Daniel Handal is a photographer who was interested in exploring the female masking community, or a group of men who like to put on women’s fetish wear and latex masks to transform themselves into living dolls. Handal was fascinated with the way these men who wear female masks “create multi-layered alter egos and assume fictional characters while documenting their role playing with photographs and sharing stories on community blogs.” He wanted to photograph the strange and kinky fetish world, but he found that the only way he could gain access was to don a mask himself!
He first met his subjects at Rubber Doll World Rendezvous, an annual conference for female maskers. But he wanted to photograph the female maskers in a more natural setting where the role-play and exhibition aspects of the fetish culture could truly be expressed. His documentary style approach—while wearing a female mask himself—allowed him to capture the action while actually participating in fetish play as well. “His camera made him stand out, but because he was also in costume, he was also part of the subculture” reports Slate. Now that the photo series is complete, Handal wants people to see the complexity of the female maskers, but also not to take anything too seriously—“It’s role playing, meant to be wicked fun,” he says.
Looking for some “wicked fun” yourself? Come play with us!
Check out more about the photo series that explores female masking here: https://www.slate.com/blogs/
