Simona

As a street photographer, I cannot deny the fact that I have encountered many people who like to share their stories. Simona is a person who shares her life story openly with the public. I asked myself a thousand questions: where did I begin my research in the world of transgender people, and what did I know about BDSM? I knew that all the latex had triggered my eyes enough to investigate what this was all about. Until I came into contact with Simona and did a project with her about prostitution, transgender people, and the love of her life.

The difficult situation of you being a transgender woman from Italy and a prostitute while also earning a living in the BDSM culture, is not the everyday image that people portray in the queer scenes, given that there is a much more exclusive community than the well-known image that people have. You must dive deeper into the culture of BDSM: bondage, discipline, dominance and submission. Maybe it evokes our imagination as to what meaning lies behind the image and everything that is hidden in society. Simona invited me to capture a clear picture of her life as a submissive, which made the interview much more inviting. Simona committed suicide shortly after the shoot, without passing judgment on her lifestyle in general. She was determined to settle down with her new partner and put the finishing touches on various terrariums for homeless reptiles in her new house. The end of her relationship with her partner was, as I understood it, the final stroke.

I would like to thank her for her trust in me and the confidence to speak out. The story is now out in the open.

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