(Link to this article on my DeviantArt)

(Link to this article on my blog)

Okay everybody, real talk for a minute. I've been a professional model since 2013, and a hobbyist for 3 before that. I started modeling at 13, when I was young and naive, so I wish I knew some of these when I first started modeling. DeviantArt is a great community for the most part, but there are some predators and creeps on here too that you should watch out for. This list is meant to educate new people in the modeling world (especially young models) to things that may be more sinister than they appear.

Here is a list of common fetishes that aren't always recognized as something sexual right away, as they're not always sexual in of themselves, and some people (especially younger audiences) aren't aware of them existing. Just because something isn't nude or objectively sexual in nature doesn't mean that it isn't being viewed sexually and used as fap fodder. This article contains somewhat graphic text, but regardless, I STRONGLY advise and encourage young people on the internet (DeviantArt specifically) to read this to educate themselves to avoid being preyed on and exploited.

DISCLAIMER: I am not against any particular fetishes (unless acting on them involves an unwilling participant, whether online or in person), people who have fetishes (most of us do), fetish/erotic models, or non-fetish models who occasionally take fetish requests/commissions.

This article is not meant to bash any of the aforementioned; only those creeps who go about engaging people in their fetish who don't want to partake in it or don't know they're being sexualized, especially when it's done on purpose to the unaware, oblivious, or underage, for the sole reason of getting their jollies off. Shame on you, creeps.

Treat your fetish like your genitals or any other part of your sex life, they're totally fine to have and even be proud of, but don't go about talking about them with random strangers who haven't made it explicitly clear they're interested in that kind of thing. Especially if they've made it clear they're NOT interested. Consent is key!

The huge majority of people with fetishes are sane, only explore and engage them in appropriate environments, and don't push it on others, to the extent that we often don't know what "unusual" stuff the average person may be into. However, there are bad apples in every bunch that harass others and act inappropriately. Even if they're in the minority, they're a problem, and this article is to address them. If you happen to have one of the mentioned fetishes, but behave like a human being and don't force it on unwilling participants, I mean no disrespect or offense to you personally.

Just keep in mind, even if a fetish photo/request/commission may or may not be sexual to that one person who requests/commissions it, that one picture can summon up a whole fetish fanbase, and that can snowball really quick. If you're not a fetish model, this can be a huge problem, especially for those underage.

I'm primarily a fine art model, not a fetish model, but I dabble in fetish work depending on the theme (and how the client treats me) and a lot of my normal images happen to cater to certain fetish groups (barefoot, body hair, long hair, etc). However, I always lose respect for fetishists who try to involve people (often unknowing or unwilling) by lying about what the images will be used for. If you don't need reference photos for an art project and you just want jack off material, don't invent some elaborate backstory full of lies as to why you need them; trying to pull the wool over someone's eyes is incredibly scummy to do, and involving people who don't know this is a sexual thing (to you) can't properly consent, and thus what you're doing is a form of sexual harassment. You don't have to flat out say "this is porn to me, can you fulfill my desires so I can get off?", but if you feel the need to lie and make up reasons for getting the images to try to trick people into providing them, you should really question your morals. A simple "Are you open to (fetish/specific fetish) requests/commissions/questions/chat?" will suffice.

Consent is IMPORTANT, but your request for it doesn't have to be fancy. There are plenty of models out there willing to accommodate you even knowing it's a fetish fueled photo/photoshoot, but they deserve to know if they're being sexualized so they have the proper choice to accept or decline. Some models avoid certain fetish themed photos but may consider others, it depends on the person. Check their profile and always respect if you read they are not interested in nude, sexual, or fetish work. If you can't own up to what your request really is, even on an anonymous side account, you shouldn't be going around asking models (or anybody!) to do it for you. Oh, and asking underage people (that is, below age 18 on DeviantArt) to fulfill your fetish requests, even if not directly sexual, is considered sexual solicitation and sexualization of a minor, and can land you in prison.

Fetish requests can be sneaky, as they're often presented as "Oh here's a silly thing that just popped into my head", "I'm doing scientific research on the female foot/other parts", or "I need very oddly specific reference pictures for some unknown project". Some artists asking for photos that may be considered fetish related do have legitimate reasons, but it can be hard to tell who's who. An easy way to tell a legitimate artist from a fetishist (the two aren't mutually exclusive, but in this case I mean someone who is only using your images to get themselves off, not for art in any way) is to look at their profile. In general, an empty profile is a red flag to me. If they're asking you for foot stock for whatever reason, but have an entire gallery full of feet pictures or only a favourites collection titled "Dirty feet", it's another red flag. If someone has an empty profile except for a few favourites/a collection related to what they're asking for, there's a 99.99% chance it's a fetish request.

Generally, my rule of thumb is if anything is strangely overly specific, fixates on one particular body part, or makes you question it ("That's a strange request") or feel uncomfortable in any way, it's probably fetish related. Trust your gut. Same goes for the messages that start with anything to the tune of "I hope this doesn't sound weird" or "I hope this doesn't offend you". There are exceptions, of course, but if someone has to justify an odd request or feel the need to apologize for it, there's typically something fishy going on.

Now onto the common fetish list, and how it may be presented to you.

FEET.

Feet is the most common fetish among men after breasts and butts, according to several internet statistics. Pictures of bare feet, especially female, unfortunately, attract TONS of fetishists, particularly if you can see the soles of the feet. Tickling is also a common fetish, often tied in with foot fetishism. If someone is asking you oddly specific questions about your feet, they're probably asking them so they can get their jollies off. Here are some examples:

"What is your shoe size?"
"Are your feet ticklish/do you like being tickled?"
"Do your feet smell/ever get smelly?"
"Have you ever stepped on (insert random thing here)?"
"Do you like foot rubs/may I give you a foot rub?"

Tickling

Tickling is another one of the most common fetishes, especially on dA, and one that easily slips under the radar because it appears so harmless or innocent, and isn't inherently "sexual", which is what most people are counting on to get you to engage. As mentioned above, it often ties in with foot fetishism, but isn't limited strictly to tickling feet. It can also apply to any part of the body, but other than feet, most commonly it manifests in sensitive areas such as the armpits or sides. Sometimes it extends to even just being ticklish just as a concept.

Someone trying to force a tickling fetish on you may do so by asking something to the tune of the following:

"Are your feet/armpits/sides ticklish?"
"You have nice feet *tickles your sole with a feather* "
"Does it tickle when you do x y and z thing?"
"Do you like being tickled?"

It's pretty easy to spot; if anybody is asking if you are ticklish or like to be tickled, asking for photos where you're tickling your feet/armpits/etc with your fingers or feathers, or if they're attempt to initiate a tickle themed roleplay (most likely without consent/permission), they likely have this fetish and you should be mindful regardless of how "innocent" or unsexualized it appears to be.

Macro/microphilia aka Giant/Giantess & tiny person

Basically, in this scenario, there's a giant person and a tiny person, often the the giant(ess) being dominant and the tiny person being submissive. Common themes include one person being shrunken in one way or another, or otherwise very tiny, and the other being a giant or somehow growing giant. Often creeps who push this fetish without asking will try to initiate it as a roleplay or story since it can't be done in real life.

They might push their fetish on you by asking questions like these, or trying to initiate a roleplay with similar scenarios:

"If I was 1 inch tall and tried to climb into your shoe, what would you do?"
"If you saw a tiny person doing this or that, how would you react?"
"If you had a shrink ray, would you shrink me really tiny and X Y or Z?"
"Would you like it if you had a little tiny person to serve you?"

Crushing fetish

Another thing centered around feet is the crushing fetish, which also sometimes ties in with the giant/tiny fetish. Someone asking for you to take pictures of stepping on a particular object (food, eggs, bugs, even small animals :( ), or asking for photos from an underfoot perspective/POV are probably related to the crushing fetish. Underfoot perspective images usually have the camera on or near the ground, looking up at the underside of a foot as it comes down.

Softcore crushing fetish sometimes involves the tiny person or object just being stepped on, usually harmlessly, even if it "squishes" them and they pop back to life after being flattened or don't die/be harmed at all. Hardcore crushing fetish typically involves crushing the person/creature to death underfoot, often violently and graphicly. There's a middle ground for stepping on and destroying non-sentient objects, too.

Vore

There are several "styles" of vore, but what it boils down to is where one person being eaten or swallowed alive by another person/monster/creature. Sometimes it's cannibalism, which is also a fetish and sometimes goes hand in hand in with vore, but not always. Softcore vore is usually when someone is swallowed alive and kind of sits inside the eater's belly (usually showing the swallower with an overly inflated or pregnant looking belly). Often the swallowed person is still alive in the belly, relatively unharmed. Hardcore vore is a little to a lot more graphic, and may involve chewing up or digestion.

It's pretty easy to spot if you know it's a fetish, because it's so specific. Anything about being eaten, crawling down a throat or being put into a mouth, and being in someone's belly, is probably a fetish thing. Photo related requests related to vore usually involve an open mouth, or close ups of the mouth/throat/uvula.

I've even gotten a 2 for 1 deal with a note asking "If you noticed a tiny person on your spoon as you were eating cereal, would you help him out or keep eating and swallow him?" Microphilia and vore at once in the same note, woohoo! /scarcasm

Inflation/body part growth/weight gain

This is a tricky area, as there's sometimes overlap with other similar fetishes, like pregnancy or BBW/SSBBW/fat/weight gain fetishes. BBW and SSBBW stand for "Big beautiful woman" and "super-sized big beautiful woman", respectively, in regards to weight.

Inflation is exactly what it sounds like, when someone is inflated in various ways. The whole person can "inflate" and become round like a balloon (think Violet Beauregard from Willy Wonka), or only certain body parts (commonly boobs, butts, and bellies) grow or inflate, often to extreme unnatural proportions. Some inflation fetishists picture their "inflatee" being filled with air, turning into a blueberry, magically growing/inflating, or simply gaining a lot of weight and getting very fat. There's a ton of variation, but it's a very common fetish here on dA.

Magic is often a common element in this fantasy as well. Much like Macro/micro, since it can't really be done in real life, it's often presented as a roleplay, story, or "what would you do if" scenario. Photography wise, someone might request to photoshop your images to be inflated in various ways. Or, of course, like anything, they might not request it at all and just do it without asking. Copyright violation, anybody?

Bondage

Here's a common one, and luckily this one is pretty easy to spot. Anything involving being tied up, handcuffed, chained, gagged, or otherwise restrained falls under bondage. Questions about what you would do if you were tied up, gagged, kidnapped, etc, fall under this category, as well as images with gags, ropes, or ties.

Humiliation

Humiliation fetish is where someone gets off on being humiliated or being put into "degrading" situations. It has many different "flavors", from wanting to be made fun of for having a small penis or wearing girl's panties, to being called degrading names, to being a human toilet. Some humiliation fetishists especially like an act if they're "forced" into doing these things.

A humiliation fetishist may try to involve you in their fetish by telling you an "embarrassing" story or secret (more than likely one they made up for jollies) and saying something along the lines of "Please don't laugh" or "Please don't make fun of me", secretly hoping that you do just that. Some may randomly share a fact about themselves or ask a strange question without your permission, like a random note saying "Is it bad that I wear panties and I'm a guy?", hoping you'll make fun of them. More sexually forward versions might say something like "Do you think I have a small penis? It's only 3" long", hoping you'll agree and say it's small.

ABDL

This stands for "Adult baby/diaper lifestyle", in which participants enjoy being literally an adult version of a baby, or taking care of another adult as if they were a baby. This can include props, wearing baby clothes, using a pacifier/binker, etc. This is a relatively common fetish, and thankfully it isn't one that's often pushed on unwilling participants (a lot of times the closeness/intimacy with the other person is a big part of it), but it is out there, so be aware of it. If someone is asking you to pose as a baby, use a pacifier or hold a rattle, or wear diapers, this may very well be the source of that request.

Diapers, and whether or not they're actually "used" by the wearers, varies from person to person. There is also a market for those wearing or using diapers outside of ABDL/infantilism fetish.

Hypnotism fetish

Pretty straightforward, this is when a person has a fetish for hypnotizing someone else (with or without their consent) and controlling them, or has a fetish for being hypnotized and controlled, forced to do the hypnotizer's bidding.

Image requests may involve the stereotypical cartoon hypnotized "swirly" eyes, often on a dumbfounded or blank facial expression, a watch or other charm being swung in front of your face, or arms out in front of you (think old Hollywood Frankenstein) as you're being "controlled".

I've had it pushed on me via notes, played off as "just a silly question", in which the fetishist asked something to the effect of "If you could hypnotize me with the shine on the stone of your tiara *link to a photo where I have on a tiara*, how would you do it?". I told the user I knew what he was up to and that it wasn't appropriate, and he slunk off back to the abyss from which he came with no reply.

Necrophilia/dead person

Also pretty straightforward, a necrophiliac has a fetish for death and/or dead people, so they commonly lurk around photos where people are or appear to be dead, sleeping, or even just laying down with their eyes closed (close enough?). There's also a few accounts floating around requesting photos of women laying on their bellies with a "dead" expression and their bare feet pointed towards the camera. Another common request under this fetish is people lying on their backs with a bouquet of flowers, Snow White style.

This one is a problem area because people who aren't aware it's a fetish commonly get tricked into partaking because the requester passes it off as "I need reference pictures" because the requests can be relatively tame (such as the Snow White style sleeping/laid out pose).

Wetlook

Wetlook is a fetish for people wearing wet clothing, simple as that. Wet clothing often clings to the body, and white clothing becomes almost translucent, showing off under garments or lack thereof underneath. This would probably be presented as requests for images wearing wet clothing, for example in the shower, pool, body of water, or even heavy rain while clothed.

Omorashi

Omorashi is a Japenese word that directly translates to "leaking". This fetish involves arousal from having a full bladder and desperation to empty it and/or wetting ones pants or clothing (or seeing someone in these situations). Photos of people wearing pants, panties, or other lower garments that look like they've been wet in (whether or not the "wet" is real), are highly sought out by urine fetishists. Since omorashi involves a bodily fluid, in some areas it is considered hardcore fetish porn.

Since peeing your pants is a pretty out there request that most non-fetish models would just automatically turn down, a lot of omorashi fans stick to requesting poses like it looks like you really have to pee, or asking if there have been situations where you really had to pee, or didn't make it to the toilet, etc.

Bellies/belly buttons

I've dealt with this to a handful of times, and a few commentators brought it up so I thought I'd add it to the list. Bellies are an uncommon but noteworthy fetish. Some people like toned/firm bellies, some like big/chubby/soft/muffin top bellies, some like pregnant bellies, it all depends on the person. Belly buttons specifically are a sub-genre of this. Playing with or touching your belly button, or adding them to characters that probably wouldn't have them (non-mammal, as a commenter on dA pointed out).

An example of how this might come up to models might be requests for pictures where you're poking or playing with your bellybutton, grabbing your belly roll (if applicable), rubbing your belly as if fully, or asking you to wear shirts like crop tops that show it off with close ups of your belly.

Once more, I mean no disrespect or offense to those with any of the above fetishes; I am not judging or shaming you for your fetish, this is just a list of things to watch out for intended for models who are underage or otherwise not interested in taking fetish related or sexually fueled requests/commissions. If you're under 18, you should not be taking these kinds of requests period, it can be majorly damaging in the future or flat out illegal.

Thanks for reading!