I can’t even tell you how long we’ve been meaning to do this feature on super cool photographer and model Mette Th13teen. We love her attitude and her work. She really brings the right perspective to what really should be a creative, sexy, and fun genre, and we always enjoy seeing her work, both in front of and behind the camera.
You do great work both in front of the camera as well as behind it. What are the challenges to working both sides and what do you see as the advantages?
First of all, thanks! I don’t really see any challenges, only advantages.. Every time, I model, I can learn something new as a photographer, by watching the photographer work, and by asking questions if they work differently in some way. When I shoot people, I know, how it feels to be on the other side of the camera and can give advise to first time models because, I know how it feels and what works and what makes it easier and more fun.
Do you work primarily in Copenhagen, Denmark, or do you travel a lot for your work?
Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark so even though, there isn’t that many opportunities here, most of them is in Copenhagen, so I do most of my work here. As a model, I travel a bit around the country but mostly work in Copenhagen. I do some modeling work for people in the other end of Denmark, but those shoots mainly take place here as well. Its a bit different as a photographer, I do some traveling in Denmark but also around Scandinavia and Europe, that depends mostly on where my work for Scandinavian Tattoo Magazine takes place, tattoo conventions, interviews and so on.
Which came first, the modeling or the photography, and did one lead to the other?
I have been photographing, on and off, since I was around 13 years old, but until 2004, my work was a lot different. All my work was analog and black & white photos and I never used models. In 2004, I was asked to model for a Swedish photographer, that was my first time modeling, and I really didn’t like the pictures and I was like “I can seriously do this better than him” and that provoked me to start shooting models. I borrowed a camera from a friend and started shooting friends, to find out which style felt most like mine, lighting, which angels worked best for the different types and how to edit model pics in Photoshop and so on. And I have been trying ever since ;)
As a model, what sites and publications have you appeared in?
Other than the various sites of photographers, I have worked with, I did a cover+article for Scandinavian Tattoo Magazine in 2004 and that was my first publication. Since then, I started modeling for Broken Dollz, both my sets for them, has been on Altporn, so I appeared there ;), an upcoming alt. erotic site called Perverse Fixation, which I am fucking excited about! I have also modeled for 3xL, a well known Danish rubber enthusiast, his webblog is one of the best in the fetish scene, if you ask me! Rock Confidential Magazine did a feature on me, I also do a lot rubber modeling for this amazing custom rubber designer called Heavyrubber, basically all my rubber has been made by him and I love it! There is a Danish site called publicfetishgirls.com, I have done some videos, of me wearing rubber in public, for them and I definitely will do more, that is really fun. I also modeled for Vandal X Klothing and for Wicked Ink, they are both t-shirt designers. My most recent job, was a music video for a metal band called Volbeat, that was a lot of fun, I have never done that before but I fucking hope that I get to do that again! I don’t really keep track and this is what I can remember :) I hope to do more publications, covers, music videos and modeling, because I really love that and it always adds an edge to it, when I model for stuff, that is going out there instead of “just” for my site!!
I just saw some of the beautiful covers you’ve been shooting for Scandinavian Tattoo Magazine. As a photographer, what sites and publications have you worked with so far?
I haven’t done much as a photographer, it’s not that, I don’t love it, but I do more modeling.. I work for Scandinavian Tattoo Magazine and that is my main thing, doing covers+posters+writing articles and so on. I shot some rubber sets for Heavyrubber.dk, some live shows for sceneskrekk.com, the site of a Norwegian freakshow - those pictures appeared on bmezine.com as well. I did a set for perversefixation.com and some work for flyers+posters for the largest Danish alternative online community. The last thing, I can think of, is a live shoot of a Danish rockabilly band called Wild Wax Combo…
What publications and sites would you like to work with in the future either as a photographer or a model?
Like I mentioned earlier, I would love to do more!! But I don’t have anything new planned, other than the sites, I already work with, like www.perversefixation.com, www.publicfetishgirls.com, www.heavyrubber.dk, www.brokendollz.com, Scandinavian Tattoo Magazine, www.lustlovelatex.com and so on.. I’m pretty excited about what the future brings and I´m open to any offer, I get!
I was just looking at your Th13teen.net portfolio site and saw some of the amazingly sexy rubber fetish photos you’ve been appearing in lately and it occurred to me that the European alt and fetish scenes seem to have a lot more crossover than they do here in America. Do you feel there are specific reasons the mix is better over there or are we just behind the times over here?
Thanks a lot! I actually don’t think that the European scenes cross over more than the American, not that I have noticed or know of. The Danish alternative scene and fetish scene, are both pretty small and we basically all know each other or of each other, there are really only a couple of alt. models that also does fetish shoots. The fetish scene is a lot bigger than the alt. scene here and we always have a lot of European and Scandinavian guests at the fetish parties, but I always seem to be the only alt. model that goes to the parties, but there are some fetish models there too! If anybody is behind the times, I would guess that it would be us, Denmark is pretty old fashioned in some ways and body modifications, fetishes and stuff like that, is still not really accepted and kept at home.. New things and change takes time here!
How would you define altporn and what should it ideally represent in your opinion?
Alt. porn is a huge specter for me! It contains everything that the fashion modeling and commercial world doesn’t and that is what I love about it! That there is room for people, that stand out and are proud of it! Not everybody thinks, that the perfect woman is blond, skinny as hell and has big boobs! There should be room for all of us, I think that, it is what makes us exciting - the fact that we are all different, individuals! Like fetishes, some gets a hard on from touching a balloon and some from checking out girls with tattoos, that gives us the possibility to actually learn something from each other..
The European adult/erotic/porn world seems incredibly more diverse than the mainstream adult industry in the States. Does AltPorn really stand out as much there as it does here?
It might really stand out more here, even though the scene is small, the people, that are a part of it, are proud of it and enjoy being themselves and expressing themselves the exact way, they love! We don’t have that many people “to look up to” so there are not really any guide lines and that probably gives room for more diversity.. I guess that forces us to take a stand as an individual instead of just following the “non-existent” mainstream adult/erotic/porn scene.
You have some great tattoo work, what are some of your favorite tattoo studios?
I would have to say Uncle Allan at Conspiracy Inc. - he is amazing and really respected all over the world! He did a lot of my work.. Besides that, it is really a matter of what tattoo style, you like.. But sticking to the Danish ones, Nick The Electric Pick is also incredible, he is Canadian but works with Uncle Allan at Conspiracy Inc. and Alex, a Scottish guy living here in Copenhagen, his studio is called Rites Of Passage, he does some kick ass realistic work! We talked about doing a little (big) something on me but you will have to wait and see ;)
Does it make a difference to you if a site or publication is run by a woman or a man?
Not at all! The only thing, that matters to me, is respect!! Nothing more, nothing less…
If you could improve the altporn genre or culture, what changes would you make? What would you get rid of and what would you encourage?
I don’t think, there is anything, I personally, would change or improve - it is a very diverse world! Every site has its own manager and that manager is different from any other manager of any other site. Their personal taste, opinions and so on, comes out through the site and that is what, you judge the site on. In overall, I can’t really think of anything.. I have had very little bad experiences, the ones, I have had, are based on how the manager, wants their site to be and you can’t really blame them for disagreeing with me ;) Some people in the culture might think, that they can do what they want, because the genre is some what small and leaves f.ex. models, with not that many other opportunities, so we “have” to settle.. They are wrong though, the culture is getting bigger and bigger by the day and still more and more people, accept and approve of it, but it is still small enough for the word to get out, so all they really do, is shoot themselves in the ass!
Be sure to check out her site: http://www.th13teen.net
