Photography and Text by Ted Kawalerski, Copyright 2021
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Webster Hall
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Webster Hall is a nightclub and concert venue located in the East Village of Manhattan. I had been to a few concerts at the iconic music hall but Tony asked me to go to a show there that was way out of my wheelhouse. The subject was not but the spectacle was. This was a balls to the wall (excuse the pun) sex fair.
This was a new adventure. Pornstars, drag queens, the full gamut of the LGBTQIA community along with what appeared to be curious white straight people were all mingling. There were booths set up that offered a variety of information and products. A health related presentation was illustrating the importance of using a condom during anal sex and the booth next door was hawking an assortment of sex toys.
What I found most interesting was the real show – the attendees that I spoke about above.
I used to carry a Yashica T4 point and shoot film camera loaded with Tri-X film that I could put in my pocket. I had a field day. I never put a camera in someone’s face and start shooting. I start a conversation and I find that people will tell you personal shit that they probably wouldn’t tell their best friends. They get to a point that they ask you to photograph them and when they find out that you really are a photographer, they would probably throw caution to the wind.
I struck up a conversation with the two women in the photograph. This was a perfect example of how appearances can be deceiving. If I closed my eyes while we were talking, I would have heard two well educated and sophisticated women having a serious discussion. They were funny exhibitionists. I shot two frames and left.
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About The Author:
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To access Ted Kawalerski’s website, click here: https://corkfactoryfilms.com/