“It’s all a matter of personal taste and preferences.”

Psion Satori has found a way to combine two of his passions: For one year, he has been owning a sex doll, and for one year, he has been creating – and publishing – artful, stylish pictures of this doll and other models like it. In our interview with Psion, we talk about his photography, his decision to use dolls as subjects, and his thoughts on the current discussion revolving around dolls and sex robots.

When and how did you first get interested in dolls?
Psion Satori: Back in 2002, I remember seeing a documentary called ‘Guys and Dolls’ directed by Rock Schroeter. It offered an insight into the lives of 4 guys that owned a full size, for want of a better word, ‘sex doll’.

What struck me at the time however, was the distinct lack of sex in the film. Rather than just being an elaborate sex toy, what the documentary captured instead, was the significant part these dolls played in the everyday lives of the guys and the companionship they provided.

It was a remarkably well made and thought-provoking piece of film making, and credit to the director, Rock Schroeter, for not letting his own judgements or opinions get in the way of the individuals he interviewed.

When did you buy your first doll?
It got my first doll just over a year ago, an EX-Lite produced by DS Dolls, and I’ve been photographing her ever since. Back in the day, when I first saw the ‘Guys and Girls’ documentary, the dolls were made of silicone and incredibly expensive. That was over 15 years ago, and with only a few companies making full size dolls, the price, even then, was pushing $10,000. That’s all changed. Now there are numerous other companies providing a whole range of different dolls in different materials. Silicone is still used for the better-quality dolls, but the price has reduced significantly. DS Dolls for example, offer their flagship 167cm tall EVO doll for less than £4,000.

A few years ago, manufacturers have started using a cheaper alternative to silicone, known as TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) and the price has dropped even further. You can now purchase a TPE doll for less that £2000.

More recently still, about 18 months ago, DS Dolls launched their ExLite doll, made from PU foam. Up until that point, life size silicone and TPE dolls were pretty heavy at 30kg or over, and took time and effort to move around. However, due to its innovative construction, the ExLite, weighs only 8kg and is probably, at £500, the cheapest realistic life size doll on the market today. Granted it’s not as robust as a silicone or a TPE lady, but for photographic purposes, it’s absolutely outstanding.

What are the advantages of living with a doll? What does it give you that a human person might not?
I’m not sure there’s a conclusive answer to that because everyone is different. What appeals to one might not to someone else. It’s all a matter of personal taste and preferences. Personally, I enjoy my own company and living on my own gives me the freedom to do what I want, without having to worry about anyone else. I still go on dates and have girlfriends, but it’s unlikely that I will ever choose to live together with someone. For others that are maybe not so comfortable alone, I can fully understand the companionship a doll would provide in combating loneliness. For example, although I use my dolls for photography, it’s hard not to develop some kind of emotional attachment to them especially as they are so life like, and each one seems to develop a personality of their own. Maybe I just have a vivid imagination, but rather than storing them away in a cupboard after a shoot, I have them displayed around my apartment in much the same way other people display artwork, whether it be a painting hanging on a wall or a sculpture sitting on a shelf. The difference being, I can change their outfits and have them sitting or standing in different places around my home so that I have a constantly changing … and yes I’ve often found myself talking to them.

Do your friends and family know? If so, how have they responded to it?
As I’ve said, my dolls are on displayed around my apartment, so when friends visit, they see them in full view. Most of them are in the fashion business anyway and know I’m a photographer, so it’s not really a problem.

Interestingly, when people do visit, it’s the woman that are much more interested in the dolls. After the initial surprise, they all comment on the attention to detail and how life like they look. There is always surprise that the hands are so realistic and have finger nails! They’ll also give me fashion tips on what the dolls are wearing and offer advice on doing their hair and make up …  the guys on the other hand will have a quick feel and say nice tits, then move on.

Family is a different matter. My parents are pretty old school and unfortunately believe everything they read in the press and see on TV. Given all the sensational reports about ‘sex robots’ taking over the world that appear in the mainstream media every other week, I don’t want to have them thinking their son is partly responsible for the downfall of civilisation as we know it.

There is a big discussion about dolls at the moment, even in mainstream media, and a lot of it sounds like a philosophical discourse. What do you want to add to the discussion, looking at this topic from the viewpoint of a user?
I’d seriously question that there is a ‘philosophical discourse’ around dolls in the mainstream media! Most of what I’ve read is sensationalist nonsense. Apart from the reporting on ‘Sophia’ being developed by Hanson Robotics, nearly everything else is perpetuating a myth that dolls objectify women and are a danger to society. Seriously, I really don’t understand how, what a person does in the privacy of their own home, as long as they aren’t hurting anyone, is anyone else’s business. If you want to talk about objectifying women, just take a look on Instagram – some women don’t need any help in this department, they are masters of the art of objectifying themselves, but they call it self expression. Despite what the media would have you believe, dolls are not ‘sex robots’. By definition, a robot is a machine that can carry out a complex series of tasks. Dolls on the other hand are basically heavy lumps of rubber. Beautifully designed and increasingly realistic, but still an inanimate object that takes time and effort to move about. Admittedly there are a few companies currently developing robotic heads with AI (Think Alexa/Siri built into a pretty face). These heads will be able to be placed on a dolls body and controlled with an app, however true ‘sex robots’ that can move independently and are a long way off.

Personally, I find all the talk about ‘sex robots’ replacing women hysterical. Women have had sex robots in the form of vibrators for decades, and owning one is seen as ‘empowering’. The double standard is breathtaking.

You started using your doll as a muse, taking photos of it. How did that start?
I was curious how dolls would compare to shooting real people.  When I saw the ExLite available for £500, curiosity got the better of me. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much. The original marketing photos that DS released of the ExLite, weren’t terribly good, but at that price, I figured, what the hell, besides, it would pay for itself over a few months with the amount I’d save hiring professional models. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. It’s not until you see the doll in the flesh that you really appreciate the artistry, skill and attention to detail that goes into making them. They truly are works of art. So yes, ‘muse’ would be an accurate description. There’s hardly a day goes by that I wont change her outfit and take a few photos. Having her around is a constant source of inspiration and enjoyment.

Is photography just a hobby for you, or is there more to it? Do you have previous experience in this realm?
I’ve had a camera for as long as I can remember and although I don’t make my living from photography, I do use it as part of the creative process in my work in the fashion industry, so I’m not exactly an amateur. That said however, photographing my dolls, is still just hobby. It’s fun and gives me the opportunity to develop my own artistic skills.  Not just behind the lens, I’ve also become quite adept at hair and make up, not to mention getting to grips with editing software such as Lightroom. With a little imagination, the right lighting and outfit, the results can match working with a living model.

How is it different working with dolls instead of live subjects? And how would you describe your photos?
The technical aspects, lighting, camera settings etc. are almost identical, but that’s were the similarities end. A good model, knows how to pose and what to do with their hands. They can move their eyes and know when to look into the camera or not. Shoots with a living model are very fluid and you can capture numerous different poses in a short space of time. Models will also do their own make up or have a Make Up Artist on hand, and most importantly, they’ll dress themselves!

When photographing a doll however, you have to do everything yourself. It all takes time. I try and make my photos look as realistic as possible, and there’s a serious amount of work and pre-planning that goes into each shoot. Apart from costume choice, hair and make up, getting a doll to look natural in the way she is posed is undoubtedly the most challenging and time consuming part of any shoot. It’s worth taking the time and I’d like to think my photos capture the beauty and elegance of these amazing works of art and help to challenge the perception that they are purely elaborate sex toys.

What kind of feedback do you get? How do people respond to your pictures?
I post my photos on social media and the feedback is generally positive. That in itself isn’t that surprising, as most of the pictures I post aren’t overly explicit, so there’s really nothing to complain about. What I do find interesting however, is the increasing number of followers that my accounts are attracting even though it’s obvious the photos are of dolls. Aside from ‘normal’ people, I’m also being followed by other photographers,  cosplayers, models, MUA’s fashion brands and bloggers and the odd porn star thrown in for good measure. Most of the comments are about the photography or the costume rather than the doll itself. The 2B cosplay shoot I posted on twitter, for example, attracted over 10,000 views in the first few months alone, with quite a number of people asking if it really was a doll. That did bring a smile to my face.

I guess the best part of the whole social media thing, and this really did surprise me,  has been the fact that I’ve received requests from other photographers and models wanting to collaborate on shoots with my dolls. I’ve a few interesting projects lined up with some very talented people over the coming months, so it will be exciting to see them work their own magic. Collaborating with others, will also generate a wider audience with their own followers, and go some small way to countering the ill-informed bias that is coming from the mainstream media about dolls, doll owners and robotics………..and that can only be a good thing.

Where can our readers find your photos? Where are they being published?
You can find all my photographs published on Twitter and Instagram on my account psion_satori.
https://instagram.com/psion_satori
https://twitter.com/psion_satori
And a couple of my dolls have their own Social Media Accounts too:
Ex Lite – https://instagram.com/kayladollx
DS 167 EVO – https://twitter.com/TemptressEVOX
I also do a lot of photography for Cloud Climax so you will find a lot of my work published on their website too.
There are very few doll photographers and I feel that my work getting out there is going to lead to more understanding and promote the acceptance of dolls.

Psion means a character in a roleplaying game and Satori means sudden enlightenment. That is exactly what I hope to do with my photographs: enlighten people to dolls and to pursue their own imagination.