Black Betty stunned us when we stumbled upon her port! She came so close to be part of the Out of the Box site but it was clear that she was too much at ease with alternative imagery!!!
1) What can you tell us about your background and ethnic heritage?
I'm Black American, born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona USA.
2) Can you share with us the chain of events of you becoming a model?
As a little girl, I admired the gorgeous, elegant Amazon models that were strutting down the catwalk in the late 80's- early 90s. Women like Iman, Grace Jones and Naomi Campbell were so boldly beautiful- I hoped to be like them one day. As a teen, I hung out with the arty goth crowd and often posed for their photographs. I dabbled in modeling for years but it wasn't until a couple years ago that i really started to pursue it in earnest.
3) What was your biggest challenge during a photo shoot, was there ever a time when you said to yourself What am I doing here?
I'd say my biggest challenge during a photo shoot is trying to figure out the photographer. They have, like everybody else, unique personalities and quirks. There are many differences with the directions they give (or don't give), the expressions they want to capture and the overall mood of the shoot. When I work with photographers for the first time, it sometimes takes some effort to in tune with them.
4) Strange question but: is it a good thing to be veeeery tall and be a model? Do you feel that your height gives you an edge for particular assignments?
I think it's great to be tall! I do a lot of work as a live figure model for art classes and workshops; many of the artists I've modeled for love the fact that I'm long-limbed and that they can really emphasize and dramatize my figure. I've been requested by art instructors because of my height and lanky physique.
5) What’s the main secret in being good to pose for live modeling?
The main secret is to pick your poses carefully! What may seem comfortable at first may be torture after 15 or 20 minutes.
6) What convinces you to do an nude project with somebody new, even if it’s only implied/artistic nudity?
What wins me over is the artist's or photographer's vision for the project. Anybody can take naked pictures; but it take a talented professional to make nude art.
7) What is your interest towards shooting fetish themes? Like wearing latex, rubber, leather or even do bondage stuff? Are these kind of themes something that you priorize?
I've loved fetish photography and kink art for as long as I can remember! I've plastered my wall my images torn out of fetish magazines like Skin Two, Marquis and Secret since I was teen. As a long time fetishist- I love latex, heavy rubber and absolutely adore all things glossy and black- it was only natural that I pursue the kinkier modeling projects. And yes, I do bondage stuff, too! I l genuinely enjoy the feeling of being physically restrained, by ropes, belts, zip ties, handcuffs spreader bars... anything! Fetish and kink definitely gets priority because it's very true to me; it reflects who I really am. I've been a participate in Arizona's fetish scene for quite a while and really love this stuff! It's what I'd be doing/wearing/participating in even if there wasn't a camera around. Plus, I deeply aspire to add a little more color to the fetish photography scene because there's a serious lack of women of color in fetish publications. That's why I model under the name Black Betty: I wanna be like a dark-skinned Bettie Page!
8) How would you describe the modeling scene in Arizona?
In a word, lame. There's not a lot going on here and what is going on isn't really ideal for me. There's not a lot of color here in the Valley of the Sun. Because of that, there's not a large demand for dark-skinned models like me. I've been turned down from countless assignments because I don't have the 'desired look' which is almost always Young Blonde Barbie Coed or Pale Heavily Inked Alt Princess. I really want to travel more in 2012, especially to the Northeastern USA and Western Europe. I truly feel I'll be better appreciated elsewhere than here in my hometown.
9) How come there’s no official website yet? The World needs it!!! Anything we can do to help?
Good question! Building a proper website is on my To Do List for 2012.
10) So now by participating in this, you’ve become a Cult Siren! Any chance in seeing you in person by visiting us in Montreal in the future? Because I think that my crew & I will get along fine with you artistically!
Sweet! thanks for adding me to the Cult Siren Universe! I'm proud to represent the darker side of alternative glamour. And absolutely! I'd love to visit Montreal! I've never been to Canada before and now I know who to party with when I get there!