“I cobbled together a gallery of the best TG-like photos I’d taken at other parties,” Marcus explains, “and attached it to my email to TG asking whether I could photograph one of their parties sometime.”

The answer from Charlotte TG was that they weren’t sure they needed another photographer — at that time they had Bobette as a regular, and Daf [Dafydd Owen] had joined recently.

“But she said they liked what I’d sent, were willing to give me a go, and said that if I did a good job then perhaps I’d be welcome to shoot another one sometime.

“The rest, as they say, is history. I photographed the next TG and almost every one for the next 13 years as one of their regular photographers, until I retired at the end of 2018. So clearly I did something right!”

At that time, Marcus recalls, being photographed in clubs was still rather unusual. Most people on the fetish scene were privacy-conscious to some degree, plus he was an unfamiliar face behind the lens.

“So I often found myself having to explain why I was taking photos, where they would end up, answer questions about myself, show them the photos I’d taken of them, sometimes delete ones they didn’t like (or even all of them), and so on.

“After a few events I realised that I needed my own website and a business card with the web address on it, so people I photographed could find my images of them more easily.”

He updated his cards, site and branding/watermark a few times over the years — you’ll see various iterations of the MarcusT watermark in this article’s galleries. (And if you weren’t sure, it’s pronounced Marcus-Tee, not Mar-cussed.)

“But somehow I never really got around to renaming myself to something less mundane than ‘MarcusT’, which is of course exactly what you think it is: my first name with the initial of my surname appended.

“I kind of wish that I had, but would it actually have made any difference to anything? I guess I’ll never know, and it’s far too late now!”

In his early efforts as a fetish ’tog, was Marcus inspired by any particular fetish or fetish-influenced photographers?

“I do remember (very early on) looking through endless fabulously sexy and inspiring photos of Bianca Beauchamp taken by Martin Perrault and wishing that one day I would find a muse like her. I’m still seeking my own Bianca. If she’s out there I’d love to meet her!

“In addition to shoots with friends, models and performers that I’ve met through the scene, I’ve also shot with partners.

“Many of them have been fairly keen to be photographed, and one in particular was pretty active as a model (plus had a following on Instagram etc).

“So we had a great symbiosis doing many shoots over the time that we were together, and quite a few since. We both still repost our images from time to time.”

Evolution as a club photographer

In his club photography days, Marcus was known to be pretty particular about whose events he photographed, restricting himself to just a few London clubs and a few events further afield. Which events were his favourite to shoot, and why?

“Club RUB always featured a very colourful and shiny crowd so I spent many nights there,” he says. “I went to a few Subversions too, but its emphasis was more on the BDSM end than the fashion and partying, so I didn’t find it as photogenic.

“I’ve always been drawn to the dark aesthetic of the goth scene and in Club AntiChrist I found the perfect fusion of goth, fetish and music that I loved. So photographed that for almost as many years as Torture Garden, though less frequently.

“I used to love going to Festival Of Sins, which blended kinky and kitsch cabaret, art installations and interactive elements, a lively dancefloor and a very relaxed, friendly atmosphere which always resulted in good photos.

“The FetishGuerilla and German Fetish Ball parties in Berlin feature the most diverse, beautiful and well dressed party people from all over the world, so those are favourites too.

“I’d also like to mention and recommend the excellent ZDR parties that Zara DuRose has been putting on in recent years. She always does a great job of theming the décor, and the crowd put a lot of effort into their outfits too.

“And of course, last but certainly not least, Torture Garden feels like my spiritual home!”

And it isn’t just TG’s London events that Marcus enjoys. He has been to TG franchised nights in Athens, Rome, Glasgow and, most recently, Berlin. But, he adds, TG Japan was the most exciting adventure of all.

“I had only been to Asia once before — in 2008, doing a whistlestop tour of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia — and I’d always wanted to visit Japan.

“So all I needed was a little push, and that particular year the dates were announced early enough for me to be able to book time off work and make arrangements.

“So I made plans with my excellent friends Ian and Shea, known to many around the world as globe-trotting party people and fashionistas par excellence.

“I encouraged others to come along too, so there ended up being around 20 of us at the party in Tokyo!”

It was very different from all the other TGs he’d been to, Marcus says.

TG Japan: ‘the most exciting of all’

“As you might expect, the crowd were mostly Japanese, though there were also many ex-pats. They were extremely well dressed — quite possibly the best dressed TG I’ve ever been to — but quite reserved to start with.

“So it initially felt more like an elegant soirée — not least because the venue was a very chic restaurant that had been taken over and transformed for the evening.

“However, a blend of local and British performers and DJs helped the party get going, and although there wasn’t a dungeon or couples room, there was a room full of candles where dominatrices and their slaves seemed to be enjoying themselves.

“So it ended up being a rather decadent and memorable party indeed.”

During his Tokyo trip Marcus was able to visit the boutique of the legendary Kurage, known from high-profile appearances at international fetish events for incredible, otherworldly creations incorporating industrial rubber and textures such as tyre treads.

“Kurage owner Kido took us to a local restaurant where we enjoyed what was for me the most fantastic meal of the entire trip,” he adds. And there will be pictures to prove it; Marcus does like to photograph his food.