Behind the scenes with Afif Shafit (Licka Lolly)

Some shoots come together quietly. This one didn’t, and that’s exactly what made it special. Restrained, but couture is a series I created together with Afif Shafit, exploring the meeting point between their drag persona, Licka Lolly, and their kink identity. From the very start, this was a real collaboration. Before we ever set foot in the studio, Afif and I sat down to talk through the vision and share our inspirations, so we both knew what world we were trying to build.

A dress made from pallet wrap

The centrepiece of the shoot is the dress, which Afif and I made by hand beforehand. We built it from industrial wrapping foil, the kind used to pack pallets for transport. That choice was very deliberate: the material ties directly into the mummification kink at the heart of the series. Something completely ordinary and functional became a couture gown with a long, flowing train.

Painting with red and blue

For the lighting, I wanted the color to do a lot of the storytelling. Together with my photography assistant Jonah Szydlowski, I spent about an hour testing lights and gels while Afif was doing their make-up. We settled on red and blue gels, and by the time Afif was ready, the look was ready too. In post-production I shifted the colors slightly to get the final atmosphere you see in the series.

Building the chaos

The most chaotic part of the day was building the set. We wanted Afif’s hands to be tied above their head, so they could almost hang from the structure. That meant building an entire installation out of light stands and whatever other materials we could improvise from the studio. It took some creative problem-solving, but it became an essential part of the images.

Trust on set

Working with restraint means trust comes first. We stayed in constant communication throughout the shoot, and Afif had full control over how far we went with the wrapping foil. They chose their own styling assistant, JXC, so they would feel comfortable speaking up at any moment. We took regular breaks so it wouldn’t become too physically demanding, and we made sure Afif could always free themselves from the ropes.

The team

None of this would have worked without the people around me. Jonah helped build the setup and adjusted the lights whenever needed. JXC helped apply the foil for the restraint and kept correcting the look of the dress between shots. Their support allowed me to focus completely on the photography.

The result

In the end, we created something we were all proud of. The series channels the kinky side of Afif and, more importantly, celebrates it. You can see the full series on the project page: Restrained, but couture.