His Equipment: Michael Hnida by Marlen Boro

Michael Hnida:

One of the Gentlemen Of Marlen Boro

If your a regular reader of FH you know there is a general flow I use to present the work of a model or a photographer. I like to start with a head shot. I do this as despite the fact that I showcase beautiful men, I personally have no interest in a great body unless it is attached to an interesting or beautiful face. I usually follow with fashion shots, jeans, shirtless and then underwear. Then...if the model has posed nude, I end with one or two of those shots.

I formulate my posts this way for many reasons, some obvious, some more personal. I want to introduce a talent, a skill, not just a body. The talent, either a photographer, a model or an actor. I find that if I start with a nude or incorporate too many within a post, whatever text or information I share about the artist gets lost or overshadowed. Now...many of you might wish I just 'cut to the chase' but I would also bet many of you who return here day after day have the same sensibilities on the subject as I do. If not, there are many other sites and blogs you could visit that devote themselves to just posting pictures without the hassle of the reading my words around them.

With Marlen Boro's work with 28 year old Michael Hnida it somehow felt right switch it up a bit. The first photo that I saw of Michael was the shot directly below. All I saw was his beautiful back, and backside, holding the baseball bat. A few weeks ago when Marlen and I were planning which shoot to showcase next, I asked to see more of the guy with the bat. One of the themes was obviously showcasing Michael with various pieces of sports equipment. There were also many shots where Michael's face was either obscured by the tennis rackets or t shirts. These shots created a sense of mystery about Michael that led me to want to reverse somewhat the way I generally layout a post or profile.

Minnesota's Michael Hnida, describes himself as a graphic designer, model, photographer, and advertising consultant.

'I'm really just a go with the flow type of guy who just loves to see what’s next for me in life. I must say that I’ve had a pretty interesting journey thus far. I always wanted to be a graphic designer so I pursued that career after high school.'



It was near the end of Michael's time in college that he first developed an interest in modeling. Michael says that modeling was never going to be a career, but he was drawn to the the fun and fantasy that was involved in the process. The majority of his modeling has been with local photographers assisting them in building their portfolios.

'Currently I’m working as a graphic designer and photographer for LAVENDER Magazine, which is a local GLBT publication in Minnesota. I can only describe my job to be like the show “Just Shoot Me”. My co-workers say I’m the Nina Van Horn of the office... a model and free-spirited wild child! I guess that’s a compliment. And, I have to say that my life, friends, and experiences are things you would only see on TV.'

'It’s because of my job at the magazine that I got into photography. I do most of the fashion editorials for the magazine. Some are good, and some not so much. I have to do it all from pulling clothes, to finding models, locations to shoot, actually shooting it, and then editing the photos. That’s a lot of work for one person, but I love to do it. Sometimes I even have to do the makeup too.'

'If you’re a person who takes your sweet ass time as you cross the road when I have a green light, I hate you. Some hustle is all I ask.'

The green light currently flashing in front of Michael is photography. The fun and fantasy Michael finds within his modeling is now something he is eager to incorporate into shooting images of his own. You can check out Michael's work as a photographer on his site: Mike Hnida Design & Photography HERE:

'Working with Marlen on my shoot was extremely relaxing and casual, but also very fun. Knowing that I also do photography it was fun to bounce some of my ideas off of him, and he was very receptive to hear and incorporate them in our shoot. I’m looking forward to shooting with him again soon.'
Michael Hnida

'Mike brought athletic gear and several pairs of tiny tiny underwear. I suggested that even though they were already tight, they could hold a few more balls. A good sport, Mike agreed.'

Marlen Boro

Check out more of Michael on Model Mayhem HERE:

MARLEN BORO