Fetishes and Flowers: the Kink Photographer Capturing Intimacy and Art in Minneapolis

CW: This article includes photos that are not safe for work.

if you don’t know Ryan Coit, when you meet him you might be intimidated. He’s a buff, tattooed, bald man bartending at a gay club whose name beckons to masc-for-masc cruising: The Saloon. Outside of being a bartender, he is a photographer whose work primarily focuses on queer nightlife — especially the kink and drag scenes.

His portraits featuring bondage, leather, and drag might seem like a difficult entry point on paper. However, there’s an unexpected warmth in his work. Behind his Tom of Finland, statuesque, masculine subject matter, he captures the intimacy and kindness behind these queer relationships. The knowing eye contact between his subjects. The sweet embrace between buff men kissing in a group scene. A transgender couple where the soon-to-be mother is embracing her pregnant husband’s body.

He knows how to let the subject matter speak with the authenticity of queer sensuality without the need to appeal to a cishet gaze

It’s less “love is love” and more, “queer as in fuck you.”

I sat down with Coit while he was bartending to talk about his photography. 

Coit loves to find the simplicity and beauty between two things that appear different, juxtaposing hards and softs. Coit started photography back in middle school when he got his first camera, where he honed his craft by taking portraits of flowers. But in college, he began experimenting with more adult subject matter. 

“I’ve always had a fascination with leather and fetish stuff. I’m influenced by Maplethorpe, who would shoot a flower, and the next photo is somebody in full leather bondage.”

He illustrates this concept by gesturing to one of his many photos which are hung around The Saloon. It’s a portrait of a person wearing a rubber fetish gas mask, their exposed chest above a corseted torso, with their legs spread in a pair of fishnets.

Just like his work, behind his hard exterior, he’s one of the sweetest people I know. As we’re talking about the work on the wall, Ryan begins to tear up.

“I photograph things like this on the wall that make me happy… those are my friends. It’s the same with shooting drag performers. The majority of the people I photograph are people I care about. And when I get to make them feel good — that is why I do what I do. I don’t care what anybody else is doing.”

He’s laughing and crying, and jokingly blames me for getting him emotional:

“You got me choked up, bitch!” I laugh with him and point out that he made himself cry.

I would like to note here that the photo he’s gesturing to is a portrait of someone licking a boot, the ecstasy and excitement on the model’s face palpable. This might seem silly at face value to an outsider, but the emotional reaction shows how important his work is, both to himself and his models. Sexual fantasies are intimate and require risk and vulnerability with your partner. So to share a moment like that with a photographer requires an incredible amount of comfort and trust.

I ask him about what it’s like working with people in such vulnerable situations. He said that being a bartender in a queer scene has taught him how to make people feel welcome.

“As a photographer, your job is to make the model feel safe and comfortable. With what they’re wearing or not wearing, their body, and the environment you cultivate, it’s about being respectful in the way you interact.”

Just like in kink scenes in the bedroom, open communication and consent are an absolute must with Coit’s photography. He starts by having a conversation about boundaries and comfort levels. He makes sure to ask what pronouns to use and how to best respect his clients’ gender identities, any hard nos that they have, what they feel safe with, etc. He repeatedly checks in with the client asking “Are you comfortable? Do you feel okay?” Especially when using toys that can be uncomfortable, like a gas mask or ropes.

After shooting, Coit says his clients say they lost themselves in the shoot and felt like they could just be their open and authentic sensual selves. 

I recently modeled in a Valentine’s Day-themed drag photoshoot for Coit… and I hate modeling. I was wearing a handmade dress covered in lush bows, the satin straps interweaving across the garment.

He provided gentle guidance — “Relax your hands,” “Tilt your head down, but look up at the light,” “Embrace the bow.” On my shoulder, there was a large pink bow. And although I designed the dress and was modeling alone in the photo shoot, he found a scene partner for me in the garment. He found a way to tell a story and capture the intimacy between me and an inanimate bow.

Coit has also shot more traditional portrait work — but his focus on community and queerness is still a central theme. He was part of the Hennepin Theatre Trust’s “It’s the People” project, a project that celebrates the people who represent the buildings in downtown Minneapolis. He chose to highlight people who work and perform at The Saloon.

We live in a political climate where queer people are vilified — even the normative folks who want to assimilate. No matter how we exist — with white picket fences and 2.5 kids, or clad in leather and tied up, we’re too loud, bold, or queer for the general public. Coit’s work celebrates queerness in all expressions- especially those whose identities intimidate mainstream society. While Coit has developed a unique style showing the love and sensuality behind queerness, his welcoming kindness is what truly empowers these communities in Minneapolis to blossom- just like the flowers that inspire him.

You can see more of Coit’s work on his Instagram, or at his website where he sells zines of his portfolio.