Two Ovals

Another first - Timmy in color. The title, "Two Ovals" is a reference to the title of the Kandinsky poster and Timmy's generous "assets".

Shot on color film, printed and scanned.



Abstract Figure

Sorry that I did not post on Friday.  I had internet connectivity issues that became a living nightmare, just now resolved. 

Today's image is one of my very first attempts at a digital manipulation. 

The image was shot on film, printed, then scanned and digitally manipulated to produce the abstraction.  The result was shown in a gallery exhibition in the fall of 1994 or 1995.

The model, of course, was Timmy, from the same shoot as those below.



Figure, Stretch

I don't know what else to say about this series, except that I'd forgotten how successful it was, and wish I knew where the model is now.

Film with natural light.



TImmy

This is where a picture is worth a thousand words.  I'd forgotten this one.

Shot on film in natural light.



Two sides of Timmy

Timmy, in a formal frontal mood.

And Timmy, from the rear.

Equally beautiful; difficult to choose.





Timmy

I'm reluctant to leave this cool, sunny place.  And when you have a model with the lines of a '55 Thunderbird, it's difficult to stop.

Enjoy.



Timmy, with a Chair

Timmy, in the immortal words of Suzanne Sugarbaker of "Designing Women", "....had a butt you could serve tea on."

Meaning no disrespect, but it was phenomenal.

Taken on the terrace in natural light.



Houston, Morning

Timmy and friends. As close to pet photography as I ever get.

Shot on film in natural light.



Timmy, Morning

And speaking of pleasant moments in time, here is a series of a brief morning interlude in a sun-drenched 26th floor condominium in Houston.  (Click on images to view them properly.)

There will be more of Timmy.

Shot on film in natural light.



Figure on All Fours

All I can remember about this model is that he was as much fun to shoot as he looks.  That and a "Tweety Bird" tattoo just below his right pelvic bone, barely visible here.

Models enjoy photo shoots for a variety of reasons.  Some (most) enjoy being looked at; some get a thrill out of being "immortalized" on film.  Others are simply exhibitionists.  Once in a great while one comes along that just likes being naked in front of a camera, and goes with it - no pretense, no agenda, no holding back.  These are a gift.

The image above is not great "art".  Not even really a good composition.  Just a pleasant moment in time.



Something Cool

Marble Torso of a Youth, Musee D'Orsay, Paris

One of many academic nudes from the 19th century.  I don't recall the sculptor.



Johnny

Johnny, being Johnny.  He could seduce any camera.

Shot on film in natural light.



Johnny with white pants

Continuing in a lighter mood.  It's too hot for black today.

Still, Johnny managed to look hot in white.



Johnny

Johnny in a kittenish mood.  Blonde highlights, white pants, light set.  Pretty boy.



Figure on a Stool

Another from the session with Steve, the Art League model.

He modeled full-time for life drawing and painting classes.  He was the only male life model, and the League mounted a show of mixed media from a number of artists who had used him as a model, and the gallery was filled with images of him in painting, drawing, watercolor and sculpture. 

It made for an interesting exhibition.



Standing Figure

Lindsay, photographed in high-key lighting on a gray background.  The pose is quite linear, and creates a particular tension in the figure.

I don't know that I would use such a pose today, but there is an arresting quality to it.



Figure

Steve, the Art League model, in a classic pose.  I only did one session with him, because he charged $20 an hour, expensive for me then.  I wish I had done more.

I wasn't used to a professional model, and probably was a little intimidated by the idea, although he was quite nice and took direction very well, as you would expect.



Danny, Three Portraits

Danny was what I would call a "problem model".  He had several things going for him - perfect skin, thick dark hair, dark eyes.  He was of Irish-Italian descent, and had the best of both.

He had done professional print modeling for a local department store and knew the ropes.  He wore clothes well.  What he lacked was confidence in his body, and a reluctnce to pose nude because of it.  He thought his chest was too flat and his nose was too big.  He constantly tried to play down his Italian side, while I tried to highlight it.

Below are three consecutive frames of a portrait shoot,  showing the process of getting the image I wanted.

There will be more to come as I struggle to teach Danny to trust me and not his insecurities.  It was a long battle.

Torso Study

A simple torso study, no bells, no whistles.

Shot on film with a two-light set-up.



Lindsay, posing

Lindsay was a beautiful model and a friend, very easy to work with, but he needed direction.  He was quite comfortable with the camera, but posing didn't come naturally to him; he tended to be all straight lines.

I was still not really accomplished in directing my models; I usually tried to just let them go and capture what I saw.

Here I seem to have directed a rather forced pose, but somehow it works, and reads to me now as kind of naive and fresh.



Three Portraits

Portrait of Johnny

Another in a series of portrait studies, this one in high-key light on a black drop.

Portrait of a Youth With a Glass

A toned-down light produces a somewhat more softened image and a different mood for a different subject.

Portrait of Lindsay

A middle ground, using a gray drop.  The drama comes from shadow rather than light.







Two Portraits of a Young Man

One of a series of portraits taken in the late 1980's.  This one of Paul is done in high-contrast and strong light, accenting the facial planes.  No attempt was made to disguise flaws; there weren't any.

Another portrait of Paul, this one using a wooden artist's modeling hand as a contrast between the warmth of his skin and the mechanical quality of the hand.

Here the strong one-source light delicately models the sensuous features.





Torso

Back in the studio, a sculptural study.  Steven's classical proportions lent themselves beautifully to this kind of scrutiny.

Shot on film with one light source.



Swimming Figure

More from Hippie Hollow. (Click on image to view properly.) I think the model's name was Ralph.

Shot on black & white film.  (A bit of technical info, about as much as I'll ever supply - I shot everything with Kodak Plus X, or, if I needed more speed, Tri X.)



Swimming Figure

There is something primal in the feeling of water on skin; something cleansing and cool that this image evokes.

The model was one of our party on a Splash Day weekend at "Hippie Hollow" on Lake Travis near Austin, Texas.

Shot with black & white film.



Splash Day

Staying out of doors for the moment, there is an annual event that takes place on the last weekend of May at a place called "Hippie Hollow" on Lake Travis near Austin, Texas.  Hippie Hollow is a (quasi) legal nude beach, and on this weekend thousands of gay men descend for fun in the sun, and a 48-hour no-holds-barred party ensues.

The difference between these revelers and the sunbathers on the Paris quai (June 8, June 9, 2011) is that these bathers know they're being watched, and glory in it, at once attainable and oh so unattainable.

I wrote a play, "Last Splash!", which played to full houses in two productions in Houston.  I made the mistake of taking it to Austin on Splash Day Weekend and lost my shirt.  No one wanted to leave the Hollow.  Lesson learned.

The model for the program photo was an actor who played in the production.  More of him later.



Fourth of July

Just for fun.  For my viewers who do not live in the United States, today is American Independence Day, celebrated with picnics, fireworks and trips to the lakes, rivers and beaches for a day outdoors.

The beach scene here I took as a teenager on a visit to Atlantic City, New Jersey in the summer of 1960.  I shot with my father's 35mm Argus A4 and Kodachrome slide film.

The model was shot in my studio wearing a vintage swim set purchased at a local thrift store, using a Nikon D70.



Figure reclining on a styrofoam cut-out

After this I'll give Steven a rest, but I couldn't resist just one more.

Shot on film with a two-light set-up.



Figure, Back

A simple back shot, showing the graceful contours of the model's body.

Shot on film with a two-light set-up.



Figure wearing a mesh singlet

Another shoot with Steven, wearing a mesh singlet that suits him.  (Click on the image to view it properly.)

He had the natural grace of a dancer, and was a pleasure to photograph.