Favorite Pic of the Day for March 29th

Above:
Keith by Carl Proctor
-See more below-

Happy Birthday today March 29th to:

Happy 65th to an inspiration to many of us the incredible Bruce Weber.

Check out more of Bruce and fellow birthday boys Nick Beyeler & Christopher Lambert HERE:

Thumbs Down: ABC

I did not really pay much attention to the recent stories about Chris Brown until today. Anyone who reads FH on a regular basis knows I loath cruelty and violence, but decided there was no need for Chris Brown to get even another second of my attention. But... over the past couple of days I have reading some bloggers and forum posters making some interesting comparisons to how ABC reacted to Adam Labert (who although acted out sexually did not break any laws). Brown, currently on probation, admitted to losing it on the set of GMA. I guess being gay is a much greater crime to some of the suits at ABC...
Read more HERE:

Kudos to Downton Abbey

As is usually the case with me, I was slow to get on the Downton Abbey train. I had heard how great it was from a variety of sources including a friend who fell instantly in love with the series. I have had both good and bad experiences with British drama. I have spent more than a few nights in theatres where I was itching in my seat for the thing to just finish. Downton Abbey did have a few things going for it. It's incredible cast included Maggie Smith and Elizabeth McGovern, two of my favorite actresses. It was also on television so if I was bored I could simply change the channel. I DVR'd episode one but took so long to watch it the subsequent episodes were over before I even started watching. Thankfully Masterpiece reran the series the last few weeks and last night completed the first four episodes.

The first 15 minutes off Downton hooked me. The music is haunting and the opening scenes with the staff preparing the house for the day were a carefully choreographed and visually stunning piece of film. I was happy to read more episodes are currently in production. Downton has been described as deliciously addictive and that is exactly how I would describe it. The drama is not flashy but intense and each and every actor perfect in their roles


above: Theo James by Kate Friend.

An added bonus was being introduced to actor Theo James who played Turkish aristocrat Kemal Pamuk. Kemal only appeared briefly but his character had a lasting impact. James was born in Oxford, has a degree in philosophy from the University of Nottingham, and trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. His memorable performance in Abbey will have me researching more of his work.

Visual Stimulation: Keith by Carl Proctor

'I've always been fascinated by visual stimulation and photography of all kinds.'
Carl Proctor



I don't think there is much we do as adults that cannot somehow be connected to the first decade or so of our lives. For some it is a great thing, pulling childhood dreams and goals into adulthood. For others it can be a painful process trying to get as much distance from those years as possible.

I feel lucky that although not perfect, my first 10 years were full of fantasies and dreams of the future. I am going out on a limb here but I am sure I am not the only person who answered pretend questions from famous interviewers while sitting on a lawn chair in the backyard. I of course was being asked about my latest movie and how I prepared for the role. Perfecting my autographed required countless hours of practice.



There was nothing better as a kid to dive into a great book and be taken on a wild and exciting adventure. For Carl Proctor his interest was in far away places and says he would spend hours at the local library looking at photos in travel magazines. As an adult Carl has spent 35 years in the travel industry living out his childhood travel fantasies.



Eventually Carl moved from experiencing to capturing his fantasies something he says was helped by moving to digital photography which allowed him to do his own online editing to get the results he desired. Although Carl's portfolio is diverse and he loves shooting all types of subjects he says, 'I am most interested in capturing people either by surprise or by design.' I love this line as I am sure like many, if it was not for the fear of getting the crap beaten out of me, I would love to go around photographing people as they go about their day.



When I read Carl's about me section on his web page the words Visual Stimulation were a perfect description of what I felt viewing his work. Colorful, creative, erotic and alive are all words I would to describe Carl's work. What most stood out to me though was how specific and detailed Carl's images are. I have often assumed editing is generally about covering, hiding something you don't want the viewer to focus on or see. Carl however also uses his editing skills to highlight something, sometimes the smallest of detail, which enhances the viewing experience.



When it came to choosing a model to showcase Carl's work the choice was easy. Carl's work with 21 year old Keith embodies each of the adjectives I used above. Keith's energy shines through every shot. Something I rarely comment on but that stood with Keith is how exceptional and skilled he is with posing. Keith hits just the right physical and emotional mark. This may be connected to Keith's extensive acting experience. Keith, primarily a stage actor and has been in many local theatre productions. He believes that being able to perform on stage night after night and consistently be good is the mark of a true actor.



Keith also has visions of his future. Keith says he wants to always stay positive and confident in the pursuit of his dreams. Unlike many actors who dream of stardom Keith's goals are quite specific. Besides the cover of Men's Health Magazine Keith hopes one day to win an academy award for best supporting actor. I love that Keith says supporting. Firstly, I think it says a lot about who he is as a person. Secondly, the supporting category is still seen as somehow secondary even though it has been won some of the best actors on the planet. One of my favorite performances ever was Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People. His portrayal of Conrad led to Hutton's only Oscar thus far in the best supporting category.



'Working with Carl has been one of the best experiences of my career so far. Some of the best images in my portfolio were taken by him. Not only has he taught me so much about the art of creating a unique and brilliant photograph, but he has also helped me grow so much as a model. Working with Carl is so much fun and his shoots are always relaxing and stress free. He is always professional and respectful and he always notices the little things that really make his work standout. I can't wait to work with Carl Proctor again in the future.'
Keith



'I have had the pleasure of working with and getting to know Keith in three amazing photo shoots over the past couple years. During that time I've also been enthralled watching him lose himself in a couple highly entertaining stage productions. As I would watch Keith on stage I would often think, "If the people in this theatre only knew how good Keith REALLY looks!". He would give me as much while modeling as he did to the audiences he performed for. In his theatre playbill bio, when asked what his hobbies were, he said "Working out. Acting. Working out. Acting. And working out." It shows! He has become leaner and more defined with each shoot. He comes to each photo shoot excited and fully energized and willing to push the envelope in any direction. Watching someone like Keith mature and continually improve is very gratifying. After nearly ten years of working with hundreds of models, it is no stretch to say that Keith has become one of my proudest portfolio stars.'
Carl Proctor

Thanks to Carl and Keith for sharing their work together with FH!

Check out much more Carl's work on Model Mayhem HERE: & at his official site HERE:

Favorite Pic of the Day for March 28th

Above:
Mark Remly by John M Clum
See More Below!

Check out today's birthday boys including; Matthias Koeberlin, Ben Richards and Vince Vaughn HERE:

Thumbs Down

A simple and pleasant request would have done the trick!

Kudos to Matt Elrod

When the latest installment of Survivor began I skipped the first episode. I do not share the producers obvious 'woody' over Russell and was also not to thrilled with the fact they also brought back Rob. Well a couple of things happened. Firstly Russell happily took an early exit and Rob, as always quickly grew on me. There is something about his personality that draws you in.



Matt Elrod also played a role. The 22 year old is a pre-med student (who obviously does a little modeling) in Nashville. Called the 'poor mans Fabio' and 'wannabe Jud' Matt got the boot early in the game and barely had time to make any impact. But...this season Survivor added Redemption Island and Matt has been winning every challenge put in front of him since. The odds are against this continuing until the end so I hope the producers find a way to reward his success with a return to the game.

Mark Remaly by John M Clum

Although I didn't know it when FH began, I think one of the reasons I began the blog was not just to feature the creativity of others but as importantly I have learned, to channel my own. Stories have always played a large part of my life, reading them, telling them and sharing them. I try when time allows (which is getting harder and harder) to tell a story with many of the profiles that I put together. Although the degree of success has been mixed it has been my goal to say something about an artist, an actor, a model, an image that maybe has you view it just a little differently.



Last fall when I contacted photographer John M Clum it was initially to get his support to showcase his work with model B Chapman. (An Ealaíontóir: B Chapman by John M. Clum) There is something quite special about B and his career seems to be really be taking off.

The profile of John's work with B also was one of my favorite 'stories' to put together. Seeing B's shots were hot from the start, but after learning and subsequently sharing the factors that drive John's creativity his images taken on an additional layer of enjoyment. I knew then that I wanted to make John's work a regular part of FH.



When deciding on which model John has shot to focus on next the choice was not a difficult one. Model Mark Remaly is originally from Bloomsburg, PA and now lives in Washington DC. Mark is also an actor and appeared in the 2008 horror flick Frat House Massacre. Mark has a great body, a beautiful expressive face. The fact Mark is a red head did not hurt. I have an affinity for red heads which I talk a bit about HERE: It was Mark's hair color that first inspired John as well.

'Autumn had me thinking about doing a shoot with a red head and then along came Mark. I was infatuated with the color of his hair in combination with his light complexion. On top of all that a stunning physique. I don't often get to work with red heads so I love it when I get the chance. When I saw him in the orange Aussie Bums he brought, the shots all came together around his hair color. I placed the warm lights below making the briefs glow like embers while his light complexion reflected the cool light from above giving the shot a sense of sky. Mark was the perfect model for an autumn shoot.'



You can see more of Mark's portfolio on his Model Mayhem page HERE:

Also check out John's Fine Line Fine Art site HERE:





Cutis et Ossa

'My photography is filtered through the eyes of a painter; looking for the story in the moment at hand whether it be imagined or real. In the process I document the endless variations of the male body type, so many that there truly is no specific standard or type except for that which is imposed on us by popular culture. I explore the many variations and their unique qualities and beauty through my art. Some of the most beautiful men will be found around the next corner where you least expect to find them. I capture images of men that will span body structure and physical manifestations of form, frailty, variation, infirmity, strength, power, beauty, arousal and the exotic or any combination thereof.'
John M. Clum 2010


Above: Orion the Hunter... born of the earth as a result of Zeus, Hermes and Poseidon masturbate into a bulls hide and bury it in the earth where Hyrieus digs up the bull hide with Orion in it and raises him as his son. His unfortunate death happened when Apollo tricked his sister Hyrieus who loved Orion into shooting him in the head with an arrow while he was swimming.

Last fall John began a new site as another way to showcase his creativity. Cutis et Ossa (Skin and Bone) is a blog featuring some of John's fantasy photo edits. Check out more HERE:

'There are endless variations of the male body type, so many that there truly is no specific standard or type except for that which is imposed on us by popular culture. I try to explore the many variations and their unique qualities and beauty through my art. Some of the most beautiful men will be found around the next corner where you least expect to find them. I will present images of men that will span body structure and physical manifestations of form, frailty, variation, infirmity, strength, power, beauty, arousal and the exotic or any combination thereof.'