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There are moments in an artist’s journey that stand apart from all the rest, moments that remind you why you started and how far you have come. Having one of my images on the cover of a magazine for the very first time is one of those moments for me. It is not simply about recognition. It is about reflection, gratitude, and the honor of sharing my work on a platform that has deep meaning for me. In many ways, After Dark Artist magazine has served as my personal journal capturing my Shibari and photography journey.
When we were told in late March 2025 that I would have the September cover of the magazine, it felt both surreal and grounding at once. When it was announced in the June issue, the anticipation began to build in earnest. For months, I carried that quiet excitement with me, waiting and reflecting on all that had led to this point. Now that the cover has arrived, it feels like the culmination of more than effort. It feels like the affirmation that patience and presence matter.
The cover image itself holds everything I hope my work communicates. It is stripped back, vulnerable, and honest. Kristina is bound in a way that frames her not as an object but as a presence, a woman fully seen and fully held in the rope, her body alive in tension and release. The stone wall behind her, the subtle texture of the rope, and the contrast between vulnerability and strength come together to reflect what I most want my work to say. Rope is not decoration. It is dialogue. It is the quiet conversation between trust, stillness, and surrender. Every detail in this image is true to the core of who I am as an artist and as a rope top.
This particular image carries even more meaning because it comes from my very first photo shoot with Kristina. Neither of us could have known at the time how much that single session would shape what came after, but it laid the foundation for something extraordinary. Since then, we have shared many shoots together. Each has been its own exploration, some quiet and contemplative, others physically intense, but all of them rooted in the same trust and presence that began on that first day. She has grown into her strength as a rope model/bunny, and I have grown into myself as both photographer and rope top. This cover is not simply a milestone for me. It is a symbol of what we have built together from the very beginning.
That is why this moment matters so deeply. It is not just recognition of a single image but the story it carries, a story of beginnings, of growth, of shared trust, and of the art that emerges when two people commit themselves fully to their craft together. From the first rope placed on Kristina’s body to the many sessions that have followed, each knot has tied us closer to the art we now share with others. To see that journey reflected on this cover, is humbling, affirming, and unforgettable.