. The Department of Human Services has also declared the chemical a carcinogen which means there is the potential for it to cause Cancer.

The European Union has placed a ban on the use of certain Phthalates in toys made for children under the age of three. Regulatory bodies in the US have made similar decisions regarding the chemicals, but in countries like Australia not Phthalates are still widely used. However, this was until the National Industrial Chemicals Notifications and Assessment Scheme was rolled out in early 2009. This program saw research done to test 24 different types of Phthalates to see how harmful they were to humans. Many were found to be dangerous, but were not prohibited. Despite this, many manufacturers in the sex trade industry stopped using Phthalates altogether ?promoting their products as hthalate free? Youe got to give it to them for putting their hands up for health and safety right? Its nice to know manufacturers care about more than just their pockets and our G spots!

In any case, the moral to this story is next time you are partying at a bar or nightclub, you should look for the real thing, rather then your riend in the top draw? 

Monday, February 18, 2013

Adult Sex Toys and The World Today

In our day the Adult sex toys production is thriving, a distant roar from what it was 20 years ago, when we started to observe the escalation of the Ann summers Stores with blacked out views, today a well known high street brand name that specialize in selling sex toys and sexy lining and under wear to the general public in shopping malls with out the blacked out windows.

There are not any precise information for how much this enterprise earns in a year, but you can carefully presume the sex toy selling will be running into Billions of Dollars in the near future.

Having this acceptance in culture licenses us to have added fun in the by bringing us more pleasure, sexual achievement and giving us the probability to experiment with ourselves and each other with the extreme number of sex toys that are to hand to us by being on the market.

There are fresh sex toys and technologies being brought onto the market regularly to be up with this requirement in humanity. For the females one of the most prevalent and well recognized vibrators to date is the Rampant Rabbit bringing both G-spot and clitoral stimulation helping to convey some fantastically intense and prolonged orgasms.

Still now it has to be the ladies that are more liberal than blokes when it comes to sexual activity, wanting it and playing with sex toys the most. All and sundry has the right to a nourishing sex life and the days and images of adult sex toy shops which have been associated with seedy back streets are gone. In today culture it is much more of a likelihood to observe them on the high street or in the shopping centers.

For some of the other liberal people there are sex festivals to think about with one of the most trendy being the Erotica festival, well over 75,000 individuals attended the three day happening which was held at the London Olympia exhibition center in West London.

This festival stages a staggering 200 stalls which sell a provoking line of merchandises, From sex toys to rubber corsets, adult holidays to hot tubes to honor only some. Not much is left to any person mind as people walk past the stalls with names such as Babes'n'Horny and Bondage Heaven. There are eye pooping floor shows to watch over and the up-to-the-minute designs to try out in furniture for the sadomasochists and alike.

This Erotica festival is not just a retreat of Great Britons kinky marginal it is being hailed as the new face of Middle Britain, the detail that this festival erotica attracts more populace each square meter than the Ideal Home Performance says its organizers. This is some substantiation that sex sells and so do sex toys, the adult sex toys industry is thriving and getting to be mainstream.

For example if we take a nimble preview at the Netherlands they have put an mechanical dispenser selling Adult sex toys outside a bar in the southern Dutch city of Tilburg. They have called it the Eromatique and obviously it is the first vending contraption of its kind in the Netherlands.

Sex toys is a good thing to make you feeling good when you intercouser, Rabbit Vibrators is also good sex toys for people