Favorite Pic of the Day for December 31st

Above:
Patrick Keuanu by Ethan James
-Learn more about Keuanu below-

Check out today's birthdays HERE:

Happy New Year!

I haven't quite jumped on the Zooey Deschanel bandwagon yet but I do think she and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are adorable in this video. Happy New Year everyone! Have fun and be safe!

Model Search 2012: Bassili Hendy

FH & Marlen Boro's Model Search 2012!
Please vote for your favorite HERE:


Bassili Hendy



A few words from Bassili about himself and why you should give him your vote:

Hi guys my name is Bassili, I'm a small town boy living in the big city of Toronto, Canada. I'm half Lebanese and Syrian, My parent moved us to Canada when I was 10 years old. I'm currently finishing my University degree in Visual Fine Arts, studying art history, painting, and Photography.

I think you guys should vote for me because I'm down to earth, confident, very easy to get along and easy to work with. I listen and take directions very well, and always do my best to help the photographer get the most out of a photo shoot, and will do whatever it takes to get “The Shot”. Plus I think there should be more Lebanese models out there.



Photos submitted by Bassili Hendy, courtesy of Dylan Rosser

Trust Your Eyes: Patrick Keuanu

'I never think that my story and where I came from is painful. It only makes me appreciate life more. Looking back on my life I know that I have come very far, I work hard for everything I have. I would never trade anything for the experience that I have.'
Patrick Keuanu



Not everyone sees the world through through such a beautiful lens as that of Patrick Keuanu. The world is full of people in pain, lonely, ill, broken. Life, and the experiences it frequently drags us through, can often blurry and bloody the crystalline lens making everything we see dull and lifeless. These experiences however sometimes have the opposite effect. For some, these same experiences cause the lens to seek out beauty, making things look more vibrant, more colorful and more alive.



'I can honestly say that art and photography is my passion. I love everything about it. It's part of whom I am and what I am born to do. Beside painting and photography, I also enjoy modeling. I think being in front of the camera really helps me understand the modeling side of the business. I am able to coach and become a better creative director and photographer.'
PK

2 shots below by Chi Hong Wong

Patrick Keuanu was born on April 4th into a family of nine children in Khammouane, Laos, a small land-lock country in the heart of Southeast Asia locate in between Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. He is the seventh of the nine children in his family. When the war in Southeast Asia ended in 1975, his family decided to leave Laos. Shortly before his fourth birthday, they moved to nearby Thailand with the hope for a better life. His family was part of the Laotian refugees that was admitted in the city of Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, Na Pho Refugee Camp in Northeastern Thailand in the 80s.

Living in a Refugee camp did not allow Keuanu a normal childhood. There were no toys or video games to play with. Luxury of any kind was not a consideration. There were just the basics, food and shelter. One thing Keuanu was fortunate enough to have was a notebook and pencil. These became his drawing tools and art became his passion.

While living in Na Pho Refugee Camp, Keuanu was fascinated by the beautiful mural painting that was on the wall and the art within the Lao Temple, these inspired him to learn about art. Even within these surroundings a passion grew for art, design, and photography not only was planted, but was nurtured and grew.

Keuanu by Ethan James

With help from the United States government, Keuanu and his family were able to come to finally make it to the US to begin for a new life. When they arrived in the States in 1989 they settled in Nashville, Tennessee. After he graduated from high school, Keuanu was awarded a scholarship to attend Savannah College of Art and Design where he earned his bachelor of fine arts degree in painting in 2001.

Keuanu started taking photos as hobby in high school while taking art classes. After college he worked as a professional painter, selling his art as a self-employed artist. About a year later Keuanu started taking photography more seriously, and has been shooting professionally for 6 years now

Below: Keuanu by Quar B

'Keuanu is such a loving and caring soul!!!'
Quar B



'What makes a photo shoot successful to me is that you have to know what you are looking for. When you are on set shooting, you should know what you want. Being able to direct models is very helpful. Go after your ideas and concepts. Trust your eyes and know what works and don't work. When you are shooting try not to control models too much. Let them do their thing so they can be more comfortable with themselves. It's important that your subject is comfortable with you and they can perform better on set.'
PK

Below: Two Self Portraits by Keuanu


'Being the person that has been through some hard times growing up makes me a strong, giving, and caring person. I believe that God has a purpose for me. He has giving me the gift, creative mind, and the ability to create stories, whether it is through painting or photography so one day I can make a difference in peoples lives.'
Patrick Keuanu


Patrick Keuanu: The Model
Patrick Keuanu: The Photographer
Patrick Keuanu blog & Official Site

Patrick Keuanu: The Photographer

'Patrick is very talented in both photography and painting. He is professional and communicates well in what shots he is looking to do. I was very happy to have the pleasure to work with him. I had a great time during our shoot because he made it so easy and fun. We have been planning another shoot, I am so looking forward to collaborating with him again.'
Steve Chen



'When I saw Steve's photos for the first time that’s when I knew that I wanted to shoot him. Steve is a very great model. I was very excited to shoot him when we were on set. He has a lot of experience in modeling. He knows his face and body very well. It was fun shooting him. He has a great look and also amazing body. I was very inspired to shoot him and we got a lot of great shots. We are planning to work together again hopefully when it gets warmer in the spring of 2012.'
Keuanu

Above:Steve Chen

Gio S

'Giovanni had very little experience in modeling. When he met me for the first time I thought of him as a very nice and sweet person. We become very good friends and he respects me like a big brother. Giovanni is part Laotian, Filipino, and Brazilian. He is a good model and takes direction well. He is very open-minded. I would love to shoot him again'
Keuanu





Michael Flores

'When I met Michael for the first time I showed him my portfolio and he immediately expressed to me that he wanted me to shoot him. He showed me some of his earlier modeling photos and I was very impressed with his look. Michael is a good model, but he is very critical about his look. I very much enjoyed shooting him. We plan to work together again in 2012.'
Keuanu





Douglas Arias

'Douglas is a good friend of mine. He is a very respectful person, full of energy, passionate, with a great attitude. When I first met him he told me that he wanted to start modeling, but wasn't quite sure where to began. I told him that I would help him out. I was very impressed by his passion in modeling and how be expressed to me that he wanted to be a model. Doug is a new model with very little experience in modeling, but when he is on set I saw something special about him.'




'He took direction very well. I think that he did well and better then a lot of models that have been shooting for a while. Doug has a great attitude and willing to try anything. On the day of the shoot, the weather was kind of cold. I used a water host to create raining effect. He was freezing cold but he was glad and willing to try. I was very impressed with his effort and dedication. I would definitely want to shoot him again soon.'
Keuanu



Patrick Keuanu on ModelMayhem