Den of Iniquity 20th Anniversary Party (NSFW)

I don't know at exactly what point in the night I thought, "I may be in a little over my head here," but my introduction to the world of professional dominatrices and the men clamoring to be their slaves was swift and unforgiving. For the past 20 years, Den of Iniquity has been staple of the Los Angeles fetish community, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if there has been some actual stapling throughout the years. This weekend, balls were busted, bare backs whipped and metal rods inserted into tiny, tiny holes.

As an outsider (and a photographer) to the kink and fetish communities, I was pretty blown away by the brutallity some men submitted themselves to (we decided not to publish the most graphic photos), but I was just as blown away by the pure pleasure they got out of it. It's hard for most people to think of someone actively seeking a beautiful woman to kick the shit out of him  as being normal, but normal isn't always so black and white.

I'm not saying we should all go out and have our bare asses spanked senseless—I certainly won't be—but I heartily recommend searching out adventure and the unknown. At the very least, seeing grown men kiss the feet of latex-clad hotties will definitely give you some horizon broadening talking points over brunch.

Follow Jakob N. Layman on Instagram: @MeetJakob