I have a session coming up in NYC. I'm trying to find a place to have it, since of course a hotel room is too small.
There are dungeons for rent, but renting a dungeon is kind of counterproductive: I'd be paying more because I'm paying for all the extra equipment, only to then have to move it and worry about getting it messy.
So really, a big empty square room is better - and cheaper. Which is where Peerspace comes in.
But I've never booked anything with them before, and I don't know how I'd dance around what I'm actually doing with the space - or if I could just straight up say yeah I'm gonna dump slime on a girl.
With hotels- have a browse about and see if you can find a hotel with a 'Wetroom' style bathroom. These are usually ideal for WAM cleanup because you can hose down the entire room (and your kit) with the shower. Because there's no bath or shower tray, there's a bit more floorspace too.
I've also had a slightly bigger hotel room- space to shove the bed against the far wall, then there's space for a WAM half of the room.
You might strike gold on AirB'n'B- but its tedious browsing and manually checking bathroom layouts.
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I've never used Peerspace before, looks like a brilliant service, shame you can't browse venues without choosing an activity. I guess you could call it a photoshoot? Charity event? Whats important here is having decent showers, which is also difficult to search for. Sports hall might be a good option? Ideally a non-slip floor that can be easily mopped/wiped- for anything that spills over your tarps.
It takes some hunting and digging around but Peerspace is great for finding space for WAM. The caveat--and this is a big one--is that Peerspace is designed for finding spaces for creative projects like photo and video shoots. So even though I've used it a bunch for setting up WAM video shoots, I can't speak to how successful I would be if no cameras were involved.
But yes, if you do want to go that route, just look closely at the photos and thinking your project through. For example, I don't consider any space that doesn't at least have a full bathroom with shower, but in a place like NYC you'll certainly find at least a couple of placed that have that. Then it's just a matter of sending a message to the studio owner. No dancing around needed, just say your project is going to involve covering models in slime. Reassure that the slime won't have any lasting effects on their studio, that you're extremely diligent about cleaning after yourself, and that you'll leave the space in the same condition you found it. An artistic studio owner has surely heard weirder and the worst they can do is say no. But so long as your communication is professional and that the goal of your project is the creation of something, I like your chances.
So first, Peerspace is essentially not made for sessions and I will tell you why.
1st, Many hosts have a strict policy against adult content or activities taking place in their studio. It's a liability they are not willing to accept. Some don't even allow nudity and yes, the hosts have full legal recourse to charge your payment method for damages or penalties as stated on Peerspace's terms and conditions if you fail to follow their rules so don't try to "fly under the radar" either. One host I know in particular got awarded a healthy 7k settlement because one renter thought he would be cute and lie about his intentions at her studio. For a lot of hosts, those studio rentals are their actual studios and their means of making a living. Don't jeopardize it by lying or being deceptive about your intent. If they say no, respect it and find something else.
2nd, many of them lack the facilities to clean up afterwards. Sorry, but functional baths and showers are a luxury. You might find one with a with a tub that can hold water but those are typically for photoshoot concepts like "milk bath" or boudoir. You can't actually bathe in them. Again, if you leave a mess, you are ultimately responsible and they will hit your payment method for having to clean up after you.
3rd, Peerspace wasn't created for wammers or sessioners in mind. You might find the offhand BDSM studio on there renting but at that point, you might as well contact the dungeon directly because you will avoid paying Peerspace service fees. My suggestion is to look at venues specifically geared or more appropriate for what you intend on doing.
Also, something to be aware of is due to some insurance policies, the host might be required to be on site during the rental period. This is not uncommon, especially in the northeast and almost a majority have cameras set up in the main areas as a precaution. This is to protect all parties in case something either comes up missing, damaged or an allegation occurs.
Nostalgic Erotica Prod said: So first, Peerspace is essentially not made for sessions and I will tell you why.
1st, Many hosts have a strict policy against adult content or activities taking place in their studio. It's a liability they are not willing to accept. Some don't even allow nudity and yes, the hosts have full legal recourse to charge your payment method for damages or penalties as stated on Peerspace's terms and conditions if you fail to follow their rules so don't try to "fly under the radar" either. One host I know in particular got awarded a healthy 7k settlement because one renter thought he would be cute and lie about his intentions at her studio. For a lot of hosts, those studio rentals are their actual studios and their means of making a living. Don't jeopardize it by lying or being deceptive about your intent. If they say no, respect it and find something else.
2nd, many of them lack the facilities to clean up afterwards. Sorry, but functional baths and showers are a luxury. You might find one with a with a tub that can hold water but those are typically for photoshoot concepts like "milk bath" or boudoir. You can't actually bathe in them. Again, if you leave a mess, you are ultimately responsible and they will hit your payment method for having to clean up after you.
3rd, Peerspace wasn't created for wammers or sessioners in mind. You might find the offhand BDSM studio on there renting but at that point, you might as well contact the dungeon directly because you will avoid paying Peerspace service fees. My suggestion is to look at venues specifically geared or more appropriate for what you intend on doing.
Also, something to be aware of is due to some insurance policies, the host might be required to be on site during the rental period. This is not uncommon, especially in the northeast and almost a majority have cameras set up in the main areas as a precaution. This is to protect all parties in case something either comes up missing, damaged or an allegation occurs.
Very well articulated summary of challenges of using Peerspace (and any rented space really - I would be hesitant to use an AirBNB for this reason - best option is a hotel probably.
Nostalgic Erotica Prod said: So first, Peerspace is essentially not made for sessions and I will tell you why.
1st, Many hosts have a strict policy against adult content or activities taking place in their studio. It's a liability they are not willing to accept. Some don't even allow nudity and yes, the hosts have full legal recourse to charge your payment method for damages or penalties as stated on Peerspace's terms and conditions if you fail to follow their rules so don't try to "fly under the radar" either. One host I know in particular got awarded a healthy 7k settlement because one renter thought he would be cute and lie about his intentions at her studio. For a lot of hosts, those studio rentals are their actual studios and their means of making a living. Don't jeopardize it by lying or being deceptive about your intent. If they say no, respect it and find something else.
2nd, many of them lack the facilities to clean up afterwards. Sorry, but functional baths and showers are a luxury. You might find one with a with a tub that can hold water but those are typically for photoshoot concepts like "milk bath" or boudoir. You can't actually bathe in them. Again, if you leave a mess, you are ultimately responsible and they will hit your payment method for having to clean up after you.
3rd, Peerspace wasn't created for wammers or sessioners in mind. You might find the offhand BDSM studio on there renting but at that point, you might as well contact the dungeon directly because you will avoid paying Peerspace service fees. My suggestion is to look at venues specifically geared or more appropriate for what you intend on doing.
This is a very wise "counterpoint" to my post to keep in mind, but I think we should dive in a little more lest we unnecessarily scare people off who are trying to find appropriate spaces.
While you're absolutely right that some studios have strict policies against "adult content," we also need to be specific about the definition of "adult content." Because at least here in Chicago, more than half the Peerspaces available are suited for boudior and other adult-themed photography--artistic and otherwise. There's even a checkbox for studio owners to specify whether nudity is allowed. This is not to say that 10-person full-penetration orgies are allowed to go down in a Peerspace, but we should also recognize that many of these studio owners make their money hosting not-necessarily-all-ages productions. That's why the presence of a camera is so so important.
This is also why we as a WAM community need to be careful we don't stigmatize ourselves more than the general public are already wont to do. Yeah, we're fetish, yeah we're kink, but it's no more obscene than any other genre that doesn't require sexually explicit content. If OP wants to do nude photography in a Peerspace, it won't/shouldn't matter if the model were covered in a sheer bedsheet or in a layer of honey (beyond the practicality of making sure honey isn't all over someone else's property, of course). The host always has the final call and the basic rules of respect should always be followed. But if a studio owner is going to let untrained inexperienced Guys With Cameras shoot nude models for their private collections (the lifeblood of Peerspace IMHO), they're probably going to let a WAMmer do the same.
Ultimately we need Wambassador to elaborate more on what he's planning. I suspect the use of the loaded term "session" might have been a mistake on his part. Is content going to come from this appointment? I think you've got the green light to pursue. Is your dick going to be out at any time? Then no go. At least you're exercising more ethics than people who use regular hotel rooms.
jakesm13 said: Very well articulated summary of challenges of using Peerspace (and any rented space really - I would be hesitant to use an AirBNB for this reason - best option is a hotel probably.
Most of us photographers and small film makers have wrestled with this already for years. It's a jungle out there, honestly. One venue required production insurance, another required a 4 hour minimum, another increased the rate for every person over 5 people and so on. Also almost all of them use a wide angle lens to photograph their spaces so they look bigger than they actually are.
Peerspace looks great on the surface, but when you start getting into the nuances of managing a shoot, you start to see real quick where the problems are and that's just for photography. I don't even wanna know how much of a headache setting up a session through there would be.
I say just find a good quality hotel with a decent tile floor bath and drain. Make sure you clean up afterwards and done. As a studio owner, I can attest that we are WAY too overprotective of our spaces to let anyone sesh WAM in them.
TheSpecialist said: This is a very wise "counterpoint" to my post to keep in mind, but I think we should dive in a little more lest we unnecessarily scare people off who are trying to find appropriate spaces.
While you're absolutely right that some studios have strict policies against "adult content," we also need to be specific about the definition of "adult content." Because at least here in Chicago, more than half the Peerspaces available are suited for boudior and other adult-themed photography--artistic and otherwise. There's even a checkbox for studio owners to specify whether nudity is allowed. This is not to say that 10-person full-penetration orgies are allowed to go down in a Peerspace, but we should also recognize that many of these studio owners make their money hosting not-necessarily-all-ages productions. That's why the presence of a camera is so so important.
This is also why we as a WAM community need to be careful we don't stigmatize ourselves more than the general public are already wont to do. Yeah, we're fetish, yeah we're kink, but it's no more obscene than any other genre that doesn't require sexually explicit content. If OP wants to do nude photography in a Peerspace, it won't/shouldn't matter if the model were covered in a sheer bedsheet or in a layer of honey (beyond the practicality of making sure honey isn't all over someone else's property, of course). The host always has the final call and the basic rules of respect should always be followed. But if a studio owner is going to let untrained inexperienced Guys With Cameras shoot nude models for their private collections (the lifeblood of Peerspace IMHO), they're probably going to let a WAMmer do the same.
Ultimately we need Wambassador to elaborate more on what he's planning. I suspect the use of the loaded term "session" might have been a mistake on his part. Is content going to come from this appointment? I think you've got the green light to pursue. Is your dick going to be out at any time? Then no go. At least you're exercising more ethics than people who use regular hotel rooms.
So to be clear, I am going off the OP's statement of that he plans on doing a session. Not a shoot. Apples and oranges. If he had said shoot, imo, I have done messy artistic photography multiple times involving paint and other mediums so I don't see the big deal but that is me. I am not representative of the wide array of host studios here in New England and the reason I have my own studio was literally because I got tired of dealing with the pains in renting so I can do my shoots even if they err on the side of more mature themes like boudoir or fantasy cosplay.
Also, Massachusetts studios and rentals here I have noticed are OBSCENELY up tight. I have no idea why but when I was actively producing fetish, it was a PAIN trying to find the right venue that would be open to it. It took nearly a year of searching. Maybe in other parts of the country, this is not the case but just a search on Peerspace in the Boston area will produce tons of places that prohibit glitter, fog machines, water, mess, etc. It's the one aspect that I don't miss about shooting kink.
Nostalgic Erotica Prod said: Also, Massachusetts studios and rentals here I have noticed are OBSCENELY up tight. I have no idea why but when I was actively producing fetish, it was a PAIN trying to find the right venue that would be open to it. It took nearly a year of searching. Maybe in other parts of the country, this is not the case but just a search on Peerspace in the Boston area will produce tons of places that prohibit glitter, fog machines, water, mess, etc. It's the one aspect that I don't miss about shooting kink.
Oh yeah, the prohibition of glitter and fog/smoke machines is almost universal here as well. But I think it's less to do with kink and more to do with how much of a giant pain in the ass it is to clean up glitter and fog machine residue. They also tend to prohibit alcohol and parties, but that represents way bigger of a liability risk than a guy who just wants to shoot some slimy boobies. For reference, all the messy content I've shot since 2015 has been done in a handful of studios that are or were available on Peerspace and I've only ever gotten five-star reviews as a renter. Then again, most people (as reflected in my bottom line ) will tell you that what I shoot is so tame and reserved in terms of both content and amount of mess I use that it can barely be considered "WAM" by 2026 standards, so YMMV.
One last thing I forgot to mention, OP: Be prepared to pay out the ass for a Peerspace. A shoebox built for simple portrait photography might go for $50/hr, but a large space suited for video production with all the amenities necessary for mess will start at $125/hr and you do NOT want to skimp on the amount of time you book the space for. But if you have a conversation with the owner where you're up front about what you shoot and they'll still host you, the cost of renting should be the least of your concerns.
Yes, for now I'm just having a SESSION, not organizing a SHOOT, and yes that's an important distinction. I included "shoot" in the title to try to get more perspectives, but ultimately this would be just a fetish session.
Based on the responses here, I'm leaning heavily towards Peerspace being a bad idea unless I was actually in the WAM video production business - which, for now, I'm not.
I'm definitely aware of the issue of potentially not having a shower; that's on my list (or would have been on my list) of things to investigate. I'm also aware that many Peerspace listings explicitly state that nudity and boudoir shoots are acceptable - but again, boudoir doesn't necessarily equate with dumping slime on a girl.
Sounds like a dungeon will be the way to go. Otherwise, handicapper accessible hotel rooms with the big bathroom and shower are an option, but in NYC I doubt I can find one big enough.
Again, thank you everyone! I was already feeling a little nervous about the idea, but now I'm basically at 100% NO on it.
Wambassador said: Good replies, everyone! Thank you!
Yes, for now I'm just having a SESSION, not organizing a SHOOT, and yes that's an important distinction. I included "shoot" in the title to try to get more perspectives, but ultimately this would be just a fetish session.
Based on the responses here, I'm leaning heavily towards Peerspace being a bad idea unless I was actually in the WAM video production business - which, for now, I'm not.
I'm definitely aware of the issue of potentially not having a shower; that's on my list (or would have been on my list) of things to investigate. I'm also aware that many Peerspace listings explicitly state that nudity and boudoir shoots are acceptable - but again, boudoir doesn't necessarily equate with dumping slime on a girl.
Sounds like a dungeon will be the way to go. Otherwise, handicapper accessible hotel rooms with the big bathroom and shower are an option, but in NYC I doubt I can find one big enough.
Again, thank you everyone! I was already feeling a little nervous about the idea, but now I'm basically at 100% NO on it.
Yeah, a dungeon is your best bet. If it makes you feel any better don't think of it as paying for extra equipment you're not going to use, think of it as paying extra for a host who 1000% gets what you're trying to do.
Actually, dungeons might be better than a Peerspace even if both options were equally viable. A long long long time ago I had a session (not a shoot) at a dungeon and the people there not only set everything up BEAUTIFULLY before I arrived but they also assured me the the house "slaves" were there to clean everything up afterward. I don't know what the rules are where you're planning to have your session, but if there are any purpose-built BDSM dungeons in the area they'll not only understand someone wanting to have a WAM session there but they'll facilitate the whole thing to the best of their ability...and your payment. You just have to ask.