Dancing with Chris Jericho

I never got wrestling on television. Never got the appeal, it never held any interest. For some reason I also was rarely attracted to wrestlers, too thick, too over the top, too...well too much.



Then...in the early 90's when I was about 15 or 16 I went with one of my best friends Geoff and his dad to see a local Wrestlemania featuring The Undertaker. For the first time, being there live, even knowing how fake it was there was an energy, as sexual energy that even I could not miss. I still don't have any interest in tuning wrestling in but I do now have a new found appreciation for wrestlers.



I had no idea who Chris Jericho was when I first say him doing the Quickstep with Cheryl Burke on Dancing With The Stars. But I did enjoy his winning smile and amazing behind as he danced around the ballroom. A little research filled me in on Chris and seeing him interviewed recently also proved he is intelligent, sweet and devoted to his family. Hope to see him dancing for many weeks to come!



Below: Being pantsed is one perk of watching wrestling!

Artful Dodger by Shaun Simpson

'He was a snub-nosed, flat-browed, common-faced boy enough; and as dirty a juvenile as one would wish to see; but he had about him all the airs and manners of a man. He was short of his age: with rather bow-legs, and little, sharp, ugly eyes. His hat was stuck on the top of his head so lightly, that it threatened to fall off every moment--and would have done so, very often, if the wearer had not had a knack of every now and then giving his head a sudden twitch, which brought it back to its old place again. He wore a man's coat, which reached nearly to his heels. He had turned the cuffs back, half-way up his arm, to get his hands out of the sleeves: apparently with the ultimated view of thrusting them into the pockets of his corduroy trousers; for there he kept them. He was, altogether, as roystering and swaggering a young gentleman as ever stood four feet six, or something less, in the bluchers.'
Charles Dickens



I am not sure how much of Dickens description relates to model Ryan Whiteman (who uses the name in his work) but the Artful Dodger had some good qualities, he was quick, skilled, cunning and had a big heart. Ultimately one can hope his time in the penal colony helped him turn himself around.

Last November I first featured the work of Halifax based photographer Shaun Simpson. (Brian Stever by Shaun Simpson) In that profile Shaun talked about the weather challenges of shooting in NS and I know yesterday NS, like much of the North East was dealt a cruel April Fool's joke with a mix of Freezing rain and snow. The weather challenges do however lead to an increased concentration on creativity when it comes to interior studio shooting. The shots of Ryan showcased here are from several different shoots and I love Shaun's use of darkness, light and shadow in some of my favorite shots.



Ryan was born in the UK but moved to Canada when he was a teenager. Shaun loves working with Ryan and says he lost count of how many shoots they have done together.

'Ryan was one of the first male models I worked with, and have continued to work with him over the past few years. He's sort of like a guinea pig for my lighting and styling tests; whenever I want to try something new he's one of the first guys I contact.'

You can check out more of Shaun's work on MM HERE: and at his official site HERE:
You can check out more of Artful Dodger on MM HERE:

Favorite Pic of the Day for April 1st

Above Andrew Owens by Carl Proctor.
If you missed my profile of Carl and his work with Keith Truman check it out HERE:

Happy Birthday today April 1st to:

Edilson Nascimento turns 25 today.
Check out my birthday post for Edilson from last year HERE:
Also check out fellow birthday boys for April 1st, Matt Lanter, Randy Orton, Thorsten Feller and Michael Praed HERE: Happy Birthday also to FH favorites the incredible Michael Macneal & the immensely talented Ryan Murry.

Got to love a big Wave!

Both the adorable Josh Hopkins and co-star Courteney Cox struggled to keep everything in place on beach in St. Barts this week!



Source:

Kudos to Sara Ramirez

I can't quite give a total thumbs up to last nights musical episode of Grey's Anatomy. I found some of the episode rather awkward and it was obvious many scenes were written around who could actually sing (Kevin McKidd, Chyler Leigh) instead of characters who actually had closer relationships to Callie. I also thought the talented Chandra Wilson (who has sung on Broadway) was not meant to have her Baily singing and dancing in the halls of Seattle Grace. But... I wish the show had left all of the music to Sara Ramirez who book ended the show with two truly beautiful and outstanding performances. Her talent as both a singer and an actress made the hour haunting, powerful and worth the risk that the show took.