Making Models Out Of Ordinary Men: Theo Kumar by Mark Grantham

'All the credit goes to Mark for making me look so sexy. He is truly a magician - one who works with light and makes models out of ordinary men.'

Whenever any model that I am posting about has worked with Mark Grantham, featuring the images is a must. Readers of FH know Mark is one of my favorite photographers and I regularly feature his work. Theo Kumar says Mark makes models out of ordinary men, he also makes art out of places and things most have long forgotten. Locations run down and abandoned, bringing life to area's otherwise pretty much dead. Mark says that Theo was a pleasure to work with, and looks forward to getting him back in front of his camera. 'Wonderfully fit, creative, open to suggestions, fine with climbing around abandoned spaces completely nude.'

'When Mark contacted me for a shoot, I was thrilled - having seen his amazing portfolio. But, when I went on location for the shoot, I was enthralled by the whole process. He uses natural light and this abandoned warehouse which doesn’t look like much. He is relaxed and lets you explore the space with your own ideas. He sets up the broad outline of the theme and lets you explore it. So, it is a great creative outlet!'

'It was the first time I was in a space - completely naked, but open to do whatever I felt like. He captured these amazing moments of natural self - expression so beautifully that's beyond words. After the shoot, I was expecting some good pictures, but when I got the pics from Mark - i was blown away. Every time I show those pics, people are like - that's you - you look outstanding!'

Theo began his modeling career when photographer Ronald N. Tan contacted him through a website and asked if he would be willing to participate in his Mr.Bollywood project. Theo had never even thought of posing before the camera before, and was hesitant. It is rare however to find a project focused on sexy Indian men and after a quick google search and discussions with the artist, his mind was put to rest and he agreed to do it not only for the uniqueness of the project, but the fact that an accomplished photographer wanted to capture him.

Theo on....

The Creative Process:

'The creative process as a whole is my favorite experience and the way you and the photographer take something that looks normal and make something fabulous out of it. In my shoot with Mark, we shot in this couch in an abandoned warehouse - a rusty old couch, but the pictures tell a different story.'

Strangest Modeling Experience:

'As soon as I setup a modeling profile, a guy pinged me and he wanted to shoot with me right away ASAP. Even though his website claims he is a famed photographer -with some amazing images to boot, he shows up with a 100$ camera. He starts shooting and literally forces me to undress, while asking me to drink plenty of wine to get me relaxed. Half way through he attempts to touch me inappropriately. That's when I stopped and asked him to leave. I haven’t heard or seen him ever since...'

Taking It All Off:

'Being a professional, it is a hard choice to disrobe. I evaluated the pros and cons. At the end, if somebody is judging you because you posed naked, I don’t think its worth having a relationship with them. Also, my friends and the love of my life have been very supportive and appreciative of me. I strongly believed that you are young and hot only once and I may not get this opportunity again.'

Modeling Goals:

I would love to shoot again with Mark in a themed shoot - where we explore different ideas and push it further. Maybe in a desert, beach, tropical forests and would like to see what we come up with. I would like to shoot a themed duo shoot with a gorgeous model - like wrestling in a beach! I am also a big fan of Prairie Visions Photography. I love his work and I would love to be photographed by him in a country -Midwestern style theme. It would be quite interesting to be an “Indian” Midwestern cowboy!'

Theo Kumar

Mark Grantham