'No question that Austin won the Genes Jackpot Lottery! He says his father is Spanish and his mother is Cuban and that is a very attractive and powerful combination.'
Gordon Nebeker
One of the joys of working on FH, and one of the things that motivates me to keep the blog going is the connections I have made over the past 7 years. I truly value the trust that artists and models have given me to respectfully, and hopefully skillfully, present not only their work and images, but the stories behind them. It is particularly rewarding for me to have artists contribute on a regular basis. I also am aware from feedback that blog readers look forward to seeing new work from photographers they admire.
I first began featuring the work of photographer Gordon Nebeker in 2010. Since then, Gordon has become a favorite to work and collaborate with, and I have been fortunate to feature his work on a regular basis. Gordon's work has a depth and richness which is matched by the professionalism of the artist himself. Gordon often includes me in the process of his shoots, sometimes from the first connections with a model we are going to feature, to the processing of the finished images. The great skill and respect he brings to his work is reflected within his photographs, and the elegance weaved within, both separates and elevates Gordon's work to distinct plateau of it's own.
One of the goals of FH has always been to promote. I want to do more than just share great images, I want to in some way draw attention to exceptional work. When I write reach out to an artist, I make sure to state I am contacting not just for permission to feature their work, but because there is something about the work that affected me to want to share it. Sometimes, the combination of an artist images with the visual presentation and texts have resulted in FH features that have led to models and photographers connecting for future work.
When I first saw the work of model Austin Wild early in January I knew that I had come across something special. A tall drink of water at 6' 3", Austin had a strong and unique presence and a stunning look the camera loved. I was really surprised that I had not heard of Austin before and that photographers were not beating down his door to collaborate. Austin gave me the go ahead for a feature and the quote below is from, Wild About Austin, posted on January 20th of this year.
'Austin's 6' 3" frame is perfect for both fashion and fitness and he moves beautifully in front of the camera. Austin gladly supported a visit to FH, but for now is going to remain a bit of mystery. Hopefully he will soon be spotted by a skilled capturer of the male form who will shoot more images. Then more of the story, and the fantasy, can be told and continued.'
A skilled photographer certainly did spot Austin, and the story from the 20th, and on the 31st of that same month, Austin met up with Gordon Nebeker at his studio in Florida for their first shoot. Gordon and Austin were on board for a feature from the get go, but both so busy, I was forced to sit on the images until now. Not an easy task I assure you. The special quality I first saw in Austin was not a fluke, he shines in front of Gordon's lens and the story, and the fantasy has magnificently continued.
'When I read the piece on FH January, I saw that Austin is very near where I live in the Winter time and I have never noticed his MM profile before so got in contact. During the shoot, we were talking and I complimented him on his maturity for a young man his age. He said, "I think I am an old soul" and I think he is right. I had occasion to see him later in a group of people of mixed ages and he seemed to fit in well with everyone. Austin has a natural talent for acting and I would describe an emotion I wanted him to show in the photograph and he nailed it just about every time. He can look quite different from photograph to photograph which, to me as a photographer, makes his work more interesting and varied. Austin is very comfortable in his own skin and takes direction well. It was a joy to work with him and I am pleased he has agreed to another shoot in about a week's time. This time we will be photographing him wet and underwater!'
Austin loved working with Gordon as well and describes his a great photographer and extremely professional. 'Gordon is one the most charismatic photographers out there and I had the great pleasure to work with him!' The combination of artist and model clearly blended beautifully in this case as you can see by the incredible shots captured.
Gordon is mounting a one week show, 'The Male Nude', with photographer Greg Lindeblom, from the 20th to the 26th of April in Fort Lauderdale. Gordon says he is pleased to be including some of Austin's photographs in the show and welcomes everyone to attend! Details to follow!
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