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Thursday, August 1, 2013
A Midsummer's Night's Dream
With all the traveling he has been doing, it has been awhile since Dylan Rosser has out updates for THE MALE FORM. As you can see by these images, including the adorable Alfie, it was well worth the wait.
THE MALE FORM has been updated with new shoots from not only Dylan but some of my favorite photographers! In addition to Alfie, Addison and Matt S from Dylan you can see new work from Ethan James, Deon Jackson, Brenton Parry, Ian Fraser and many others. Head on over to see all the Midsummer updates on THE MALE FORM!
Addison by Dylan Rosser
AJ by Ethan James
Justin By Ethan James
EButterfield Photography: Isolation Of Chaos
'I love photography. Call me a control freak, but I love looking at the world through a viewfinder, where it isolates the chaos into a manageable little rectangle I can control. I look for abstract patterns in detail, the "touchy-ness" of surfaces viewed so closely their "thingness" disappears; for bursts of rich color in expected and unexpected places; for textures and details.'
Evan Butterfield
Since beginning FH six years ago, I have seen the male form captured in many different locations and many different ways. In costume, on roof tops, on the side of buildings, on mountains and in holes, in abandoned banks, mind shafts and decaying buildings. I have found that often, the method or theme, which an artist chooses to shoot a model is more about the artist themselves than the subject in front of their lens. It is usually connected with another of their passions, or in other cases, incorporates something about themselves, or something they want to say, subtly within the imagery.
When first viewing the work of Long Beach California photographer Evan Butterfield, it was not just the models that drew my attention. With these images, it was also the objects incorporated within. In fact, with some of Evan's work, the object visually drew me in first, then my attention expanded to the model and image as a whole. Evan incorporates various props, everything from fruit and vegetables to cast iron teapots, cameras, masks and neck ties (see post below) on, with and in front of the men he captures.
Below: Andre
Below: Andre
'I see the props not as storytelling devices, but as counterpoints to the traditional nude model, that can be used to hide some parts while at the same time drawing attention to the model's nakedness.'
James
The correlation between Evan's desire for control, and the use of objects is interesting to me. In many ways, the objects act as visual bait that Butterfield uses to lure your attention to where he wants you to look first. Even though you may be looking at a naked man, your brain is visually telling you 'grapes'. The contrast is fascinating and in some images, the object also connects both the model and the viewer to the tone and feel of the piece.
The object can also acts as a focus for the model. When standing alone, naked in front of the camera, it can often be difficult to focus thought and movement. Having a prop, even something small to touch and hold can help tunnel energy making the experience seem more relaxing and casual.
Shane
'I've always been surrounded by photography. My grandfather was a small-town professional photographer (he specialized in gauzy portraits of Gladiolus Festival Queens and beaming local brides). He had a shingle hung in front of his house with a big, garish, Gothic "B" on it announcing "Butterfield Photography," so I come by the name honestly. My great-uncle was an aerial photo analyst in WWII, and my father, not one to take retirement sitting down, is a photographer for a local suburban Chicago newspaper. Anyway, it's no surprise how I've gotten to this point. Photography's not my day job, but it's an important part of my life.'
Symbol Of Power by EButterfield Photography
'A tie is like an arrow pointing to my crotch.'
Jarod Kintz
Ties are an interesting item of clothing. I remember as a kid proudly learning from my father how to tie a neck tie. During my teen years, tie's usually were only worn on positive occasions, church or a holiday, a dance or some special occasion.
My love of ties thankfully returned however when viewing this series by EButterfield Photography. I was reminded of the excitement I once had putting on a tie and the pleasure and relief that usually came from taking them off. I especially loved hearing from Evan about the meaning behind the theme.
'The tie series came about for a couple of reasons. The "Serious Artistic" reason was that I found the contrast between the formality of a tie and the nude model to be an important statement about how we decorate ourselves in the business world, and make judgments about a man's success and power based on the quality of his neckware--all the while ignoring the fact that we're all naked underneath, and that the body is a much more true symbol of power. The real reason is that I thought it was pretty funny to have a hot nude model wearing nothing but a tie.'
'As the owner of several very nice ties, it also offered an opportunity for me to show them off, and since most of my work is minimal in terms of color (skin tones and black backgrounds) the pop of a red or gold or blue silk tie was visually appealing. So as I work with various models, I always try to incorporate that particular shot. Sometimes the tie is used as camouflage, to cover up the naughty bits; sometimes it just points right down there.'
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